The encounter hands the Queens a rare chance to measure themselves against one of the game’s powerhouses.

England, the reigning European champions and a consistent force on the world stage, present the kind of high-level competition Bjorkegren believes is necessary for Ghana’s growth.

For the Swedish tactician, the result is secondary to the lessons the match will offer.

He views the fixture as a crucial stage to assess his squad’s development, evaluate their readiness against elite opposition, and fine-tune key areas ahead of major tournaments.

“We’re going to play against an extremely good team. And we can just be completely honest. Even if we are improving, if we’re doing better, we are not on their level,” he told 3Sports.

“We’re just not going to be like people on vacation and take photos. If we can make a draw, it will be great. I mean, even better, of course, a win, but it’s going to be tough. Hopefully, we can do a strong game and at least be close to them,” he added.

The friendly forms part of Ghana’s preparations for the 2026 Women’s Africa Cup of Nations (WAFCON) as the Black Queens continue their rebuild, determined to reclaim their status among Africa’s elite.

Kane is halfway through the four-year deal he signed when joining from Tottenham Hotspur for £86.4m in the summer of 2023.

The 32-year-old has scored 103 goals in 106 appearances for the German club, helping them win the 2024-25 Bundesliga title – the first honour of his career.

Tottenham manager Thomas Frank has said he would like to see Kane return to England, where he needs 48 goals to eclipse Alan Shearer’s all-time Premier League scoring record of 260.

But the England captain says he is no longer as keen on returning home as he once was, and would consider extending his stay in Bavaria.

“In terms of staying longer, I could definitely see that,” he said.

“I spoke openly a couple of weeks ago that I have not had those conversations with Bayern yet, but if they were to arise I would be willing to talk and have an honest conversation.

“Obviously it depends on how the next year or so goes and what we achieve together. Right now, I would say we are in a fantastic moment and I am not thinking about anything else.

“In terms of the Premier League, I don’t know. If you had asked me when I first left to go to Bayern, I would have said for sure I would come back.

“Now I have been there a couple of years I would probably say that has gone down a little bit, but I wouldn’t say I would never go back.

“What I have learned in my career is that different opportunities and different timings happen and things fall in place. Going back to my first point with Bayern right now I am fully all in with Bayern.”

Kane is all-time top scorer for both Tottenham and England and recently became the fastest player this century to reach 100 goals for a club playing in one of Europe’s top five leagues, reaching the landmark in just 104 games for Bayern. But a trophy had eluded him until he lifted the German title last season.

Kane says he was not sure how he would react after ending his trophy drought, but now believes it has made him hungry for more.

“When you win a title like I did last year, maybe it could be easy to go the other way and be like, ‘OK I’ve done what I wanted to achieve’,” he said.

“But it’s given me more motivation to do more and be better. I think I’ve shown that this year.

“I was interested in how I would feel after winning a trophy. Obviously there’s still a lot more I want to achieve in terms of other trophies and bigger trophies for sure.

“But I think it was always just, in my head, what I was going to feel like after I did achieve winning my first one.

“But for sure, I pushed myself the other way in terms of being even better, eating even cleaner, doing more gym. Just trying to get the most out of what I’ve got right now.”

Stones made just 11 Premier League appearances last campaign because of foot and hamstring issues, the latter ending his season in February.

The 31-year-old has represented England at five major tournaments, but has not played for the Three Lions since October 2024, with Thomas Tuchel taking over as manager in January.

Stones is in the squad for Thursday’s friendly against Wales at Wembley and the World Cup qualifier against Latvia on Tuesday, 14 October (both 19:45 BST).

Victory in Riga will secure England’s place at next summer’s World Cup finals, which is being hosted by the United States, Canada and Mexico.

“Last season was tough for me, to the point where I thought about stopping,” Stones told BBC Radio 5 Live.

“I didn’t want to do it. I had had enough of being so professional and trying to do everything right in my power, to then keep breaking down and not having the answers. It was a very difficult place to be in.”

Injuries have prevented Stones from making more than 27 appearances in a single league campaign for City, who he joined from Everton in 2016.

“There comes a point where you don’t know why it happens and it is even harder when you put in so much effort, or you are ultra professional, to be able to play and be available,” Stones continued.

“When that time comes and something happens, it would be easier to say ‘well I didn’t do X, Y and Z that’s why’ – but when you do it, it’s then mentally challenging. Hopefully I don’t go back to that place.”

Stones has made five starts this season, though Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola appears to favour a centre-back partnership of Ruben Dias and Josko Gvardiol.

“My emotions were high. I wasn’t thinking straight. I don’t think deep down I would have ever done it [retired],” said Stones.

“I said years ago when City wanted me to have a new challenge, I said ‘I am going to fight’. That’s all I have known since I was a kid – why should I stop that now?

“So yes, there is that fight in me and that winning mentality that doesn’t want to stop.”

Tuchel said last week that no player is guaranteed a place in his England squad, and left out Phil Foden, Jude Bellingham and Jack Grealish.

Yet Stones’ value to Tuchel became clear in June when, despite being injured, he was asked to join the squad in Spain for a warm-weather training camp.

“My love for England, I think it’s difficult to put into words. I love England so much – I love playing for England,” Stones said.

“I have had some of the best moments in my career playing for England [and at] tournaments. When he [Tuchel] said, ‘will I come out and be with the guys and continue my training’, it was a no-brainer.

“I wanted to be there, be around the guys. He saw it from so many points of view. I hadn’t been around the team [and] he knew that I was lonely training by myself, being in a difficult spot.

“[But also] to be a presence, to be someone to speak to, a vent for the younger guys. I suppose knowing that someone [who is not fit] is willing to come and be part of a team, that shows a great deal to the lads that are coming into the squad and what England has and has created over the years.

“For me to come and show my face, offer advice, be a good team-mate – it was a special moment.”

Newcastle’s Anthony Gordon has impressed on the left wing under Tuchel, but believes he has been nowhere near his best when playing for the national side.

“I think I have probably been at 50% in an England shirt,” he said on BBC Radio 5 Live. “I am nowhere near where I can get to. But I am feeling more comfortable every time I play.

“I’m looking forward to performing like that more often. I probably should have been putting in those performances a little bit earlier. I felt I played well in Serbia and I’m looking to kick on from there.”

Gordon is not surprised Tuchel selected the same squad from the September camp, which he described as “the best I have been a part of in terms of the vibe of the camp” because “everything clicked on and off the pitch”.

The fixture was confirmed following an agreement between the Ghana Football Association (GFA) and the England Football Association.

Fresh from a historic run to the semi-finals of the 2024 Women’s Africa Cup of Nations (WAFCON) — their first since 2016 — the Black Queens are determined to build on their momentum and solidify their place among Africa’s elite sides.

The match against England, reigning European champions and one of the world’s top-ranked teams, will form part of Ghana’s preparations for upcoming international competitions, including the 2026 WAFCON.

Head coach Kim Lars Björkegren described the friendly as an invaluable opportunity to measure the team’s progress, expose players to world-class opposition, and identify areas for improvement.

“This game provides the perfect test of our tactical growth and resilience. Playing a side of England’s caliber will help us assess our readiness for the challenges ahead,” he noted.

The Black Queens are expected to approach the encounter with strong motivation — not only to test their development but also to demonstrate Ghana’s growing presence in women’s football on the global stage.

With the 2027 FIFA Women’s World Cup qualifiers on the horizon, the clash will serve as a crucial gauge of character, tactical discipline, and competitive spirit.

The 22-year-old made the switch last summer from Austrian club Red Bull Salzburg to Championship side Norwich City, a move he had dreamt of for years.

Speaking to Flashscore, Amankwah reflected on his arrival in England and the challenges of the league.

“It was a great feeling to play in England. A lot of football players want to play in England. It was a great feeling,” he said.

