Five quick hits — An all-time great goal keeps England alive at the Euros as 16-year-old Spanish wonderkid equals Ronaldo record (2024)

A miraculous goal from Jude Bellingham saves England's Euros campaign, while 16-year-old Spanish wonderkid Lamine Yamal helps the tournament favourites survive a huge scare against Georgia.

Here are the five quick hits from Monday morning's action at Euro 2024.

1. An all-time great Jude Bellingham goal saves England's blushes

Jude Bellingham needed to produce something special to keep England at Euro 2024.

And he did.

England was seconds away from slumping to one of the biggest upsets in the history of the European Championship when trailing 1-0 to Slovakia deep into stoppage time in the round of 16 on Monday morning.

But Bellingham's spectacular overhead kick in the fifth of six added minutes at Veltins Arena sent the game into extra time, and Harry Kane sealed a 2-1 win that keeps alive England's hopes of a first major trophy since 1966.

"I think it was 30 or 20 seconds until we were out of the European Championship," Bellingham said. "It's hard to deny that it was one of the most important moments of my career so far."

England manager Gareth Southgate was full of praise.

"His world is different to pretty much every other 21-year-old in the world … what he can provide are these moments where he grabs things by the scruff of the neck and his character and his personality creates moments that can change a big game," he said.

England — one of the pre-tournament favourites and runner-up at the last Euros — trailed to 45th-ranked Slovakia after Ivan Schranz's 25th-minute goal.

With the clock running down, Bellingham's time came.

Kyle Walker launched a long throw from the right. Marc Guehi leapt to flick the ball on.

Bellingham was in the box and had to readjust his body to execute a perfect overhead kick, sending the ball into the bottom corner to leave Slovakia goalkeeper Martin Dubravka stuck on his line as he watched it nestle into the back of the net.

Some England fans had already left the stadium. Those inside erupted.

"I had a funny feeling the game wasn't dead and I know that sounds ridiculous. We were pushing and probing," Southgate said.

Bellingham's goal was England's first shot on target in the match.

2. Lamine Yamal equals Ronaldo record as Spain survives scare

Spain recovered from conceding an early own-goal to beat Georgia 4-1 for a spot in the Euro 2024 quarterfinals, ending one of the tournament's most compelling underdog stories.

Goals from midfielders Rodri and Fabián Ruiz brought Spain back into the game after Robin Le Normand's own-goal in the 18th minute had given Georgia a shock lead. Nico Williams and Dani OImo took the game out of Georgia's reach with two more goals late in the game as heavy rain fell.

He didn't end up on the scorers list against Georgia, but Spain's 16-year-old winger Lamine Yamal continued his dazzling tournament, with his wonderful left-footed cross allowing Ruiz to give the Spaniards the lead in the second half.

With his assist for the Ruiz goal, Yamal became the first teenager to register multiple assists at the Euros since a 19-year-old Cristiano Ronaldo did for Portugal in the 2004 edition of the tournament.

After the final whistle, Yamal and the 21-year-old Williams met up on the field for an impromptu game of rock-paper-scissors, apparently over who got to drink first from a water bottle.

It was a moment that summed up the unpredictability and sense of fun in a Spain team that had previously been prone to retreating into an unthreatening passing game, as in its loss to Morocco at the same stage of the 2022 World Cup.

Facing Georgia was a test of Spain's nerves, Rodri said.

"It was a tough game. We knew it before. Maybe they don't have the big names, but they made it hard for us," he said, adding that his goal "was key because we were a bit jittery at that point … We have things to improve."

His own performance won praise from Spain coach Luis de la Fuente, who called Rodri "a walking computer, a perfect computer" in Spain's midfield, in translated comments.

Spain will play host nation Germany in the quarterfinals on Friday in Stuttgart.

"Obviously Germany at home is going to be very strong but we have no fear. We have our own weapons," Rodri said.

3. Slovakia's coach gets in English star's face after shattering loss

Their captain was reduced to tears. Their coach clashed with an England player and took aim at the referee.

Slovakia didn't take its heartbreaking exit from the European Championship so well on Sunday.

"We needed 30 seconds and could celebrate, but that's soccer, I'm speechless," Slovakia captain Milan Škriniar said after his team conceded a stoppage-time equaliser to England and then lost 2-1 after extra time.

"They scored a goal from a player who is valued at 100 million euros. This was a team worth 1.5 billion [euros]. You concede just half a metre and you will get punished," Slovakia coach Francesco Calzona said. "So I don't want to blame anyone."

That, though, didn't stop Slovakia's Italian coach from having a pop at England goalkeeper Jordan Pickford for time-wasting and the referee for "always coming to our bench and never going to [England's] bench."

