Euro 2024

TEENAGE sensation Lamine Yamal went public with TikTok star girlfriend Alex Padilla following Spain’s Euro 2024 triumph.Barcelona playmaker Yamal, who turned 17 on Saturday, assisted Nico Williams’ opener shortly after half time in Berlin as Luis de la Fuente’s side claimed a 2-1 victory over England.Lamine Yamal posed with girlfriend Alex Padilla and his Young Player of the Tournament awardCredit: GettyHe was all smiles as he celebrated Spain’s Euro 2024 triumphCredit: GettyYamal and Alex took selfies together after the trophy ceremonyCredit: GettyIt capped a sensational first international tournament for the prodigious young talent – who became the youngest scorer in Euros history with a screamer in the semi-final win over France.And after Spain clinched the trophy on Sunday, all eyes were still on Yamal as he cosied up with partner Alex.Yamal was seen posing for photos with the TikTok star as they held his Young Player of the Tournament award.Student Alex, who has more than 300,000 followers on social media, wore a Spain shirt with Yamal on the back for the match.READ MORE IN FOOTBALLThe pair, who also took selfies together, have been rumoured to be a couple during the tournament as Alex reportedly attended a number of Spain’s games.It is understood she sat next to Yamal’s family for the matches.She is also one of just two accounts the Barcelona star follows on TikTok.Meanwhile, Yamal’s dad, Mounir Nasraoui, was also seen celebrating after the victory over England.Most read in FootballBEST FREE BET SIGN UP OFFERS FOR UK BOOKMAKERSNasraoui recently heaped praise on his son, insisting the teenager can eclipse the astonishing achievements of Barcelona icon Lionel Messi.Speaking to The Telegraph, he said: “You cannot imagine how proud I am of my son.Yamal destroys Rabiot on and off the pitch after France star sparked ’embarrassing’ feud with Spanish teen “I always knew that he would achieve what he has. I had total faith.”And I have faith that he could go all the way and be greater than Messi.”Yamal has already played 51 games for Barcelona’s first team, scoring seven goals and providing 10 assists.Spain’s Euros triumph marks his second major honour after winning the LaLiga title last year.Inside the baffling, brilliant story of Lamine Yamal – from being bathed by Messi to doing homework while taking Euros by stormLAMINE YAMAL has confirmed his status as football’s next superstar at Euro 2024 – but has only been playing 11-a-side games for four years, write Jack Rosser.Spain’s incredible 16-year-old bent home the goal of the tournament so far against France as La Roja sealed the spot in the final.But his first five years in Barcelona’s academy were spent playing seven-a-side football, up until the age of 12 in 2020 when he finally got a crack at 11-a-side games.Yamal’s story is baffling, brilliant and barely believable in equal measure.He is a boy born to a Moroccan father and a mother from Equatorial Guinea, who turns 17 tomorrow and was cradled by footballing royalty at just six months old.Staggering pictures of Yamal as a baby being held and bathed by Messi, taken for a Barcelona charity calendar 16 years ago, resurfaced this week.He did not restrict his brushes with greatness to Barcelona either, with footage of Yamal as an academy player walking as a mascot with Spain and Real Madrid icon Sergio Ramos at an El Clasico in 2016.There is a touch of fate about this gem, Spain’s “little MVP”, as team-mate Nico Williams has dubbed him.Yamal has been doing homework in his spare time and received exam results during the tournament. He passed, obviously.Now he’s the youngest ever goalscorer at the Euros, also becoming the youngest player to ever start a major semi-final – claiming that title from Pele.But it’s Yamal’s humble approach on and off the pitch that most impresses everyone he meets.And France star Adrien Rabiot probably felt quite embarrassed as he boarded his plane back home from Germany.He had tried to intimidate Yamal ahead of their semi-final clash – telling Yamal he “needs to do more.”Was this good enough, then? Yamal responded with a goal for the ages and a man of the match performance.A season which started with a pre-season game against Tottenham where Yamal excelled but was overshadowed by Oliver Skipp scoring a brace will end on the biggest stage European football has to offer on Sunday.From being outshone by Skipp to eclipsing Pele’s records is not a bad year’s work – just imagine what he will do when he grows up.Read all about the incredible rise of Lamine Yamal in full… More