Describing the league, he added, “I would say the league is tough. Really physical and more intense. In Austria, it was also intense, but the physicality is different. It’s my first year, so I will get used to it,” the midfielder added.

One of Amankwah’s standout moments came in February against Coventry City, when he scored a crucial late goal after coming off the bench, sparking celebrations at Carrow Road. The strike was later nominated for Norwich’s Goal of the Season.

“My best moment was when I came in to score the goals against Coventry. It was a great feeling because I had been injured and not playing games, so just to come in and win the game for the club was the best moment being here.

“I wasn’t surprised because I think the fans really loved that moment… It had been a long time since they had experienced such an atmosphere at the Carrow Road, and I was very proud.”

Having featured in 21 matches during his debut campaign, Amankwah is eager to play an even bigger role for Norwich City in the upcoming season.

The 19-year-old Arsenal forward played only 138 minutes of the competition in Switzerland and did not start a single match.

However, she was crucial to the Lionesses’ run to retaining their European title with a penalty shootout win over Spain in the final in Basel.

Agyemang had scored late equalisers against Sweden in the quarter-final and Italy in the semis to keep Sarina Wiegman’s side in contention.

Meanwhile, Spain midfielder and Ballon d’Or holder Aitana Bonmati was named player of the tournament.

Bonmati came off the bench in the world champions’ opening two games, having been taken to hospital with viral meningitis shortly before the tournament.

However, the 27-year-old however grew in influence, scoring the winner against Germany in the semi-final.

Spain striker Esther Gonzalez finished top scorer at the tournament with four goals in six matches.

The Lionesses came back twice to reach the decider in Basel and book this revenge mission against the same side who beat them at the 2023 World Cup in Sydney.

And Mariona Caldentey ensured England would need another when she nodded in a 25th-minute opener, cancelled out by her Arsenal team-mate Alessia Russo with a header of her own from Kelly’s cross after the break to make it 1-1.

Hannah Hampton made two spectacular saves in the shootout before Kelly – who made the difference in extra time at Wembley three summers ago –  netted another dramatic winner after Salma Paralluelo’s miss.

Lauren James was deemed fit enough to start after coming off at half-time of England’s semi-final comeback over Italy with an ankle issue, while Jess Carter returned to the defence in place of Esme Morgan.

Lucy Bronze overtook Jill Scott to become the Lionesses’ all-time appearance leader in major tournaments, featuring – and starting – for a 36th time.

England had a chance to take an early lead when Russo, released on the right, forced Cata Coll into a save, and James could not connect when the rebound returned in her direction.

England keeper Hampton’s big block denied Esther Gonzalez, who directed a second effort off-target, before Spain nearly gifted England a huge chance just before the 20-minute mark.

Laia Aleixandri was caught sleeping on Coll’s pass, allowing Lauren Hemp to intercept and test the Spanish keeper, who stuck out a leg to let Aleixandri off the hook.

Spain’s patience deep in England’s half paid off when Caldentey finally found the back of the net, the opener initially facilitated by Aitana Bonmati winning her battle with Georgia Stanway near the touchline.

The back-to-back Ballon d’Or winner then found a composed Athenea del Castillo – earning a start in place of Claudia Pina – who her time before working it to Ona Batlle, whose pinpoint delivery allowed Caldentey to power her header into the top right.

Spain were in the driver’s seat by the 41st minute when James, who had taken a knock, was replaced by Kelly, who got herself involved immediately with a wide effort.

Hampton denied Bonmati, then Caldentey before Russo, sandwiched between two Spain centre-backs, drew the sides level, nodding home another sumptuous cross from Kelly in the 57th minute.

Kelly then nearly got herself on the scoresheet with just over 20 minutes remaining, forcing Coll into a low fingertip save.

Russo’s evening was over two minutes later, replaced by 19-year-old breakout star Michelle Agyemang, and it took a spectacular reaction from Hampton to deny Pina, two minutes after the Spanish substitute’s own 71st-minute introduction.

A big Carter block denied Paralluelo, who blazed over, and neither side was able to make the difference after 30 minutes.

Spain looked likelier to score, first through Pina’s curled effort, then Paralluelo came up short in her attempt to cleverly flick in a winner late in the first 15-minute period of extra time.

England resolutely defended against more waves of Spanish attack, but their own was found wanting as they looked to avoid another shootout, their hopes kept alive by two more Hampton saves before Vicky Lopez blazed over.

Coll picked out Kelly’s corner with just under five minutes remaining in extra time, there was another huge Carter intervention to deny Bonmati another chance, and four minutes of stoppage time passed without anyone finding the back of the net.

Bronze, who fired in the winning penalty in England’s semi-final comeback over Sweden, had been forced off in extra time.

Mead found the back of the net with England’s first attempt, but was forced to retake it after VAR determined it had been double-hit after the substitute slipped, and was denied by Coll on her second try.

Patri Guijarro and Alex Greenwood both converted before Hampton leapt to her left, refusing to let Caldentey beat her again, then kept out Bonmati’s effort after Niamh Charles had beaten Coll.

Coll kept out captain Leah Williamson’s attempt, but Paralluelo’s miss opened the door for Kelly – who netted the winner three summers ago.

And just like she did three summers ago at Wembley, Kelly stepped up and scored when it mattered most.

On Sunday night, the UEFA Women’s EURO 2025 final will bring reigning champions England head-to-head with 2023 World Cup winners Spain at the Friends Arena in Stockholm.

Two elite footballing forces with divergent aims: England are chasing back-to-back EURO titles, while Spain look to assert themselves as undisputed queens of the global game with a first-ever European crown.

Spain coach Montse Tomé on completing the double: “This team has grown together, suffered together, and triumphed together. We are here to fight for the title that has eluded us – and we will give every ounce of ourselves to lift it.”

Total goals scored at this tournament so far, averaging 3.47 per game.

Spain’s Esther Gonzalez leads the Golden Boot race with four goals heading into the final.

England are bidding to become just the second team to win successive Women’s EUROs after Germany.

This is Spain’s first appearance in a Women’s EURO final.

This will be Sarina Wiegman’s third final in four years as England manager, after EURO 2022 and the 2023 World Cup.

The 22-year-old forward joined in a £30m deal from Ipswich earlier in June to reunite with his former Manchester City academy manager.

Delap, who signed a six-year contract at Stamford Bridge, scored 12 goals in 37 Premier League appearances last term.

Chelsea face Los Angeles FC in their Club World Cup opener on Monday (20:00 BST) in Atlanta.

When asked about Delap, who pulled out of England duty for the European Under-21 Championship to join Chelsea in the United States, Maresca said: “I said Liam can be England’s number nine when we faced Ipswich.

“Now he is a Chelsea player, I’m going to say again, I don’t have any doubt that he can be in the future England number nine.

“We won with Manchester City’s Under-23s – he scored 24, 25 goals that season – so he knows exactly what we can give him, I know what Liam can give us. It’s a win-win. We like Liam, Liam likes us, so it was an easy conversation.”

Delap is among four new players in Chelsea’s squad, along with returning loanee Andrey Santos and new teenage signings Dario Essugo, Mamadou Sarr and Mike Penders.

But Maresca explained Delap will have to compete with fellow striker Nicolas Jackson to earn a starting place and refused to say whether he will start at the Mercedes-Benz Stadium.

He also explained, without directly being asked about it, that the club needs a new left winger after Chelsea paid a £5m penalty fee not to sign Manchester United loanee Jadon Sancho, adding: “Jadon is not with us. So for sure that is a position that probably we need to do something.

“Also because, Misha [Mudryk] is not with us. At this moment we have Noni [Madueke], Pedro [Neto] and Ty [George] as proper wingers. So for sure something is going to happen.”

The Blues are expected to rekindle their interest in Dortmund winger Jamie Gittens as the transfer window re-opens on Monday, having had a £42m bid rejected for the 20-year-old just before the Club World Cup.

