After a dominating win at Euro 2024, Spain may be returning to the top of international football.

Between 2008 and 2012, Spain won three major men’s international football tournaments in a row: Euro 2008, the World Cup in 2010 and Euro again in 2012. It was a historic run, and Spain was a dominant dynasty. Then suddenly, because no one had ever beaten Father Time — they disappeared. It took them 12 years, but a new and younger generation has now lifted Spain back to the top again with a 2-1 victory over England on July 14 to claim the Euro 2024 title in Berlin, the first country to win four European Championships.

The Euro 2024 victory, after winning in 1964, 2008 and 2012, is part of a much bigger long-term plan for Spain in its return to the top of international football. Many of its players have played together since they were teenagers. And, speaking of teenagers, the tournament served as the coming-out party for Lamine Yamal. At just 17 years and one day old, he scored one goal in the tournament, a brilliant strike against France in the semifinal and added four assists to be named Best Young Player Award of Euro 2024. Yamal is also the youngest ever to win a major international tournament, besting the legendary Pele, who was 17 years and 249 days old when Brazil won the 1958 World Cup.

Spain was 6-0 headed into the championship match and is the first team in Euro history to go undefeated. In the final against England, they mastered the Spanish trademark of forward passing — outstanding wing play capped off by ruthless finishing — thoroughly confusing an English side appearing in its second consecutive Euro Final after losing to Italy on penalties in 2021.

However, despite enjoying a wide margin in play in the first half, Spain found itself in a scoreless draw at the break. But only 69 seconds into the second half, Nico Williams put Spain in front on a bullet strike that eluded English goalkeeper Jordan Pickford’s reach. England tied the score 1-1 in the 73rd minute with a far-off strike from Cole Palmer, and, for a minute, it seemed as though the English would pull off another illogical escape as it had in earlier games. But, then Jude Bellingham’s bicycle kick saved the English in extra time, and Ollie Watkins’ goal in the 90th minute gave them a semifinal victory over the Netherlands.

The just result to this championship match occurred in the 86th minute when Mikel Oyarzabal redirected a cross past Pickford, and Spain could count down the final few minutes in a well- deserved victory, its fifth in its last six finals of a major international tournament. The victory is yet another for the unflappable, yet technically brilliant Spanish Manager Luis de la Fuente, who has now won 17 of his 21 games as the Spanish leader.

Yet another defeat at the highest level of international football marks an inflection point for England’s men’s national team. After leading the side for 102 games, Manager Gareth Southgate stepped down the following day, and questions remain about captain Harry Kane, who appeared lethargic in the Euro final. While England is only the fourth nation to reach consecutive Euro Finals, they are also the first team to lose back-to-back Euro Championships, extending England’s drought of not winning a major international tournament since its victory in the 1966 World Cup. England, who like to say they gave football to the world, is becoming increasingly frustrated with the hesitant play of its men’s team and never crossing the line when it matters most. The reality is England has been missing its magic moment for close to 60 years.

That’s the difference for Spain, a football nation who always seem to rise and meet the moments that matter most and never fading under the spotlight. With such a young collection of brilliant players, international football needs to prepare itself for yet another reign of Spain at the very top.