Euro 2024 Data Dive: Perfect Spain clinch record-breaking fourth title

It was more European Championship heartbreak for England on Sunday as Mikal Oyarzabal stepped off the bench to fire Spain to a 2-1 victory in the final.

The Three Lions were eyeing another rescue act when substitute Cole Palmer cancelled out Nico Williams’ opener, but La Roja came on strong in the dying moments and Oyarzabal turned home Marc Cucurella’s pinpoint cross with four minutes left.

While Spain lifted the trophy for a record-breaking fourth time, moving clear of Germany for the most titles won, it’s back to the drawing board for England.

Here, we run through the best Opta stats to emerge from the showpiece game in Berlin.

2024 CHAMPIONS: Spain #EURO2024 pic.twitter.com/8jGoI5ZSv0

— UEFA EURO 2024 (@EURO2024) July 14, 2024

Spain 2-1 England: No redemption for Three Lions as Yamal and Williams star

England made an unwanted piece of history with Sunday’s defeat as they became the first team in history to lose back-to-back European Championship finals.

Gareth Southgate, meanwhile, became the first manager to oversee two final defeats in the competition.

The Three Lions made a solid start as both teams struggled to carve out chances in the opening period, but they fell behind just 69 seconds into the second half, Williams pouncing on Yamal’s pass to finish across Jordan Pickford.

Williams’ strike is the earliest in the second half of any Euros final, and at the age of 22 years and two days, he became the second-youngest player to score in the tournament’s showpiece, behind only Pietro Anastasi in 1968 for Italy (20 years, 64 days).

Yamal, meanwhile, became the first Spain player to register four assists at a single European Championship tournament.

It is also the joint-most any player has ever assisted at a single edition of the competition since Opta records began in 1980.

England have now conceded the first goal in eight of their last 12 matches in all competitions and have done so in four matches in a row for the first time since 1985.

However, the Three Lions were dragged back into the contest by Palmer, who side-footed into the bottom-left corner after receiving Jude Bellingham’s lay-off just 142 seconds after coming on, England’s fastest goal by a substitute at the Euros and the second-fastest by any substitute in a Euros final, behind Juan Mata in 2012 for Spain (100 seconds).

Bellingham’s assist came on his 15th appearance at a major international tournament. At the age of 21 years and 15 days, he is the youngest player in the history of the Euros and World Cup to make 15 appearances across the competitions.

The second-youngest player to achieve that feat is Bukayo Saka, who also made his 15th appearance in this match (22 years, 313 days).

However, England then relinquished control of the game and fell behind again as Oyarzabal turned Cucurella’s low delivery home. Oyarzabal has now scored 12 goals for Spain and nine of them have come as a substitute, including his last five in a row.

He is the fourth substitute to score the winner in a European Championship final, after Oliver Bierhoff for Germany in 1996, David Trezeguet for France in 2000 and Eder for Portugal in 2016.

England were unable to respond in the dying moments as Spain made it seven wins from as many matches at Euro 2024.

They are the first European nation to win seven matches at a major international tournament (Euros/World Cup) and just the second overall, along with Brazil at the 2002 World Cup.

La Roja scored 15 goals at Euro 2024, the most by any nation at a single tournament in the history of the Euros.

England’s wait to follow up their 1966 World Cup triumph, meanwhile, drags on.

This was their 45th match at the Euros, 19 more than any other nation has played without lifting the trophy (Belgium are second with 26).