SPAIN broke a little-known law after Lamine Yamal featured in his nation’s Euro 2024 success.The winger, who turned 17 on Saturday, played 89 minutes as La Roja beat England 2-1 in Berlin to lift their record fourth Euros.Spain broke a little-known German law as they deservedly won Euro 2024Credit: GettyYamal played 89 minutes as Spain beat England 2-1 in the finalCredit: APYamal was subsequently named the young player of the tournament following his stellar performances in Germany.But the Barcelona winger reportedly broke a German employment law while at Euro 2024, according to German outlet Bild.It’s claimed that under-18s in the country are not allowed to work past 8pm local time.Athletes are given exemptions allowing them to play until 11pm.READ MORE FOOTBALL NEWSBut this must include all post-match exercises including showering and media obligations.As Germany is an hour ahead of the UK, it means the final kicked off at 9pm local time and the celebrations went well into midnight.Yamal was interviewed with Williams by beIN SPORTS France after the game, with Spain’s celebrations continuing beyond 11pm.There had been concerns that Yamal may not have been permitted to continue playing had the game gone to extra time.Most read in Euro 2024BEST FREE BET SIGN UP OFFERS FOR UK BOOKMAKERSThe report stated if the Spanish team broke the rules they could reportedly be hit with a fine of up to £25,390 for the infraction.They would, however, not face any sporting sanctions. Fuming Jude Bellingham kicks water cooler after England suffer Euro 2024 final heartbreak againEngland ratings: Palmer the super sub but captain Kane struggles yet again in Spain heartbreakCOLE PALMER came off the bench to be England’s star man – but his heroics were unable to stop heartbreak against Spain, writes Tom Barclay.Mikel Oyarzabal struck a late dagger through the hearts of the Three Lions to seal a 2-1 Spanish victory.And that ensured that 58 years of hurt will go on.Here’s how SunSport’s Tom Barclay rated each England player in the crushing defeat:Jordan Pickford: 8Carefully controlled a blast of a backpass from John Stones on his line in the first half. Could do little to stop Williams’ opener but made two terrific stops to deny Yamal, only for Oyarzabal to poke home at the death.Kyle Walker: 6Had his hands full with Williams but managed the Spanish livewire pretty well but could not get near his powerful opener. John Stones: 8A colossus again as he played every single minute of this Euros, despite lack of Manchester City game-time. Superb block on early Williams shot, was often in the right place at the right time and at one point dribbled all the way up the pitch.Marc Guehi: 6Solid alongside Stones and overall it has been a brilliant first tournament for the Crystal Palace star. But Oyarzabal nicked in front of him for the winner.Bukayo Saka: 7Most consistent attacker for England across the tournament and had a good battle with pantomime villain Marc Cucurella here. It was his cross that Bellingham laid off for Palmer to work his magic.Declan Rice: 7Went past his boss Gareth Southgate’s cap haul by winning his 58th here and he is still only 25. Was in the thick of it in the midfield battle throughout. Kobbie Mainoo: 5Just 19 and starting a major final for England in the middle of midfield. Fewer bursts forward though than in recent games as his side struggled for possession and was subbed for Palmer as Southgate searched for a leveller. Luke Shaw: 7Looked so sharp for a player making his first start since Luton away on February 10, winning his battle against Lamine Yamal in the first half. But Yamal got the better of him after the break to tee up Williams’ opener.Phil Foden: 6Out of possession it was his job to man-mark Manchester City colleague Rodri, until the Spanish maestro went off injured at half-time. Had a half-chance just before the break but could not beat Unai Simon.Jude Bellingham: 7Shunted wide left when England did not have the ball – which was a lot of the time. Riskily flew into a few tackles, but it was his clever lay-off that teed up Palmer.Harry Kane: 4His lack of involvement was summed up by England fans calling for Ollie Watkins in the 57th minute. They got their wish on the hour.SUBS: Ollie Watkins: 6Semi-final hero was introduced far earlier here to get some legs in behind, though he did not have too much impact this time.Cole Palmer: 9What an impact after emerging with just twenty minutes to go. Yet another of Southgate’s subs paid off handsomely as Palmer curled a peach of an equaliser with 17 minutes remaining, sending most of the Olympiastadion potty.Ivan Toney: 6Thrown on right at the end but could not make an impact.Gareth Southgate: 7The game was a chess match for the first half and Southgate was never going to go early with his bold moves.His subs were excellent to be fair, with Palmer brilliantly getting his team back into it.Critics will say England did not play attacking enough but Spain are one hell of a side – and Southgate’s men pushed them all the way.During Euro 2024, Yamal scored once – a superb strike against France in the semi-finals – and also provided four assists.One of those assists came in the final as Yamal set up fellow winger Nico Williams to open the scoring in the 47th minute. Cole Palmer equalised for England before Mikel Oyarzabal scored the winner for Spain.Yamal with his Young Player of the Tournament trophyCredit: Getty More

