London Daily

Focus on the big picture.
Monday, Jul 13, 2026

Euro 2020: What to Watch as England Faces Italy

Euro 2020: What to Watch as England Faces Italy

The Euro 2020 final has been a month in the making, and features a showdown of two of Europe’s biggest names: England and Italy.

Italy, seeking its first major championship since the 2006 World Cup, and England, which needs to go back 40 years further for its defining moment, will meet on Sunday in the final of the Euro 2020 soccer championship.

Don’t miss a moment at the Tokyo Olympics: Sign up for our daily email update with the biggest highlights, the latest medal count and the stories you won’t see on TV.

The game, at London’s Wembley Stadium, kicks off at 3 p.m. Eastern. Here’s what you need to know.

How can I watch?

The Euro 2020 final is being broadcast in the United States by ESPN and Univision, and via the ESPN+ and TUDN streaming platforms.

To find out where you can watch in other countries, search this list on UEFA’s website.

Has either team ever won the Euros?

Italy has, but only once, in 1968. It is much prouder of the World Cup section of its trophy case, which includes titles in 1934, 1938, 1982 and 2006. Italy last played in the European Championship final in 2012, a game it would rather forget.

England? It has never reached the European final, or any other major final for that matter, since it lifted the World Cup in 1966.

How did the teams get here?

Expect England to be quite comfortable at Wembley, its national stadium and the site of five of its six games in the Euros. That home-field advantage has been criticized by those who think UEFA, European soccer’s governing body and the tournament’s organizer, had its thumb on the scale for an important tournament partner.

The problem with that theory is that it applied to the three other semifinalists — Italy, Denmark and Spain — who also played their first three games on home soil. Did that lack of travel play a role in their success? Probably. But did they have to win the games on the field to make it this far? Absolutely.

England, in fact, did that quite comfortably, beating Croatia (1-0), tying Scotland (0-0) and then the Czech Republic (1-0) in the group stage. A 2-0 win over Germany in the round of 16 exorcised some demons, and Ukraine, thumped by 4-0, was a mere speed bump in the quarterfinals. Five games, and a place in the semifinals, and the English had yet to allow a goal.

That left Denmark, the neutrals’ favorite and the only team to score against England in the entire tournament, as the last hurdle to the final. But the Danes — dragging badly in extra time after a side trip to Baku, Azerbaijan, in the quarterfinals — were swept aside by a late Harry Kane penalty.

Italy, like England, opened with three group-stage games at home and breezed through them: Turkey (3-0), Switzerland (3-0) and Wales (1-0) proved to be little trouble.

Italy needed extra time to beat Austria in the round of 16, but avoided it while stunning Belgium, the world’s top-ranked team and the tournament favorite, in the quarterfinals in Munich.

In the semifinals on Tuesday, Spain traded punches with the Italians through regulation and two extra-time periods before falling in a penalty-kick shootout.

Tell me something to say so I can sound smart.

“Can you believe that England hadn’t allowed a goal in the entire tournament until the semifinals, a streak of more than 720 minutes without conceding for goalkeeper Jordan Pickford? That broke a record that had stood since the days of Gordon Banks. Gordon Banks!”

“Italy is unbeaten in their last 33 matches in all competitions (27-0-6), its longest such streak ever.”

Are the starting lineups set?

The starting lineups won’t be official until an hour before kickoff, but don’t expect the managers, England’s Gareth Southgate and Italy’s Roberto Mancini, to mess with what’s worked so far.

Here are some projected teams if the coaches, as expected, leave well enough alone:

England: Jordan Pickford; Kyle Walker, John Stones, Harry Maguire, Luke Shaw; Declan Rice, Kalvin Phillips; Bukayo Saka, Mason Mount, Raheem Sterling; Harry Kane.

Italy: Gianluigi Donnarumma; Giovanni Di Lorenzo, Leonardo Bonucci, Giorgio Chiellini, Emerson Palmieri; Nicolò Barella, Jorginho, Marco Verratti; Federico Chiesa, Ciro Immobile, Lorenzo Insigne.

Wasn’t there another big final this weekend?

Yes. That was the Copa América, the South American championship. Argentina beat Brazil, 1-0, in the final on Saturday night in Rio de Janeiro, delivering the first senior title of Lionel Messi’s glittering career. Read more about that match here.

