ANGEL WINGS: Nico Williams and Lamine Yamal celebrate wildly after making a major contribution to helping Spain defeat England at EURO 2024.
Mikel Oyarzabal struck Spain’s Euro 2024 final winner against England on Sunday but La Roja’s triumph was inspired from start to finish by explosive wingers Nico Williams and Lamine Yamal.
The youngsters have been key on their side’s run to the final in Berlin and combined to send Spain ahead against England, a moment that felt fitting given their supreme summer.
Williams’ well-taken strike gave Spain a deserved lead and the duo both came close to extending it before Cole Palmer’s equaliser for England.
Yamal, 17, and Williams, 22 – both celebrating birthdays in the days ahead of the final – have given Spain an exciting cutting edge in attack they have lacked for much of the last decade, pulling the team to a record fourth European Championship triumph.
Spain previously last won a major trophy in 2012, ending a golden era that saw them lift the Euro 2008 and 2010 World Cup trophies.
Since then they have struggled in the wilderness both on the field and more recently off of it too because of their crisis-hit football federation.
This summer many did not consider them among the top favourites to lift the trophy but Yamal and Williams’ flair and contagious spirit added vital spark to a national team known for their ability to dominate possession.
Yamal became the youngest ever Euros goalscorer at 16 in the semifinal triumph over France with a brilliant long-range effort and was named young player of the tournament.
Williams was instrumental in the group stage win over Euro 2020 winners Italy and shone in the last 16 victory over Georgia where Spain came from behind to triumph.
Spain coach Luis de la Fuente said the pair had a “gift from god” earlier in the tournament and he deserves credit for choosing to deploy both, rather than choosing a more cautious path.
As a result Spain did not always end up with more of the ball than their opponents but that did not matter to them or their fans as they celebrated with the trophy.
