Despite £1.3B squad value, Spain outclass England for goals, defence & trophies

Much has been said of England's route to the final of Euro 2024 but Gareth Southgate's side have defied the criticism that has been levied against them to book their place in the showpiece event.

Awaiting them is a firing-hot Spain side who appear to have undone the woes of their 2022 World Cup campaign and are arguably the best team to feature at this summer's tournament.

The Three Lions will come into this clash as the underdogs, with Luis de la Fuente's side currently boasting a squad that is sprinkled with talented stars and can play a fast and fluid brand of attacking football.

It will be a tough game for England, but for all their strengths, perhaps one of the most important characteristics that the Three Lions have demonstrated is their resilience and ability to fight until the bitter end.

That may come as a hugely beneficial trait for England, heading into Sunday's final in Berlin. But who comes out on top? Mail Sport delves into how both sides compare, both on and off the field, ahead of their crunch Euro 2024 final.

Two richly talented squads

Sunday's match will be a huge occasion for football, not just because it is the final of the European Championship, but more so that we will get to witness two teams, who are blessed with some of the best players in world football right now, showcasing their skills.

Spain's squad is jam packed with a range of players from Europe's top five leagues, with De la Fuente picking three Premier League stars in his 26-man team, including Marc Cucurella, David Raya and Rodri.

They'll come up against a team of Premier League stars, which boasts a list of heavily decorated players from the English top flight, that includes Treble winners, Phil Foden, Kyle Walker and John Stones and is fronted by one of the best strikers in world football, Harry Kane. I've not even mentioned the superstar that is Jude Bellingham yet, who will come up against Real Madrid team-mate Dani Carvajal in Sunday's final.

So who edges it? Well, in terms of squad value, England's squad is worth approximately £1.25billion, while La Roja cumulative price comes in at around £783million.

Experience and age

Price may not always be indicative of the form or brilliance of a squad but England perhaps boast a little more experience among their ranks than Spain.

They also interestingly have a slightly lower average age compared to Sunday's opponents of 26, to Spain's 27.

Sixteen-year-old sensation Lamine Yamal has wowed audiences at Euro 2024 for his brilliance, while older stars, including Alvaro Morata, 31, have drawn from their experience to lead La Roja to the final.

Southgate, meanwhile, has largely stuck to the same starting XI throughout the tournament, with their youngest star being 19-year-old Man United sensation Kobbie Mainoo - who has enjoyed an excellent tournament from midfield. England also have a string of experienced players in their ranks, including the likes of Kane, 30, John Stones, 30, Kieran Trippier 33 and Kyle Walker, 34.

Top scorers

By Kane's own standards, the England striker may have failed to live up to the goalscoring form of this season with Bayern Munich.

With an epic return of 44 goals across all competitions this campaign, the 30-year-old's debut season in Germany was a big success - even if he didn't clinch his first piece of major silverware.

But the effects of a long season are perhaps beginning to show on England's star striker, who has seemed a little off his usual pace.

What is telling about Kane's standards is that he is currently joint-first in the Euro 2024 Golden Boot race, having scored three goals throughout the tournament.

But on Sunday, another player, Dani Olmo, has the chance to snatch the coveted trophy from Kane.

Perhaps telling of the brilliant squad depth De la Fuente has at his disposal is how the RB Leipzig star, Olmo, was considered an impact player coming into the tournament and has started from the bench in three of Spain's six games so far.

Both Kane and Olmo have three goals each and are tied at the top of the Golden Boot race with Jamal Musiala, Georges Mikautadze, Cody Gakpo and Ivan Schranz.

Olmo, 26, has to be considered as one of Spain's top performers at the European Championship, having also returned two assists, notably teeing Mikel Merino up for his dramatic 119th-minute winner against Germany in the quarter-finals.

Goals

On the subject of goals, Spain surpass England having almost scored nearly double the amount of goals Southgate's side have netted in their previous six matches.

La Roja are the top scorers at Euro 2024, having clocked up 13 strikes so far.

Interestingly that comes as key frontman, Alvaro Morata, has only found the back of the net once at the tournament - perhaps again telling of the brilliance of some of the younger attackers around him, with the Atletico Madrid striker having had four attempts on target in six appearances.

England, though, have struggled in the final third at Euro 2024, having got only 19 of their 66 attempts on target.

But while the Three Lions have lacked a spark, Ollie Watkins' last-gasp goal on Wednesday proved that they can stand up when it counts most.

