Media caption,

England on the verge of history - Gary Lineker

  1. 'It’s going to be the best final possible'published at 14:22 British Summer Time 12 July

    Spain v England (Sun, 20:00 BST)

    Guillem Balague
    Spanish football journalist on BBC Radio 5 Live

    Let’s just remind ourselves [Spain have] beaten Croatia, Italy, Germany - in Germany - and France, with Kylian Mbappe.

    But I feel that England have got many more layers than those sides and it seems like, mentally, they are starting to free themselves, so it’s going to be the best final possible.

  2. get involved

    Get Involved - 'This will be the moment of truth for Southgate'published at 14:19 British Summer Time 12 July

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    England has a fantastic squad of players, one of the best in the world right now, so my view is that they should be getting to semis and finals. I do wonder though, if their recent form in tournaments is because of Southgate or despite him. Against Spain, England will need to be tactically perfect and I think this will be the moment of truth for Southgate.

    Tim

  3. One for obscure stats fans...published at 14:16 British Summer Time 12 July

    Spain v England (Sun, 20:00 BST)

    England at Euro 2024 will be the first team in Euro/World Cup history to face five different countries all beginning with the same letter in a single tournament - Serbia, Slovenia, Slovakia, Switzerland, Spain.

    Media caption,

    Highlights: England 1-1 Switzerland

  4. get involved

    Get Involved - Do you want Southgate to stay?published at 14:12 British Summer Time 12 July

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    People saying Southgate is the best or second best England manager ever, well that only highlights the country’s lack of success. Let’s not forget he still hasn’t won anything. What do you think the second best managers of Italy, Germany, France, Spain have achieved? I like the guy, and would love to see him atone for Euro 96, but if not then he has to go.

    Adrian

  5. Southgate just third manager to reach two Euro finalspublished at 14:10 British Summer Time 12 July

    Spain v England (Sun, 20:00 BST)

    England boss Gareth Southgate will be the third manager to take charge of more than one European Championship final (excluding replays), after Helmut Schon with West Germany (1972, 1976) and Berti Vogts with Germany (1992, 1996).

    All three managers did so in consecutive tournaments, and get this England fans... no manager has ever lost two finals in the competition.

    England manager Gareth Southgate celebrates after his team's win over the Netherlands at Euro 2024Image source, Reuters
  6. get involved

    Get Involved - Do you want Southgate to stay?published at 14:06 British Summer Time 12 July

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    I can't imagine Southgate would want to stay on after all the abuse he's had in recent years - remember the reaction to the loss against Hungary?! I don't think Southgate haters realise how good they've got it, and they should be careful what they wish for!

    H, Coventry

  7. What's to come?published at 14:04 British Summer Time 12 July

    England

    Media caption,

    'The best feeling ever!' Watkins on scoring England winner

    Ollie Watkins was delighted after scoring the winner against the Netherlands on Wednesday to book England's place in the final.

    We're set to hear from the Aston Villa striker again shortly, and you can watch him chatting to media in Germany in about 10 minutes, by clicking on the 'watch live' box above.

  8. get involved

    Get Involved - Who will win Sunday's final?published at 14:02 British Summer Time 12 July

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    Let's stop with all the Spain favourites talk, which is just an excuse for possible failure. England are and should believe they are favourites, the culmination of eight years work and progress with experience of highs and lows and battle-hardened players ready for this moment. Spain on the other hand are at the start of their journey with a fairly new manager and young players with not much international experience to draw from in the main, aside from a few recent good results, which amounts to good form at best. Form is temporary, class is permanent let's remember that!

    Nolan

  9. England are 'going to have to be near perfect'published at 14:00 British Summer Time 12 July

    Spain v England (Sun, 20:00 BST)

    Chris Sutton
    Former Premier League striker on the Football Daily podcast

    I think the siege mentality Gareth [Southgate] and the team have shown from those early days, where they were getting panned for their performances and taking loads of flack, it looks like it has made them stronger.

    What encouraged me more than anything from the game, I thought the first half especially against the Netherlands, England had control of the middle of the park.

    That's very encouraging going into the game against Spain, but Spain are at another level from anyone else in this competition, so England are going to have to raise their game again and they’re going to have to be near perfect.

    Lamine Yamal celebrates scoring for Spain against France at Euro 2024Image source, Getty Images
  10. 'I wouldn't say there's a feeling in Spain of 'we're going to win''published at 13:58 British Summer Time 12 July

    Spain v England (Sun, 20:00 BST)

    BBC Radio 5 Live

    ESPN's Spanish football presenter Gemma Soler on what the Spanish people are feeling: "They all agree that Spain have been the best team and the most fun to watch.

