Germany won Euro 96 on English soil, so would England returning the favour on German soil at Euro 2024 be fate? Gareth Southgate ponders that question

Having had his finalists lavishly praised in comparison to other sides at the Euros, Spain coach Luis De La Fuente made a point of being respectful to everyone else’s style.

It is a fairly widespread feeling, as illustrated by how often the subject has been brought up in press conferences. Didier Deschamps’s constant comments about “changing the channel” if you don’t like it have informed the mood, although many viewers will obviously feel the final will be much better for his dour France team not being in it.

Euro 2024 could do with a good finish, if only so the last memory of it is one of excitement. The sporting legacy of Qatar 2022 in terms of pure football, as an example, would have been rather different had it ended with France efficiently beating Croatia rather than the epic Argentina win we saw. This summer’s mood has so far been mixed, but probably tilts towards unimpressed. In South America, the commentary has been scathing.

A big question as we come to the end is whether Euro 2024 has actually been “good”.

As justified as the praise has been for Luis de la Fuente’s management of a brilliant Spanish team, there was one “severe criticism” from his tenure, which the coach admitted was “totally deserved”.

That was when he applauded the disgraced Luis Rubiales, at the press conference when the disgraced former federation president insisted he would not resign after his unsolicited kiss on Jenni Hermoso. De la Fuente later pleaded for “forgiveness” for “an inexcusable human error” that did not reflect his “values”, but there are those in Spanish football who think it will “haunt him for his career”.

That would admittedly change if his team beat England in the Euro 2024 final, to secure Spain’s fifth men’s trophy and fourth European Championship, but it does add a few layers to this historic match – as well as a twist worth considering.

An important piece by Miguel Delaney:

Gareth Southgate insists he has still not decided on his future, but that he will likely take a decision quickly after Euro 2024 regardless of what happens.

“The way my emotions have gone over the last five weeks, it would be ridiculous for me to think about anything beyond Sunday,” Southgate said. “We’ve got time to make a decision.”

Gareth Southgate believes everything is in place for England to win Euro 2024 – but warned success won’t just fall into the players’ laps or simply happen as a culmination of the hard work put in so far.

The Three Lions boss spoke in glowing terms of the effort the squad have put in to reach this stage to face Spain, not just during this summer in Germany but over a number of years, as well as again reinforcing his belief that the togetherness of the group has led to a gradual improvement in performances as the tournament has gone on.

However, his last public words to the group ahead of Sunday’s final in Berlin emphasised that they’d have to once more earn victory in a tough environment, despite the possible storylines and symmetries around Southgate and England winning in Germany, almost three decades after this year’s host nations won on English soil at Euro 1996 following Southgate’s own missed penalty.

“Look, I’m not a believer in fairytales but I am a believer in dreams, and we’ve had big dreams. We’ve felt the need and the importance of that, but then you have to make those things happen,” he told media at the Olympiastadion ahead of the final.

“And fate, the run that we’ve had, the late goals, the penalties: all that doesn’t equate to it being our moment. We have to make it happen tomorrow. We have to perform at the level that we need to. Of course it would be a lovely story but it’s in our hands and our performance is the most important thing.”

Shaw has not ended up bracketed with Hurst and Peters in another respect; his goal did not bring silverware. But for 65 minutes of football and 15 of half-time, it was set to. If many another could have been forgiven for imagining that they were the player who had brought England a trophy, Shaw is adamant he did not during the time before Leonardo Bonucci equalised.

“To be honest, I definitely wasn’t thinking that but of course at that moment it was a very special feeling,” he said. “It is quite bittersweet considering what happened after with the result so for me the goal it didn’t really matter,” he said. “After that game, it was the most hurt I have ever been. It was very hard to take, even more the fact that I scored so it was tough but I think we learnt a lot from that night.”

The England fans are gathering in Berlin ahead of tonight’s seismic encounter and there’s a party atmosphere

The England squad is keen for Gareth Southgate to stay on as manager to see the World Cup in 2026, according to Declan Rice.

The manager has been widely criticised during Euro 2024 but now has the chance to go one better than the penalty shootout loss to Italy in the Euro 2020 final.

His contract expires in December and it has not been confirmed if he will stay in place. “He’s top,” Rice told reporters ahead of Sunday’s clash.

Lamine Yamal has starred in Spain’s run at Euro 2024 and his skill could spell heartbreak in the final for Gareth Southgate’s England squad.

Bence Bocsak recounts the Barcelona wonderkid’s rise through the Spanish youth teams to this summer’s tournament in Germany.

The mastermind behind England’s “most patriotic estate” has given his verdict on the Euro 2024 final.

Chris Dowse, 45, has helped to deck out the Kirby estate in Bermondsey, London with more than 300 England flags attracting international media attention ahead of the climactic game in Berlin.

Mr Dowse told The Independent: “My message for the team is to go one better than last time - they’ve got it in them. Go out there and do what you can and bring the trophy home. And when you do make sure the parade route comes to see us on the Kirby estate.”

On what has changed with this England team on the brink of historic success, he said: “I just feel we’ve got a very, very good squad of young players who seem like they all play Sunday league football together. They all look like mates who could quite easily go on lad’s holidays to Ibiza and it rubs off on the pitch. They play as a team not just loads of individuals doing it for themselves.

Asked if he wants Gareth Southgate to stay on regardless of the result tonight, he said: “To be fair that’s down to Gareth. I don’t want anyone else coming in but I’d have him for the foreseeable for the sake of 1996.

“I’m praying more than anything Gareth gets to put his penalty miss to bed and bring home that trophy! Saka did it against Slovakia now it’s Gareth’s turn.”