At the other end of the pitch, Jordan Pickford has been in excellent form for the Three Lions, and while it may have been a little difficult for him to keep out Olmo's goal on Wednesday, Pickford is currently fourth in the Golden Glove race with two saves - one behind Spain shot-stopper Unai Simon.

Star players

Lamine Yamal admitted it was a 'dream come true' to score against France, with the 16-year-old star curling a long-range strike into the back of the net from outside the penalty area.

He has been one of Spain's biggest threats in attack at Euro 2024 and against France he proved he can battle with the best of them.

The right winger isn't just a goalscorer, though. Yamal has provided his team-mates with three assists - making him the top creator in the tournament so far and in the six matches he's played, he has had 16 attempts on goal, getting five of those on target.

All things considered, he is a player England must be wary of. But Spain must also be wary of the threat that Bukayo Saka poses on the England wing.

Saka seriously impressed against both the Netherlands and Switzerland and it looks as though the Arsenal forward has settled into his role in the the team much more, with Saka increasingly showcasing his ability to run at defenders and strike from long-range.

Alongside Foden, who was also impressive on Wednesday evening, the pair can bring greater speed to England's backline that will be a huge threat for Spain's defence.

A battle between two strikers... and captains!

As above, Kane has underwhelmed so far at Euro 2024, but so too has Alvaro Morata.

Barring his goal in Spain's opening game of the tournament, a 3-0 win vs Croatia, Morata hasn't since found the back of the net.

There is a possibility that he may not be fit to play on Sunday, after he limped from the field after appearing to be injured during Spain's semi-final victory against France by a steward, who had accidentally slid into the Atletico Madrid star's ankle when trying to remove a pitch invader.

Interestingly, Morata and Kane could have both fronted Tottenham's attack back in 2017. Then-manager, Mauricio Pochettino, had implied that Morata didn't want to join Spurs because Kane was their starting striker, a claim the Spaniard later denied.

'For sure I would like to play with Kane, he's a big player, one of the best strikers in the world, but in this moment when I spoke with him [Pochettino] there was no chance to leave Real Madrid,' Morata said.

On Sunday he'll instead get his chance to instead play against Kane, with this set to be a huge battle for two experienced and proven centre forwards.

Two seasoned managers

De La Fuente has taken charge of 21 matches as the Spanish national side's coach, winning 18 of them.

The Spaniard, who is currently in his second spell as the National side's boss, had previously coached at Sevilla and Atheltic Bilbao, and has seemingly galvanised Spain after their dismal 2022 World Cup group stage exit.

Speaking ahead of the match, De la Fuente admitted he was wary of England but added his side were up for the clash.

'Before starting the tournament, England and France would have been favourites, as well as Germany for the fact they were playing at home,' he said.

'We have had the chance to keep overcoming those games [against the favourites] and now we have another huge match. Maybe Spain have offered a better version so far at the finals [than England], but that won't have any influence on a one-off game.

'England have quality players that can appear at any moment. We are up against a really powerful side full of experience, not just in terms of the national team, but at club level as well. It's going to be tough.'

The Spaniard has largely stuck to a 4-3-3 formation during the tournament with Rodri anchoring the midfield while Morata spearheads the attack.

England operate in a similar formation with Declan Rice operating in the holding role in England's midfield three.

But some of his decision making has come under fire at Euro 2024. The England boss has been reluctant to make changes too early on during games, with many calling for him to be more innovative when bringing players on.

In fact, statistics may prove that making substitutes impactful at Euro 2024, with Spain having scored three goals through their substitutes they have made through substitutes at Euro 2024.

That was evidenced on Wednesday when Watkins replaced Cole Palmer in the 81st minute to seal the victory for England.

But credit must be given to Southgate. Resilient against the criticism that has confronted him, his sides have shown a willingness to fight to the end to secure victory.

He remains one of England's most successful managers, despite having never lifted a major trophy and a victory on Sunday could be the just rewards for a man who has given everything to his national side.

History

As for England's experience of winning trophies, it somewhat lacking in comparison to Spain's track record.

Spain have won five international honours and they have come more recently than England's World Cup title back in 1966.

Spain were crowned UEFA Nations League winners in 2023, having previously clinched the Euros three times in 2012, 2008 and 1964.

They too have a World Cup title under their belt, having clinched the tournament back in 2010.

Will they add to their trophy cabinet on Sunday night? Or will England's 58-year wait for a major title finally come to an end?