    "They are the only team that has been able to win all their games and that has been much better than what we expected in the country, in the media, in the fanbase. We were well aware that there was a lot of quality, but young quality with kind of a new coach, so expectations were not that high.

    "In the beginning, they were [seen as] candidates, but not favourites. Now it's England, it's a final, anything can happen, so I wouldn't say there's a feeling in Spain of 'we're going to win'. I cannot feel that, even though the players are not afraid of saying that they are very confident."

  11. Who are the favourites to win the Euro 2024 final?published at 13:56 British Summer Time 12 July

    Spain v England (Sun, 20:00 BST)

    Simon Gleave
    Head of sports analysis, Nielsen Gracenote

    Spain and England are ranked first and third in Europe in the latest Gracenote world rankings. Spain will be favourites to win the trophy on Sunday and are given a 62% chance of doing so by Gracenote.

    England's 38% chance makes them clear underdogs and they will be seeking to follow Czechoslovakia (1976), Denmark (1992), Greece (2004) and Portugal (2016) in becoming European champions by beating the favourites in the final.

  12. From Rotherham to Berlinpublished at 13:54 British Summer Time 12 July

    Spain v England (Sun, 20:00 BST)

    Gary Rose
    BBC Sport in Berlin

    England fans in Berlin two days before the Euro 2024 final

    It has been a bit showery for England fans arriving in Berlin today but it is starting to brighten up this afternoon and a smattering of supporters have been checking out the the big fan zone at the Brandenburg Gate.

    This group is Dennis, with son Johnny and grandsons Billy and Archie. They are from Rotherham and drove out to Germany to watch England's semi-final win against the Netherlands.

    "We were at the stadium in Dortmund and after we won we decided we were not going home so we drove six hours to Berlin," says Johnny, with the group managing to get tickets for the final.

    "It is going to be a family party," adds Dennis. "My other son is driving out with my other grandson in time for Sunday."

    I asked for score predictions and Billy, the youngest of the group, is confident: "2-0 to England!"

  13. Last day at the England media centrepublished at 13:51 British Summer Time 12 July

    Spain v England (Sun, 20:00 BST)

    Alex Howell
    BBC football news reporter at the England camp

    It really does feel like the final push of the tournament at the England camp.

    This is the last day we have access to the castle in Blankenhain, where the daily media activity has taken place.

    Today there’s a bumper amount of players coming through the centre and we will hear from the first of them, Wednesday's match-winner Ollie Watkins, from about 14:15 BST.

    England Euro 2024 banner at their training baseImage source, BBC Sport
  14. He's got the lookpublished at 13:45 British Summer Time 12 July

    David Seaman and Tony AdamsImage source, Getty Images

    From David Seaman to his former England and Arsenal team-mate Tony Adams.

    Click on the link below to see what he has turned up to Wimbledon wearing.

    Trust us, you won't be disappointed.

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  15. 'Put the cherry on the massive cake Gareth has baked'published at 13:36 British Summer Time 12 July

    Spain v England (Sun, 20:00 BST)

    Gareth Southgate celebratesImage source, Getty Images

    A final world from former England goalkeeper David Seaman, who says he is "so proud" of Euro 96 team-mate Gareth Southgate for guiding the Three Lions to back-to-back European Championship finals.

    Seaman and Southgate were part of the team that lost to Germany in the semi-finals back in 1996, with the current England boss missing the decisive spot-kick in the penalty shootout defeat.

    "He has stuck to his guns and done it his way," Seaman told Sky Sports News. "There was a lot of criticism but he has done it his own way and that's why it makes all of this even more pleasing.

    "He has got us to another European final. All credit to him, it makes me so proud."

    Seaman is now urging Southgate's players to go one better against Spain on Sunday and put the "cherry on the cake" after bouncing back from the pain of defeat to Italy in the last Euros final - gradually warm to the challenge during Euro 2024.

    "They are getting better and better and it is just about peaking now in the final," he told Sky Sports News.

    "I want us to go one step further. I want us to put the cherry on the massive cake that Gareth has baked.

    "I never got to a final. I got to a semi-final, which was a great feeling, but then there was the disappointment [of defeat to Germany in the semi-finals].

    "There are players in this squad who have felt that disappointment and now they want to taste the winning feeling."

