Italy crowned 2020 European champion after defeating England on penalties

LONDON / CNN — Italy clinched their first major title in 15 years with a penalty shootout win over England in the Euro 2020 final.

After being postponed for a year, the 2020 European football championships final happened at London’s Wembley Stadium on Sunday.

Luke Shaw’s goal inside the opening two minutes gave England a lead it looked like it would hold onto all night, before a goalmouth scramble midway through the second half allowed Leonardo Bonucci to poke home an equalizer for Italy.

The rest of the match felt as though extra-time and penalties were inevitable, as neither team seemed willing to commit enough men forward to really trouble opposing defenders.

England is no stranger to heartbreaks during penalties over the years. This time was Italy’s turn to inflict yet more pain on English fans as Marcus Rashford, Jadon Sancho and Bukayo Saka all missed from the spot.

Italy’s Bonucci screamed “it’s coming to Rome” into the pitch-side camera to rub yet more salt into the wounds of English fans who coined the phrase “it’s coming home.”

England’s wait to end its wretched run in major international competitions, stretching all the way back to 1966, will go for at least another year until the World Cup is hosted in Qatar.

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