They also made an approach for AC Milan goalkeeper Mike Maignan, but Maresca insists he still has faith in the likes of Robert Sanchez. He explained: “Robert is the number one, we have Filip as number two.

“Penders joins us in the next few weeks to analyse, judge him and take a final decision. Then for Maignan or different players, I don’t think it’s worth talking about them.”

The Lions of Teranga came from behind to inflict what was also the Three Lions’ first ever loss against an African opponent.

England were seeking a response from their disappointing display against Andorra on Saturday and drew first blood after just seven minutes.

Eberechi Eze stole possession and combined with Conor Gallagher to tee up Anthony Gordon, whose first-time shot was parried by Edouard Mendy for Harry Kane to tuck away the rebound.

Senegal responded well and drew themselves level five minutes before the break as Nicolas Jackson latched onto a ball over the top of the defence, before crossing for Ismaila Sarr to finish.

The visitors, who were unbeaten in 23 matches, then completed the turnaround in the 62nd minute with the Three Lions caught out by another lofted ball in behind the back line, and Habib Diarra capitalising on the space to beat Dean Henderson from a tight angle.

England thought they had equalised in the 84th minute when Jude Bellingham fired home from close range, only for the referee to rule Levi Colwill had handled in the build-up.

The hosts’ misery was compounded in the third minute of stoppage time when Lamine Camara dispossessed Curtis Jones and launched a quickfire counter, before finding Cheikh Sabaly, who controlled and tucked away.

One win, in any of the three European competitions, would have secured the fifth place for England.

Two extra spots are awarded to countries based on their ranking in Uefa’s coefficient table.

Liverpool and Arsenal look set to finish in the top in the Premier League, with Nottingham Forest, Chelsea, Newcastle, Manchester City, Aston Villa, Brighton and Bournemouth, who sit 10th, all separated by 12 points.

England could have as many as seven teams in the Champions League in 2025-26 if Aston Villa win the competition this year, but fail to qualify through the Premier League, and if Manchester United or Tottenham win the Europa League.

Italy are second in the coefficient rankings, with Spain and Germany behind.

Image source: BBC Sport/Getty Images

Image caption: Newcastle would be the team to currently benefit from the fifth place

How do countries earn an extra Champions League spot for next season?

Each country’s league earns a coefficient ranking based on how their teams perform in Uefa’s three men’s club competitions: the Champions League, Europa League and Conference League.

Coefficient points are earned through match results – two for a win and one for a draw.

The points earned by clubs from the same domestic league are added up and divided by the number of clubs the league has in Europe.

For example, if the Premier League had 100 points, that would be split by the number of teams playing in Europe (seven), giving England a coefficient of 14.28.

This season, bonus points are available to clubs playing in the Champions League, which is advantageous to leagues with more clubs competing in it, such as Germany and Italy.

Countries that finish in the coefficient table’s top two earn an additional Champions League spot for the following season.

Those spots are awarded to the teams who finish in the first position below the standard Champions League allocation in those leagues.

In the Premier League, the top four clubs automatically qualify for the Champions League via league position, so any additional place would go to the team in fifth.

Additional spots for the 2024-25 Champions League were given to Bologna and Borussia Dortmund, who finished fifth in Serie A and the Bundesliga respectively.

What about the Europa League winners?

England could end up with seven Champions League teams next season.

The winners of the Europa League, as well as the Champions League, are granted a spot.

Under previous rules, any single league could only have a maximum of five clubs in the Champions League. However, that rule has been scrapped.

This season, any team who win the Europa League or Champions League but do not qualify for the Champions League via their domestic league position will go into the Champions League.

If Aston Villa win the Champions League and finish outside the top five in the Premier League then that will give English clubs another spot.

Also, Manchester United and Tottenham, both languishing in the bottom half of the Premier League, are in the quarter-finals of the Europa League and if either of them win the tournament that would be another team from England playing in next season’s elite European competition.

Palmer picked up the injury in training and was ruled out of Sunday’s 1-0 defeat at Arsenal.

That was the first time the Blues had played without him since April last year, when they were beaten 5-0 by the Gunners.

Maresca thinks it is unlikely Palmer will join up with Thomas Tuchel’s England squad.

“I don’t think [he will be fit for England] to be honest,” Maresca said after the Arsenal defeat.

“His injury is from yesterday’s session. It’s a muscular problem…

“He needs a scan and the scan is planned for Monday morning.”

As well as Parker, Chelsea were also without striker Nicolas Jackson and winger Noni Madueke on Sunday – and Maresca rued the absent trio.

“It’s a huge difference. The three players who have the most goals for us [are] Cole Palmer, Nicolas Jackson and Noni Madueke, none of them were inside the pitch,” Maresca said.

“Two of them it’s already long term that they have been out. It’s normal that offensively that we can struggle a little bit.

“I think even until today we are second or third best attacking in the league. We’re doing well with the other players but we could do better with the players that are in this moment injured.”

Palmer has had a hand in 20 of Chelsea’s 53 league goals this season (14 goals, six assists), but has not scored for the past seven Premier League games – and Maresca thinks a rest may help him rediscover his best form.

“We don’t wish for a player’s injury but in Cole’s case at this moment, probably give him some rest physically and mentally it could be good,” added Maresca.

England play Albania on Friday in their first match under new head coach Tuchel as they start their qualification campaign for the World Cup in 2026, before playing Latvia at Wembley.

Tuchel, 51, named his 26-man squad for this month’s World Cup qualifiers against Albania and Latvia on Friday and said he will not sing God Save the King before those matches.

“I feel that it is not just a given. You cannot just sing it. That’s why I decided that I will not sing it in my first matches,” the German said.

After his appointment in October Tuchel said he had “not decided” whether or not to sing the anthem.

The former Chelsea and Bayern Munich boss officially became England manager on 1 January but will make his debut in the Three Lions dugout against Albania on 21 March.

“I think, first of all, you have a very powerful, emotional and meaningful national anthem and I could not be more proud to be on the sidelines and be in charge of the English national team,” Tuchel said.

“It means everything. It means a lot to me, I can assure you, but I can feel because it is that meaningful and it is that emotional and it is so powerful, the national anthem, that I have to earn my right to sing it.”

Lee Carsley was criticised during his interim spell in charge of England last year for not singing the anthem.

Tuchel joked in his news conference following the squad announcement that he does know the words to the anthem, but plans to earn the right to sing it with “results, building the group and doing my job properly”.

“Maybe I have to dive more into the culture and earn my right from you, from the players, from the supporters, so everyone feels like ‘he should sing it now, he’s one of our own, he’s the English manager, he should sing it’,” he said.

Englishman and former Chelsea boss Potter, 49, was linked with the Three Lions job but did not confirm if he had been interviewed for the role.

German Tuchel, who Potter succeeded as the Chelsea manager in September 2022, was named the third non-British permanent boss of the England men’s team earlier this month.

“They’ve made a really good appointment for a coach that is obviously successful, and has won lots of things,” Potter told the BBC’s Planet Premier League podcast.

“It feels like that was the movement towards how we need a winning coach, a top coach that can help these top players. [For that] Thomas is a fantastic coach and a great appointment.”

Football Association chief executive Mark Bullingham said “approximately 10 people” were interviewed, including “some English candidates”, before Tuchel was given the job.

Potter refused to state if he was one of those candidates, saying he has “had conversations with quite a few people”.

England Under-21 head coach Lee Carsley took over the senior role on an interim basis and was linked to getting the job permanently, while Newcastle manager Eddie Howe said he had received “no contact from the FA”.

Wolves boss Gary O’Neil, one of three English managers in the Premier League, said English football only had itself to blame for the FA’s decision to go for an overseas manager, while adding he had “no issues” with Tuchel’s appointment.

