Yamal and Spain meet England in the Euro 2024 final. It's the best team against the most resilient

For free real time breaking news alerts sent straight to your inbox sign up to our breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Inside Olympiastadion, the historic venue in Berlin built by the Nazis for the 1936 Olympic Games, Lamine Yamal — a day after his 17th birthday — will look to crown his breakthrough as soccer's newest superstar by leading Spain to a first major men's trophy since the 2008-12 era, when it won back-to-back Euros either side of the World Cup in 2010. If his three assists before the semifinals hinted at his undoubted promise, Yamal's spectacular curling shot that propelled Spain to a 2-1 win over France in the last four signaled a new star had arrived. Spain topped a group containing defending champion Italy and 2022 World Cup semifinalist Croatia, before eliminating host nation Germany and Mbappé's France, for many the pre-tournament favorite. It would be a just end to a tournament where few teams really clicked apart from the Spanish, who have dovetailed a more ruthless attacking edge with their longstanding possession game that perhaps peaked in the Euro 2012 final when a team of midfielders — notably Xavi Hernandez, Andres Iniesta, Sergio Busquets, Xabi Alonso and David Silva — ran over Italy in Spain's 4-0 win.