What Germany should (and shouldn't) take from Spain and England reaching the final of Euro 2024

Spain and England locked horns for an intriguing Euro 2024 final. Let's hope Germany national team manager Julian Nagelsmann was watching intently with a pen and paper to hand.

Euro 2024 was an interesting competition for Germany in a number of ways. As hosts of the tournament, it undoubtedly sparked an interest in international football that had been on the wane in recent years across the country and few would doubt that Julian Nagelsmann’s side not only did better than just about any fan could have expected but also reignited hope in the national team as they now turned their attention to the World Cup.

However, in reaching the final of the competition, both Spain and England showcased a number of hard truths that Nagelsmann and his coaching staff will have to bear in mind as they look to build a national team capable of challenging for major trophies in the not-so-distant future.

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1. You only win things with kids International football used to be considered as a slower version of the domestic game and as such older players were able to have a larger impact for their national teams. But Euro 2024 seems to have drawn a line under any extra consideration for star players that already had one eye on retirement. Whether it be Cristiano Ronaldo’s struggles with Portugal, Robert Lewandowski’s misfortune with Poland or Antione Griezmann’s demise with France, this was a tournament that really shone a spotlight on some of Europe’s biggest stars. And the wrinkles were there for all to see. Sunday’s final featured just two players over the age of 30 in either starting XI. Rather worryingly from a German point of view was the fact that England’s average age of 26.7 and Spain’s average age of 28.4 was considerably lower than the average age of Nagelsmann’s starting XI that was tasked with beating Spain in the quarter-finals (29.8). That day the Bundestrainer started a midfield trio with a combined age of 97 years old and it was clear for all to see as they struggled to contend with the speed and tenacity of their Spanish foes. Toni Kroos was heralded as the great champion of Nagelsmann’s reshuffled national team, but when the rubber hit the road he was left looking exhausted and entirely out of ideas. There are certainly fewer cries for him to reconsider his imminent retirement from football now than there had been after he strolled past Scotland, Hungary and Switzerland in the group stages. Older stars can offer a lot at international tournaments, but relying on them so heavily is a recipe for disaster for nation’s with serious hopes of challenging for silverware.