Luke Shaw has been handed his first start of Euro 2024 with the left-back replacing Kieran Trippier for England's showdown with Spain in Berlin.
Shaw, who missed the last three months of the 2023-24 season, did not feature in any of England's first four matches.
However, after coming on as a substitute against Switzerland in the quarters and then again against the Netherlands in the semi-finals, the 29-year-old was included in Gareth Southgate's starting XI for Sunday's final.
Trippier, who had filled in on the left, has dropped to the bench. Shaw's inclusion was the only change for Southgate from the team that started against the Dutch, meaning the semi-final matchwinner Ollie Watkins had to settle for a place among the substitutes yet again.
It is the first time Shaw, who scored early on in the Euro 2020 final, which England lost on penalties to Italy, has started for the Three Lions in over a year.
There was two changes for Spain, with Luis de la Fuente bringing back Dani Carvajal after the full-back had served his one-match suspension following his red card in La Roja's quarter-final defeat of Germany.
Jesus Navas, who will be retiring from international football after the tournament, made way for Carvajal. Likewise, Robin Le Normand came back from suspension to replace Nacho.
Nico Williams and Lamine Yamal, whose stunner dragged Spain level against France in the last four, were handed starts on the flanks, either side of Dani Olmo, who ahead of kick-off was one of six players tied on three goals in the race for the Golden Boot, along with Harry Kane, Jamal Musiala, Cody Gakpo, Ivan Schranz and Georges Mikautadze.
Yamal, at the age of 17 years and one day, is the youngest ever player to feature in a World Cup or European Championship final, surpassing Pele's record from the 1958 World Cup (17y 249d).
This will be England’s first major tournament final played outside of England, with the 1966 World Cup and Euro 2020 finals being played at Wembley Stadium. The Three Lions have never lost a match in Berlin in six attempts (W4 D2), only playing more in Helsinki (eight), Amsterdam (seven) and Sunderland (seven) without ever suffering defeat.
Meanwhile, this is Spain's fifth European Championship final, with La Roja winning the trophy three times (1964, 2008, 2012) and losing once (1984). They could become the first team to win the competition on four separate occasions.
Brentford 3-1 Southampton: Bees begin life after Toney with comfortable win
Brentford began life without Ivan Toney with a comfortable 3-1 victory over Southampton.
Bryan Mbeumo’s brace and a Yoane Wissa goal proved to be the difference between the two sides and condemned the Saints to their third straight loss since promotion back to the Premier League.
With departed striker Toney watching in the stands after his move to Al-Ahli in Saudi Arabia, the hosts proved too strong for Russell Martin’s men. They created the superior chances and capitalised on an error-strewn performance from Southampton’s backline.
Mbeumo opened the scoring on the stroke of half-time before doubling the lead halfway through the second period and Wissa then got on the scoresheet moments later to continue Brentford’s strong start to the campaign. Yukinari Sugawara bagged a consolation in injury time for the Saints.
Brentford sit in fifth place ahead of the first international break, while Southampton are second-bottom of the league table with zero points.
Data debrief: Wissa continues to prove effective at home
Wissa now has five goals and two assists in his last seven matches at the Gtech Community Stadium.
Brentford have recorded consecutive home league wins for the first time since last November, and the first time in their opening home games since August 2018.
Brentford 3-1 Southampton: Bees begin life without Toney with comfortable win
Brentford began life without Ivan Toney with a comfortable 3-1 victory over Southampton.
Bryan Mbeumo’s brace and a Yoane Wissa goal proved to be the difference between the two sides and condemned the Saints to their third straight loss since promotion back to the Premier League.
With departed striker Toney watching in the stands after his move to Al-Ahli in Saudi Arabia, the hosts proved too strong for Russell Martin’s men. They created the superior chances and capitalised on an error-strewn performance from Southampton’s backline.
Mbeumo opened the scoring on the stroke of half-time before doubling the lead halfway through the second period and Wissa then got on the scoresheet moments later to continue Brentford’s strong start to the campaign. Yukinari Sugawara bagged a consolation in injury time for the Saints.
Brentford sit in fifth place ahead of the first international break, while Southampton are second-bottom of the league table with zero points.
Data debrief: Wissa continues to prove effective at home
Wissa now has five goals and two assists in his last seven matches at the Gtech Community Stadium.
Brentford have recorded consecutive home league wins for the first time since last November, and the first time in their opening home games since August 2018.
Pirlo sacked as Sampdoria head coach after dismal Serie B start
Andrea Pirlo has been sacked as Sampdoria's head coach after just over a season at the helm.
Pirlo, who managed Juventus for the 2020-21 campaign, has been relieved of his duties after an underwhelming start to their Serie B season.
After finishing seventh in Italy's second tier last term, the 45-year-old was given the green light to try and return to Serie A at the second time of asking.
However, an opening day draw with Frosinone was followed up with back-to-back defeats to Reggiana and Salernitana, leaving them second-bottom in the division.
During his time in charge, Pirlo won 18 of his 45 matches in charge (D10 L17), averaging 1.42 points per game, a total only bettered by his time with Juventus (2.15).
Sampdoria return to the Stadio Luigi Ferraris this weekend in search of their first three points of the season, welcoming Bari to Genoa on Saturday.
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