La Roja Italy have won a well-deserved victory at Euro 2024. After a month of operating on just three to five hours of sleep a day, coach Luis de la Fuente can finally get some rest.
I did the opposite and celebrated my Sunday victory in between studying for my summer midterm exams.
I feel like this entire tournament is raising a question in the football world: Is the goal of a champion simply to win, or is it to win at the highest level possible?
In other words, should teams play pragmatic, empty football that guarantees victory at the expense of the fans? Or should they push the envelope and play fast, flashy, fun play?
Spain's two final opponents gave different answers to that question. France's veteran manager, Didier Deschamps, with the most French of names, took a more passive approach and used his talents sparingly. As a result, France failed to score from open play until the semi-final. England followed a similar strategy, with Gareth Southgate preferring to sit back and rely on individual moments of brilliance.
French and English fans watched as their teams struggled with overly cautious defending against Spain's aggressive approach, a risk-averse tactic that would have made for a less than satisfying game had Spain not managed to balance it out.
Spain's victory reignited the spirit of football and reminded Europe that bold, adventurous play wins championships. Spain used solid team spirit and sophisticated tactics to overwhelm opponents on their way to their fourth European Championship.
This team's football was a work of art and represented the very best of the sport we love. As the first country to win the Euros four times, Spain made it clear that bold, forward-thinking play can win championships.
England went into the Euros as favourites and fought bravely. Cole Palmer scored in the 73rd minute to try and level the score, but Mikel Oyarzabal sealed the trophy for Spain just before the end of time. England have not won an international tournament since the 1966 World Cup, and their wait for football to return to their homeland continues.
Spanish prodigies Lamine Yamal and Nico Williams teamed up as wingers. La Roja It set the tone for the entire championship, as Spain ended up winning all seven games, with only one going into extra time.
Yamal is, in my opinion, the tournament's greatest treasure and was awarded the Best Young Player award. Having turned 17 the day before the final, he is the youngest player ever to play in a Euros. He made a successful debut on the tournament stage on Sunday, providing the assist for Williams' opening goal for Spain.
Annie and I love following our favorite player these days, Yamal. Euro 2024 will undoubtedly be remembered as Yamal's breakthrough, and hopefully we'll see him do great things at the World Cup in 2026.
Apart from Spain, Georgia and Turkey emerged as the main attractions of the Euros. In fact, the two nations met in the first group stage match. Georgia, a major tournament like Yamal, did not disappoint. The Crusaders stunned the continent with a 2-0 win over Portugal.
Georgia quickly became crowd favourites but were ultimately eliminated, losing to Spain in the round of 16. Turkey lived up to their “dark horse” reputation, reaching the quarter-finals before suffering a shocking defeat to the Netherlands.
My beloved Poland were, of course, the second team eliminated in the group stage. It was heartbreaking, but not particularly surprising: in the 64-year history of the European Championship, Poland has only qualified five times and has never made a major impact on the tournament, as my editor kindly put it. But in 2028, I will be just as passionate about the Eagles as I am this year, rooting for them fervently in the qualifying rounds and, hopefully, in the Euros themselves.
Overall, the championship was a real joy to watch, and by the time the final approached, I had almost forgotten about the Polish ID in my wallet as I rooted for Spain's success. With Georgia's rise, Spain's triumph and England's heartbreak, Euro 2024 has forced European football fans to rediscover the true spirit of the game.
“Polska zawsze będzie mojemu sercu najbliższa” — Poland will always be closest to my heart — but La Roja has found Annie and me lifelong fans.