A LIP reader has revealed Prince George’s reaction as the referee blew the final whistle at the Euros 2024 final.The Prince of Wales and his son Prince George couldn’t bare to look as Spain snatched victory from the jaws of the Three Lions.The pair were devastated as England lost to Spain 2-1Just moments before they had been celebrating Cole Palmer’s goalLip reader, Jeremy Freeman has analysed the moments before England’s crushing defeat and revealed what was said between the two.He told The Sun that Prince William cried out “Oh my days. Oh my days”, as his son shared his frustration.Prince George then said: “Go on. Oh My God”.The pair were devastated.Euro 2024 FinalsFreeman also caught the interaction between Princess Kate and daughter Charlotte over at yesterdays women’s Wimbledon game in Kate’s first public appearance in almost a month.He told The Sun that Princess Kate asked Charlotte to “come over here”, as they got to their seats.Kate then thanked the lady who had accompanied them and proceeded to wave to the crowd, who were up on their feet applauding.The Princess of Wales said “hi” to the spectators and later turned to the lady next to her, saying “so sweet”.Most read in Euro 2024Royal fans were delighted to hear that she had made a brave public return while she undergoes her cancer treatment.But for William and George tension ran high.The father-son duo who had been thrilled moments earlier when Cole Palmer’s goal brought the score to 1-1, were left in utter disbelief as Mikel Oyarzabal’s late strike sealed Spain’s 2-1 win. Prince William and his son had leapt to their feet in joy, embracing as Palmer’s goal hit the back of the net.The young prince was even seen strategizing with his father, pointing eagerly towards the pitch.Final WhistleBoth William and George had their heads in their hands, mirroring the collective heartbreak of a nation yearning to end 58 years of footballing hurt.Despite a strong first half where Jude Bellingham’s skill created promising chances, England’s hopes were dashed as Oyarzabal’s goal shattered their dreams.The scene was set for a fairy tale ending. As the game progressed, Gareth Southgate’s side grew in confidence. Cole Palmer’s equalizer ignited hope, but it was short-lived. The agony was visible on Prince George’s face.Fans spot what England stars did immediately after receiving runners up medals following Euro 2024 finalTaking to social media, Prince William expressed his pride and resilience in the face of defeat. He told the team: “This time it just wasn’t meant to be. We’re all still so proud of you. Onwards England,” reassuring the team after their loss.King Shares SupportKing Charles, offering his support, also sent a heartfelt message to Southgate and the team.It read : “Although victory may have eluded you this evening, nevertheless my wife and I join all my family in urging you and your support team to hold your heads high.“All those who have participated in sporting activities at any level will know how utterly despairing such a result can feel when the prize was so near – and will join me in sending heartfelt sympathy, even as we congratulate Spain.“But please know that your success in reaching the European Championship final is a really great achievement in itself, “and one that brings with it the pride of a nation which will continue to roar for the Three Lions today – and in the many triumphs which I have no doubt lie ahead. Charles R”England fans, despite their disappointment, held their heads high, celebrating the incredible journey of Southgate’s squad.The stadium, awash with red and white banners, echoed with the support of over 30,000 English fans singing their hearts out.As the team regroups, the focus now shifts to the World Cup in 2026, with the promise of new triumphs on the horizon.Prince William, a staunch supporter, has been a constant presence, cheering the team on through their journey.From the group stage draw with Denmark to the thrilling quarter-final victory over Switzerland, and the semi-final win against the Netherlands, his support has been unwavering.New Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer also sent a letter of encouragement to Southgate and his men before the final, reflecting the nation’s pride and support for the team.He wrote: “On behalf of the whole nation, I wanted to wish you all the very best ahead of tonight’s game.