England's 58-year drought in major tournaments will go on after they lost the Euro 2024 final to Spain 2-1 in what is another major setback.
The opening half was a dull one, with England channeling their best defensive play to nullify Spain in attack but doing little to threaten.
However, they were undone soon after the restart, with Nico Williams finishing off a brilliant team move.
Dani Carvajal found Lamine Yamal on the right, who cuts inside and picked out Williams to finish past Jordan Pickford.
GOAL SPAIN
🇪🇸 1-0 🏴
Just a minute into the second half as Yamal and Williams combine to give Spain the lead #Euro2024
📺@rte2 and @rteplayer 👉https://t.co/ZfldwHUA2l
📱 Match updates 👉 https://t.co/IIRTDMrpRx pic.twitter.com/jaZsO0upTA— RTÉ Sport (@RTEsport) July 14, 2024
It was the teenager Lamal's fourth assist of the competition - more than any other Spanish player in history at a European Championships.
The Spanish created a number of opportunities to extend their lead, Dani Olmo threatening from a similar position before Williams again went close and Pickford then saved well from Yamal.
Spain could not put the game to bed and England punished them, substitute Cole Palmer finishing a brilliant strike just minutes after replacing Kobbie Mainoo.
GOAL ENGLAND
🇪🇸 1-1 🏴
Once again Cole Palmer proves his worth as an impact sub, finding the bottom corner to draw England level #Euro2024 pic.twitter.com/Pv4foWs7l9— RTÉ Sport (@RTEsport) July 14, 2024
The next big chance of the game came to the busy Yamal, whose effort was again parried away impressively by Pickford.
Spain would continue to look the more likely team and got their well-deserved winner through Mikel Oyarzabal, who stabbed home from a Marc Cucurella cross.
GOAL SPAIN
🇪🇸 2-1 🏴
Spain strike late through a sub of their own. After a lengthy VAR check, Mikel Oyarzabal's goal is given #Euro2024
📺@rte2 and @rteplayer 👉https://t.co/ZfldwHUA2l
📱 Match updates 👉 https://t.co/IIRTDMrpRx pic.twitter.com/VsD3FVkGbY— RTÉ Sport (@RTEsport) July 14, 2024
England would come agonisingly close to an equaliser, with Unai Simon saving a Declan Rice header before the follow-up from Marc Guehi was headed off the line by Olmo.
However, their fate was sealed soon after and again they will have to deal with heartbreak.
Didi Hamann Had Scathing Take On 'Atrocious' England
England's squad depth has been evident since it was announced but one of the main criticisms of Gareth Southgate has been his conservatism in trialing new players.
He did little tinkering and a number of impressive Premier League players failed to play enough minutes with some more established players preferred.
It was Ollie Watkins who sent England to the final from the bench, with Harry Kane struggling for form all tournament.
Eberechi Eze and Cole Palmer were among those to have a positive impact from the bench, but Hamann feels a number of players should have seen more minutes.
Speaking on RTE, Hamann explained that Southgate failed to get the most out of a talented squad while blaming England for seven of the 10 worst spectacles at the tournament.
"The football was atrocious. Out of the 10 worst games in the tournament - England was responsible for seven.
"Why is Kane not moving? I do not know. I don't care. It is not my problem, they have got a doctor there and a physio.
"In four games they had been behind.
"If you had played Watkins, all of a sudden it is dangerous. Imagine England goes ahead in one of the games and you bring Eze on and Gordon on. If this team is ahead they won't be pegged back.
"They have the players on the bench, two or three who will run riot.
"They never had the chance to show it because he insisted on starting with the same players who weren't performing."
Hamann continued to point the blame at Southgate for insisting on starting Kane, despite his struggles to make an impact throughout the tournament.
'This England team had so much more in the locker," he added.
"We have hardly seen Anthony Gordon, we hardly saw (Eberechi) Eze.
"We haven't seen enough of (Ollie) Watkins. (Harry) Kane shouldn't have played. He was a disaster for the seven games from start to finish even though he scored three goals.
"I don't want to be too harsh because they have been to two finals but I don't think it is enough.
"They went into the tournament - like they did three years ago - with the best squad and again they came up short.
"It has not been good enough."
It is hard to argue with Hamann's assessment, given that England's squad is laden with superstars and they were the pre-tournament favourites.
Ultimately, he believes that if England are to progress then they will need someone more ambitious than Southgate in the dugout at the 2026 FIFA World Cup.
'Do you think England fans want to see Kane up top again?
"If he stays in charge - I think when the sides meet again in three months time - it will be Harry Kane.
"The punters don't want to see that anymore."
Whether Southgate will still be at the helm by then is unknown.
He is, it must be said, the first manager to get them to and beyond four consecutive major tournament quarter-finals.
For Spain, it is a record fourth European crown and their first since they beat Ireland en route to title success in 2012.
