“Better late than never,” was the reaction of England’s talisman Jude Bellingham to his latest Instagram post, after a dramatic win over the Netherlands in the second Euro 2024 semi-final.
Ollie Watkins scored a superb last-gasp goal, to send the Dutch packing, and keep alive the belief in every English supporter that maybe the famous old trophy could finally be ‘brought home’. Away from the goals and the celebrations, a certain teenager in the middle of the park is slyly running away with the headlines. Teenage sensation Kobbie Mainoo has had a tremendous campaign at the base of midfield, carrying on from his terrific season with Manchester United. Spain will take on England in the final on Sunday. In a thoroughly experienced and quality-packed line-up on both the papers, it has been the teen magic that has kept both teams’ biggest topic of conversation throughout the tournament.
Soon-to-be 17-year-old livewire Lamine Yamal left millions breathless while watching the game, scoring an absolute scorcher in the semis against France. The Barcelona winger has been on top throughout the tournament, with a record of being the youngest goalscorer ever in semi-finals of major tournaments. He’s got four involvements now, making a strong case for the Player of the Tournament if Spain wins Euro 2024.
Though Mainoo doesn’t fill the statsheet in the obvious ways, his impact on the team arguably has been as much as Yamal’s. The 19-year-old has registered above 95% of his passes with a dribble percentage of a staggering 98%. On the ball, the youngster looked very composed, playing those line-breaking passes and dribbling out of trouble to provide the England midfield with a whole new dimension. He played a bit of a restraining hand at the base of the midfield, coming out as a 100% winner in the tackles and duels in the semi-final. Mainoo, from his skill sets, provides the ramp which allows Declan Rice to open up with his game, marauding forward at the earliest given chance. After a Finals loss in the last Euros, England will want to work hard at the Olympiastadion in Berlin. They, however, come up against Spain, who arguably are just the easiest team to watch at these championships. All eyes on the battle of the teens as Lamine Yamal and Kobbie Mainoo go for it to give their respective nations the ultimate prize.