It wasn’t to be for England but Gareth Southgate’s men can hold their heads up high after reaching a second Euros final in a row.
Spain might have been the better team on the night, narrowly edging England 2-1, but millions of fans up and down the country will feel proud at seeing the team take it all the way to the final, and when that Palmer strike went in we all let ourselves dream for a moment.
But what do you do with all those England flags now?
According to The Flag Institute, there are actually rules governing how you dispose of any flag of the United Kingdom, whether it’s the Union Jack, the St George’s Cross or one of the other nation-states in the UK.
The ‘proper disposal of flags’ guidance says that when flags are being disposed of, they should be destroyed ‘in a dignified way’.
It explains: “National flags should never be flown in a worn or damaged condition, or when soiled. To do so is to show disrespect for the nations they represent.
“When a flag becomes tattered or faded and is no longer in a suitable condition for use, it should be destroyed in a dignified way, for example by burning, tearing or cutting into strips that no longer resemble the original flag.”
Of course, many will be dumping commemorative flags in bins but it might be better financial advice to simply save them somewhere for next time around – after all it’s only two years until World Cup 2026.
Gareth Southgate says ‘now is not the time’ to discuss his future after losing a second final in four years.
After a goalless first half, Spain opened the scoring on the 47-minute mark. Lamine Yamal picked out Nico Williams as he burst into the back of the box and thumped past Pickford first time before wheeling off in celebration.
Cole Palmer brought the game level on the 73rd, smashing the ball low and hard from the edge of the box to give Gareth Southgate’s side a sliver of hope. It wasn’t to be for the Three Lions though, with Oyarzabal slamming in on the 86th to rule out any prospect of extra time and penalties.