Spain and England are set to clash in the Euro 2024 semifinals at BVB Stadion in Dortmund, Germany, with kickoff scheduled for 9pm (19:00 GMT) on Saturday, July 14. Al Jazeera will provide live text commentary, starting with build-up four hours before the kickoff.
A victory for Spain would allow them to become the outright record holders for the most Euro titles, securing their fourth win and surpassing Germany. On the other hand, a win for England would mark their first Euro championship.
Spain have had an impressive journey to the final, maintaining a perfect record in their six matches. They have been dominant, not conceding a goal in the group stage and overcoming strong opponents like Germany and France in the knockout stages. Spain’s only moment of vulnerability occurred in the round of 16 against Georgia, where they initially trailed but came back to win 4-1.
Lamine Yamal has been a standout player for Spain, particularly notable for scoring in the semifinal against France on his 17th birthday, making him the youngest goalscorer in Euro history.
In contrast, England’s path to the final has been fraught with challenges. They barely advanced from the group stage with one win and two draws and faced near-elimination in the round of 16 against Slovenia, saved by Jude Bellingham’s last-minute overhead kick. England then had to overcome Switzerland in a penalty shootout in the quarterfinals. Their most compelling performance came against the Netherlands in the semifinals, where they secured a dramatic injury-time winner from Ollie Watkins.
The potential for England to win is undeniable, given the individual talents in their squad. Gareth Southgate hopes to inspire a performance that will end England’s 58-year wait for international silverware.
Spain will have Dani Carvajal and Robin Le Normand back from suspension, with no new injury concerns. They are expected to field a strong and consistent lineup aiming for their seventh consecutive win in the tournament.
England captain Harry Kane, who had to be substituted in the semifinal due to fatigue, has declared himself fit for the final. Luke Shaw is also in contention to start after making two substitute appearances following recovery from an injury.
Possible line-ups are as follows:
Spain: Unai Simon; Dani Carvajal, Robin Le Normand, Aymeric Laporte, Marc Cucurella; Dani Olmo, Rodri, Fabian Ruiz; Lamine Yamal, Alvaro Morata, Nico Williams
England: Jordan Pickford; Kyle Walker, John Stones, Marc Guehi; Bukayo Saka, Kobbie Mainoo, Declan Rice, Luke Shaw; Jude Bellingham, Phil Foden; Harry Kane
Spain is currently ranked 8th in the FIFA rankings, while England is ranked 5th. Historically, the two teams have faced each other 27 times, with Spain winning 10 games, England 13, and 4 matches ending in draws. Spain’s recent form includes five consecutive wins, whereas England has two draws and three wins in their last five matches.