Euro 2024 final: Birthday-boy Lamine Yamal wins young player award; Southgate to discuss England future; Kane in 6-way tie for Golden Boot
Lamine Yamal from Spain is happy with his gold medal and 'Best Young Player' prize after winning against England in the UEFA EURO 2024 final at Olympiastadion on July 14, 2024 in Berlin, Germany. | Image Source: Getty Images
Spain's rising star Lamine Yamal, who just celebrated his 17th birthday, claimed victory at the European Championship and was named the best young player of the tournament. Despite achieving most of his success at the age of 16, Yamal solidified his impact by assisting Nico Williams' first goal in Spain's 2-1 triumph over England in the final on July 14, 2024.
Yamal expressed his gratitude, stating that the (birthday) present he received was the perfect gift. He described it as a wish that had finally been fulfilled. Despite facing difficulties when the score was tied, he admired his team's resilience and fighting spirit.
Yamal made history by becoming the youngest player to compete in the European Championship, the youngest to score in the tournament, and the youngest to play in a final. In his first European Championship, he had an impressive performance with four assists and one goal.
Yamal currently plays for Barcelona, following the same path as his role model, Lionel Messi, after successfully completing the renowned La Masia training academy. Additionally, he holds the title of being the youngest player to score in the Spanish league.
Harry Kane, a forward for the English national team, ended the Euro 2024 tournament as one of the top scorers, sharing the Golden Boot award with five other players. Despite his impressive performance, his team ultimately lost in the final match. This marks another personal achievement for Kane, who has yet to secure a major championship title with either his club or his country.
Harry Kane from England is pictured walking by the trophy after the last game between Spain and England at the Euro 2024 competition in Berlin, Germany, on July 14, 2024. | Photo Credit: AP
Kane finished the tournament with three goals, the same number as Spain's Dani Olmo, Germany's Jamal Musiala, Netherlands' Cody Gakpo, Slovakia's Ivan Schranz, and Georgia's Georges Mikautadze.
Kane has come in second place in consecutive European Championship finals, with England losing to Italy three years ago. He has also been a runner-up in one Champions League final and two English League Cups. Despite winning several individual awards, such as being the top scorer in the Bundesliga for Bayern Munich last season, the club experienced its first trophyless season since 2012.
Kane is among four male players who have finished as the leading goal scorer in both a European Championship and a World Cup. He accomplished this feat in 2018.
UEFA has decided to change the rules for Euro 2024, allowing more than one player to be named as the top scorer if they have scored the same number of goals. This is different from what happened in the last men's European Championship, where Cristiano Ronaldo and Patrik Schick both had five goals but Ronaldo won because he had an assist while Schick did not.
England coach Gareth Southgate announced that he will talk about what comes next in his role leading the national team after their loss on Sunday. He is determined to figure out why his team fell short of success once again.
Gareth Southgate, the coach of the England national team, praised the supporters following the team's loss in the UEFA EURO 2024 final against Spain. The match took place at Olympiastadion in Berlin, Germany on July 14, 2024. | Image Source: Getty Images
England was defeated in the final match of the tournament for the second consecutive time with Southgate as coach, as Spain secured the win with a goal from substitute Mikel Oyarzabal in the 86th minute.
When questioned about whether he planned to stay in his current position, Southgate explained to the reporters that he comprehended their inquiry and acknowledged the need for it. However, he mentioned that he would need to have discussions with key individuals in private before making any public statements regarding his future.
For sure, England has some amazing young players," he continued. "We have been performing well in important games consistently. The only thing missing is that final step."
England, who only have the 1966 World Cup victory as their major trophy, have shown their strength in recent tournaments under Southgate's leadership. Since taking over the team in 2016, they have reached the semi-finals and quarter-finals of the last two World Cups, as well as the final of Euro 2020 and 2024, where they unfortunately lost to Italy in a penalty shootout.
"It's difficult to think about things so quickly after a loss like this," Southgate stated when questioned about leading England in the 2026 World Cup. "Leading England to two finals is an amazing achievement, but our goal was to win and unfortunately we couldn't achieve that."
