Once Yamal and Williams helped Spain out of its 'tiki-taka' rut, no rival could resist at Euro 2024

BARCELONA, Spain (AP) — Spain arrived in Germany with no huge stars and no real expectations. Six weeks later, Luis de la Fuente’s team heads home with a European Championship title to celebrate and reason to believe in a bright future.

The youthful spark of Lamine Yamal and Nico Williams combined perfectly with the veteran poise of Rodri and other mainstays who had yet to win a major trophy as Spain completed its superb Euro 2024 with a 2-1 win over England on Sunday.

The key was making Spain a more dynamic and versatile attacking team to end a decade of “tiki-taka” misfires.

Even though Williams later rolled out the platitudes of enjoying the moment and going forward step by step, the Athletic Bilbao winger couldn’t help but look forward to the 2026 World Cup.

“We hope this can keep going and we can shoot for the World Cup,” the 22-year-old said after scoring the opening goal of the final. “I said before the tournament, nobody can hang with us. We are a great team.”

The euphoria was justified.

Spain won all seven games — with none going to penalties — and scored a record 15 goals at a European Championship. And those victories came against the top traditional powers on the continent, as Spain downed Croatia and Italy in the group phase before eliminating Germany and France to reach the final.

“We made history,” Rodri said after the game. “We made history beating four world champions in a row, this is the most difficult tournament that our team has faced, without a doubt. We toppled them all.”

The team flew to Madrid on Monday, where captain Álvaro Morata showed off the trophy on the stairs leading down to the tarmac. The team will visit Spain’s King Felipe VI and Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez before partying with fans in the capital.

PASSING THE TORCH

Rodri was named the player of the tournament, even without playing the second half of the final due to a leg problem. The Manchester City midfielder is now Spain’s leading candidate to finally win its first men’s Ballon d’Or award since Luis Suárez did so back in 1960. Aitana Bonmatí and Alexia Putellas have won the women's Ballon d’Or award the past three years.

The title ends a 12-year wait since a group piloted by Andrés Iniesta and Xavi Hernández dominated world soccer after sweeping up the 2008 and 2012 Euros and the 2010 World Cup.

“The previous generations showed us the way," Rodri said. “This is something that is cultivated and nurtured and you work hard for. Today we are champions of Europe and we are not going to stop here.”

The only member of the team that knew what it was like to win a major title was the 38-year-old Jesus Navas, who played at the 2010 World Cup and Euro 2012.

Iniesta, Spain's scorer in the 2010 World Cup final, also had a small part in helping this bunch stay together.

Morata credited Iniesta and former player Bojan Krkic for having helped convince him to play the Euros. The Atlético Madrid striker has spoken out about the emotional pain he has experienced after receiving hateful comments on social media.

Fittingly, Iniesta, Xavi and former Spain striker David Villa were together in the stands at the Olympiastadion to watch how this new batch of players added a new dimension to Spain’s game.

NEW STYLE

While nowhere close to England’s anguishing title drought since the 1966 World Cup, Spain had entered a period of underachieving since its success at Euro 2012. Its attempts to maintain the “tiki-taka” ball-possession playing style failed. Without Iniesta and company, Spain fell into the doldrums of making sometimes over 1,000 passes but scant few scoring chances in the biggest games.

In Germany, however, Spain deployed some new weapons that left defenses scrambling to cover attacks from all angles.

The imprint of those great Spain teams was still there to be seen, of course. Rodri and fellow midfielder Fabián Ruíz could latch onto the ball when required.

Yet the strength of Spain shifted to the wings.

Yamal put on a show each game from the right side. The Barcelona forward, who turned 17 a day before the final, scored an instant classic of a goal to help beat France 2-1 in the semifinals, and he delivered his fourth assist of the tournament to set up Williams’ goal against England.

Williams romped on the other flank, where he doubled up with Marc Cucurella to make a duo that no defenders could handle. Cucurella delivered the pass for Mikel Oyarzabal to score the winner over England.

Williams was named player of the match for the final. The Athletic Bilbao forward and Dani Olmo, who plays for Leipzig, have both boosted their value and are likely going to draw the attention of major clubs.

Olmo stepped in as a starter after Pedri González was injured and finished as joint-leading scorer of the tournament with three goals. He also pitched in at the other end when he cleared a ball off the goal-line that could have sent the final into extra time.

De la Fuente, for his part, managed to keep his team isolated from the scandals afflicting Spain's soccer federation.

“Our veterans provided the guidance for our youngsters to ensure we kept our poise in the tough moments, while our youngsters made us dynamic, joyful, and we formed a well-balanced group,” De la Fuente said.

