Euro 2024 final: Spain example shows how England could be on verge of new era

Spain would then follow that 2008 European Championship by winning the World Cup in 2010 and another continental title in 2012.

With a generation of young players led by Jude Bellingham, Phil Foden and Kobbie Mainoo and an experienced core who are far from elderly, that could be England's future if they can just get over the line in Berlin on Sunday.

With a revitalised Spain to beat it is a huge if, but as that vintage La Roja showed, anything is possible with that monkey off your back.

When Xavi, Andres Iniesta, Cesc Fabregas and co had their moment 16 years ago, it was the country's first major tournament win since 1964, too heavy a burden for even players as good as Emilio Butragueno, Fernando Hierro, Luis Enrique and Andoni Zubizarreta to carry. In 44 fallow years, Spain did not reach so much as a semi-final.

England, by contrast, have been banging on the door since the forever under-estimated Gareth Southgate became their manager in 2016 – World Cup semi-finalists in his first major tournament in 2018, a penalty shoot-out from winning his maiden European Championship in charge, disappointed to only make the quarter-finals in 2022's winter World Cup, but only narrowly beaten by an outstanding French side.

This tournament has not been a vintage one in terms of the football played by what on paper is the most exciting and deep squad in Germany – far from it – but taking as few risks as possible to break the spell has been a theme for this country's leader in 2024, and Sir Keir Starmer's Labour party had only been out of power a trifling 14 years.

The neutrals will want Spain to win and the bookmakers will expect it.

The 2008-2012 glory had gone to their head a little at the last World Cup, turning the tika-taka behind it into an obsession and prizing passing over putting the ball into the net.

Two direct wingers, Nico Williams and Lamine Yamal, whose first birthday party was around a fortnight before the 2008 final, plus an out-and-out centre-forward in Alvaro Morata have brought Spain a cutting edge sorely lacking in Qatar.

Under Luis de la Fuente they are the only 100 per cent team at this tournament, the last competitive game they failed to win a 2-0 qualifying defeat at Hampden Park in March 2023. They ooze quality in every department and have the trophy-winning nous of Real Madrid's six-time European Cup winner Dani Carvajal back from suspension.

But the best teams do not always win tournaments, and there is a sense England are growing into this one and riding their luck in the way champions invariably do. Along with Slovenia and Spain they are the only unbeaten team in Germany, and having come runners-up in the last competition is so often the stepping stone to winning the next one.

This tournament has followed the usual England pattern – jumping from a sense this team is not good enough to it's coming home in the blink of an eye.

Southgate has gone from target practice for fans wielding cups of beer to the genius who brought on Ollie Watkins and Cole Palmer.

We all know what phase three is, whether the crushing disappointment manifests itself in Diego Maradona's Hand of God, Chris Waddle sending a penalty into orbit, Paul Gascoigne's studs not being long enough, Cristiano Ronaldo's sly wink, Frank Lampard's one-man advert for goalline technology, Marcus Rashford, Jadon Sancho and Bukaya Saka's despair or one penalty too many from Harry Kane.

It is the hope that kills you.

But the hope is definitely back.

Mainoo's overdue introduction changing the midfield dynamic, Bellingham's overhead bicycle kick 86 seconds from elimination against Slovakia, the tactical tweak to 3-4-2-1 which is starting to get the best out of Foden, the return of Luke Shaw to at last give the left-hand side some balance, the perfect penalties against Switzerland, Saka's Stuart Peace moment, Kane being awarded a penalty for kicking Denzel Dumfries' boot against the Netherlands, Watkins' winner after 89 minutes and 59 seconds in Dortmund, all have a name-on-the-trophy feel dangerous in the heads of frustrated and perennially over-excitable England fans but not the Ming vase carrying hands of the ever-steady Southgate.

This can be the start of something special as Southgate collects his knighthood and quite likely hands over to a freer manager able to take the Three Lions to a new level. But the first step is always the hardest.