This was finally England's opportunity to bring it home.
Walking onto the Al Bayt Stadium pitch knowing they would face giant-killers Morocco rather than traditional powerhouse Portugal in a semifinal, the English team knew this moment was theirs for the taking.
Yes, it came against the reigning champions in France. Yes, they would have to stop the dazzling brilliance of Kylian Mbappe. And yes, a history of heartache and missed chances weighed heavily on their shoulders.
But this English team was different — dynamic but dependable, shimmering but stout.
This team was going to finally give David Baddiel and Frank Skinner a chart-topper to celebrate.
And it all came down to the boot of their ever-reliable skipper Harry Kane. These are the 11 photos that told the story of the match.
1. Family matters, but football matters more
English football can be just as much about those off the field as it is on the field.
Before a ball had even been kicked, cameras were trained on the stands to keep a watchful eye on the friends and family of the players, capturing every inkling of joy and pain to splash over the pages of English tabloids on Sunday morning.
They watched Harry Kane's brother, Charlie. They trained the lens on Gary and Una Maddison, the parents of James Maddison. Wives and girlfriends were under constant surveillance.
And then there was little Arlo Pickford, son of goalkeeper Jordan.
Painted up like the kid in Love Actually at the end of the Christmas concert, Arlo brought a bit of cute to a tense build-up.
It was a reminder that this is all just a silly game, and what really matters is family.
But what matters more is football.
2. How many dudes you know roll like this? Not many, Tchouaméni
It took just 17 minutes for English fans to utter "not again" in unison.
With the game looking reasonably tight early, France goes on a considered attack, tapping the ball around the right side of their box as nine English players stand between them and the goals.
As Aurélien Tchouaméni plants himself dead centre of the field, about 23m from the net, Antoine Griezmann spots him, and carefully sends the ball towards the Real Madrid defensive midfielder.
Tchouaméni takes one touch, and unleashes a low bullet with his right foot to the right of the diving Pickford.
France is first on the board, and red and white heads drop throughout the stadium.
3. Hugo bosses the English strikers
With the teams going into the halftime break at 1-0 France's way, the English players come back out onto the pitch with fire in the bellies and a song in their heart — most likely the increasingly intolerable Three Lions.
They're just two minutes into the half when Borussia Dortmund midfielder Jude Bellingham unleashes a firecracker at the French defence in an attempt to tie it up.
It looks good all the way, until French goalkeeper Hugo Lloris makes an exceptional diving save to keep the Poms at bay.
4. Aurélien giveth, Aurélien taketh
Football can be a cruel mistress.
In one moment you're celebrating a wonder strike that has the whole of France singing La Marseillaise in unison, the next, you're giving up a penalty that's more sacré bleu than vive la France.
Still riding high from his earlier goal, Tchouaméni defends desperately as England tap the ball around their box — and it's distinctly too desperate.
He clips Bukayo Saka's leg without taking any of the ball, and the referee immediately points to the spot.
It's the 54th minute, and Kane has the opportunity to tie things up.
He converts, because Harry Kane is ever reliable, right? Right!?
5. Heading in the right direction
Buoyed by the penalty to draw things level, England becomes the ferocious, dazzling England that we've grown to love or hate — depending on how you feel about the country itself.
They control the ball and control the field, and France looks almost lethargic as a result.
Another foray forward sees regular whipping boy Harry Maguire have an opportunity at a trademark header.
The defender leaps between his French opponents and heads the ball flush. It sails towards the goals but dips too far left in the direction of travel, and just misses the target.
Maguire screams in frustration, but it's a sign that things are heading in the right direction for the English team.
6. Giroud shows his guts — and scores as well
He's been described as the most handsome man in football, but Olivier Giroud is more beast than beauty as he hammers in a header that breaks English hearts.
Having cleared the first charge forward, the English defence gets caught ball-watching as Griezmann dribbles down the left win and fires in a high, curling cross.
Giroud takes advantage of the distracted England defence and floats in to power the ball past Pickford via his exceptionally quiffed bonce.
The French go wild as Giroud pulls at his jersey and screams at the crowd.
It's the 78th minute, and time is fasting running out for England to tie things up.
7. Art imitates life via Bellingham pleas
As the clock ticks into the 81st minute, England sweeps forward but a cross into the box looks likely to glide on by without worrying the goalkeeper.
As the ball flies over the head of England's Mason Mount, French defender Theo Hernandez barrels into him, sending Mount to the turf in an unnecessary display of physicality.
The referee keeps the game going despite English protestations — and then VAR steps in.
On live replay it's a 50-50 call, but slowed down it becomes clear that it's a certain penalty.
The England players celebrate, but they also want to see Hernandez sent off. Bellingham pleads at referee Wilton Pereira Sampaio with his best Edvard Munch The Scream impression, but the act only warrants a yellow card.
Sampaio points to the spot, and Harry Kane struts up to take a penalty that he's practiced thousands of times, that he's converted almost just as many, and that will put England back on level pegging with less than ten minutes left of regular time …
8. Kane is not able
… and the shot flies high.
English hearts break. It's deja vu all over again.
Kane pulls his jersey over his face as teammates run over to console him.
It's a dejected and depressing looking scene in the English camp, both on the field and off it.
For France, though, the reaction couldn't be more different.
9. Laughter is the best medicine — if you win
The French players and fans go wild.
Kylian Mbappe is pictured laughing maniacally as English heads slump.
On the sidelines, substitutes and starters alike jump all over each other as the crowd goes wild in the background, desperately trying not to fall onto the field.
The French know that this is a very, very England football moment.
But they also know there's still time for it to all go wrong, having witnessed what the Netherlands did to Argentina 24 hours earlier.
10. Hopes disappear over the crossbar
With a decent chunk of extra time added on, French nerves jingle as England is awarded a free kick just outside the box.
Marcus Rashford steps up to the task, knowing this will be England's final chance at drawing things level.
Memories fresh from Wout Weghort's free kick goal in the final seconds of the quarterfinal the day before, the French set up high and low to stop the shot.
Rashford takes his shot and it's a beauty.
It curls past the French wall and is out of the reach of Lloris, who had been spectacular throughout.
It has speed, grace, and enough curve to make David Beckham blush in the crowd.
But it flies ever so slightly high.
It will be the last football act of the game, as the referee calls time on the match and time on another lost opportunity for the English faithful.
11. England's gonna throw it away, gonna blow it away
At the start of the re-release video of Three Lions in 1998, David Baddiel, Frank Skinner and Ian Broudie stand in the rain and watch a television flickering in a store window.
On it, Gareth Southgate is lining up to take the crucial penalty at Euro '96.
"Gareth Southgate, the whole of England is with you," comes the commentary.
The ball is saved, England lose, and the anthem that all of England loves but wishes would just end lives on for another generation.
The Harry Kane shot was bizarrely similar.
After the match, English head coach Southgate makes a beeline for his shattered skipper. He hugs him and holds his head in his hands.
Southgate has been here before, and he knows the feeling. Kane is about to face the intense heat of an English media and supporter base who have seen it all crumble again.
The lights are on, the teapot is boiling, and the best biscuits have been put out on the best plates — but the long wait remains.
Once again, it is not coming home.
