Spain arrived in Germany quietly, feeling unnoticed. They leave not just as European champions, but with a new thrilling generation capable of dominating the world.
This was the Euros of Lamine Yamal and Nico Williams, two young players who transformed into game-changers in a competition that forever altered their lives. It was also the competition of Rodri, a rising Ballon d’Or contender. But overall, it belongs to a team that stood head and shoulders above everyone else.
How old is Lamine Yamal?
17
Luis de la Fuente’s side swept past Germany, France, and finally England — the three biggest contenders to win the competition — and none of them could complain.
How Spain Achieved Euro 2024 Victory
Spain fans will remember Euro 2024 not just for another victory, but for an unexpected triumph. This squad was expected to be good, but not this exceptional, especially at such a young age. They have won all seven games. Rodri and Yamal were named the best player and best young player of the tournament, respectively.
Let’s delve into the story behind their success, which includes:
- The leadership of Alvaro Morata
- The hidden talent De la Fuente revealed to the world
- How the players embraced a change in style
- The breakout performances of Yamal and Williams
Morata — Often Misunderstood but A ‘Brilliant Captain’
Morata is a fascinating figure. The 31-year-old striker was not one of Spain’s standout performers, scoring just one goal in seven games, and his position is one De la Fuente would like to see improvement in.
However, it is impossible to analyze this Spain team without considering its captain — the most beloved figure in the dressing room.
“Media have given him and keep giving him a lot of stick… but I am telling you: he is the best bloke in that dressing room,” said someone familiar with the team environment in Germany when asked about Morata.
“You might think that’s how I’ll describe every player we have here, but that’s not cheap praise. Trust me. A brilliant captain, the perfect guy for this group.”
Both statements hold true. The pressure Morata has faced over the last three major competitions for Spain has been nearly unparalleled. In March, he was even booed by his own fans during a friendly at the Santiago Bernabeu. “My kids can’t understand why fans are booing his dad,” he said in Germany.
Inside the dressing room, where it truly matters, the sentiment is quite the opposite. “Morata is undoubtedly the player who creates more bonds inside the group and one of the funniest guys. Whenever he is talking, all the young guys listen to him and his stories, he is brilliant,” said Yamal before the start of the competition, surprising many fans.
He has been the heart of Spain’s base camp in Donaueschingen, a small town in the Black Forest. Besides having Yamal, Williams, Fermin Lopez, and Alex Baena paying close attention to his stories, he has also given golf lessons to Marc Cucurella and Alex Remiro.
He played poker with Dani Carvajal, Joselu, David Raya, and Ayoze Perez. Before the competition began, he asked every player to choose a song for their Spotify playlist to ensure all tastes were represented, and he became the dressing room DJ. The song “La Potra Salvaje” turned into an anthem and was played after every win once the full squad was on the team bus.
Morata also took on a diplomatic role. He led negotiations with the Spanish FA to define performance-related bonuses and advocated for an extra share of the total bonus to be distributed among the staff who work with them daily — from the kit men to the media team, and from physiotherapists to the chefs.
Leading up to the final, Morata was scheduled to speak alongside the manager at the press conference. Instead, he requested the FA to have Jesus Navas take his place so that the 38-year-old could announce his retirement from the national team.
During the competition, Morata expressed that “he does not feel valued in Spain and sometimes you feel more love from abroad” He has been working with psychologists, and after winning the competition, he revealed to national TV, La 1, that two former Spanish players had convinced him not to retire.
“If it had not been for Andres Iniesta and Bojan Krkic, I would not have played this Euros. They are the sort of people who are gifts from life. They went through similar situations I’ve had here. At the end of the tunnel, there is always light.”
This Euros elevated Morata to the position of the fourth-best goalscorer in Spain’s history, with 36 goals in 80 matches. De la Fuente stated that if he had to reincarnate as any player on his team, it would be his captain.
Morata could very well retire after this triumph, but his example has made a profound impact — his mission is accomplished.
What Hidden Talent Does De la Fuente Possess?
