What Gareth Southgate and England stars did after Euro 2024 final defeat speaks volumes

Several England players promptly removed their runners-up medals after the Euro 2024 final defeat by Spain. Gareth Southgate’s team had fought their way to a second consecutive European Championship final, following victories over Slovakia, Switzerland and the Netherlands in the knockout stages.

However, much like the Euro 2020 final against Italy, the Three Lions fell short under the pressure of a final. Spain’s Nico Williams scored the first goal in the 47th minute, but England’s Cole Palmer equalised midway through the second half with a powerful low strike from the edge of the box.

Mikel Oyarzabal secured Spain’s fourth Euros victory with a clever one-two with Marc Cucurella, scoring the winning goal just minutes before the end of the match. After the game, the disheartened England team received a guard of honour from the victorious Spanish side as they collected their runners-up medals from UEFA President Aleksander Ceferinto.

As they collected their medals, several England players, including goalscorer Palmer, Jude Bellingham, Trent Alexander-Arnold, Kobbie Mainoo, Kyle Walker and even manager Southgate, immediately removed them, reflecting their disappointment at falling short in the final.

While some fans disagreed with England’s players removing their medals, it’s common for athletes to feel that second place isn’t worth celebrating. Indeed, several Three Lions stars did the same after the Euro 2020 final loss to Italy, as did some Manchester City players following their defeat by Chelsea in the 2021 Champions League final.

The second consecutive Euros final loss for England was a bitter pill for fans to swallow, especially after the heartbreak against Italy in 2021. During that match, Luke Shaw put the Three Lions ahead 1-0 in the second minute, only for Leonardo Bonucci to equalise for Italy in the second half.

Extra time failed to break the deadlock, leading to a nerve-wracking penalty shootout. Italy clinched the trophy after winning 3-2 on penalties, with Bukayo Saka, Jadon Sancho and Marcus Rashford failing to score from the spot for the Three Lions.