Italy took home the Euro 2020 trophy after beating England 3-2 in a penalty shootout at Wembley on Sunday. It has been over five decades since Italy last held the title in 1968, making this second championship a historic moment. This triumph serves as a powerful comeback for the Italian side, especially after the disappointment of missing out on the 2018 World Cup.
Italy capped off an unbeaten Euro 2020 run, pushing their winning streak to a record 34 games. For England, the dream ended in tragedy after a 55-year wait to return to a major final. In a bold but unsuccessful move, Gareth Southgate trusted three young players to take the final three penalties, which ultimately didn't pay off.
With the score locked at 1-1 after extra time, the match headed to a penalty shootout. The hero of the night was Italian keeper Gianluigi Donnarumma, whose crucial saves against Bukayo Saka and Jadon Sancho, combined with Marcus Rashford hitting the woodwork, sealed the win for Italy.
Italy started poorly, conceding early and spending the first half-hour on the defensive before eventually dominating the pitch. The crowd of 60,000 England fans went wild in the 2nd minute when Luke Shaw scored a stunning volley. The play developed with Kane finding Trippier on the right wing, who sent a long cross into the six-yard box for Shaw to smash the ball off the inside of the post and into the net.
This goal set a new record as the fastest ever scored in a European Championship final, surpassing Chus Pereda's 6th-minute goal for Spain in 1964 against the USSR.
The seasoned defensive duo of Leonardo Bonucci and Giorgio Chiellini effectively neutralized England's offensive threats. Harry Kane, in particular, struggled throughout the final, failing to record a single shot or create a real opening—a rare occurrence in only his second such instance across 61 appearances for his country.
The deadlock was broken in the 67th minute by Leonardo Bonucci. After Verratti's attempt from the left was deflected onto the post by Jordan Pickford, Bonucci was perfectly positioned on the goal line to volley the rebound into the net from point-blank range.
The final blow came when young Bukayo Saka missed the decisive penalty. Following the match, Gareth Southgate took full accountability for the decision to let Saka take the shot. Harry Kane was devastated, describing the loss as the most painful feeling imaginable.