“You should be proud of all you have achieved so far, even though I know you, like the rest of the country, will be hungry for more. We are all behind you on this journey.”The PM, who is also at the match, refused to commit to an extra Bank Holiday if the Three Lions win because he does not want to “jinx anything”.Despite the heartache, the future remains bright for the Three Lions. As they prepare for the next challenge, the nation stands firmly behind them, ready to cheer them on to greater glory.It seemed to be an emotional rollercoaster for England fans everywhere – including the royals, as they fell from ecstasy to agony in the nail-biting match.READ MORE SUN STORIESMeanwhile, England’s players were consoled by their Wags and families cheering from the stands despite their heart-breaking loss.Elsewhere, whilst the father-son duo enjoyed their time in Spain, Princess Kate and daughter Charlotte attended yesterdays Wimbledon women’s finals.They hugged each other in this heart-warming momentThe father-son duo leapt into the air and pumped their fists as England scored their first goalThe pair cheered on the Three LionsQueen Sofia of Spain shook hands with the young RoyalSir Keir Starmer was captured along side the royals ecstatic just moments before the game took a devastating turnThe Royals and Prime Minister Starmer couldn’t bare to look as the ref blew the final whistleEngland ratings: Palmer the super sub but captain Kane struggles yet again in Spain heartbreakCOLE PALMER came off the bench to be England’s star man – but his heroics were unable to stop heartbreak against Spain, writes Tom Barclay.Mikel Oyarzabal struck a late dagger through the hearts of the Three Lions to seal a 2-1 Spanish victory.And that ensured that 58 years of hurt will go on.Here’s how SunSport’s Tom Barclay rated each England player in the crushing defeat:Jordan Pickford: 8Carefully controlled a blast of a backpass from John Stones on his line in the first half. Could do little to stop Williams’ opener but made two terrific stops to deny Yamal, only for Oyarzabal to poke home at the death.Kyle Walker: 6Had his hands full with Williams but managed the Spanish livewire pretty well but could not get near his powerful opener. John Stones: 8A colossus again as he played every single minute of this Euros, despite lack of Manchester City game-time. Superb block on early Williams shot, was often in the right place at the right time and at one point dribbled all the way up the pitch.Marc Guehi: 6Solid alongside Stones and overall it has been a brilliant first tournament for the Crystal Palace star. But Oyarzabal nicked in front of him for the winner.Bukayo Saka: 7Most consistent attacker for England across the tournament and had a good battle with pantomime villain Marc Cucurella here. It was his cross that Bellingham laid off for Palmer to work his magic.Declan Rice: 7Went past his boss Gareth Southgate’s cap haul by winning his 58th here and he is still only 25. Was in the thick of it in the midfield battle throughout. Kobbie Mainoo: 5Just 19 and starting a major final for England in the middle of midfield. Fewer bursts forward though than in recent games as his side struggled for possession and was subbed for Palmer as Southgate searched for a leveller. Luke Shaw: 7Looked so sharp for a player making his first start since Luton away on February 10, winning his battle against Lamine Yamal in the first half. But Yamal got the better of him after the break to tee up Williams’ opener.Phil Foden: 6Out of possession it was his job to man-mark Manchester City colleague Rodri, until the Spanish maestro went off injured at half-time. Had a half-chance just before the break but could not beat Unai Simon.Jude Bellingham: 7Shunted wide left when England did not have the ball – which was a lot of the time. Riskily flew into a few tackles, but it was his clever lay-off that teed up Palmer.Harry Kane: 4His lack of involvement was summed up by England fans calling for Ollie Watkins in the 57th minute. They got their wish on the hour.SUBS: Ollie Watkins: 6Semi-final hero was introduced far earlier here to get some legs in behind, though he did not have too much impact this time.Cole Palmer: 9What an impact after emerging with just twenty minutes to go. Yet another of Southgate’s subs paid off handsomely as Palmer curled a peach of an equaliser with 17 minutes remaining, sending most of the Olympiastadion potty.Ivan Toney: 6Thrown on right at the end but could not make an impact.Gareth Southgate: 7The game was a chess match for the first half and Southgate was never going to go early with his bold moves.His subs were excellent to be fair, with Palmer brilliantly getting his team back into it.Critics will say England did not play attacking enough but Spain are one hell of a side – and Southgate’s men pushed them all the way. More