Declan Rice admitted he was unfamiliar with the Spanish manager before this Euros, and it’s understandable — De la Fuente’s club-level experience is primarily limited to two unsuccessful projects in Spain’s third tier.
However, his international experience tells a different story. The 63-year-old has been involved with Spain’s setup since 2013, participating in five major youth tournaments. He won two of them and reached the semi-finals in all of them. Despite Euro 2024 being his debut at the senior level, he has delivered once again.
He fostered a positive environment around the team instead of opting for media-favored names like defender Sergio Ramos or Real Madrid forward Brahim Diaz, the latter of whom ultimately chose to represent Morocco.
De la Fuente’s greatest achievement has been imparting his experience in knockout tournaments to a squad that has never seemed overwhelmed by the biggest stage.
“I am fully convinced that the players we have here are the best we have to win this. I would not change any of them,” he said when he announced his squad.
“The absolute priority we had was to make sure we found a good role distribution on the pitch. Let every player know what we expected from them and show how they could make the difference,” a member of the coaching staff says to The Athletic.
“We had a pretty solid structure from before the competition. The players knew it. We knew them so well from youth ranks. All was set and we just needed to put the ball into the back of the net. As soon as it happened… it clicked.”
Spain’s dressing room was aware that few people were predicting their success, but they used that as motivation to prove the doubters wrong.
“This generation has a winning mentality, shown from the youth ranks,” said Mikel Merino before the start of the tournament. “This is the biggest of the pressures and what we set ourselves for. We don’t look at what’s said on the outside.”
For all the young stars, the veterans also played a crucial role. Navas was the sole survivor from the 2008 Spanish golden generation, which included Xavi Hernandez, Iker Casillas, Iniesta, and Ramos.
Despite grappling with a chronic hip injury for the past four seasons, Navas was determined to be part of the squad. He was called upon to start in the semi-final against France after Dani Carvajal’s red card in the quarter-final victory over Germany. Navas managed to play 58 minutes and successfully contained Kylian Mbappe.
That same night, insiders reported that Navas struggled to sleep due to the pain from his hip.
The example he set for the younger players in terms of values and commitment to the national team, according to De la Fuente’s staff, is as valuable as any victory they could achieve.
Spain were convinced they could win it all thanks to De la Fuente’s belief in them. By the time the rest of the world caught on, it was too late to shake their resolve.
How the Players Embraced a Change in Style
Spain’s 3-0 victory against Croatia in the opening match highlighted a significant shift: the tiki-taka era was over. For the first time in 136 competitive matches, Spain had less possession but still secured a deserved win.
When De la Fuente took over as national manager after the 2022 World Cup in Qatar, his main goal was to build a versatile team. The memories of their penalty defeat to Morocco were still fresh and painful.
De la Fuente involved key players in the leadership of the group and made a point to listen to their input. A notable instance occurred in the quarter-final against Germany. During the second half, as the hosts pressed for an equaliser, Carvajal requested that Yamal be substituted because the German wing-backs were causing issues and the teenager was struggling defensively. De la Fuente agreed, bringing on Ferran Torres in the 63rd minute.
Rodri, another influential player, emphasized the importance of neutralising counter-attacks to beat top teams. This advice became crucial before the semi-final against France. With limited training time available due to fitness recovery needs, De la Fuente concentrated on counter-pressing after losing possession and defending against counter-attacks.
De la Fuente felt that the fundamentals of their style were so well-mastered by his players that he chose to focus training on addressing their weaknesses. Pablo Amo, the assistant manager and former La Liga player, has been notably praised for his role in this training process.
“Thanks to the work Spanish academies are putting in, we believe the Spanish footballers are the ones with the best decision-making in the world,” a member of the coaching staff says.
“All players have to identify what every play requires and the execution that follows is normally right. Knowing we have that, for us it was only to boost it and try to correct the things we lacked the most.”
“We are not here to improve our players because we don’t have the time. If they are here, it’s because they are already so good at many things. Our only goal is to make our player’s life in-game easier. That’s how we plan.”
Yamal and Williams Announce Themselves to the World
Their journey began in Georgia during the qualifiers. It was September 2023, and while De la Fuente had just secured the Nations League trophy, the pressure on him had not completely dissipated.