Indeed, Calzona went on the field seemingly to remonstrate with the match officials when he was involved in a confrontation with England midfielder Declan Rice.

Some pushing ensued and Rice was seen shouting at Calzona.

"Rice was supposed to go to the referees and say goodbye and leave. I wanted to speak to the referees," Calzona said.

Slovakia's players can leave Germany with their heads held high.

"I told the players they did a great job, they were fantastic," he said. "We played on a par with all our opponents, played attacking football.

"Tonight we played against the team that many consider favourites to win the tournament. We were very close to making it, to qualifying for the quarterfinals and it disappeared with a few seconds to go."

4. Georgia's epic farewell after highlight-laden tournament

Khvicha Kvaratskhelia found himself in space on the halfway line and spotted Spain goalkeeper Unai Simón out of position. Why not take a shot?

The Napoli winger's effort bounced just wide of the post this time, but it was so nearly spectacular and showed an ambitious Georgia team that seemed to have no fear of failure at Euro 2024.

The lowest-ranked team in the tournament lost 4-1 to Spain in the round of 16 on Monday morning, but it went down fighting after taking the lead early on. Any sadness from the loss will fade as players appreciate just what they achieved, Georgia coach Willy Sagnol predicted.

"I'm sure in some days we will realise what we have done and I think happiness is going to come back very quickly," Sagnol said.

Before the tournament began, Sagnol just wanted his team to gain experience on its debut in such a major competition as an independent nation. Results were secondary and political turmoil at home threatened to overshadow the whole campaign.

Then Georgia pulled off one of the biggest shocks in tournament history by beating Portugal 2-0. Suddenly it was in the knockout stages and the players were promised a $10.7 million bonus from a politically connected billionaire back home. Another bonus was on offer for beating Spain.

"Believe," read a giant banner at the Georgian end of the stadium, just like in fictional coach Ted Lasso's locker room. Georgia did, and it leaves behind quite the Euro 2024 highlight reel.

In its opening 3-1 loss against Turkey, Georgia scored off an elaborate passing move. In its 1-1 draw with the Czech Republic, Georgia nearly won but missed a crucial shot on the last kick of the game. The shock win over Cristiano Ronaldo and Portugal was built on audacious dribbling in the midfield and goalkeeper Giorgi Mamardashvili hurling himself at the ball for crucial saves.

Where Georgia goes from here is unclear. Sagnol deflected a question about whether he might stay for the qualifying campaign for the 2026 World Cup in the United States, Mexico and Canada.

"Sometimes you have to take the time to sit and look at what you have done and I think we can sit in peace and quiet, everyone, and look at the last year," he said.

"Now it's the end of a journey but I'm sure the next one will be also very exciting."

5. Police discover man climbing stadium was a photographer

German police said they believe a man who scaled the roof of the stadium as Germany played Denmark at Euro 2024 was a would-be photographer and they have no evidence he intended to hurt anyone.

Video shown by public broadcaster WDR appeared to show the man being detained among the catwalks and beams on the underside of the Westfalenstadion roof following the last-16 game, which Germany won 2-0.

It was the latest security breach inside a stadium at a tournament where European soccer body UEFA has not addressed issues about the tournament at any public forum this month.

Dortmund police said the man was identified as a 21-year-old from the nearby city of Osnabrueck and that he was under investigation for alleged trespassing. Police added that they "are currently ruling out a political motivation".

The man was carrying camera equipment in a rucksack and no dangerous objects, police said, adding he allegedly said in questioning that he wanted to take "good photos".

"There is currently no evidence that the man intended to endanger visitors to the stadium with his behaviour," police said.

Police said the man had first been spotted around half time in the game, which was delayed by a thunderstorm.

Around that time, referee Michael Oliver summoned both team captains and appeared to gesture up toward the roof. The presence of the climber was not obvious to many fans at the time. No announcement was made to the crowd.

It wasn't immediately clear how the man was able to enter the stadium. Fans are generally not allowed to bring large rucksacks.

In previous security lapses at Euro 2024, multiple fans were able to approach Portugal's star player Cristiano Ronaldo on the field seeking selfies. At Portugal's next game, after UEFA pledged to tighten security, a person jumped from the crowd and nearly collided with Ronaldo.

At the opening ceremony on June 14 a German YouTuber filmed and later published a video showing how he entered the Munich stadium with fake credentials and made it onto the field while disguised in a mascot costume he bought online.

On Sunday, UEFA praised the "very professional action by police and special forces, and the excellent cooperation" with tournament officials to resolve the latest incident safely.

UEFA promised another review of security in the 10 cities hosting games though without specifying details.

AP