Spain-England, a rivalry and a reign

A final is always a culmination. Of a journey and a dream come true. Of a job and a goal. Of much more than a summer month, of an entire project. It's surely a day worth a race. But if the opponent you must defeat is your old acquaintance and worst rival, the final is a dogfight and takes on dramatic overtones, becoming a game of thrones, a struggle of power over power.

Every hero needs an antagonist, and Spain, the reigning world champion, meets its archrival, England, the reigning European champion and defending champion, in Basel. Therefore, this afternoon, both teams are playing for more than just a continental title. They are playing for number one. The winner of the final at St. Jakob Park will be crowned the benchmark and establish their reign above the aspirations of the defeated. From a possible English double to the triple crown that Spain is seeking.

We've learned from them in the games we've played, and this scenario is different."

Both teams arrive in the midst of what they consider a winning streak, in their most glorious period. And they feel they have enough arguments to extend it, but first they'll have to overcome their most recurring thorn in their side.

That's what Spain became for England on August 20, 2023, in Sydney. Olga Carmona's goal was a turning point for the Spanish national team, placing them among the elite, a place they haven't moved from. 707 days later, England have another chance after being beaten again in the Nations League group stage, with a comeback victory in Cornellà (2-1). "We made them suffer, and they made us suffer," conceded Spanish captain Irene Paredes.

“Spanish women are the best at what they do, but we are prepared.”

But the rivalry had been born a year earlier, almost unwittingly. It was Euro 2022, on English soil, when Stanway's extra-time goal knocked Spain out despite taking the lead in Brighton, setting the Lyon team on course for their greatest success yet.

The final and the title, a collective achievement, would also serve as a guarantee for another Ballon d'Or for Aitana, the scorer in the semifinal, or Alexia Putellas, the team's leader in the first round. It would even put Mariona, who won the Champions League in her first year at Arsenal, in the running. In the English championship, if Kelly, captain Williamson, or even Russo, despite having scored zero goals in the tournament, all Gunners and colleagues of Mariona, would have plenty of arguments to contend.

"All the questions you ask me are about football; that speaks volumes about what we're achieving."

For Montse Tomé, the title would represent a total boost to her continued leadership of the national team, as her contract expires next month. While for Sarina Wiegman, winner of the last two editions, the first with the Netherlands and the second with England, it would make her little less than a guru of women's football , an almost untouchable figure.

“We expect a very close match. We've played each other twice already this year, we know what it means, and we're going to play toe-to-toe,” predicts Tomé, who warns about the resilience and mentality of the English team: “They're a very competitive team. It seems like they're not quite right, and they end up winning.”

"I still don't accept the role of favorite; from day one I said England was the favorite."

“We've learned from them in the games we've played. The setting is different, and I hope we can play to our strengths,” said Wiegman, who wants to take advantage of the extra day of rest they've had. Furthermore, the Reds' last defeat was against England at Wembley in February. Since then, they've had 10 wins in a row, the last five in Switzerland, where they're playing brilliantly: 5 wins, 17 goals scored, and clean sheets in the quarterfinals and semifinals.

It just so happens that Spain, after all the hype following their World Cup victory, is also playing off the pitch. “We deserve it for everything. We're a team and players who have been working and putting in effort in many places, and now we've achieved the goal of making it a football game. The fact that all the questions you ask me are about football speaks volumes about what we're achieving. When you're at the elite, you don't always deserve it, but we've done everything necessary,” Tomé told his players, leaders in the fight for the title .

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Tomé looks at the team and likes what she sees. In less than two years in charge, the coach has built a Spain that achieves everything she wanted. She feels strongly about the project, and that gives her peace of mind ahead of this afternoon's final. "Now we see the team we want and the one we've been working on for a long time. We have the players who represent what we want," she says.

But with that confidence, she doesn't intend to put undue pressure on her players. On the contrary. "I don't think about the pressure. Throughout the championship, we've been making history with our first time in the semifinals, beating Germany for the first time, and reaching the final for the first time. So let's enjoy it," the Oviedo native exhorted. England-Spain is now a new classic, for clubs and national teams. Now it's also worth a reign.