The Spanish Armada inflicts England's deepest wounds
Oh, England! The national trauma continues, as the English football national team is cursed since 1966. In the EURO final, Spain discovers historical sea battles again - and adds tears and "heartache" to the Three Lions.
They're back, the comeback kings. Just like so many times at the European Championship in Germany, they also win the final in Berlin out of nowhere. Unbeatable. England scores the equalizer with the first shot on target in the second half against shocked Spaniards, who had dominated the game before, and turns the match around. But only a little later, frustration and pain take over. The Red Fury snatches a 2:1 (0:0)-victory, their fourth EURO title - and rips open a deep wound of the Three Lions in a dramatic way.
Last-minute goals can also be the Iberians, as every German football fan knows only too well. And so, this EURO final in the sold-out Olympic Stadium writes a thrilling story with a late winning goal by the Spanish national team - catapulting England back into the valley of tears. A trauma that English football finally wanted to leave behind, lives on. The curse, which they finally wanted to overcome, comes back brutally.
When the Spanish Armada is crushed by England's fleet in 1588 and the end of a World Empire begins, when from 1739 to 1742 the two colonial powers fought over an abscessed Ear, no one suspected that the rivalry of history would ever reach the football field. That the Spanish Armada would come back to life 436 years later with a new golden generation in the persons of Lamine Yamal, Nico Williams, Dani Olmo and goalkeeper Rodri on the green grass. That in Berlin, power would not be fought out on the world seas, but in football, and Spain would emerge as a clear winner, European champions, and top favorites for the World Championship 2026 in Canada, Mexico, and the USA.
"Three Lions suffer heartache"
While the Furia Roja lifts the Silver Cup high, England's trainer Gareth Southgate realizes after the final whistle: "We weren't good enough to win the game." The English press, not known for restraint, sees it as a "Disaster for England" ("Daily Mail") and "another disappointment" ("Mirror"). The tabloid "The Sun" judges: "Three Lions suffer heartache - Southgate and his heroes fail at the last hurdle."
Meanwhile, tens of thousands of English fans in the capital are full of anticipation on Saturday and Sunday. This time it has to work. This time he has to come home, Football. This time the curse will be lifted, which has weighed on the Three Lions since 1966, when they lost the World Cup final to Germany with the legendary Wembley Goal and have never won a major tournament since (except for the women, who won the EURO title in 2022). Singing "Hey Jude" by the Beatles before the kick-off, everything seems made for a day for the history books.
Nothing much happens after that. After a grab for the football empire, it doesn't look like the 22 men on the grass are up to anything in the first 45 minutes. Spain dominates with passing sequences and ball possession, but cannot create a single clear chance. Big excitement: Midfield boss Rodri slips out of the shirt he always wears alone on the field, out of his pants. The Manchester City player, who takes Phil Foden completely out of the game, has a firm grip on the game's flow and is later named Player of the Tournament. The "Guardian" writes in the liveticker: "Pint of wine anyone?" Would someone like a glass of wine against the boredom?
But the Three Lions are just right. The victory over the curse is still possible, the valley of pain seems far away. In Foden's person, England comes close to the best chance just before halftime: With the only shot from the island, the offensive artist brings the ball just not forcefully enough on the goalkeeper Unai Simon's frame. However, it is important that Spain's highly praised offense has been stifled so far.
England escapes from despair
The second half, however, is spectacular, dramatic - and historic. It starts off with a rapid attack on the right side by Yamal. The wonder kid, who celebrated his 17th birthday on Saturday and became the youngest player in an EM final ever with the whistle, fits perfectly into the gap at the right moment and crosses to Williams, who humorlessly and directly finishes and scores (47.). The two friends celebrate, Spanish fans are in a frenzy, Yamal gets his fourth assist of the tournament. That's all too fast for the English fleet, which comes in like a heavy oil tanker.
How does England respond? Not at all. A minute later, Olmo, who took Walker out of the game with a run during the 1-0, scores the next goal. The Leipzig player forgives, however, after a remarkable ball control and a shot from 11 meters. And as soon as Spanish fans start singing their national anthem, Alvaro Morata is through again - this time with a pass from Yamal - and hits the ball past Pickford, but also the post. Just a few seconds later, Williams shoots from 20 meters just past the left post.
England is sinking, England is in acute despair, England feels the curse taking over again. England looks defeated. But since the Spanish Armada does not strike again, England is still in the game - and beats coldly as usual in the tournament. Out of nowhere, there is an impressive attack by Bukayo Saka, Jude Bellingham puts a stop to it in the box with a short contact, and the substitute Cole Palmer rushes in and shoots accurately into the left corner (73%).
Spain historic, England weeps
England shows the curse and becomes a horror figure that keeps coming back to life. If the team won all four knockout games after falling behind, that would be historically impressive. No team has ever achieved that in a major tournament, and England itself had only managed such a comeback before the EM quarterfinals in the last 94 years a total of three times. Instead, Spain secures the historic fourth EM title, with which the Furia Roja overtakes Germany as the only record champion.
And the deep wound of the Three Lions has been reopened once again, causing painful sorrow. The national trauma, the inability to win another men's title, receives a new, tragic chapter. After the bitter defeat in the penalty shootout against Italy at EURO 2021, it's a goal in the 86th minute that sucks all the air out of the English sails. The hope and joy of the fans is turned into tears.
Despite a massive chance created through Yamal after a combination of passes, known as the Armada, Jordan Pickford is there with a good save. The fans in red shirts respond with "Si, se puede" chants. We can do it. And they actually do: Marc Cucurella shows it to the German fans still booing him for his handball in the quarterfinals, sets up a precise cross to the recently substituted Mikel Oyarzabal, who scores the decisive goal just before Pickford.
Wound Reopened
Despite another triple header opportunity for the Three Lions, only loud English curses can be heard after the missed chance until the final whistle. This time, the Spanish Armada has won, and the young team will likely make a big splash in the football world in the coming years. Meanwhile, a few hundred kilometers away in the afternoon, a 21-year-old Spaniard, Carlos Alcaraz, paid a less practiced bow to Princess Kate after winning the Wimbledon final. In Berlin, wunderkind Yamal pats the Spanish king Felipe on the back as if it was routine for a 17-year-old.
21,169 days of agonizing wait since 1966 - and the curse strikes again. It hits the mark. The deeply emotional fans from the island are left reeling once more. Shock and pain rule on the pitch and outside the stadium. One fan holds his arms over his head for minutes, completely shocked. Others let their frustration run free and curse: "At every damn tournament, we win a fucking loser!"
A young boy in the subway is crying. He still needs to understand that the new empire on the green in the coming years is likely to hoist the red flag. He needs to learn the curse and the new tragedies of his team. The pain that always accompanies English football. The deep wound that has been reopened once more.
England's hopes of breaking their curse at the European Football Championship 2024 were dashed as Jude Bellingham's equalizer in the second half was countered by Jude Olmo's goal for Spain, ultimately leading to a 2-1 defeat. Harry Kane and his teammates, who had a history of comebacks, struggled against the dominant Spanish team, with standout performances from midfield boss Rodri and wunderkind Lamine Yamal. The loss marked the fourth European Championship title for Spain and added another chapter to England's infamous national trauma.
