Euro 2024: Spanish fans confident of victory against England

“This probably surprises you more than it does us,” Spain coach Luis de la Fuente told reporters in his country.

His team had just beaten France in the semi-final of the European Championship, before finding themselves facing England in the final on Sunday.

And surprise – pleasant – is perhaps the best word to describe what many Spanish fans have felt throughout this tournament.

Expectations were low on the sunny streets of Spain at the start of the Euro, but that quickly turned into national jubilation, helping to bring the deeply divided country together.

“At first, my friends and I thought that the players selected were a very personal choice by the coach and did not represent the opinion of the majority of Spaniards,” said Jorge Gallego, a Spanish fan in Madrid.

“We didn’t expect to reach the final, but throughout the tournament we started to realise that we could go far.”

While around 11,500 Spanish fans have travelled to Berlin for the final, back home giant screens have been installed in parks, sports centres and squares to allow fans to watch it.

Here in Madrid, local authorities have said that if Spain wins, victory celebrations will take place around the Plaza de Cibeles in the centre of the capital.

Meanwhile, the players are being hailed, among them defender Marc Cucurella, who has become a folk hero thanks to his long hair and an online song about him that has gone viral.

The lyrics are about paella and beer – a chant often heard in the stands of his league club, Chelsea.

The football team is a rare rallying point. Parties and politicians have celebrated not only results but also the emergence of players, such as Lamine Yamal, who turned 17 on Saturday and emerged as a star.

This team also represents the multicultural reality of Spain. Yamal’s father is Moroccan and his mother is Equatorial Guinean, while Nico Williams’ Ghanaian parents arrived in Spain after crossing the Sahara Desert and climbing a fence that surrounds the enclave of Melilla.

Yamal highlighted his humble origins, raising his fingers after marking to show the postcode 304, the working-class, multicultural neighbourhood of the Catalan city of Mataró where he grew up.

It is a place that a member of the far-right Vox party, Manuel Gavira, once described as a “multicultural dunghill”.

But the overwhelming feeling is that Spaniards like their team, both for its performances and for what it represents.

The newspaper El Periódico wrote: “A young, impertinent and invigorated Spain has become the mirror of a country that has changed, that is multiracial and diverse.”

King Felipe himself joined in the applause, saying the men’s team radiated “excitement, joy and security,” while praising Yamal’s “brilliance.”

It is easy to forget that Yamal’s selection raised eyebrows and led to accusations that De la Fuente – a relatively junior coach who had never worked with a top-flight club – lacked the experience to succeed.

At first glance, the team was a far cry from the star-studded squad that won two European titles and the World Cup between 2008 and 2012.

The results are a clear reason for this renewed confidence. The team won six games in six matches – a first for a team at the Euros – against opponents that included not only Didier Deschamps’ France, but also hosts Germany and 2020 European champions Italy.

The style of play in those victories has also been key. The close-range passing and possession game that brought Spain so much success in the past has disappeared. Spain now play more directly, with two of their emerging stars, Williams and Yamal, wreaking havoc on the wings.

The result is a less controlled and more exciting style than in the past.

Spanish fans, who hate boring football, have bought into it.

“Spain will win, without a doubt,” said Luis García, a Venezuelan migrant who supports Spain.

“They showed that they are the best team. It’s incredible that the team has improved so much with this young generation of players and that our hopes rest on these youngsters.”