Lamine Yamal of Spain celebrates with his winners medal and ‘Best Young Player’ award after victory over England in the UEFA EURO 2024 final match at Olympiastadion on July 14, 2024 in Berlin, Germany.
| Photo Credit: Getty Images

Spain’s teenage phenom Lamine Yamal won the European Championship and the tournament’s best young player award just a day after he turned 17. Yamal earned it mostly while he was still 16, but he crowned his contribution to Spain’s success by setting up Nico Williams’ opening goal in a 2-1 win over England in the final on July 14, 2024.

“This is the best (birthday) gift I could have asked for. It’s a dream come true,” Yamal said. “It got tough when they tied the score, but I don’t know what this team is made of because we always fight back.”

Yamal became the youngest player to appear at the European Championship, the youngest to score in the tournament, and the youngest to play in a final. He finished with four assists and one goal in his debut European Championship.

Yamal plays for Barcelona, following in the footsteps of his idol, Lionel Messi, after coming through the club’s famed La Masia training academy. He’s also the youngest goalscorer in the Spanish league.

Harry Kane and Dani Olmo end in a 6-way tie for Golden Boot top scorer

England striker Harry Kane finished Euro 2024 in a six-way tie for the Golden Boot top scorer as his team lost the final. It was another individual accolade for a player yet to win a major trophy for club or country.

Kane ended the tournament tied on three goals with Spain midfielder Dani Olmo, Germany midfielder Jamal Musiala, Netherlands forward Cody Gakpo, Slovakia winger Ivan Schranz and Georgia striker Georges Mikautadze.

Kane has now been a runner-up in back-to-back European Championship finals after England’s loss to Italy three years ago, and a runner-up in one Champions League final and two English League Cups. He’s won a string of individual awards, including Bundesliga top scorer last season at Bayern Munich, but the German club had its first season without a trophy since 2012.

Kane is one of four men’s players to have been top scorer at both a European Championship and a World Cup, something he achieved in 2018.

UEFA allowed multiple players to share the Euro 2024 top scorer award if they scored the same number of goals, in a change from recent tournaments. At the last men’s European Championship, Portugal’s Cristiano Ronaldo and Czech striker Patrik Schick both had five goals but Ronaldo was named the winner because he had an assist and Schick had none.

Southgate to discuss England future after Euro final defeat

England coach Gareth Southgate said he would discuss his future in charge of the national team after Sunday’s defeat left him once again trying to work out why glory had eluded his side.

England lost in the tournament’s showpiece match for the second time in a row under Southgate after substitute Mikel Oyarzabal scored an 86th-minute goal to give Spain victory.

Asked whether he would continue in the job, Southgate told reporters: “I totally understand the question and understand you need to ask it, but I need to have those conversations with important people behind the scenes and I’m obviously not going to discuss that publicly first.

“Without a doubt, England have got some fabulous young players,” he added. “We have now been consistently back in the matches that matter. It’s the last step that we haven’t been able to do.”

England – with only the 1966 World Cup to their name as a major trophy – have become a force in tournaments since Southgate took over the team at a low ebb in 2016. They reached a semi-final and a quarter-final at the last two World Cups as well as the final of Euro 2020 — when they lost to Italy on penalties — and 2024.

“It’s hard to reflect so soon after a defeat like this,” Southgate said when asked if he would be in charge of England for the 2026 World Cup. “Of course, to take England to two finals has never been done but we came here to win and we haven’t been able to do that.”

England’s Jude Bellingham and Declan Rice celebrate after the match.
| Photo Credit: Reuters

England escaped an embarrassing last-16 exit at Euro 2024 thanks to Jude Bellingham’s overhead kick before Harry Kane struck in extra-time to grab a 2-1 win over Slovakia on Sunday.

The Three Lions have been hyped as one of the favourites as they bid to end a 58-year wait for major tournament glory but looked set to go out with a whimper to Ivan Schranz’s 25th minute goal.

However, Bellingham’s moment of inspiration five minutes into six added on in stoppage time breathed new life into Gareth Southgate’s reign as England boss.

Kane then headed in just a minute into extra-time to set up a quarter-final meeting with Switzerland on Saturday.

“That’s the desire and the attitude from the boys. It looked tough for a second there but you keep going,” said Kane. “Jude does what Jude does and what an unbelievable goal.”

Southgate looked set to fall on his sword after steadfastly refusing to make changes to a side that stumbled through as winners of Group C despite scoring just two goals in three games.

Kobbie Mainoo was introduced for his first competitive start in Southgate’s only change and he paid the price with another lacklustre display lacking in any speed or invention for long spells.

“We want to be better,” said Southgate. “I’m not going to hide from that but the spirit and character was there for everybody to see and we’re still in there fighting.”

The one saving grace of England’s performances in the group stage was that a makeshift defence had held up well, conceding just once in three games.

However, they were torn to pieces early on by a Slovakia side ranked 45th in the world.

England did not heed a couple of warnings as David Hancko and Lukas Haraslin were wasteful with big chances.

Slovakia finally punished their more illustrious opponents when David Strelec was given acres of room to turn and play in Schranz, who confidently stroked past Jordan Pickford for his third goal of the tournament.

The half-time whistle was met with a chorus of boos but Southgate still stuck to his guns and did not make a change until 25 minutes to go.

England did at least improve on a dismal first half and had the ball in the net within five minutes of the restart.

Phil Foden turned in Kieran Trippier’s cross but was caught offside after a VAR review.

– Kane seals victory –

Slovakia should have doubled their lead shortly afterwards when England gave away possession and Strelec saw Pickford well off his line but failed to hit the target from the halfway line.

Southgate’s hand was finally forced on 66 minutes by an injury to Trippier.

But England still struggled to create and looked down and out when Kane headed wide a golden opportunity and Declan Rice smashed the post with a long-range pot shot.

Southgate was even derided by the England support for bringing on Ivan Toney deep into stoppage time with chants of “you don’t know what you’re doing.”

However, there was an incredible twist as Bellingham acrobatically turned home Guehi’s flick-on from a throw-in the final moments of added-on time.

“It’s a feeling that is like no other,” said Bellingham.

“You’re 30 seconds from going home and having to listen to all the rubbish and feeling like you’ve let a nation of people down. In 30 seconds or one kick of the ball everything can change.”

Slovakia were suddenly rattled and Toney was to have a telling contribution.

The Brentford striker headed Eberechi Eze’s mishit shot back across goal for Kane to power home his second goal of the tournament.

Slovakia should still have taken the game to penalties when full-back Peter Pekarik failed to turn in a dangerous driven cross from point-blank range.

But England live to fight another day come the quarter-final against an impressive Switzerland, who comfortably knocked out holders Italy 2-0 on Saturday.