England and Jordan Pickford fell short of European Championship glory for the second time in three years as Spain pressed home their evident superiority to win the Final in Berlin with a goal four minutes from the end of the 90.
After Nico Williams had capitalised on the oceans of space afforded him down England’s right flank to score the opener, Pickford had kept Southgate’s side in the game with two vital stops to deny teenage sensation Jamine Yamal.
However, as the Spaniard’s pushed forward after Cole Palmer’s superb strike from outside the box had levelled the score at 1-1, the Everton keeper was powerless to prevent Mikel Oyarzabal from scoring the winner as he slid in to connect with Marc Cucurella’s low cross.
The 2012 winners had cemented themselves over the course of the tournament as the most complete team on show in Germany, having won all six of their matches and navigated the harder route through the knockout phase that took them past Germany and France.
And they entered the final against England as favourites, with Williams and Yamal the key attacking figures. England had largely contained them in a first half in which Pickford had little to do but the former was picked out by the latter less than two minutes into the second half, with Williams drilling a low shot across the keeper and into the far corner.
England rallied after Gareth Southgate hooked the ineffective Harry Kane for Ollie Watkins and then replaced Kobbie Mainoo with Palmer and the Chelsea man briefly swung the momentum in England’s favour by side-footing home Jude Bellingham’s lay-off beautifully from 25 yards.
Spain proved too strong, however, and substitute Oyarzabal came up trumps late on leaving Southgate’s men too little time to find another reply, although they came very close when Declan Rice’s late header was saved and Dani Olmo cleared Marc Guehi’s effort off the line.