England is hoping to put behind the disappointment of their loss to Italy in the Euro 2020 final as they prepare for Euro 2024 in Germany. Gareth Southgate’s team endured a penalty shootout defeat at Wembley Stadium, allowing Roberto Mancini’s Italy to secure the victory and continue England’s long drought without a major men’s international title. Southgate has transformed England into a team that consistently advances to the knockout stages of tournaments, but the defeat to Italy added another missed opportunity after their semifinal exit at the 2018 World Cup against Croatia. With Southgate’s tenure as head coach approaching its end, England is determined to end their title drought in 2024. Despite some uncertainties due to unconvincing performances during the qualifying phase, England has the talent to potentially surpass their previous result.
In terms of qualifying for Euro 2024, England maintained their traditional strong performance by going unbeaten in six wins and two draws from eight qualifiers. Notably, they achieved wins against Italy, who were the defending champions at Euro 2020. However, their performances in the final qualifying games was not convincing, though it did not affect their qualification for the tournament.
When it comes to the Euros, England has yet to secure a title and has only appeared in one final. During Euro 2020, their hopes of making history were dashed with penalties loss to Italy. England also suffered a similar fate on home soil in the semifinals of Euro 96 against Germany. Such history can be unsettling for their fans.
Looking at England’s European Championship record, they have only failed to qualify for one tournament since 1988, with Steve McClaren’s team infamously missing out on Euro 2008. While their success at the Euros has been limited, there is potential for England to finally clinch a title in 2024.