“I don’t know if anyone believed me, but from day one I said that I had the best 26 players in the world. They always rose to the challenge.”

AP Euro 2024: https://apnews.com/hub/euro-2024

Spain's Mikel Oyarzabal celebrates with Nico Williams, left, after scoring his side's second goal during the final match between Spain and England at the Euro 2024 soccer tournament in Berlin, Germany, Sunday, July 14, 2024. (AP Photo/Manu Fernandez)

Spain players throw coach Luis de la Fuente in the air after winning the final match against England at the Euro 2024 soccer tournament in Berlin, Germany, Sunday, July 14, 2024. (AP Photo/Matthias Schrader)

King Felipe VI of Spain, with his daughter Princess Sofia, left, holds the trophy after Spain won the final match between Spain and England at the Euro 2024 soccer tournament in Berlin, Germany, Sunday, July 14, 2024. Spain won 2-1. (AP Photo/Manu Fernandez)

Spain's Marc Cucurella celebrates after winning the final match between Spain and England at the Euro 2024 soccer tournament in Berlin, Germany, Sunday, July 14, 2024. (AP Photo/Matthias Schrader)

Spain's players celebrate with the trophy after winning the final match between Spain and England at the Euro 2024 soccer tournament in Berlin, Germany, Sunday, July 14, 2024. (AP Photo/Andreea Alexandru)

Spain's Rodri kisses his Best Player of the tournament trophy after the final match between Spain and England at the Euro 2024 soccer tournament in Berlin, Germany, Sunday, July 14, 2024. Spain won 2-1. (AP Photo/Manu Fernandez)

King Felipe VI of Spain, left, applauds while Spain's Lamine Yamal celebrates after receiving the Best Young Player of the tournament award after the final match between Spain and England at the Euro 2024 soccer tournament in Berlin, Germany, Sunday, July 14, 2024. Spain won 2-1. (AP Photo/Manu Fernandez)

Spain's Lamine Yamal and Nico Williams, right, stand side by side during the final match between Spain and England at the Euro 2024 soccer tournament in Berlin, Germany, Sunday, July 14, 2024. (AP Photo/Manu Fernandez)

Spain's Nico Williams, right, and Lamine Yamal smile with their medals next to the trophy after winning the final match between Spain and England at the Euro 2024 soccer tournament in Berlin, Germany, Sunday, July 14, 2024. Spain won 2-1. (AP Photo/Manu Fernandez)

Spain's Dani Olmo celebrates with the trophy after winning the final match between Spain and England at the Euro 2024 soccer tournament in Berlin, Germany, Sunday, July 14, 2024. (AP Photo/Matthias Schrader)

Spain's Nico Williams smiles with his medal after winning the final match between Spain and England at the Euro 2024 soccer tournament in Berlin, Germany, Sunday, July 14, 2024. Spain won 2-1. (AP Photo/Manu Fernandez)

Spain's Lamine Yamal, left, and Nico Williams celebrate at the podium during the final match against England at the Euro 2024 soccer tournament in Berlin, Germany, Sunday, July 14, 2024. Spain won the game 2-1. (AP Photo/Thanassis Stavrakis)

Spain's head coach Luis de la Fuente gestures to Lamine Yamal after they collected their medals for winning the final match between Spain and England at the Euro 2024 soccer tournament in Berlin, Germany, Sunday, July 14, 2024. Spain won 2-1. (AP Photo/Manu Fernandez)

Tito Jackson, one of the brothers who made up the beloved pop group the Jackson 5, has died. He was 70.

Jackson was the third of nine children, including global superstars Michael and Janet, and was part of a music-making family whose songs have sold hundreds of millions of copies.

“It’s with heavy hearts that we announce that our beloved father, Rock & Roll Hall of Famer Tito Jackson is no longer with us. We are shocked, saddened and heartbroken. Our father was an incredible man who cared about everyone and their well-being,” his sons TJ, Taj and Taryll Jackson said in a statement posted on Instagram late Sunday.

The Jackson 5, among the last of the major groups launched through Berry Gordy's Motown empire, included teenage and pre-teen brothers Jackie, Tito, Jermaine, Marlon and lead singer Michael. Gordy signed them up in the late 1960s, when Motown's power was slipping and tastes were shifting from the slick pop-soul of Motown's prime to the funkier sounds of Sly and the Family Stone.

“I Want You Back,” the group's breakthrough hit, was openly modeled on Sly and the Family Stone and topped the charts in 1969. The Jacksons followed with three more No. 1 songs, "ABC," “The Love You Save" and “I’ll Be There," and also hit the top 5 with “Mama's Pearl” and “Never Can Say Goodbye."

Some called their music “bubblegum soul.”