Potter guided Brighton to their then highest-ever Premier League finish of ninth during the 2021–22 season and was rated as one of the top English coaches before lasting less than seven months in charge of Chelsea.

No current English coach has won the Champions League, but Tuchel won Europe’s biggest club competition with Chelsea in 2021.

“Do I think that an English coach can win the World Cup or a major trophy? Yes, absolutely I do,” said Potter, who is yet to return to management after his Chelsea departure.

“You look at the previous Euros winners – the Spanish coach [Luis de la Fuente] I don’t think was a Champions League-winning coach?

“I don’t think the Argentinian coach [Lionel Scaloni, who won the World Cup in 2022] was a Champions League-winning coach?

“But at the same time, I understand if that’s the criteria [being a winner at club level].”

A ‘challenge’ for aspiring EFL coaches

England have had only English full-time managers in the years since Italian and Champions League-winning coach Fabio Capello guided the Three Lions from 2007 to 2012, a stint that ended without silverware.

Gareth Southgate, who did not win any major trophies as a club coach, took charge of England in 2016 and reached two European Championship finals.

Potter led Swedish side Ostersund from the fourth tier into the top flight with three promotions in five seasons and won the 2017 Swedish Cup, before spending time in the Championship with Swansea City.

He believes judging managers on just winning is “quite a binary measurement”, making the pathway a “challenge” for coaches coming up the English Football League [EFL] pyramid.

“Football looks at whether you win or lose and if you win, you’re good and if you lose, you’re not very good,” Potter said.

“If you’re managing an EFL team, it’s a fairly English-based side, and then you go into the Premier League, and it’s more multinational, things like playing style then is a challenge.

“After success for coaches in the EFL, do teams in the Premier League look at that and go ‘OK, yeah, that’s a good barometer for us to employ’?

“At the moment, it doesn’t seem that way.”

German Tuchel, 51, was confirmed as the next Three Lions boss on Wednesday and will officially take charge on 1 January after signing an 18-month contract.

Tuchel said he is “sorry I have a German passport” when asked about becoming only the third non-British permanent head coach of the England men’s team.

The Champions League winner also explained he was initially unsure about making the switch from club to international football but added he is excited to work with a “very special and exciting group of players”.

Tuchel is tasked with guiding England’s men to the 2026 World Cup, where they will hope to end a 60-year wait for a major trophy.

He replaces Gareth Southgate, who resigned after eight years in charge following England’s loss to Spain in the Euro 2024 final in July.

“I understood very quickly that is it is a big job. I think always the job you are in is the biggest job and it makes no sense to compare, but it feels big and feels like a privilege,” Tuchel said at a media conference at Wembley on Wednesday afternoon.

“I think it is pretty obvious I am very emotional. I love what I am doing and am passionate about football.

“This role just brought the young me alive and brought back my teenage days, to get excited for such a big task.

“Everyone can be assured we will do it with passion and emotions. We will try to install values and principles and rules as quickly as possible to make the dream come true.”

‘I want to put the second star on this shirt’

Interim boss Lee Carsley will remain in charge for England’s Nations League fixtures next month before returning to lead the England Under-21s.

Carsley travelled the same journey as Southgate through the Football Association’s coaching development system.

However, it is former Chelsea manager Tuchel – described by FA chief executive Mark Bullingham as “one of the best coaches in the world” – who has been called upon to end England’s long wait for silverware in 2026.

Sven-Goran Eriksson, between 2001 and 2006, and Fabio Capello, from 2008 to 2012, are the only previous non-British permanent England men’s bosses.

Addressing critics who believe an Englishman should lead the national team, Tuchel said: “All of those supporters maybe felt my passion for the English Premier League and the country and how I love to live and work here.

“Hopefully I can convince them and show them and prove to them I am proud to be an English manager and do everything to show respect to this role and this country and the target for the next 18 months.”

Tuchel added: “I want to put the second star [for a World Cup win] on this shirt. We will work hard for the biggest target in football, making our dream come true at the World Cup 2026.”

He said he would take time to decide whether he will sing the national anthem prior to games.

“I understand it is a personal decision; there are managers who sing and some who don’t,” Tuchel said. “I have not made my decision yet. No matter what decision I take, I will always show my respect to the country and a very moving anthem.”

English candidates were interviewed – Bullingham

Unlike Eriksson and Capello when they came to the job, Tuchel has prior experience of working in English football.

His team lifted the Champions League, Club World Cup and Uefa Super Cup in a successful 20-month spell at Chelsea, before he was sacked in September 2022.

This is Tuchel’s first international managerial role. He has a 57% win percentage as a manager at top-flight clubs in all competitions, including a 56% win ratio with Chelsea in the Premier League.

Among his other successes, Tuchel led Paris St-Germain to a domestic treble in 2019-20 – also leading the French club to the Champions League final in that Covid-affected season – and guided Bayern Munich to the 2022-23 Bundesliga title.

“It is very new because I come from club football, but the new role is also very exciting,” Tuchel said.

“Once I made a time frame up in my mind from January [2025] to the World Cup, I felt already excited and it suited my passion to push this group of players, and to be part of this federation with such a strong record in the last tournaments – to push it over the line and to try to put a second star on the shirt.”

Tuchel explained the initial 18-month deal would allow him “to demand from myself to not lose the focus” on the immediate period building up to the World Cup.

Renowned as an excellent tactician, Tuchel earned recognition for getting the better of Manchester City counterpart Pep Guardiola in the Champions League final in 2021 – with the Spaniard another name reported to have been approached for the England job.

Asked about the hiring process, Bullingham said the FA “interviewed approximately 10 people” which included “some English candidates within that”.

“The whole process was confidential, said Bullingham. “I understand at times that may be frustrating for people, but we had to make that confidential for us but also really, more importantly for the candidates.

“We were absolutely delighted to end up with Thomas and we believe he gives us the best chance of winning the World Cup so we believe we’ve got the best candidate for the job.”

The 51-year-old German, who has signed an 18-month contract, becomes the third non-British permanent manager of the men’s team after Sven-Goran Eriksson and Fabio Capello.

Gareth Southgate resigned in July after England’s defeat by Spain in the Euro 2024 final.

Lee Carsley, who was overseen four games since being appointed interim manager in August, will remain in charge for the Nations League matches against Greece and the Republic of Ireland next month.

Former Chelsea boss Tuchel, who left Bayern Munich at the end of last season, said: “I am very proud to have been given the honour of leading the England team.

“I have long felt a personal connection to the game in this country, and it has given me some incredible moments already.

“To have the chance to represent England is a huge privilege, and the opportunity to work with this special and talented group of players is very exciting.”

Chief executive Mark Bullingham said the Football Association had appointed “one of the best coaches in the world”.

He said: “Thomas and the team have a single-minded focus on giving us the best possible chance to win the World Cup in 2026.”

England have not won a major trophy since the 1966 World Cup.

They will start their qualification process for the 2026 tournament in Canada, Mexico and the United States next year.

The FA approached Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola in the summer to see if had an interest in the role, while Newcastle United boss Eddie Howe and ex-Brighton and Chelsea manager Graham Potter were also linked with the position.

FA said,Tuchel was the “preferred candidate” from “several” managers interviewed.

It said the FA board approved the decision last week and Tuchel signed a contract on 8 October.

Under Carsley, England lost to Greece on 10 October and beat Finland on 13 October.

“The announcement was delayed to minimise distraction around the international camp that has just concluded,” an FA statement read.

English coach Anthony Barry, who worked with Tuchel at Chelsea and Bayern, will be his assistant.

Tuchel won the German Cup with Borussia Dortmund and two Ligue 1 titles at Paris St-Germain, including a domestic treble in 2019-20.

He became Chelsea manager in January 2021, winning the Champions League, Club World Cup and Uefa Super Cup before being sacked in September 2022.

