It has been 58 years since England, the cradle of football, won the only major trophy - the 1966 World Cup.
The "three lions" selection was close at the previous European Championship, 2020, when they were defeated by Italy in the final on penalties.
The period between those two championships brought a lot of disappointments - the BBC singled out the 10 most difficult moments of English national football, including penalties, red cards, refereeing injustices and other disappointments of the country where football was first played according to written rules.
On Sunday in Berlin, in the new final of the European Championship, England against Spain has the opportunity to finally end the dry years - and that has lasted for almost six decades...
It couldn't have been closer (Euro 2020)
The freshest, most painful memory for the English.
Euro 2020 (actually 2021, due to the coronavirus) has been played across Europe, but Albion have played five of their seven games at their footballing temple, Wembley, including the semi-finals and final.
In the semi-final, Harry Kane and his friends turned Denmark around, winning 2:1 in overtime with, it seems to be the general impression, the referee's help, because the penalty against Sterling was, to put it mildly, questionable.
In the final, Albion took the lead against Italy right at the start of the game with a goal by Luke Shaw, the trophy was never closer, and then Leonardo Bonucci tied the score at 1:1. And in the penalty shoot-out, in which the English are usually cursed, Gareth Southgate's team had an early advantage, and then there were three consecutive misses by the youngest players, who could not withstand the burden of historical expectations on their shoulders - Rashford, Sancho and Saka.
"Azuri" won the second European title.
Joy of penalties, suffering in extra time (WC 2018)
The first major competition under Gareth Southgate and England have never been closer to a World Cup final since 1966.
At the World Cup in Russia, the "three lions" selection finally broke the penalty curse in the round of 2 match against Colombia, routinely won 0:XNUMX against Sweden in the quarter-finals, and took an early lead against Croatia in the semi-finals with a great free-kick goal by Tripij.
England were better and nothing seemed to be able to stop them on their way to the final. The Croats, however, played much better in the second half, equalized through Perišić, England pulled back, only for Mandžukić to launch a "flame" a few minutes before the end of the second overtime and upset the cradle of football.
England then lost to Belgium 2:0 in the match for third place.
National Disgrace (Euro 2016)
Over the decades, the English have suffered various misfortunes and injustices, but no one could find an excuse for their relegation to Euro 2016.
Not an adequate expression - to humiliation, national shame...
In the round of 2 match, the team led by Roy Hodgson was eliminated by Iceland, which was a debutant at the big competition (1:XNUMX).
What the referee didn't see (WC 2010)
When looking at the final result of the round of 4 World Cup match in South Africa, where the Germans beat England 1:XNUMX, the impression is that the team then led by the Italian Fabio Capello has no right to complain.
However, whoever watched the game remembers the incredible referee's oversight that cost the English.
Germany led 2:0, Matthew Upson reduced it to 2:1, and then Frank Lampard's shot from a distance bounced off the bar and into the goal - the ball fell almost half a meter behind the goal line and went out.
The referee didn't lead anything, he didn't even see the assistant, the game continued, and instead of 2:2, in the end it was 4:1 for Germany.
Red card, Ronaldo's "wink" and defeat on penalties (World Cup 2006)
At the World Cup in Germany in 2006, England was eliminated in a penalty shoot-out by Portugal.
The match in Gelsenkirchen is remembered for the red card of Wayne Rooney, who stepped on the Portuguese footballer, and then "got up" with his teammate from Manchester United, Cristiano Ronaldo.
Ronaldo's "wink" towards the Portuguese bench after Rooney's dismissal was caught by the cameras, and the English were furious...
And the legendary Sir Alex Ferguson later testified in his autobiography that in the club's camp it was necessary to work on the reconciliation of Ronaldo and Rooney, the two biggest stars of United.
Anyway, the Portuguese passed happily, the English were eliminated.
Another relegation on penalties (Euro 2004)
And two years earlier, in the semifinals of the European Championship, the English were eliminated by Portugal - and then on penalties.
They led in Lisbon with an early goal by Owen, the Portuguese turned it around, and Lampard scored to make it 2:2 and direct the decision to the penalty spot.
The Portuguese goalkeeper Ricardo became famous, who defended without gloves, and scored the decisive penalty.
Exclusion of Beckham and another penalty-trauma (WC 1998)
England and Argentina - old rivals and "enemies" - met in the round of 1998 of the World Cup in France in XNUMX.
Owen and Shearer canceled out Batistuta's early goal, England led 2:1, and then Zanetti equalized 2:2 - all in the first half.
In the sequel, David Beckham received a red card, due to a rather innocuous tackle on Diego Simeone. The English lasted with ten men until the penalty shootout, which, of course, they lost.
Misses from Nicky Bath and Paul Ince cost them.
"Football is a game where the Germans always win" (Euro 1996)
England organized the European Championship in 1996 and raced to the final, and then in the semi-finals, at the old Wembley, they were stopped by Germany - of course, on penalties.
Alan Shearer gave England the lead, Stefan Kunz equalized for Germany. In the penalty shoot-out, the decision was made by the mistake of the current coach of England, Gareth Southgate.
"Football is a game of 11 on 11 in which the Germans always win", the famous statement of the legendary English striker Gary Lineker made full sense.
Gazza's tears and the beginning of all penalty-disappointments (WC 1990)
England's penalty curse actually began at the 1990 World Cup in Italy.
And then they were merciless - the Germans.
In the semi-final in Turin, Germany took the lead with Andreas Breme's goal after a deflected free kick, Gary Lineker equalized in the finish.
Paul Gascoigne then cried when the referee showed him a yellow card which meant he would miss the eventual final, but Albion didn't even make it to Rome.
Paul Pearce's mistake - that is, Bod Ilgner's defense, as well as Chris Wodl's mistake - high over the goal, cost the English, and Germany launched towards the final, and then the title.
God's Hand (SP 1986)
Another controversial relegation of England, thanks to the "hand of God" of Diego Maradona in the quarter-finals of the World Cup in Mexico in 1986.
One of the best football players of all time rose high above Peter Shilton and put the ball into the net with his hand for 1:0.
Referee Ali Ben Nasser of Tunisia awarded the goal, then asked his assistant for confirmation after the English protested. He got confirmation.
Maradona then dribbled past the entire English team, scored the "goal of the century" and made it 2-0, before Lineker reduced it to 2-1.
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