By mid-decade, the Jackson 5's appeal was fading and the group, except Jermaine, moved to Epic and renamed themselves the Jacksons. Their latter hits included “Enjoy Yourself,” “Lovely One” and “Shake Your Body (Down to the Ground)." Michael Jackson became a multi-platinum solo artist in the 1980s and his collaborations with his brothers became rare after the 1984 album “Victory."

The Jackson 5 was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1997, introduced at the ceremony by longtime friend Diana Ross.

Among reactions to the death was a message from the Broadway production “MJ," about Michael Jackson and his family. On X, the show called Tito Jackson “an icon of the music industry who has inspired generations of singers, musicians and performers across the world. None more so than our MJ family.” It included a photo of Tito Jackson attending the show.

Raised in Gary, Indiana, the Jackson 5 had been formed under the guidance of their father, Joe Jackson, a steelworker and guitar player. Michael and sibling La Toya would accuse him of abusive behavior. Toriano Adaryll “Tito” Jackson was the least-heard member of the group, working as a background singer who played guitar.

Michael Jackson died at age 50 on June 25, 2009. Speaking to The Associated Press in December 2009, Tito Jackson said that his younger brother's death pulled the family closer together.

“I would say definitely it brought us a step closer to each other. To recognize that the love we have for each other when one of us is not here, what a great loss,” he said, adding he would personally never “be at peace with it.”

“There’s still moments when I just can’t believe it. So I think that’s never going to go away,” he said.

In 2014, Jackson said that he and his brothers still felt Michael Jackson's absence in their shows, which continued with international tours.

“I don’t think we will ever get used to performing without him. He’s dearly missed," Jackson said, noting that his brother's spirit "is with us when we are performing. It gives us a lot of positive energy and puts a lot of smiles on our faces."

Days before his death, Jackson posted a message on his Facebook page from Germany on Sept. 11, where he visited a memorial to Michael Jackson with his brothers.

“Before our show in Munich, my brothers Jackie, Marlon, and I, visited the beautiful memorial dedicated to our beloved brother, Michael Jackson. We’re deeply grateful for this special place that honors not only his memory but also our shared legacy. Thank you for keeping his spirit alive," Jackson wrote.

Jackson was the last of the nine siblings to release a solo project with his 2016 debut, “Tito Time.” He released a song in 2017, “One Way Street,” and told the AP in 2019 that he was working on a sophomore album.

Jackson said he purposely held back from pursuing a solo career because he wanted to focus on raising his three sons, who formed their own music group, 3T. Jackson's website offers a link to a single featuring 3T and Stevie Wonder titled, “Love One Another.”

Earlier this year, Jackson settled in a house in Claremore, Oklahoma near Tulsa, Tulsa World reported. “I always wanted to get away from the West Coast and experience living somewhere with new people and new culture,” the paper quoted Jackson as saying. “California is ... different.”

Jackson had ties to the area: His uncle, Samuel Jackson, had opened Jackson Undertaking Co. in Tulsa in 1917, and when it burned down during the Tulsa Race Massacr e in 1921, Samuel Jackson was hired by a white-owned funeral home to embalm the bodies of Black residents who were killed, the paper reported. He later rebuilt his own company.

Jackson also is survived by his brothers Jermaine, Randy, Marlon and Jackie, his sisters Janet, Rebbie and La Toya, and their mother, Katherine. Their father died in 2018.

Jackson's death was first reported by Entertainment Tonight.

FILE - Pop star Michael Jackson, center, his mother Katherine Jackson, right, and brother Tito Jackson, left, leave Santa Barbara County Superior Court in Santa Maria, Calif., April 7, 2005, after another day of testimony in Michael Jackson's child molestation trial. (AP Photo/Kevork Djansezian, File)

FILE - From left, brothers Jackie Jackson, Tito Jackson, Jermaine Jackson and Marlon Jackson pose for a portrait together in Beverly Hills, Calif., Dec. 9, 2009. (AP Photo/Chris Pizzello, File)

FILE - Singer Tito Jackson arrives at the opening night of, "Michael Jackson: The Immortal World Tour," in Los Angeles, Jan. 27, 2012. (AP Photo/Dan Steinberg, File)

FILE - The Jackson 5, Michael Jackson, front right; Marlon Jackson, front left; Tito Jackson, back left; Jackie Jackson, back center; and Jermaine Jackson, back right; pose for this undated photo together in Los Angeles. (AP Photo, File)

FILE - Tito Jackson, a member of the famed Jackson 5, poses for a portrait in Los Angeles, July 24, 2019, to promote his solo project, a new version of his 2017 song "One Way Street." (Photo by Mark Von Holden/Invision/AP, File)