After Bayern failed to win the Bundesliga title last season for the first time since 2011-12, Tuchel left despite still having a year to run on his contract.

“Exciting times for England, with a generation of talented players and a new manager taking the reins,” the Prince of Wales said on social media.

“Thomas, wishing you the best of luck, we’re all behind you! W”

Carsley will return to manage England Under-21s when Tuchel takes over.

Sky Germany are reporting Tuchel has signed an 18-month contract with the FA – which will start on January 1.

There is no comment yet from the FA on this, but it would mean Lee Carsley remaining in interim charge for next month’s Nations League matches against Greece and the Republic of Ireland.

Confirmation could come as early as Wednesday – when a press conference has been called for 1.30pm at Wembley – after advanced talks between Tuchel and the Football Association progressed rapidly on Tuesday.

The FA has not commented on widespread reports linking the former Chelsea boss with the position vacated by Gareth Southgate after Euro 2024, but chief executive Mark Bullingham and technical director John McDermott have been in discussions with Tuchel since last month.

The 51-year-old would become the third non-Englishman to hold the post after Sven-Goran Eriksson and Fabio Capello.

The German boasts considerable elite-level experience having led Chelsea to Champions League glory in 2021 and also taken charge of Paris Saint-Germain and Bayern Munich.

The news, which began with similar reports in the German media last week, follows reports suggesting the FA had also made an approach to Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola.

The FA had made it clear at the start of its recruitment process in July that nationality was not an issue, it just wanted the best person for the job.

U21 coach Carsley has been in interim charge of the senior team for their Nations League matches so far this autumn.

Carsley was thought to have been a candidate for the job but a lack of clarity from him regarding his own ambitions had reignited speculation over the position in recent days.

England have been without a permanent manager since Gareth Southgate resigned following the Three Lions’ Euro 2024 final defeat against Spain.

Lee Carsley was placed in charge on an interim basis “with a view to remaining in the position throughout autumn” while the FA assessed suitable options.

The BBC has been told by two different sources that initial talks have taken place with German Tuchel.

An approach was also made for Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola in the summer.

Tuchel left Bayern Munich in May, despite still having a year to run on his contract, as the German giants failed to win the Bundesliga title for the first time since 2011-12.

He has also previously managed Mainz, Borussia Dortmund and Paris St-Germain.

Tuchel, 51, was Chelsea boss between January 2021 and September 2022 – winning the Champions League, Fifa Club World Cup and Uefa Super Cup before being sacked.

In June, Tuchel ruled himself out of the running to take over at Manchester United – it was understood that he met Red Devils co-owner Sir Jim Ratcliffe in France.

If appointed, Tuchel would become the third non-British permanent manager of the England men’s team after Sven-Goran Eriksson and Fabio Capello.

Search for Southgate’s successor draws closer

Southgate spent eight years in charge of England and is the only manager bar 1966 World Cup winner Sir Alf Ramsey to lead the England men’s team into a major tournament final, doing so at Euro 2020 and Euro 2024.

He managed England at four major tournaments, also reaching the World Cup semi-finals in 2018 and quarter-finals in 2022.

Carsley has overseen three victories and one defeat in the Nations League since stepping up to cover the role.

Like Southgate, Carsley was previously England Under-21s boss and guided the team to the European U21 Championship in 2023.

After winning his first two games as interim England manager, Carsley tasted defeat against Greece at Wembley on Thursday before Finland were beaten 3-1 in Helsinki on Sunday.

Following the loss to Greece, Carsley said he would “hopefully be going back to the under-21s”.

After the win over Finland, the 50-year-old insisted it was “definitely” wrong to say he had ruled himself out of the running for the permanent job, but said England deserve a “world-class coach” and conceded he “is still on the path to that”.

Among the names previously linked with the permanent vacancy are Newcastle manager Eddie Howe and former Brighton and Chelsea boss Graham Potter.

Interim manager Lee Carsley made six chances from the debacle against Greece, with goalkeeper Jordan Pickford replaced by Dean Henderson, but failed to sparkle until the side ranked 64th in the group and without a point ran out of steam late on.

The recalled Jack Grealish settled early England nerves with a cool finish from Angel Gomes’ excellent pass in the 18th minute, while Finland missed chances to put Carsley and his side under further pressure before Trent Alexander-Arnold’s brilliant late free-kick settled the game.

Declan Rice scored another from close-range with six minutes left to give the scoreline a more satisfactory appearance for Carsley and England.

Finland striker Fredrik Jensen was their biggest culprit as they tried to inflict more misery on England, missing good first-half opportunities before somehow turning an effort over the top from only six yards after the break.

Alexander-Arnold, operating at left-back in another Carsley break from convention, provided a rare moment of quality in a game desperately lacking the commodity, curling a magnificent 25-yard free-kick high past Finland keeper Lukas Hradecky after 74 minutes.

Finland, by then, were out on their feet and Rice stole in for an easy finish three minutes from time.

The Finns at least delighted the packed 32,000 crowd and got the reward their gallant efforts deserved when Arttu Hoskonen scored as England failed to deal with a corner.

Voted for by the public, the Chelsea forward was picked ahead of Jude Bellingham and Bukayo Saka, who finished second and third respectively.

Palmer only made his debut for the Three Lions in November last year – in a 2-0 win against Malta at Wembley.

He has represented his country nine times, starting a game twice, with five of those appearances coming at Euro 2024, where he scored in the final against Spain as Gareth Southgate’s side lost 2-1.

The recognition comes after he was named PFA Young Player of the Year for 2023–2024 in August, following his superb debut season at Chelsea.

Palmer, who joined the Blues from Manchester City last summer, scored 25 goals in all competitions.

He has scored twice for England and is expected to be involved in the upcoming Nations League fixtures against Greece on Thursday and Finland on Sunday.

The 2023-24 England women’s player of the year is set to be announced later this month.

Palmer joins illustrious list

Palmer is the first Chelsea player to receive the recognition since Ashley Cole in 2010. Frank Lampard also won the award while at the Blues.

Arsenal’s Saka was named men’s player of the year in the past two seasons, while Harry Kane, Wayne Rooney and David Beckham are also past winners.

Past winners:

2023-24 – Cole Palmer (Chelsea)

2022-23 – Bukayo Saka (Arsenal)

2021-22 – Bukayo Saka (Arsenal)

2020-21 – Kalvin Phillips (Leeds)

2019 – Jordan Henderson (Liverpool)

2018 – Harry Kane (Tottenham Hotspur)

2017 – Harry Kane (Tottenham Hotspur)

2016 – Adam Lallana (Liverpool)

2015 – Wayne Rooney (Manchester United)

2014 – Wayne Rooney (Manchester United)

2012 – Steven Gerrard (Liverpool)

2011 – Scott Parker (Tottenham Hotspur)

2010 – Ashley Cole (Chelsea)

2009 – Wayne Rooney (Manchester United)

2008 – Wayne Rooney (Manchester United)

2007 – Steven Gerrard (Liverpool)

2006 – Owen Hargreaves (Bayern Munich)

2005 – Frank Lampard (Chelsea)

2004 – Frank Lampard (Chelsea)

2003 – David Beckham (Manchester United)

Manchester City forward Foden, who was recently named PFA Player of the Year, was called up by interim England boss Lee Carsley, but did not join up with the squad because of illness.

Chelsea forward Palmer and Aston Villa striker Watkins both reported for duty at St George’s Park, but have returned to their respective clubs “to continue their rehabilitation from ongoing issues”, said the Football Association.

England face the Republic of Ireland in Dublin on Saturday, 7 September before hosting Finland at Wembley three days later.

The games will be their first since they lost to Spain in the final of Euro 2024 on 14 July.

Gareth Southgate resigned soon after, with under-21s boss Carsley appointed interim manager on 9 August.

