Mikel Oyarzabal scored the winning goal of the Euro 2024 final against England on Sunday, but Spain's victory was propelled from start to finish by explosive wingers Nico Williams and Lamine Yamal.
The youngsters were integral to reaching the final in Berlin, giving Spain the lead over England, and it was a fitting moment given their finest summer.
A fine shot from Williams gave Spain a deserved lead and both players came close to extending the score before England's Cole Palmer scored an equaliser.
Yamal, 17, who celebrated his birthday just days before the final, and Williams, 22, gave Spain an exciting attacking edge they'd lacked for much of the past decade and led them to a record fourth European Championship title.
Spain last won a major trophy in 2012, bringing to an end a golden era that saw them claim the Euro 2008 and 2010 World Cup trophies.
Since then, they have struggled on the field and more recently off it as the Football Federation has been in crisis.
While many did not consider them a top contender this summer, Yamal and Williams' talent and infectious spirit have energized a national team known for its ball dominance.
At just 16, Yamal became the youngest player to score in Euros history with a brilliant long-range strike in the semi-final win over France and was named the tournament's Best Young Player.
Williams was a key player in Spain's group stage victory over Euro 2020 winners Italy and also played a key role in Spain's comeback win over Georgia in the last 16.
Spain coach Luis de la Fuente said the pair were a “gift from God” early in the tournament and deserved praise for choosing them over a more cautious option.
As a result, Spain didn't have more possession of the ball than their opponents, but that didn't matter to them or their fans as they celebrated with the trophy in their hands.
Despite their impressive performances leading up to the final, De la Fuente's young Spain team struggled to get on track in the first half against England, many of whom were playing the biggest match of their careers.
Gareth Southgate's cautious side kept them in check to some extent, but La Roja showed signs of nervousness, misplacing passes and making more errors in accuracy than they did in the away game at the Olympiastadion.
Yamal, the youngest player ever to play in a Euros or World Cup final, initially struggled to put pressure on Manchester United defender Luke Shaw despite it being his first start since February.
The England manager changed the system to 4-2-3-1 to reduce the space available to the Spain wingers, and it worked well for a while.
As Spain's frustration grew, Williams connected a cross for a goal kick, but Spain, encouraged by their coach, came back in the second half and quickly got results.
Yamal made a charge down the right wing and played the ball to Williams, who cut into the area and took the ball home. The Athletic Bilbao winger smashed the ball over Jordan Pickford's head and into the far corner for a sure finish.
It was the 22-year-old's second goal of the tournament and Yamal's fourth assist, giving him two assists each to tie the most this summer.
Williams fed Dani Olmo, who dragged himself to the side of goal and smashed a low shot inches from the post, Spain's biggest threat to date.
Yamal played a lovely pass to Alvaro Morata but the captain delayed his shot and John Stones tipped it to safety.
As England began to push back, Barcelona's teenage star looked set to enjoy the joy that had been eluding him before the break, but Pickford made a smart save to deny him.
Substitute Oyarzabal ultimately sealed the game, but Spain's victory will rightly be remembered for their spectacular wingers.
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©Agence France-Presse