ENGLAND could make big changes for the 2026 World Cup – including replacing Gareth Southgate.The Three Lions fell agonisingly short of a trophy once again and for some stars it may have been their last shot at silverware.Gareth Southgate may not stick around for the 2026 World CupCredit: RexHarry Kane’s future is up for debateCredit: RexEngland may only make a few adjustments for the World CupEngland begin their World Cup qualifying campaign in March 2025, with the Nations League taking place in theautumn.Ireland are England’s next opponents in that competition and there could be some new faces in the team in Dublin.The likes of Kyle Walker and Kieran Trippier could be phased out of the squad, as they will be 36 and 35 respectively by the time the World Cup rolls around.Harry Kane will be 32 and his future is up for debate, with Gary Lineker pointing out his legs may have gone after he failed to live up to his usual high standards at the Euros.READ MORE ON EURO 2024The England captain won the Golden Boot alongside five other players but he had no impact in the final, making just 13 touches.Lineker raised doubts over whether Kane will continue for England, revealing he decided to call it quits at a similar age as he felt his legs had gone.The presenter said: “Part of [looking to] the future in my mind was what England do, what does Harry Kane do? He was not himself in this tournament.”He’s in his 30s now. When I was 30, 31, my legs started to go.Most read in Euro 2024CASINO SPECIAL – BEST CASINO WELCOME OFFERSThe next major tournament could see the emergence of new youngstersThis felt like our time… but keep Gareth’s culture and we can win it in 2026 instead, writes Jack WilshereIT will take a while for me and every England fan to get over this, writes Jack Wilshere.To come so close to winning that trophy, only to be beaten in a second Euros final in a row, is a huge disappointment.Especially when it really felt like this was our time.It seemed that everything was coming together for us to end the long wait for a major title.But Spain deserved it. They were the better team in the final and the best team of the tournament.We will all — supporters, players, coaches, the FA — have to move on and go again.Because English football is still in a good position.Gareth Southgate has taken us to two finals, a semi-final and a quarter-final in four tournaments. We have never produced a run like that before.The challenge now is to maintain this level of competitiveness and make England even better.Southgate and his staff have done a fantastic job in changing the whole environment and narrative around the national team.Whether Gareth carries on or not, the wider culture he has put in place must be preserved.This tournament was the biggest test of that culture the team had to go through.They overcame the problems and went all the way, only to fall at the final hurdle.But there is every reason to believe we can challenge at the World Cup in 2026 and beyond.We’ve got a really good group of players, many of them young, who can go on playing and performing for England for years.Jude Bellingham, Kobbie Mainoo, Bukayo Saka, Phil Foden and Cole Palmer — to name just five — have plenty more tournaments in them.This tournament will also be an inspiration for the next generations of players. Unfortunately there isn’t the trophy lift to take that to a completely different level.But England have delivered moments in Germany that will be replayed forever.The Bellingham overhead kick and Ollie Watkins’ semi-final winner will be recreated in playgrounds and cages up and down the country.What I would like to see now is England continuing to develop, to become a team that can consistently dominate opponents and can give a real identity to English football.We now have players who are comfortable on the ball and technically very good.The biggest disappointment of the tournament was that we didn’t see that as often as we would have liked. That leaves us with a ‘what if?’ feeling.England must not lose that old-school mentality of finding a way to win even when you’re not playing well — that never-say-die spirit which got us through this Euros more than once.But the next step is to allow other qualities to shine through, to give the