Euro 2024: Lamine Yamal, Jude Bellingham among players to watch in Spain vs. England final

Some of world soccer's greatest talents will take center stage in Berlin on Sunday for the Euro 2024 final between Spain and England.

Spain's Lamine Yamal – who turns 17 a day before the final – has set the world on fire in this tournament with a goal and three assists as his team has won all six games en route to the final. Nico Williams and Rodri are two of Spain's other top players to keep an eye on, hoping to win the tournament for the fourth time, which would break a tie with Germany for most Euro titles.

England, which finished runner-up in 2020, will need strong performances Jude Bellingham, all-time leading scorer Harry Kane and 19-year-old midfielder Kobbie Mainoo to win the European championship for the first time in history.

Here's a look at the players to watch:

Spain

Lamine Yamal

Already the youngest player in Euro history – turning 17 the day before the final – Lamine Yamal became the tournament's youngest-ever goalscorer with a stunning strike in Spain's semifinal win over France. A Barcelona academy product who was kinda-sorta baptized as an infant by Lionel Messi, Yamal also has three assists at the tournament and won Man of the Match last time out. The wunderkind could have a favorable matchup against Luke Shaw or Kieran Trippier on the left side of England's defense in the final.

Nico Williams

While Yamal has (rightfully) received plaudits for his work on the right flank in this tournament, Williams has been running wild on the other side. Another pre-final birthday boy, Williams turned 22 on Friday and is going to give England defender Kyle Walker all he can handle on Sunday. Rumored to be nearing a move to Barcelona from Athletic Bilbao, Williams' blistering pace spreads the field in a way that we haven't seen from Spain teams in the past 20 years.

Rodri

Undoubtedly the best defensive midfielder in the world right now, the 28-year-old has led Manchester City to four consecutive Premier League titles and is hoping to add a European championship to his mantel. He'll be tasked with disrupting England's attack, namely keeping tabs on club teammate Phil Foden – who looked likely to score in the semifinal win over the Netherlands.

England

Jude Bellingham

The 21-year-old Real Madrid star provided a moment of magic with a bicycle kick goal to force extra time in England's eventual Round of 16 win, and is shouldering tremendous expectations heading into the final against a Spain team filled with players familiar to Bellingham. He perhaps hasn't been at his absolute best in Euro 2024 after a long debut season in Spain, but all it takes is a split-second for the Ballon d'Or candidate to make his mark.

Harry Kane

England's all-time leading scorer has three goals in this tournament but has drawn criticism for looking out of place in the team's struggling attack at Euro 2024. The 30-year-old Kane has been dropping deeper into more of a facilitatory role – which he's more than capable of playing – meaning he's not getting the touches he needs in scoring areas. He was subbed off late in England's quarter and semifinal wins, but manager Gareth Southgate may be tempted to replace him with fresh legs even earlier in Sunday's final.

Kobbie Mainoo

Less than four months after making his senior international debut, the 19-year-old stepped into a starting role for England in the knockout stage and has been a revelation in the midfield, looking like a seasoned veteran. Mainoo has paired well with Declan Rice, filling the midfield hole that saw Trent Alexander-Arnold and Conor Callagher start in the group games. How the Manchester United product holds up against Dani Olmo and Rodri in Spain's midfield may decide the final.