Naming his squad for the upcoming Nations League games, he handed call-ups to Angel Gomes, Tino Livramento, Morgan Gibbs-White and Noni Madueke.

Lille winger Gomes, Newcastle defender Livramento, Nottingham Forest midfielder Gibbs-White and Chelsea forward Madueke all played for Carsley during his time as England Under-21 manager.

Manchester City playmaker Jack Grealish, who was cut from England’s preliminary Euro 2024 squad, was recalled as well as Manchester United defender Harry Maguire.

Eriksson, the first non-British manager of the England team, led the Three Lions to the quarter-finals at three major tournaments during his five-year spell in charge between 2001 and 2006.

In January Eriksson said he had “at best” a year to live after being diagnosed with cancer.

His family said on Monday: “Sven-Goran Eriksson has passed away. After a long illness, SGE died during the morning at home surrounded by family.”

The Swede managed 12 clubs, including Manchester City, Leicester, Roma and Lazio, winning 18 trophies.

Eriksson also had spells in charge of Mexico, Ivory Coast and the Philippines.

After retiring as a player at the age of 27, Eriksson began his managerial career with Degerfors in 1977 before joining fellow Swedish side Gothenburg, where he won the Swedish title, two Swedish cups and the 1982 Uefa Cup.

He then went on to enjoy two spells with Portuguese giants Benfica as well as managing Italian sides Roma, Fiorentina, Sampdoria and Lazio – where he won seven trophies including the Serie A title, two Italian Cups and the European Cup Winners’ Cup.

Following his diagnosis Eriksson spent the year visiting some of his former clubs, including Lazio and Sampdoria.

In March the Swede, a lifelong Liverpool fan, helped lead a Liverpool Legends team which beat an Ajax Legends side 4-2 at Anfield.

He shared a poignant message at the end of his new documentary film ‘Sven’, which was released earlier this month.

He said: “I hope you will remember me as a positive guy trying to do everything he could do.

“Don’t be sorry, smile. Thank you for everything, coaches, players, the crowds, it’s been fantastic. Take care of yourself and take care of your life. And live it.”

The 29-year-old has not played for his country since the 2022 World Cup, when he flew home to attend a family emergency during the tournament in Qatar.

Former manager Gareth Southgate left the forward out of multiple squads since then, including his party for Euro 2024.

Southgate resigned following the defeat against Spain in the final and the Football Association is yet to appoint his successor, but Under-21 boss Lee Carsley is expected to take interim charge for the Nations League games in September.

When asked if he misses being around the England camp, Sterling said: “Of course, I love playing for England. It is one of the best feelings you can ever have.

“To see the boys out there brought me joy. To be honest they were the only games I watched – the England ones. I love playing for England.

“I am looking forward to getting back in the England set-up, that is for sure.”

Sterling’s chances of an England recall by virtue of eye-catching individual performances will be helped if Chelsea improve this season after two years of underachievement since he joined from Manchester City for £50m.

Enzo Maresca, who worked under Pep Guardiola at City, is now Chelsea’s manager and Sterling expects him to offer a familiar way of playing.

“[He can get the] best out of me, the best out of the team,” he added. “He has come in and stamped his authority, the way he wants to play.

“Yes, some of the results haven’t been pleasing but, with the ball, the right information is getting passed on. You can see the patterns coming through.

“It is early days so you can see where we’re looking to go. It is a learning process for the whole group and one we are grasping really quickly.

“The Premier League is coming along very soon so I do think there are good times ahead.”

Sterling played in all five of Chelsea’s friendlies during the pre-season tour of the United States, scoring one goal and providing one assist.

The German is among those to have been linked with the vacancy since Gareth Southgate stepped down after England’s defeat by Spain in the final of Euro 2024.

Klopp, 57, left Liverpool at the end of last season saying he was “running out of energy” after nine years with the Reds during which he delivered the Premier League, Champions League, FA Cup, two League Cups, Fifa Club World Cup and Uefa Super Cup.

Appearing at the International Coaches’ Congress in Wurzburg, Germany, Klopp was asked if there were any offers on the table.

“At the moment, there is nothing at all in terms of jobs. No club, no country,” he said.

“England? That would be the biggest loss of face in the history of football if I said I’ll make an exception for you.”

On Tuesday, Newcastle United boss Eddie Howe, who has also been linked with England, said he has not had contact with the Football Association over the job.

“Absolutely no contact whatsoever from anybody – and I’m fully committed to Newcastle,” said Howe, when asked about England during Newcastle’s pre-season trip to Japan.

England’s first game following Southgate’s departure will be against Republic of Ireland in Dublin on 7 September in the Uefa Nations League.

As well as Howe, England Under-21s boss Lee Carsley has been linked with the job along with former Chelsea and Brighton manager Graham Potter, and Thomas Tuchel, who most recently managed Bayern Munich.​​​​​​​

‘I still want to work in football’

Klopp, who spent seven years in charge of Borussia Dortmund before taking the Liverpool job in 2015, did not rule out a return to coaching in future.

“Let’s see what it will look like in a few months. Nothing is coming through at the moment,” he said.

“As of today, that’s it for me as a coach. I didn’t quit on a whim, it was a general decision.

“I’ve also coached the best clubs in the world. Maybe we can talk about it again in a few months.

“I still want to work in football and help people with my experience and contacts. Let’s see what else there is for me.”

Klopp was at Wembley on 1 June as Borussia Dortmund’s guest for the Champions League final against Real Madrid.

Liverpool have appointed Feyenoord boss Arne Slot as Klopp’s replacement.

The Manchester City forward, 28, said he was “heartbroken” but is determined to use the experience as motivation going forward.

Grealish came on as a substitute in England’s 3-0 warm-up win against Bosnia-Herzegovina at St James’ Park just over a week before the tournament started but was not included in Gareth Southgate’s final 26-man squad.

England would go on to reach the final, which they lost 2-1 to Spain.

“When you are on your holidays, every time you turn on the phone or the TV you just see it [the tournament], so it was hard not to see,” added the former Aston Villa player, who has 36 England caps.

“I’ll be honest, football-wise it was the most difficult thing I’ve ever had to deal with in terms of my own career.

“I was absolutely heartbroken. For myself now moving forward, I have to just try and use that as motivation going into this season.”

Grealish cost City a British record £100m when he joined City from Villa in August 2021, one month after featuring for England in the Euro 2020 final against Italy.

“I felt I should have been in the [England] squad,” added Grealish, who was speaking on City’s pre-season tour of the United States.

“I feel like I offer something different to players in the England squad.

“But it is what it is.
“As I said, it was the hardest moment for me as a footballer. I’ve had a lot of ups and downs in my career.”

Maguire played more than 60 times under manager Gareth Southgate but missed England’s run to a second consecutive European Championship final in Germany with a calf injury.

During the group stage of the tournament beer cups were thrown at Southgate and the team was jeered by some fans, with a string of below-par displays greeted with general disdain from some supporters, media and pundits.

“Yes, performances might not have been amazing but it is tournament football,” Maguire told BBC Sport, speaking on the club’s pre-season tour of the United States.

“It is not as expansive. There are far less risks taken. You can’t afford to make mistakes or get caught going out in a full press. You saw throughout the tournament there were not many high-scoring wins.

“I just don’t know what the media or fans expected of this team. Was it to go and beat Serbia 4-0 in the first game and then beat Denmark 3-0? Did they think it was just going to be a walk in the park?”

Southgate resigned two days after the tournament finished.

Maguire’s team-mate Tom Heaton, who was part of the England squad as a training goalkeeper, added: “I am not quite sure where the narrative changed. Through Gareth’s whole reign as manager, there has been a real positive outlook to it.

“From a players’ point of view from inside the camp, we managed to shut it out and create a siege mentality and proved people wrong.

“It was an incredible experience but I was a little bit surprised at the outlook from the start of the tournament.”

