Fireworks were expected in the semi-finals of the Euro 2024 and it did not disappoint as both ties produced spectacular goals and comeback wins. Spain took on France while England battled the Netherlands with all sides having the experience of playing in the showpiece. Luis de la Fuente’s side entered the final by beating the two-time winners with a 2-1 win while the Three Lions sneaked a late winner against the 1988 winners to reach consecutive finals in the tournament. Both had to come from behind to do so.
Lamine Yamal equalised for Spain with an audacious strike to cancel a ninth-minute opener from France through Kolo Muani’s header from Kylian Mbappé’s cross. Dani Olmo did not let his side wait long to take the lead with his third straight goal in the tournament, the first to do so, in the 25th minute. La Roja then defended the fort admirably for the remainder of the game to eliminate Didier Deschamps’s experienced squad from the competition. The team is now preparing to be the outright winners of the contest by claiming a fourth title.
England also took a similar route when Xavi Simons slammed past Jordan Pickford to give the Netherlands an early lead. Harry Kane was deemed to have been fouled by Denzel Dumfries in the box according to VAR, the penalty which the Three Lions’ captain took and scored. With extra time looming, substitute Ollie Watkins scored the winner to send the Dutch packing. Gareth Southgate’s team are aiming for their first Euro honour going close in the last edition.
Here are the records set in the Euro 2024 Semifinals:
Spain 2-1 France
Spain are appearing in the final of the Euros for the fifth time, only Germany with six has been in more than them in the tournament history.
They are the first team to win six games in a single edition of the Euro with only Brazil winning more games in a major international tournament with seven in the 2002 World Cup.
Aged 16 years and 362 days, Lamine Yamal became the youngest goalscorer at a major tournament beating the record of football legend Pelé (17 years and 239 days). The Barcelona winger also became the youngest to feature in a semi-final of a major tournament.
Teammate Jesús Navas became the oldest outfield player to appear in a semi-final at a major international tournament aged 38 years and 231 days.
Spain has won each of their last eight matches in all competitions, recording their best winning streak since June 2010 under Vicente del Bosque who won 12 games for the side. La Roja have never lost a European Championship match that they have led at half-time.
Luis de la Fuente has managed Spain to Euro Championship success at the U-19 level in 2016 and with the U-21 side in 2019. On both occasions, they knocked out France in the semifinals as well.
Spain have scored 13 goals at Euro 2024, equalling their record for a single tournament set at Euro 2020. Only France have scored more with 14 in the 1984 edition.
France have now gone three successive major tournaments without winning a trophy since lifting the 2018 World Cup. This is the first time Les Bleus has been eliminated from the semifinals of a major tournament since Euro 1996.
Mbappé has now been involved in 11 goals, 8 goals and 3 assists, in 12 knockout stage games for France across World Cups and Euros combined.
For the very first time, France lost a game at a major tournament with N'Golo Kanté in the side. They were unbeaten in 20 such games prior which is the longest unbeaten streak by any European player.
Netherlands 1-2 England
England have reached the final in two of their four major tournaments under Gareth Southgate after reaching only once in 23 major tournaments before his tenure.
The Three Lions are the first side in UEFA European Championship history to reach the final despite trailing in both the quarter-final and semi-final.
England have eliminated a higher-ranked nation from a World Cup or Euro knockout game for the first time since the Euro 1996 quarter-final. Spain was the opposition back then whom Southgate’s team will face in the Euro 2024 final.
Ollie Watkins has scored only the second 90th-minute winning goal in a Euro knockout tie, the first as a substitute, after Philip Lahm for Germany in the 3-2 win over Turkey in the Euro 2008 semi-final. His winning-goal pass provider, Cole Palmer became the first substitute to assist a 90th-minute winning goal in a European Championship knockout tie.
Harry Kane is now the all-time top scorer in knockout games in the European Championship, with his penalty vs Netherlands being his sixth goal. He has also scored the most knockout goals by a European player in major tournament history with nine.
The Bayern Munich striker is the first-ever Englishman to score 15 goals at major international tournaments.
Kobbie Mainoo became the youngest player to participate in the semi-finals of a major tournament at 19 years and 82 days old.
England are the second team in Euro Championship history to reach the final again after ending as runners-up in the previous edition. The Three Lions became just the fourth different nation to reach back-to-back Euros finals.
Aged 21 years and 80 days old, Xavi Simons is the youngest-ever player to score in a European Championship knockout round game for the Netherlands. This was also the first semi-final in European Championship history to see four players aged 21 or under start the game.
