On July 7th, in the quarterfinals of the European Championship, England advanced to the semis after a penalty shootout victory over Switzerland. Under Southgate’s tenure, England has now reached the semifinals of consecutive Euro tournaments, matching their pre-Southgate total number of semifinal appearances.
In this edition of the Euros, England’s journey was bumpy, securing only one win and two draws in the group stage, yet still topping their group. In the round of 16 against Slovakia, they narrowly escaped elimination with a last-gasp equalizer from Bellingham followed by Kane’s extra-time header for a 2-1 win. Against Switzerland in the quarters, England advanced through a tense penalty shootout.
In the previous Euro, Southgate guided England to the final, where they lost on penalties to Italy, finishing as runners-up. Now, with another semifinal appearance in this tournament, Southgate is once again targeting a championship run.
It’s worth noting that before Southgate took charge, England had only made it to the Euro semifinals twice in their nine prior appearances (1968, 1996). At the continental level, Southgate has significantly surpassed his predecessors’ achievements.