Euro 2024 final talking points: Birthday boy Yamal, Bellingham Ballon d'Or, reliable Rodri

Is Bellingham on his way to Ballon d'Or?

Hailed as one of the potential players of the tournament after a superlative first season at Real Madrid, it would not be controversial to say Jude Bellingham has not lived up to his star billing. But that has not stopped the 21-year-old from stepping into the spotlight when required.

Bellingham appeared to carry over the form that earned him La Liga's Player of the Year award to Germany when his flying header earned England all three points in their opening group stage match against Serbia.

But after that flying start, Bellingham's impact had stalled until his brilliant 95th-minute overhead kick that rescued England from defeat in the last-16 match with Slovakia. He also produced a nerveless finish from the spot in the quarter-final shoot-out victory over Switzerland.

A big performance in an England victory against Spain in Sunday's final would cap an unforgettable campaign for Bellingham, who won a La Liga and Champions League double with Los Blancos, and leave him overwhelming favourite to become the first Englishman to win the Ballon d'Or since Michael Owen in 2001.

“It’s one more game and we’re tired, it’s been a long season, but it’s one more last push for our country, for our families, for each other and for history, really,” Bellingham said on Wednesday. “So, we’ll give it everything.”

Will birthday boys Yamal and Williams light up final?

Yamine Lamal and Nico Williams, two young players who have lit up the tournament in Germany, will hopefully be flying down each flank in the final at Berlin's Olympiastadion.

Athletic Club left winger Williams, who turns 22 on Friday, scored a stunning individual goal in the last-16 comeback win over Georgia – a match when he became the only player on record at the Euros (since 1980) to score a goal, provide an assist, and complete 100 per cent of his passes (46 out of 46) in a game.

Yamal, meanwhile, created six chances against the Georgians – the most by any player under 21 years of age in a Euro knockout game – and is joint-top of the tournament's supply charts with three assists.

But it was against France in the semi-finals that the Barcelona winger formally announced his arrival on the international stage when he curled home a fabulous long-range strike to become the youngest scorer in Euros history, three days before his 17th birthday, which comes on Saturday, the day before the final.

“We have to help him by keeping his feet on the ground and developing him in the best way,” insisted Spain coach Luis de la Fuente. “That's about calm and tranquility. In Ancient Rome, when they talked about Caesar they would say: 'Remember, he's mortal!'”

Can captain Kane grab the Golden Boot?

While debate continues among fans and the media back home about whether he is even worthy of a place in England's starting XI, captain Harry Kane is closing in on his second Golden Boot for being top scorer at a major tournament.

Kane – who secured the award at the 2018 World Cup in Russia – has notched three times in Germany, meaning he is joint-top scorer alongside five other players, including Spain's Dani Olmo.

The 30-year-old Bayern Munich striker has just enjoyed the most prolific season of his club career, finishing with 44 goals in 45 games, while his 36 Bundesliga goals clinched his first European Golden Shoe for the continent's leading scorer.

He is already all-time top scorer for Tottenham Hotspur (280 goals in 435 games) and England (66 in 97), while his penalty against the Netherlands means Kane now has more knockout stage goals at major tournaments for his country than any other European player in history with nine.

With a record like that, it would take a brave man to leave Kane out against Spain, despite the semi-final winner against the Netherlands coming from the man who replaced him in the second half – Ollie Watkins.

“There's one more game to make history,” he said after beating the Dutch. “That's what we're excited about. It's been a tough journey but there's one more 90 minutes, 120, penalties, whatever it takes we'll be there.”

Will relentless Rodri drive Spain to another win?

If England are to lift their second major title and first Euros crown, they must expose Spain's Rodri to something he rarely experiences – the sour taste of defeat.

The midfielder has been at the heart of his country's drive to the final that has seen them win all six games in Germany, including victories over Croatia, Italy, Germany and France.

For club side Manchester City, Rodri broke the record held by Paolo Maldini and Demetrio Albertini at AC Milan by going 74 games unbeaten across the Premier League, Champions League, FA Cup and League Cup, winning 58 and drawing 16.

That run – which excludes penalty shoot-out defeats against Arsenal and Real Madrid in the Community Shield and Champions League, respectively – only came to an end in the following game when City lost the FA Cup final to rivals Manchester United.

For Spain, he is the vital central cog that gives Yamal and Williams license to attack down the wings. “He is the best central midfielder in the world,” de la Fuente told Uefa.tv before the finals. “He is the most complete No 6. He stands out in every facet of the game … For me, he is pure talent.”

Will England need another late show in Berlin?

England's progression through the knockout round has not been for the faint-hearted with Gareth Southgate's side needing late goals – all finished in some style – to get through at every stage.

They were seconds away from a last-16 exit until Bellingham's acrobatic arrival secured extra-time before Kane's header won the game, while it took Bukayo Saka's sublime finish 10 minutes from time to avoid defeat against Switzerland before going on to seal a semi-final spot via penalties.

The last-four clash against the Netherlands was moments away from extra-time when substitute Watkins drove home a sensational last-gasp winner which meant they avoided another draining 30 minutes of extra-time ahead of Sunday.

“These games have been dramatic because the goals have come so late … but we are still here and fighting,” said Southgate.