Spain clinched the title with two hard-fought victories — one in extra time and the other on penalties — against Italy and Croatia. Despite these results, there was still a lot of work to be done, as their place in the Euros was not guaranteed after a loss in Scotland.
As Spain prepared to face Georgia, a team that had previously proven challenging, De la Fuente decided to experiment with a new duo on the wings. Williams and Yamal played together for the first time, and Spain triumphed 7-1 with both players scoring.
Just four days later, Williams and Yamal started another qualifier against Cyprus, where Spain won 6-0. Williams contributed two assists, while Yamal’s exceptional play left a lasting impression. This was the beginning of a partnership that would shine brightly at Euro 2024.
“That trip to Georgia is key to understanding success,” says a member of the backroom staff. “It was a release point. Pressure was still around and the way we played helped us to believe we were on the right track.”
The connection between Yamal and Williams, both on and off the pitch, exceeded their wildest expectations.
The wingers first bonded in September of the previous year, thanks to Barcelona and Spain full-back Alejandro Balde. Yamal and Williams quickly became close, sharing rooms during international duty, filming TikToks, and enhancing their on-field chemistry.
In Germany, their camaraderie continued. Williams, 22, affectionately referred to Yamal as “his son,” playfully noting that the teenager still had much to learn from him. Yamal responded with a joke about having bested Williams in EA FC24.
Williams was named man of the match in the final against England, while Yamal was awarded young player of the tournament. Together, they contributed to eight goals during the competition.
“They represent the new era,” a member of the Spanish FA told The Athletic. They have become fan favorites and role models in a country where the discussion of racism in sports has been prominent. As two young athletes from immigrant backgrounds, they are showcasing what the real Spain looks like.
“They are a constant joy, they have added this to the team” De la Fuente said. “We have a mature squad, very professional, and then those guys are so fun to be with. They’ve fitted so well with the veterans, who took the fresh air they brought and revitalized themselves, too. Our more senior players help a lot in guiding them. The exchange and impact is really positive.”
Now, attention turns to their immediate future, particularly Williams. Will Athletic Bilbao be able to retain him? His £55 million ($71.4 million) release clause will undoubtedly attract interest from top European clubs…
Turning Issues into Blessings
Losing a player like Pedri to injury is typically seen as a setback, but it became an opportunity for Dani Olmo. The RB Leipzig attacking midfielder, who wasn’t a regular starter, finished Euro 2024 as the top scorer with three goals. He stepped in during the eighth minute against Germany following Pedri’s injury and quickly became a key player.
De la Fuente’s ability to find immediate solutions to minor issues throughout the competition has been crucial to their success.
Nacho was given the nod against Croatia after a stellar end-of-season at Real Madrid, filling in for Aymeric Laporte, who was dealing with physical discomfort. However, when Nacho got injured, it allowed Laporte to return and excel as their best center-back.
De la Fuente also faced a significant decision regarding the left-back position. He chose Chelsea’s Marc Cucurella over Alex Grimaldo, who had shined for Bayer Leverkusen, and it proved to be an inspired choice.
“Sometimes we believe we need to use the best players available, but it’s more important to use those who make your team better,” remarked someone familiar with the dressing room dynamics. Cucurella excelled defensively, and his brilliant cross set up Mikel Oyarzabal for the winning goal in the final.
Then there’s Fabian Ruiz. The 28-year-old Paris Saint-Germain midfielder, who had one of the lowest profiles among the starters before Euro 2024, emerged as a key player. He scored once and provided an assist against Croatia, consistently dominating the midfield throughout the tournament.
Unexpected heroes also emerged. Merino netted the winner against Germany in the same stadium where his father had scored for Osasuna back in the 1990s.
Additionally, Oyarzabal, the Real Sociedad forward who missed the last World Cup due to a serious knee injury, showcased his resilience by scoring the decisive goal in the 86th minute against England.
Football is often unpredictable, and Spain wasn’t expected to be the best team in this competition, but they defied the odds.
