Euro 2024 final: England’s ’58 years of hurt’ extended after loss to Spain

When England won their home World Cup in 1966, beating West Germany 4-2 in the final with Geoff Hurst scoring a hat-trick, many fans may not have imagined that would remain their only success for at least 60 years.

Since then a combined 29 men’s World Cups and European Championships have passed and, until 2021, they had never been back to a final.

England fans dwelled on the agonising near misses in the knockout stages of major tournaments – Diego Maradona’s handball in 1986, losses on penalties to Germany in 1990 and 1996. Current boss Southgate missed a penalty in the latter too.

And there were all the years they did not even get close, failing to qualify for the 1994 World Cup and 2008 Euros – and a few group-stage exits – too.

It felt as if all that may change in 2021 when England reached the final in the continent-wide Euro 2020, although most of their games were at Wembley, including the showpiece against Italy.

They took an early lead but ended up losing on penalties after extra time. Having waited 55 years for that final, it is a fine achievement by Southgate and his team that the next one followed just three years later.

But this one too ended in tears.

The Lionesses won the 2022 European Championship, beating Germany 2-1, also at Wembley.