Sport | Football Ollie Watkins believes England ’s tournament aura has made them international football’s answer to Real Madrid - and claimed Los Blancos star Jude Bellingham deserves the Ballon d’Or regardless of who wins Sunday’s Euro 2024 final. The Three Lions meet Spain in Berlin this weekend , looking to deliver the country’s first men’s major tournament triumph since 1966. England did not reach a single tournament final between 1966 and Gareth Southgate taking the helm eight years ago, but have now reached two in as many European Championships, as well as the World Cup semi-final against Croatia in 2018.
Despite not playing their best football for much of this campaign, Southgate’s side have repeatedly found ways to win, coming from behind to triumph in all three knockout games so far, each time in late, dramatic fashion. Real Madrid’s dominance of the Champions League has seen them earn a similar reputation, on show again in their semi-final comeback against Bayern Munich en route to a 15th success in the competition at the end of the season just gone. “I feel if it was related to club football as you see someone like Real Madrid in a Champions League game,” Watkins said.
“They are comfortable without the ball, they have that confidence that when they get the ball, they are going to score. “I feel like it is the same here. We are definitely hard to beat then we just need that one chance and we can win the game.
“It doesn’t matter if we are .