players that our system is creating the platform to show  everything they can do.The job for me and for other coaches is to keep producing players that are comfortable on the ball and understand how to perform under pressure at a high level.English football is in a good place but we need to keep going. Then we will finally get over the line.Real all of SunSport columnist Jack Wilshere’s Euro 2024 columns…”I retired from international football at 32. At 31 that was happening [legs going] and it’s horrible, it’s horrible.”Maybe he was just tired or carrying a little something that affected him and that [his legs going] might not be the case.Trophyless Harry Kane really IS starting to look cursed as England captain’s horror Euro 2024 final stats revealedThe Three Lions team will very much depend on which manager is in charge”But I wonder. What is he, coming up to 31 now? That’s exactly the time when I started to feel that way.”If Kane makes way Ollie Watkins would be the obvious replacement after his semi-final heroics, while Ivan Toney is another option.Much like Watkins, Cole Palmer took his opportunity well throughout the tournament and scored a brilliant goal in the final – that combined with his club form could make him a mainstay in the team for years to come.The World Cup could also see the emergence of other young players such as Adam Wharton, Anthony Gordon and Jarrad Branthwaite.The trio will look to follow in the footsteps of Kobbie Mainoo who made himself a key player for Southgate at the Euros.Mainoo is another who could play for England at multiple tournaments, according to Jack Wilshere, who also expects Jude Bellingham, Bukayo Saka, Phil Foden and Palmer to feature in the USA.While there could also be room for newcomers such as Harvey Elliott and Curtis Jones, both of whom came close to making the Euros squad after performing well for Liverpool.The World Cup squad will very much depend on whether Southgate will stay on as manager, with the expectation that he will step down after losing successive Euros finals.He said post-match: “I think England are in a really good position in terms of the experiences they’ve got now.”The age of the squad.READ MORE SUN STORIES”Most of this squad are going to be around not only for the World Cup but the next Euros as well.”There’s a lot to look forward to but this moment is not any consolation.” More

HARRY KANE was rated as the worst player during the Euro 2024 final.The England captain was unable to inspire the Three Lions to victory at the Olympiastadion in Berlin.Harry Kane was given a 3/10 by L’EquipeCredit: RexNico Williams opened the scoring straight after half-time, but Cole Palmer raised hopes with a brilliant equaliser.However, the dreams of football coming home were ended as Mikel Oyarzabal netted a late winner.Reports on the match from around Europe have come in, and it makes for tough reading.Kane was slammed by French outlet L’Equipe as he was given a 3/10.READ MORE ON EURO 2024This was the lowest rating out of any of the starters on both sides.Kane struggled in the match and only had one touch inside the Spain penalty area before he was subbed for Ollie Watkins.They wrote: “Clearly tired, the Bayern Munich player made a series of bad choices, missing several passes that annihilated his team’s attacks, picking up a deserved yellow card for an avoidable foul on Fabian Ruiz and being too short on a cross.”The captain was logically replaced in the 61st minute by Watkins.”Most read in Euro 2024CASINO SPECIAL – BEST CASINO WELCOME OFFERSThe paper also gave low ratings of 4/10 to the likes of Kyle Walker, Luke Shaw and Kobbie Mainoo.The best England players were given 6/10s and they were Jordan Pickford, John Stones, Declan Rice, Bukayo Saka and Jude Bellingham.Fuming Jude Bellingham kicks water cooler after England suffer Euro 2024 final heartbreak againGareth Southgate was also given a 6/10 for his performance on the sidelines.Gary Neville agreed with the French during his analysis as he claimed that Kane did “not look right physically”.The Spanish news outlets obviously focused on a different aspect of the match as they celebrated Spain’s achievement.Both Marca and AS slapped big pictures of Spain’s trophy lift on the front page.Marca tagged the page wth “The Invincible Armada” while AS went for “Spain is in glory”.Sport also had a picture of the celebration as well as a big spot for Carlos Alcaraz after his Wimbledon triumph.The outlet wrote “super champions” as they hailed a famous day in the country’s sporting history.Sport hailed Spain as ‘super champions’Marca celebrated the victoryEngland ratings: Palmer the super sub but captain Kane struggles yet again in Spain