Newsletter

Related Articles

0:00
0:00
Close
World Cup Visitors Turn American Big-Box Stores Into Souvenir Stops
Netflix Weighs Always-On Channels, Bundles and Short-Form Video
Passenger Is Pulled Partly Outside Ryanair Jet After Window Fails Mid-Flight
Innovation-led growth strategy
Public service reform pressure
Defence and industrial security
Labour leadership transition and economic reset
Northern England Pushes for Greater Influence in Britain’s Future Economic Model
UK Technology Strategy Focuses on Life Sciences, Digital Innovation and Research Investment
Britain and United States Maintain Focus on Pharmaceuticals Cooperation and Industrial Growth
UK Public Services Face Continued Pressure as Government Promises Visible Improvements
Regional Economic Power Becomes Key Theme in Britain’s Next Political Phase
Britain Expands Support for Small Businesses as Firms Seek Better Access to Finance
UK Economy Remains Central Political Challenge as Cost of Living and Growth Concerns Persist
National Health Service Introduces New Workplace Reviews to Improve Conditions for Healthcare Staff
UK Life Sciences Sector Secures More Than Three Billion Pounds in Investment to Support Innovation
Britain Strengthens Defence Strategy as Security Concerns Reshape Military and Industrial Policy
Andy Burnham Promises Stronger UK Defence Industry and Expanded Domestic Production
UK Government Faces Difficult Spending Choices as Labour Leadership Transition Approaches
Rachel Reeves Warns Andy Burnham of Immediate Economic Challenges After Expected Leadership Change
Andy Burnham Prepares to Lead UK Government With Plans for Regional Power Shift and Economic Reset
Government Creates Emergency Support Scheme for Financially Struggling Universities
United Kingdom Replaces Traditional Farm Subsidies With Payments Linked to Environmental Performance
National Grid Reports First Week of Electricity Generation Without Fossil Fuels
United Kingdom Financial Regulator Introduces Tougher Capital Rules for Cryptocurrency Exchanges
Belfast Harbour Expands Operations to Attract Investment Through United Kingdom and European Union Market Access
Scottish Government Threatens Legal Challenge Over Westminster Cuts to North Sea Transition Funding
United Kingdom Accelerates Trans-Pennine High-Speed Rail Project Linking Northern Cities
United Kingdom Secures Ten Billion Pound Investment for Cambridge Quantum Computing Campus
Port Talbot Steelworks Wins Support for Green Hydrogen Transition and Protection of Industrial Jobs
United Kingdom Sends Royal Navy Carrier Strike Group to Indo-Pacific as Regional Security Focus Expands
National Health Service Expands Artificial Intelligence Diagnostics Across England to Reduce Screening Backlogs
United Kingdom Launches Fifty Billion Pound Infrastructure Fund to Accelerate Housing and Construction
UK Medical Chiefs Update Health Guidance to Promote Everyday Physical Activity
Office of Communications Keeps Wikipedia Under Review Under UK Online Safety Rules
UK Defence Ministry Expands Deep-Strike Capability Through Precision Missile Programme
Russell Group Universities Warn Funding Cuts Could Damage NHS Workforce Training
UK Parliament Calls for National Emergency Broadcast as Heatwave Conditions Intensify
UK and Netherlands Strengthen Naval Cooperation With New Amphibious Defence Partnership
UK Defence Ministry Joins International Missile Programme With One Hundred and Ninety Million Pound Investment
Bank of England Warns Middle East Conflict and AI Risks Could Pressure UK Economy
UK Government Introduces New Rules to Limit Foreign Influence in Political Donations
UK and France Prepare Naval Mission to Protect Shipping Through Strait of Hormuz
United States Pressures UK to Increase Defence Spending at NATO Summit
Bank of England Warns Artificial Intelligence Investment Boom Could Create Financial Stability Risks
Bank of England Begins Direct Oversight of Critical Technology Providers Supporting UK Finance
Andy Burnham Set to Become UK Prime Minister After Labour Leadership Race Clears Path to Downing Street
Scottish Fishing Industry Calls for Emergency Support Amid Rising Costs
UK Supports Stronger European Response to Russian Actions in Ukraine
Devon and Cornwall Police Release Suspect in Ann Widdecombe Murder Investigation
×