Euro 2024: Spain and France in search of European glory

In a repeat of the Womens' World Cup final, Spain will battle it out with France in the final of Euro 2024.

The path to get here for both sides could not be more different.

Spain came into the tournament almost as an afterthought given they were coming in as somewhat of an unknown. Their showings at previous international tournaments were disappointing and this new iteration under Luis de la Fuente featured a lot of new faces.

But Spain have certainly impressed this tournament thanks in large part to the likes of Rodri, Nico Williams and recently turned 17-year-old Lamine Yamal.

"We must approach the game tomorrow in a position to compete," De la Fuente said ."We're proud of the journey we've been through to get here. Nobody game this team anything; they earned everything on the pitch. We have the right to feel proud of what we've done. To see the country so proud of this team is a wonderful feeling."

England, on the other hand, were considered one of the favorites given the amount of talent they boast in the Premier League and abroad. But they flattered to deceive and had to pull something out of the hat in each of their knockout games to get to the final.

"Sometimes you have to go through difficult nights as a team," Gareth Southgate said. "We tried to change the mindset from the start; we tried to be more honest where we were as a nation. We had high expectations but they didn't match where we were performance-wise.

"Now the high expectations are still there, but we've had consistent performances. You have to be always in the latter stages of tournaments to learn how to win those big games. But we know we have to get this trophy to really feel the respect of the football world."

England came close back in 2021 where they made it all the way to the final at Wembley but lost the final of Euro 2020 in penalties to Italy.

"For me, those difficult nights [EURO '96 and EURO 2020 final defeats] have taught me that football can change so quickly; the difference between winning and losing is so small. It's given me more perspective in my life because there are things that are bigger than football.

"Tomorrow I don't have any fear of what might happen because I've been through everything. I want the players to feel that fearlessness, and I want them to be the best versions of themselves. If we're not afraid to lose, it gives us a better chance of winning."

Spain beat Georgioa, Germany and France to get to the final, a much tougher path than England. Add in their performances throughout the tournament, it's no suprise they're the favorites.

Luis de la Fuente will also be able to count on Dani Carvajal and Robin Le Normand in defense. They missed the semifinal against France as they were serving a one-match suspension.

Dani Olmo has stepped in to replace Pedri who suffered an injury in the match against Germany. With Olmo in midfield, Spain hasn't missed a beat.

Up top, they count on Lamine Yamal and Nico Williams who have been the standouts of Euro 2024.

Perhaps what's most different between this Spain and previous versions is it's not as wedded to its possession-based style. While they certainly still have the players to do so, they've become more direct because of the duo on the wings.

"If we don't stick to our game plan, we won't have a chance of winning. We need to stick to our strengths. Our opponents have their own strengths, but we need to impose our own. If we do, we will have a chance to win," De la Fuente said.

With England, we've seen them struggle against sides who sit deep. That's not really Spain's game so in theory, there should be more space and room to attack for England. Then again that was the case against the Netherlands and had they not gotten the penalty so soon after Xavi Simons scored, it might have been a different game.

The deciding factor could come from the players off the bench. England have more game changers at their disposal than Spain. Also, we saw how different Spain look when neither Yamal or Williams are on the pitch.

The question then becomes which manager handles the game better and makes the changes at the right time.

The final will be a game between one side who have clicked throughout the tournament against a side who has not done so yet made it to the final nonetheless.

Should Spain win, it will be their fourth European championship -- first since 2012. For England, it could very well be the swan song for Gareth Southgate. And he'll like nothing more to go out than by "bringing it home."