heartbreakCOLE PALMER came off the bench to be England’s star man – but his heroics were unable to stop heartbreak against Spain, writes Tom Barclay.Mikel Oyarzabal struck a late dagger through the hearts of the Three Lions to seal a 2-1 Spanish victory.And that ensured that 58 years of hurt will go on.Here’s how SunSport’s Tom Barclay rated each England player in the crushing defeat:Jordan Pickford: 8Carefully controlled a blast of a backpass from John Stones on his line in the first half. Could do little to stop Williams’ opener but made two terrific stops to deny Yamal, only for Oyarzabal to poke home at the death.Kyle Walker: 6Had his hands full with Williams but managed the Spanish livewire pretty well but could not get near his powerful opener. John Stones: 8A colossus again as he played every single minute of this Euros, despite lack of Manchester City game-time. Superb block on early Williams shot, was often in the right place at the right time and at one point dribbled all the way up the pitch.Marc Guehi: 6Solid alongside Stones and overall it has been a brilliant first tournament for the Crystal Palace star. But Oyarzabal nicked in front of him for the winner.Bukayo Saka: 7Most consistent attacker for England across the tournament and had a good battle with pantomime villain Marc Cucurella here. It was his cross that Bellingham laid off for Palmer to work his magic.Declan Rice: 7Went past his boss Gareth Southgate’s cap haul by winning his 58th here and he is still only 25. Was in the thick of it in the midfield battle throughout. Kobbie Mainoo: 5Just 19 and starting a major final for England in the middle of midfield. Fewer bursts forward though than in recent games as his side struggled for possession and was subbed for Palmer as Southgate searched for a leveller. Luke Shaw: 7Looked so sharp for a player making his first start since Luton away on February 10, winning his battle against Lamine Yamal in the first half. But Yamal got the better of him after the break to tee up Williams’ opener.Phil Foden: 6Out of possession it was his job to man-mark Manchester City colleague Rodri, until the Spanish maestro went off injured at half-time. Had a half-chance just before the break but could not beat Unai Simon.Jude Bellingham: 7Shunted wide left when England did not have the ball – which was a lot of the time. Riskily flew into a few tackles, but it was his clever lay-off that teed up Palmer.Harry Kane: 4His lack of involvement was summed up by England fans calling for Ollie Watkins in the 57th minute. They got their wish on the hour.SUBS: Ollie Watkins: 6Semi-final hero was introduced far earlier here to get some legs in behind, though he did not have too much impact this time.Cole Palmer: 9What an impact after emerging with just twenty minutes to go. Yet another of Southgate’s subs paid off handsomely as Palmer curled a peach of an equaliser with 17 minutes remaining, sending most of the Olympiastadion potty.Ivan Toney: 6Thrown on right at the end but could not make an impact.Gareth Southgate: 7The game was a chess match for the first half and Southgate was never going to go early with his bold moves.His subs were excellent to be fair, with Palmer brilliantly getting his team back into it.Critics will say England did not play attacking enough but Spain are one hell of a side – and Southgate’s men pushed them all the way. More

GARY NEVILLE shared a theory on why Harry Kane endured a nightmare Euro 2024 final.The England skipper, 30, was hauled off 61 minutes into their defeat to Spain.Harry Kane scored three goals at Euro 2024 but looked short of fitnessCredit: GettyGary Neville shared some thoughts before kick-offCredit: AlamyGareth Southgate’s side were losing 1-0 when Kane was withdrawn but fought back via Cole Palmer soon later.Mikel Oyazarbal’s late strike settled things as England suffered another agonising near miss in a major tournament.Speaking before the game, Neville suggested Kane, who suffered a back injury towards the end of last season, was not fit.The BBC pundit said: “Why have we all of a sudden decided we have to tell Harry Kane how to play centre-forward? READ MORE ON EURO 2024″This tournament has been staggering to me, because he’s been dropping in for five or six years at Spurs doing exactly the same things that he’s been doing this tournament.”He doesn’t look right physically, that’s what I would say, but I think he knows how to play the game. He’s the very best striker we’ve ever had.”Colleague Roy Keane added: “I think when he’s been dropping deep, not in position sense, he has looked a little bit sluggish. “He just needs to be a bit sharper with his distribution. I think his positional sense [has been fine] it’s just his sharpness isn’t quite there.”Most read in FootballBEST FREE BET SIGN UP OFFERS FOR UK BOOKMAKERSNeville continued: “I think in the next couple of weeks, or maybe even quicker that, it will emerge that he’s been patching himself up to get out there on the pitch. That’s ordinarily what happens.”He doesn’t look right and it’s something to do with his physicality, it’s nothing to do with his understanding of the game.”Gary Lineker destroys Gareth Southgate with brutal six-word comment after England’s Euro 2024 final defeatSpeaking after the game, Southgate admitted that Kane was struggling.He said: “Physically it’s been a tough period for him.