Produced in collaboration with SBS Spanish producer Noelia Blasco.
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TRANSCRIPT
Mikel Oyarzabal's goal in the 86th minute of the Euro 2024 final sends Spanish fans into jubilation.
People in the stands of the Olympiastadion in Berlin and all across Spain celebrating as their national team are crowned champions of Europe.
It is the fourth time the Spaniards have achieved this feat, making them the country with the most European trophies on the national level.
Midfielder Rodri who was named Player of the Tournament, has dedicated this victory to all the Spanish people.
"Now we have to move on, of course, we have to celebrate because things in life... football goes very fast. But we have to celebrate because this country it's not always easy for the people. We struggle sometimes in the society and they deserve this. We deserve this and the country deserves this."
The late goal by Oyarzabal kicked off a party that lasted until the early morning in Spain.
People gathered in Madrid, Barcelona, Gran Canaria, Pamplona, and other regions across the country, celebrating their team's success.
Members of the Spanish community in Australia, also celebrating in bars and pubs across the country.
This fan says he is incredibly proud of his team's accomplishment.
"I'm very happy, we deserved this victory, Spain's team was much superior, well done, well done."
After a rather uneventful first half, the Spaniards came back into the game looking determined to shake things up.
Just two minutes after the break, Lamine Yamal made a low pass into the England area which found the feet of Nico Williams who tucked it past Jordan Pickford.
Yamal, who only just turned 17-years-old, is now the youngest player to have won the Euro.
The scorer of Spain's first goal and man-of-the-match Nico Williams says he has yet to realise the measure of his team's success.
"Well, right now we are not really aware of what we have done. We will return to Spain tomorrow and we will be able to live this with the fans and the love and the warmth they have always given us. Because I think we have made history."
England fought back and tried to find a way back into the game, despite Spain dominating possession.
England manager Gareth Southgate made several substitutions in an attempt to rejuvenate his team.
One of them, Cole Palmer, found the equaliser with a nice shot from outside the area after being set up by Jude Bellingham, giving England fans new hope.
But it wasn't meant to be.
Southgate, who's future on England's bench remains doubtful, has expressed his pride for the way his players fought, but admits the trophy went to the better team.
"I'm very proud of the group of players. They couldn't have given me any more. They couldn't have given the country any more. So, ultimately, we we lost to the better side. And, we have to reflect on, you know, how that happened, but it's very clear in my mind the game. We as I said, for me, the key was possession of the ball tonight, and we didn't have enough control."
English fans who waited in hope of seeing their team lift its first Euro trophy, were left disappointed.
It comes after repeated close calls for England, who lost in the Euro 2020 final at home and were eliminated in the quarter-finals of the 2022 World Cup in Qatar [[cutter]].
An English supporter says it's heartbreaking to see the team go so far, only to fumble on the last step.
"It’s just like all over again. What happened with England and France (in World Cup 2022), England and Italy (in Euros 2021). It is just like, damn, again, like ’66...now it's been more like 60 years, or something like that, and we still haven't won. It's like over and over again, like when are we going to break the pattern, do you understand? Next time. Two years, we will be back in the final, winning. By God's grace.”
But public opinion shows the win seems fair for a team that needed to overcome the likes of now-former European champions Italy and World Cup finalists France to make their way to the top.
Spanish manager Luis de la Fuente explains that the instructions he gave his players ahead of the final, were what that led them to victory.
"We tried to play more to our strengths. One of our strengths is possession and control of the game. But not only possession but also we wanted to control the game more dynamic and faster. More dynamic and faster transitions thanks to players that we have that are very fast, with different registers in attack. So we tried to give the team different characteristics."
As celebrations were well underway in Spain, fans in Argentina were waiting to see the result of their team's match in the Copa America final against Colombia.
The game, which was played at the Hard Rock stadium in Miami, was delayed for over an hour, due to attempts made by Colombian fans without tickets to breach security gates.
Videos on social media show people trying to climb into the vents of the stadium as others jumped over fences, with US authorities making several arrests.
Argentina ended up winning the game 1-0 retaining the trophy, thanks to a goal by substitute Lautaro Martinez in extra time.