‘Tough’ to miss two career highlights – Maguire

Maguire picked up a calf injury in training at the beginning of May and could not recover in time for the FA Cup final win over Manchester City at Wembley four weeks later.

Another setback on England duty led to Southgate cutting him from the final 26-man Euro 2024 squad.

“To miss out was tough,” added Maguire.

“It has been really frustrating, working all season to get myself mentally and physically at the top of my game and be in a position to feel I could really make a difference for Manchester United and my country.”

The 31-year-old earned plenty of praise last season for refusing to quit United when he was stripped of the captaincy by manager Erik ten Hag and at times dropped down to fifth choice central defender, behind Lisandro Martinez, Raphael Varane, Victor Lindelof and Jonny Evans.

Maguire made 31 appearances in all competitions, despite not starting a Premier League game until October.

United have spent £52m on 18-year-old French defender Leny Yoro, but Maguire says he’s ready for a renewed challenge for his first-team position.

“There was a lot of uncertainty over my future last year but I sat down with the manager, he told me where I was at, said he believed in me and I would get chances,” said Maguire.

“I proved last season when I got the chances I took them really well.”

United’s FA Cup final victory changed perceptions around Ten Hag and probably saved his job.

But Maguire knows the eighth-placed Premier League finish was not good enough.

With Dan Ashworth now in place as sporting director and Omar Berrada the new chief executive, Maguire expects improvement but is realistic about how far United might go in the months that lie ahead.

“I don’t think we will go from finishing eighth in the league to winning all the trophies overnight,” he said.

“But I do think we are moving in the right direction now and the decisions that have been made at the top will help this club get back to where it should be.”

Postecoglou, 58, insisted he is only focused on being the Spurs boss following Gareth Southgate’s resignation on Tuesday.

Southgate, who was appointed in 2016 and had five months left on his deal with England, stood down less than 48 hours after Spain beat the Three Lions in the Euro 2024 final.

“I’ve got no idea, I’ve been preparing for a game,” Postecoglou told BBC Scotland when asked about the links after his side’s 5-1 pre-season victory over Hearts.

“I’m the Tottenham manager. That’s where I stand.”

Former Celtic boss Postecoglou took over at Tottenham at the start of last season and guided them to a fifth-place finish in the Premier League.

Despite missing out on qualification for the Champions League, the Australian, who coached his national team from 2013-17, was praised for his attacking style of football.

Newcastle manager Eddie Howe is the leading contender to become England’s next manager, but Magpies chief executive Darren Eales has said they will resist any approaches from the Football Association.

England are next in action when they face the Republic of Ireland on 7 September in the Nations League.

An interim manager will be in charge if the FA are still to appoint Southgate’s successor at that point.

Howe, 46, is a leading contender to become England’s next manager following Gareth Southgate’s resignation.

Southgate, who was appointed in 2016 and had five months left on his deal with England, stood down less than 48 hours after Spain beat the Three Lions in the Euro 2024 final.

Howe was appointed Newcastle manager in 2021 and signed a new long-term contract extension in 2022 after steering the club away from relegation.

Asked if the club would fight to keep Howe in the event of an approach from the FA, Earles said: “Yes, absolutely.

“We’re on an exciting journey and, as far as we’re concerned, Eddie is the man to lead us on that.

“For us, he’s exactly the right man for the project we are on at Newcastle United and that is why we are committed to a long-term deal with him. That’s why we think he’s the right man for Newcastle. We love him.”

Eales said, given Howe’s long-term contract in the north east, the club would be due compensation should Howe agree to replace Southgate but there was not a “set number” in place.

Former England and Newcastle striker Alan Shearer told BBC Radio 5 Live that Howe has done an “unbelievable job” at St James’ Park and is “pretty sure” he will be contacted about replacing Southgate.

Shearer added: “Then it will be up to him to say if he is interested or not, but who could blame him?

“When your country comes calling it will be very difficult [to turn down], only he can answer that, but I imagine Eddie will be very high on the FA’s list.”

England are next in action when they face the Republic of Ireland on 7 September in the Nations League.

An interim manager will be in charge if the FA are still to appoint Southgate’s successor.

Gareth Southgate’s side were sunk by Mikel Oyarzabal’s late winner to leave England heartbroken again in a second successive European Championship final and unable to end the long wait for success for the men’s team.

Spain’s young star wingers combined to give them the lead two minutes after the break as Lamine Yamal’s pass opened up space for Nico Williams to beat England keeper Jordan Pickford with a powerful low finish.

England captain Harry Kane was out of sorts once more and was substituted on the hour and it was Cole Palmer – on for Kobbie Mainoo – who raised hopes of another dramatic comeback with a composed left-foot strike after 73 minutes.

It was Spain, however, who snatched the win four minutes from time as Oyarzabal slid home Marc Cucurella’s cross to leave England the nearly men once more.

Spain’s Dani Olmo, Georgia’s Georges Mikautadze, the Netherlands’ Cody Gakpo, Slovakia’s Ivan Schranz and Germany’s Jamal Musiala also won a share of the award.

Neither Kane nor Olmo scored in the Euro 2024 final, which Spain won 2-1.

Previous Euros have seen assists used as a tie-break, which would have given Leipzig midfielder Olmo the award on his own, but Uefa announced this year’s would just be decided on goals.

Bayern Munich’s Kane, 30, scored against Denmark in the group stages, an extra-time winner against Slovakia in the last 16 and the equaliser against the Netherlands in the semis.

It caps a prolific season for Kane, who won his first European Golden Shoe – as the top scorer in any of Europe’s top flights – with 36 Bundesliga strikes.

Former Tottenham striker Kane, England’s all-time leading scorer, also won the Golden Boot at the 2018 World Cup with six goals.

Spain and Manchester City midfielder Rodri, who went off at half-time in the final through injury, was named the player of the tournament.

The Young Player of the Tournament award went to Spain’s 17-year-old winger Lamine Yamal – who set up four goals and scored once in Germany.

For the fourth game in a row England came from behind, but this time they fell short with Mikel Oyarzabal scoring a late winner to snatch a 2-1 victory.

Nico Williams’ strike early in the second half put Spain ahead but Cole Palmer’s brilliant leveller looked set to send the game into extra time before Oyarzabal pounced four minutes from time.

This was the second European Championship final in a row that Gareth Southgate’s side have lost, after falling to Italy on penalties in 2021, with 1966 their only major tournament final before that.

The country has yet to win senior football tournament abroad, with the 1966 success and Women’s Euro 2022 final – which England won – both at Wembley.

Southgate’s contract runs until the end of the year so this could prove to be his final major tournament after eight years in charge.

England started slowly in Germany, with performances criticised and the Three Lions close to elimination twice, but the past two rounds gave England fans cause to dream – until losing to Spain, the outstanding team throughout this Euros.

The pain goes on

When England won their home World Cup in 1966, beating West Germany 4-2 in the final with Geoff Hurst scoring a hat-trick, many fans may not have imagined that would remain their only success for at least 60 years.

Since then a combined 29 men’s World Cups and European Championships have passed and, until 2021, they had never been back to a final.

England fans dwelled on the agonising near misses in the knockout stages of major tournaments – Diego Maradona’s handball in 1986, losses on penalties to Germany in 1990 and 1996. Current boss Southgate missed a penalty in the latter too.

And there were all the years they did not even get close, failing to qualify for the 1994 World Cup and 2008 Euros – and a few group-stage exits – too.

It felt as if all that may change in 2021 when England reached the final in the continent-wide Euro 2020, although most of their games were at Wembley, including the showpiece against Italy.

They took an early lead but ended up losing on penalties after extra time. Having waited 55 years for that final, it is a fine achievement by Southgate and his team that the next one followed just three years later.

But this one too ended in tears.

The Lionesses won the 2022 European Championship, beating Germany 2-1, also at Wembley.