“He came in short of games, and he’s not quite got up to the level that we’d have all hoped. “The games are hugely demanding and we felt Ollie’s freshness would allow us to press a bit better, which we needed to do, and would offer us a threat in behind.”Kane added: “Losing in a final is as tough as it gets. We did really well to get back into the game and get it back to 1-1, and then we couldn’t quite use that momentum to push on.“We couldn’t quite keep the ball and we got punished for it towards the end of the game, so it’s as painful as it could be in a football match.”England ratings: Palmer the super sub but captain Kane struggles yet again in Spain heartbreakCOLE PALMER came off the bench to be England’s star man – but his heroics were unable to stop heartbreak against Spain, writes Tom Barclay.Mikel Oyarzabal struck a late dagger through the hearts of the Three Lions to seal a 2-1 Spanish victory.And that ensured that 58 years of hurt will go on.Here’s how SunSport’s Tom Barclay rated each England player in the crushing defeat:Jordan Pickford: 8Carefully controlled a blast of a backpass from John Stones on his line in the first half. Could do little to stop Williams’ opener but made two terrific stops to deny Yamal, only for Oyarzabal to poke home at the death.Kyle Walker: 6Had his hands full with Williams but managed the Spanish livewire pretty well but could not get near his powerful opener. John Stones: 8A colossus again as he played every single minute of this Euros, despite lack of Manchester City game-time. Superb block on early Williams shot, was often in the right place at the right time and at one point dribbled all the way up the pitch.Marc Guehi: 6Solid alongside Stones and overall it has been a brilliant first tournament for the Crystal Palace star. But Oyarzabal nicked in front of him for the winner.Bukayo Saka: 7Most consistent attacker for England across the tournament and had a good battle with pantomime villain Marc Cucurella here. It was his cross that Bellingham laid off for Palmer to work his magic.Declan Rice: 7Went past his boss Gareth Southgate’s cap haul by winning his 58th here and he is still only 25. Was in the thick of it in the midfield battle throughout. Kobbie Mainoo: 5Just 19 and starting a major final for England in the middle of midfield. Fewer bursts forward though than in recent games as his side struggled for possession and was subbed for Palmer as Southgate searched for a leveller. Luke Shaw: 7Looked so sharp for a player making his first start since Luton away on February 10, winning his battle against Lamine Yamal in the first half. But Yamal got the better of him after the break to tee up Williams’ opener.Phil Foden: 6Out of possession it was his job to man-mark Manchester City colleague Rodri, until the Spanish maestro went off injured at half-time. Had a half-chance just before the break but could not beat Unai Simon.Jude Bellingham: 7Shunted wide left when England did not have the ball – which was a lot of the time. Riskily flew into a few tackles, but it was his clever lay-off that teed up Palmer.Harry Kane: 4His lack of involvement was summed up by England fans calling for Ollie Watkins in the 57th minute. They got their wish on the hour.SUBS: Ollie Watkins: 6Semi-final hero was introduced far earlier here to get some legs in behind, though he did not have too much impact this time.Cole Palmer: 9What an impact after emerging with just twenty minutes to go. Yet another of Southgate’s subs paid off handsomely as Palmer curled a peach of an equaliser with 17 minutes remaining, sending most of the Olympiastadion potty.Ivan Toney: 6Thrown on right at the end but could not make an impact.Gareth Southgate: 7The game was a chess match for the first half and Southgate was never going to go early with his bold moves.His subs were excellent to be fair, with Palmer brilliantly getting his team back into it.Critics will say England did not play attacking enough but Spain are one hell of a side – and Southgate’s men pushed them all the way. More