After some uncomfortably close matches, England have made it through to the Euros final. The Three Lions will face Spain on Sunday evening, as millions of football fans watch around the world.
Whereas Spain have consistently reigned supreme over their opponents in this tournament, England have kept fans on the edge of their seats with their Euros performances, which many have criticised as lacklustre.
Though they have managed to progress at each stage of the tournament, Southgate’s squad saw disappointing draws against both Slovenia and Denmark.
However, the team delivered a decisive victory in their semi-final match, where they finished 2-1 against the Netherlands, after rising star Ollie Watkins struck a 90th-minute winner to fire the team into the final.
When was the last time England were in the Euros final?
England’s first - and up until now only - Euros final was at Euro 2020 (officially held on July 11, 2021), where they faced Italy in a brutal game that English fans are unlikely to forget any time soon. After an agonisingly long draw, England faced the dreaded penalty shootout where they lost to Italy 3-2.
History is against England in #Euro2024 final as they must break a semi-final jinx
— Standard Sport (@standardsport) July 12, 2024
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The Euro 2020 final was the team’s first in 55 years, and fans have been waiting with bated breath for the team to reach the last stage of a major tournament ever since.
How many football finals have England played in?
Despite the nation’s love for the beautiful game, England’s men’s team have only made it to the final stage of any major tournament twice in the entire history of its participation.
Besides their lost Euro 2020 final, the only other time the team have made it to the final of a major tournament was the 1966 World Cup, where they beat West Germany 4-2 at Wembley Stadium.
However, the Lionesses have seen more success than their male counterparts when it comes to reaching the finals at an international level.
The women’s team have managed to reach the final of the Women’s Championship three times, winning the tournament in 2022. The team also made it to the final of the Women’s World Cup in 2023, eventually losing out to Spain.
