London Daily

Focus on the big picture.
Friday, Oct 10, 2025

Euro 2020: Fans watch England beat Croatia in opening game

Euro 2020: Fans watch England beat Croatia in opening game

England fans around the country have watched the Three Lions beat Croatia in their first Euro 2020 match.

Raheem Sterling's goal secured a 1-0 victory for the team at Wembley, which was watched by around 22,500 supporters in the stadium.

An official socially-distanced fan zone was also set up at London's Trafalgar Square.

Fans are hoping England could reach the final of a major tournament - and win - for the first time since 1966.

England players continued with the gesture of taking the knee ahead of the game, to protest against racism.

Some fans booed in response but they were drowned out by loud applause.

Ahead of the game, a video and statement released on England's official Twitter account called on supporters to avoid booing players or sending them abuse online, saying the move was about "humanity, community [and] equality" rather than politics.

Fans at Trafalgar Square celebrate as Sterling scores for England
The crowd was also jubilant at a fan zone in Manchester

Wembley Stadium is one of 11 venues across Europe hosting the tournament, which has been delayed for a year because of the pandemic.

Fans were allowed back in sports stadiums in England last month when coronavirus lockdown rules were relaxed, and Wembley will be open at 25% capacity for the first three group matches and last-16 tie.

Supporters at Wembley had to show either proof of vaccination or a negative lateral flow test before entry.

But if restrictions are eased further on 21 June - which Boris Johnson will announce on Monday - then capacity could be increased for the knockout stages.

The match was played under glorious sunshine and blue skies.

Spectators at Wembley had to show proof of full vaccination on the NHS app or proof of a negative test taken in the past 48 hours
Wembley will host England's Group D fixtures against Croatia, Scotland and the Czech Republic
In London, an official fan zone was set up in London's Trafalgar Square, where England matches are being shown on a big screen.

The first two matches, which take place before the 21 June lockdown easing date, are socially distanced and for key workers only. Tickets were allocated through a free public ballot.

Sunday's match was the third meeting between England and Croatia at a major tournament.

Croatia broke English hearts when they denied England a place in the World Cup final in 2018 after beating England 2-1 at the semi-final in Moscow.

England goalkeeper Jordan Pickford, who played in that game three years ago, described Euro 2020 as a "massive moment for the country".

This is England's 10th European Championship. No team but England has ever played as many games in the tournament without ever reaching the final.

Two other fixtures also took place on Sunday, with North Macedonia losing 3-1 against Austria in Bucharest and the Netherlands beating Ukraine 3-2 in Amsterdam.

Football supporters was left reeling on Saturday evening after Denmark's Christian Eriksen collapsed and needed emergency treatment on the pitch during his team's game against Finland.

The 29-year-old now remains stable in hospital and has sent his greetings to his national team-mates, Danish football officials said.


Why not? We could win it - England players look ahead to Euro 2020


Newsletter

Related Articles

0:00
0:00
Close
California County Reinstates Mask Mandate in Health Facilities as Respiratory Illness Risk Rises
Israel and Hamas Agree to First Phase of Trump-Brokered Gaza Truce, Hostages to Be Freed
French Political Turmoil Elevates Marine Le Pen as Rassemblement National Poised for Power
China Unveils Sweeping Rare Earth Export Controls to Shield ‘National Security’
The Davos Set in Decline: Why the World Economic Forum’s Power Must Be Challenged
France: Less Than a Month After His Appointment, the New French Prime Minister Resigns
Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán stated that Hungary will not adopt the euro because the European Union is falling apart.
Sarah Mullally Becomes First Woman Appointed Archbishop of Canterbury
Mayor in western Germany in intensive care after stabbing
Australian government pays Deloitte nearly half a million dollars for a report built on fabricated quotes, fake citations, and AI-generated nonsense.
US Prosecutors Gained Legal Approval to Hack Telegram Servers
Macron Faces Intensifying Pressure to Resign or Trigger New Elections Amid France’s Political Turmoil
Standard Chartered Names Roberto Hoornweg as Sole Head of Corporate & Investment Banking
UK Asylum Housing Firm Faces Backlash Over £187 Million Profits and Poor Living Conditions
UK Police Crack Major Gang in Smuggling of up to 40,000 Stolen Phones to China
BYD’s UK Sales Soar Nearly Nine-Fold, Making Britain Its Biggest Market Outside China
Trump Proposes Farm Bailout from Tariff Revenues Amid Backlash from Other Industries
FIFA Accuses Malaysia of Forging Citizenship Documents, Suspends Seven Footballers
Latvia to Bar Tourist and Occasional Buses to Russia and Belarus Until 2026
A Dollar Coin Featuring Trump’s Portrait Expected to Be Issued Next Year
Australia Orders X to Block Murder Videos, Citing Online Safety and Public Exposure
Three Scientists Awarded Nobel Prize in Medicine for Discovery of Immune Self-Tolerance Mechanism
OpenAI and AMD Forge Landmark AI-Chip Alliance with Equity Option
Munich Airport Reopens After Second Drone Shutdown
France Names New Government Amid Political Crisis
Trump Stands Firm in Shutdown Showdown and Declares War on Drug Cartels — Turning Crisis into Opportunity
Surge of U.S. Billionaires Transforms London’s Peninsula Apartments into Ultra-Luxury Stronghold
Pro Europe and Anti-War Babiš Poised to Return to Power After Czech Parliamentary Vote
Jeff Bezos Calls AI Surge a ‘Good’ Bubble, Urges Focus on Lasting Innovation
Japan’s Ruling Party Chooses Sanae Takaichi, Clearing Path to First Female Prime Minister
Sean ‘Diddy’ Combs Sentenced to Fifty Months in Prison Following Prostitution Conviction
Taylor Swift’s ‘Showgirl’ Launch Extends Billion-Dollar Empire
Trump Administration Launches “TrumpRx” Plan to Enable Direct Drug Sales at Deep Discounts
Trump Announces Intention to Impose 100 Percent Tariff on Foreign-Made Films
Altman Says GPT-5 Already Outpaces Him, Warns AI Could Automate 40% of Work
Singapore and Hong Kong Vie to Dominate Asia’s Rising Gold Trade
Trump Organization Teams with Saudi Developer on $1 Billion Trump Plaza in Jeddah
Manhattan Sees Surge in Office-to-Housing Conversions, Highest Since 2008
Switzerland and U.S. Issue Joint Assurance Against Currency Manipulation
Electronic Arts to Be Taken Private in Historic $55 Billion Buyout
Thomas Jacob Sanford Named as Suspect in Deadly Michigan Church Shooting and Arson
Russian Research Vessel 'Yantar' Tracked Mapping Europe’s Subsea Cables, Raising Security Alarms
New York Man Arrested After On-Air Confession to 2017 Parents’ Murders
U.S. Defense Chief Orders Sudden Summit of Hundreds of Generals and Admirals
Global Cruise Industry Posts Dramatic Comeback with 34.6 Million Passengers in 2024
Trump Claims FBI Planted 274 Agents at Capitol Riot, Citing Unverified Reports
India: Internet Suspended in Bareilly Amid Communal Clashes Between Muslims and Hindus
Supreme Court Extends Freeze on Nearly $5 Billion in U.S. Foreign Aid at Trump’s Request
Archaeologists Recover Statues and Temples from 2,000-Year-Old Sunken City off Alexandria
China Deploys 2,000 Workers to Spain to Build Major EV Battery Factory, Raising European Dependence
×