Yamal's goal takes Spain to the Eurocup final in Berlin

All the way to the final! Spain defeated France 2-1 on Tuesday in the semifinals of the Euro 2024 despite starting behind on the scoreboard in Munich. They will fight for the title next Sunday against either the Netherlands or England.

Lamine Yamal (21) and Dani Olmo (25) put Spain back on the board after Randal Kolo Muani's (9) opening goal, sending the Spanish team into their third Euro final in the last five tournaments.

The favored French team, led by European superstar Kylian Mbappé, was eliminated after a disappointing performance from their forwards. Mbappé only scored one goal in the whole tournament off of a penalty.

On Sunday, in Berlin, Spain will face either England or the Netherlands for its fourth continental title. If Spain wins, the Spanish team will break its record of three Euro Cup titles that it shares with Germany.

Spain won Tuesday's match, coming back from France's opening goal in Munich, despite playing in front of a crowd that was largely against them. French fans outnumbered the Spanish, while the home crowd booed players like Marc Cucurella or Mikel Merino, the star players who beat Germany, the host country, in the quarterfinals.

Record after record

On the field, Spain started the game aware that their opponents were going to be comfortable giving them possession. In the first few minutes, the Spanish team settled into France's half of the field, with Fabian Ruiz attempting a header in the fifth minute.

However, the French team, erratic in front of goal throughout the game, did not miss their chance. From inside the box, Kylian Mbappé crossed to the far post, where Randal Kolo Muani outjumped the Spanish defense to head the ball past Unai Simon.

Similarly to what happened against Georgia in the Round of 16, the goal left Spain unsettled. They nearly paid for their lack of coordination as France, sensing an opportunity, continued to push forward aggressively. 

In this critical moment of urgency and pressure, Lamine Yamal's left foot emerged to deliver one of the tournament's standout goals, a stunning shot from 80 feet out, aimed perfectly into the corner beyond Mike Maignan's reach. 

Already the youngest player to play in a Euro Cup game and also the youngest to provide an assist, Yamal shattered a 20-year record. 

At 16 years and 362 days old, he broke Johan Volanthen's record as the youngest goalscorer in the European Championship since the 2004 edition, having also scored against France.

Olmo's third goal at the European Championship

While some records take decades to break, games can change in seconds. Four minutes later, a shot from Dani Olmo, deflected off Jules Kounde's body, found its way into the goal, putting the Spanish team ahead with the RB Leipzig player's third goal of the championship.

Just as the game was reaching a wild pace, things gradually slowed down until Maignan (47th minute) tried to shake things up. 

In the opposite goal, Unai Simon remaind alert against several French attacks, including a header from Aurelien Tchouaméni (54), serving as a reminder that it was still anyone's game.

Despite the changes, as Deschamps brought on attacking players like Antoine Griezmann (62) and Oliver Giroud (79), the Spanish team once again took over the field. Yamal tried to make another goal (81) but sent the ball over the goal post.

Mbappé had the last chance (86), but it wasn't enough to stop the Spanish team from victory. The players celebrated their win on the field. Now, they are off to Berlin.