Redemption and heartbreak were the two main themes to come out of the Euro 2020 final as Italy defeated England 3-2 on penalties in front of a raucous crowd of more than 67,000 fans at Wembley Stadium on July 11. Less than four years ago, Italy was absent from the World Cup for the first time in 60 years as it failed to qualify for the international tournament. A four-time World Cup champion, Italy extended its national-record undefeated streak to 34 matches with its victory over England, which was seeking to win its first international tournament since the 1966 World Cup.
Luke Shaw opened the scoring for England and sent the crowd into a frenzy after Luke Shaw connected on a half-volley from Kieran Trippier in the second minute. Shaw's first international goal and the quickest goal were scored in the final of a European Championship. Unfortunately for England, it was one of the few scoring chances they had during the 120-minute match.
Italy dominated possession for much of the game and scored the equalizer in the 67th minute as Leonardo Bonucci, an unlikely scorer, put the ball past English goalkeeper Jordan Pickford on a volley from the right-wing corner. Three of the past six European finals were decided in extra time, but neither team found the back of the net in the extra 30 minutes. Instead, Italy became the first team to win the European Championship via penalties since 1976, when Czechoslovakia defeated West Germany.
Italian goalkeeper Gianluigi Donnarumma stopped the final three shots he faced in penalties. He secured the victory for Italy by diving to his left to stop a kick from Bukayo Saka. Donnarumma and his Italian teammates rushed to the other end of the field and celebrated in front of a segment of Italian fans at Wembley Stadium.
Although unfortunate for England, Italy deserved the win based on performance. The team possessed the ball for 62 percent of the match and had six shots on target compared to only one for England. It also completed 756 passes, while England only made 341. The victory marked the second European Championship for Italy, which last won in 1968.
Italy advanced past the group stage of the tournament by finishing atop Group A with nine points. It won each of its three group stage games against Wales, Switzerland, and Turkey and outscored its opponents 7-0. England, meanwhile, finished first in Group D with seven points. Italy needed extra time in the round of 16 as it recorded a 2-1 victory over Austria, while England scored a 2-0 victory over Germany.
Italy triumphed once again with a 2-1 win against Belgium in the quarter-finals, and England made easy work of Ukraine with a 4-0 victory. Both teams needed extra time in the semi-finals. Italy defeated Spain 4-2 on penalties after a 1-1 draw in regulation and extra time. England advanced past Denmark with a 2-1 win in extra time.
Portugal's Cristiano Ronaldo and Czech Republic's Patrik Schick scored a tournament-best five goals, but Ronaldo was granted the Golden Boot as he had one more assist than Schick. Ronaldo is now the all-time leading scorer in the European Championship with 14 goals. Donnarumma received the Golden Ball award as the best player of the tournament. The 22-year-old Italian is only the second keeper to win the award in tournament history.
Luke Shaw opened the scoring for England and sent the crowd into a frenzy after Luke Shaw connected on a half-volley from Kieran Trippier in the second minute. Shaw's first international goal and the quickest goal were scored in the final of a European Championship. Unfortunately for England, it was one of the few scoring chances they had during the 120-minute match.
Italy dominated possession for much of the game and scored the equalizer in the 67th minute as Leonardo Bonucci, an unlikely scorer, put the ball past English goalkeeper Jordan Pickford on a volley from the right-wing corner. Three of the past six European finals were decided in extra time, but neither team found the back of the net in the extra 30 minutes. Instead, Italy became the first team to win the European Championship via penalties since 1976, when Czechoslovakia defeated West Germany.
Italian goalkeeper Gianluigi Donnarumma stopped the final three shots he faced in penalties. He secured the victory for Italy by diving to his left to stop a kick from Bukayo Saka. Donnarumma and his Italian teammates rushed to the other end of the field and celebrated in front of a segment of Italian fans at Wembley Stadium.
Although unfortunate for England, Italy deserved the win based on performance. The team possessed the ball for 62 percent of the match and had six shots on target compared to only one for England. It also completed 756 passes, while England only made 341. The victory marked the second European Championship for Italy, which last won in 1968.
Italy advanced past the group stage of the tournament by finishing atop Group A with nine points. It won each of its three group stage games against Wales, Switzerland, and Turkey and outscored its opponents 7-0. England, meanwhile, finished first in Group D with seven points. Italy needed extra time in the round of 16 as it recorded a 2-1 victory over Austria, while England scored a 2-0 victory over Germany.
Italy triumphed once again with a 2-1 win against Belgium in the quarter-finals, and England made easy work of Ukraine with a 4-0 victory. Both teams needed extra time in the semi-finals. Italy defeated Spain 4-2 on penalties after a 1-1 draw in regulation and extra time. England advanced past Denmark with a 2-1 win in extra time.
Portugal's Cristiano Ronaldo and Czech Republic's Patrik Schick scored a tournament-best five goals, but Ronaldo was granted the Golden Boot as he had one more assist than Schick. Ronaldo is now the all-time leading scorer in the European Championship with 14 goals. Donnarumma received the Golden Ball award as the best player of the tournament. The 22-year-old Italian is only the second keeper to win the award in tournament history.
