Spain knew, now everyone else does too. It was almost 1.30am on 15 July 2024 when Álvaro Morata, the captain who had lifted the Henri Delaunay Cup, headed down the slope and towards the team bus parked beneath the Olympic Stadium in Berlin. A European champion now, he came with a big black boombox, a small blue Euro 2024 wash bag, a mischievous look and a knowing grin. “Seems I have an eye for a player,” he said.
Seems he did. A month earlier, when the mood was not so optimistic, Morata had been asked if Spain really had any world-class footballers, the kind that could win the Ballon d’Or and thus a major trophy. “Yes,” he replied and he had started naming them: Rodri, Pedri, Nico Williams, Lamine Yamal. Now, medal in his pocket, he left the naming to them. “You choose one,” he said. “Any one.” There were candidates everywhere. They were there in Berlin and, although Morata is no longer around, they are there in Chattanooga too.