  16. get involved

    Get Involved - Do you want Southgate to stay?published at 13:31 British Summer Time 12 July

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    Everyone’s an expert, we’re all football mangers, but there’s only one man that matters and that’s Gareth Southgate. He has information and insights we will never see or understand. For me, I’m 52, I remember all too well never being able to even win a penalty shootout, let alone go deep in tournaments, which we regularly do of late, so personally I’m backing Southgate all the way. Whatever he wants to do after Sunday is fine with me. He HAS already been a success when I think back to the past. Let’s all just enjoy the ride and back him and his team. England Forever!

    David, Birmingham

  17. 'It was all just natural' - Seaman on penalty ployspublished at 13:25 British Summer Time 12 July

    Spain v England (Sun, 20:00 BST)

    David Seaman celebrates saving Miguel Angel Nadal's decisive kick in England's 4-2 penalty shootout win against Spain in the Euro 96 quarter-finalImage source, Getty Images

    Former England goalkeeper David Seaman says his approach to penalty shootouts could not have been more different to current Three Lions stopper Jordan Pickford, yet the outcome so far has been just the same.

    Seaman, now 60, produced two key penalty saves at Euro 96 to help Terry Venables' side reach the semi-final - denying Scotland's Gary McAllister an equaliser from the spot in the group stages before palming away Miguel Angel Nadal's decisive kick in a 4-2 penalty shootout win over Spain in the quarter-finals.

    The ex-Arsenal keeper told Sky Sports News that his decision-making for those spot-kicks was all completely "natural", unlike Pickford at Euro 2024, who famously had directions for every penalty taker written on his water bottle to help him for England's quarter-final win over Switzerland.

    Jordan Pickford's water bottle, with directions for Switzerland's penalty takers in the Euro 2024 quarter-finalsImage source, Getty Images

    "It was all just natural, the angle they approached the ball dictated which way I went," said Seaman. "It was all down to me."

    The hero of England's Euro 96 quarter-final win also said it was not his style to put off the penalty taker with the kinds of mind games Pickford likes to employ.

    He added: "I know that people try all sorts of things [to put them off], especially when the penalty takers have got the ball in their hands - maybe going up to them and talking to them - but that was never really my style.

    "I just tried to make myself look as big as possible on the line to make the goal look as small as possible."

    David Seaman saves Miguel Angel Nadal's decisive kick in England's 4-2 penalty shootout win against Spain in the Euro 96 quarter-finalImage source, Getty Images
  18. get involved

    Get Involved - How are you following the final?published at 13:19 British Summer Time 12 July

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    Me and my partner will be watching it from the most remote pub in New Zealand! 7am Monday morning. Haven't missed a game so far, but this one's going on the big screen!

    Biff and Steph. Whangamomona, Taranaki, New Zealand.

  19. 'To step up and take the penalty just shows the quality of the man'published at 13:14 British Summer Time 12 July

    Spain v England (Sun, 20:00 BST)

    Watching Bukayo Saka score from the spot in England's penalty shootout win over Switzerland in the quarter-finals of Euro 2024 brought back some vivid memories for David Seaman.

    The sight of the 22-year-old Arsenal forward marching to the spot, just three years after missing for England in their shootout defeat to Italy in the last Euros final, reminded him of Stuart Pearce's redemptive march to take a penalty against Spain in the Euro 96 quarter-finals.

    Pearce was left crestfallen after missing a penalty against Germany in England's shootout defeat to West Germany in the semi-finals of the 1990 World Cup finals.

    "I saw him walking from the halfway line and I thought 'oh know it's Stuart'," said the now 60-year-old former Arsenal player, who was in goal for England in that Euro 96 penalty shootout against Spain.

    "I had never wanted anyone to score a penalty more in my life."

    Until this Euros, that is...

    "Watching Saka brought back those memories of Stuart Pearce," Seaman told Sky Sports News. "To see someone show that level of determination and guts to want to take a penalty.

    "Bukayo has never shied away. He has been taking penalties all the time for Arsenal [since missing that Euro 2020 spot-kick for England].

    "To step up and take the penalty at the time he did just shows the quality of the man."

    Bukayo SakaImage source, Getty Images
  20. get involved

    Get Involved - Do you want Southgate to stay?published at 13:09 British Summer Time 12 July

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    I think Gareth should be allowed to stay if he wants to, but I would understand if he has had enough and wants to pass the baton to someone else. The England manager has a fabulous job (and Gareth has delivered unprecedented progress if not yet a trophy) but the wholesale opprobrium the incumbent receives is outrageous.

    Chris L, Yorkshire

    Good use of the word 'opprobrium' Chris. I must admit I had to look it up to make sure...it means 'harsh criticism or censure' for those who need to know.