England grow into the tournament – but fall short

It is fair to describe England’s Euro 2024 campaign as a slow burner.

A win over Serbia was followed by drab draws against Denmark and Slovenia in the group stage.

Had the Danes netted a late winner in their final group game against Serbia, England would have finished second – and arguably had a tougher route to the final.

Some England fans threw cups at Southgate after that disappointing Slovenia result and memes flooded social media showing the manager in various overly cautious scenarios.

The Slovakia game in the last 16 was not much better in terms of performance and they were set to be eliminated until Jude Bellingham’s injury-time overhead kick sent it to extra time – with Harry Kane then netting the winner.

Some supporters still called for Southgate to be sacked after that game – something Ivory Coast did with their coach during this year’s Africa Cup of Nations on their way to winning the tournament.

But the mood seemed to lift when he changed from a back four to a wing-back system against Switzerland in the quarter-finals. They were 10 minutes from elimination before Bukayo Saka struck and his side went on to win on penalties.

They trailed yet again in the semi-final against the Netherlands but Ollie Watkins netted in the 90th minute to send the Three Lions to another final.

The latter two displays were not amazing, and did involve spells where they went into their shells, but it was still a far cry from those early matches.

Euros fever grew across England – and Germany – as thousands of fans travelled just to be near to the action, but they are coming home without the trophy.

Who shone as they came so close?

It is fair to describe England’s Euro 2024 campaign as a slow burner.

A win over Serbia was followed by drab draws against Denmark and Slovenia in the group stage.

Had the Danes netted a late winner in their final group game against Serbia, England would have finished second – and arguably had a tougher route to the final.

Some England fans threw cups at Southgate after that disappointing Slovenia result and memes flooded social media showing the manager in various overly cautious scenarios.

The Slovakia game in the last 16 was not much better in terms of performance and they were set to be eliminated until Jude Bellingham’s injury-time overhead kick sent it to extra time – with Harry Kane then netting the winner.

Some supporters still called for Southgate to be sacked after that game – something Ivory Coast did with their coach during this year’s Africa Cup of Nations on their way to winning the tournament.

But the mood seemed to lift when he changed from a back four to a wing-back system against Switzerland in the quarter-finals. They were 10 minutes from elimination before Bukayo Saka struck and his side went on to win on penalties.

They trailed yet again in the semi-final against the Netherlands but Ollie Watkins netted in the 90th minute to send the Three Lions to another final.

The latter two displays were not amazing, and did involve spells where they went into their shells, but it was still a far cry from those early matches.

Euros fever grew across England – and Germany – as thousands of fans travelled just to be near to the action, but they are coming home without the trophy.

Who shone as they came so close?

There were no Hurst-style hat-trick heroics – but there are still plenty of names who will go down in English footballing folklore.

Chelsea’s Palmer became just the fourth player to score in a men’s final for England after Hurst, Martin Peters and Luke Shaw.

Bayern Munich striker Kane, still without a first trophy of a goal-laden career, netted three goals, extending his record as England’s all-time top scorer, to secure a share of the Golden Boot. Real Madrid’s Bellingham scored twice – including his amazing last-gasp equaliser against Slovakia.

That boosted Bellingham’s chances of winning the Ballon d’Or, having won the Champions League and La Liga in his first season with Real too.

All five goals were crucial with England never winning a game by more than one goal.

Aston Villa striker Watkins did not have a lot of game time – but he had one of their greatest moments with a neat turn and finish in the final minute of the Dutch semi-final.

Arsenal winger Saka netted a late equaliser against Switzerland in the quarters, and in the resulting shootout – a cathartic moment for a player who missed a penalty in the 2021 final.

Everton keeper Jordan Pickford’s save from Swiss defender Manuel Akanji’s spot-kick also set them up for that shootout success as it was the only one missed of nine taken.

What now for Southgate and England?

Southgate’s contract runs out at the end of this year – and it is not certain if he will stay on.

“I don’t think now is a good time to make a decision like that,” he said afterwards.

“I need to talk to the right people. It’s not for now.”

England are next in action on 7 September when they go to Dublin to take on the Republic of Ireland in their first 2024-25 Nations League game.

Their homecoming will be three days later against Finland. Those games are in the second division of the Nations League after England were relegated last time.

If Southgate was to leave at the end of his deal, he would see out the six Nations League games but be gone before qualifying started for the 2026 World Cup next year.

Tens of thousands of England fans have been pouring into the German capital and not all of them are lucky enough to have tickets – there are reports of some changing hands for thousands of pounds.

Every bar, café and fan zone is awash with fans from both teams counting down the hours until kick-off.

Here is a photographic flavour of the atmosphere.

PA: These fans have been parading with a replica trophy around Berlin’s Breitscheidplatz

Andrew Milligan/PA Media

This optimistic Spanish fan is hoping against hope that he can land a last-minute ticket for the final. Good luck with that, amigo…

Ben Birchall/PA Media

Berlin’s Weidendammer bridge has been given a new look in recent days by England fans – can you spot your local area among these flags?

PA: This happy duo in Berlin hope to be cheering and fist-pumping the air for England later

The party is not just happening in Germany.

England fans at home and overseas on holiday are also getting in on the action, from transforming streets into a sea of white and red flags, to heading down to fan zones to watch the game.

And some are showing their support in more permanent ways.

Dan Thomas from Swindon has already declared the Three Lions as champions with a tattoo on his leg of a trophy and the words: “England Euro 2024 Winners.”

More than 42,000 people watched him go under the needle in a process that took two and a half hours.

Jack Wilkinson/PA Media

Confidence or bravado? Dan Thomas from Swindon has made it abundantly clear how he thinks tonight’s final will go!

Getty Images: Dressed in their finest: Back home, the Kirby estate in London is not exactly short of flags ahead of the final

Germany’s Brandenburg Gate has become a hotspot for fans – both English and Spanish – to come dressed in their football Sunday best and pose in their country colours.

And fans have not just confined themselves to the city’s historic monument – they have been getting the party started right across Berlin.

Reuters: Ole!, ole!, ole! Banging the drum – literally – for Spain

PA: Toro bravo! Small in stature but impressive – this plastic bull takes centre stage among these Spanish fans in Berlin

Central Berlin has been transformed as fans deck out the German capital in their team colours ahead of tonight’s match – with some fans adopting crazy hairstyle colours.

PA: Fans come in all shapes and sizes… and hairstyles, real or otherwise

PA: Sam Tattersall wears his devotion on his head with the St George’s Cross – a haircut he says “could stay for a year” if England win

PA: And these Spanish fans are also getting in on the crazy hair colour act!

Kobbie Mainoo is one of those kids.

It was back in February, after he had scored his first Premier League goal for Manchester United, that I said he reminded me of legendary Dutch midfielder Clarence Seedorf.

When I said Kobbie gave me ‘Seedorf vibes’, I wasn’t talking about his ability, I just meant style-wise, in terms of his movement.

I spoke to Clarence about him here in Germany the other day and he said he definitely sees it too.

The thing about Kobbie, though, is he seems to get better every time you watch him play. As well as his movement, there’s his decision-making and the pace of his passing, plus the way he always seems to be in control and the way he handles everything that is thrown at him despite only being 19.

The best part of his game, though, is that he is prepared to wait. Let me try to explain what I mean.

Choosing the right moment

IMAGE SOURCE: PA

Image caption: Mainoo made his England debut when he came off the bench against Brazil in March

When you’re a young kid, playing at the level Kobbie is, you sometimes try to prove why you are there. I know from my own experience that you feel you always have to show what you can do, and you can end up trying too hard.

Kobbie’s not like that, though. He won’t try to push it and over-play.

I’ve watched him closely and the first 30% of passes of the ball he gets in a game, in those opening minutes, he is happy just playing the ball short, five or 10 yards, waiting for the right moment for his natural raw ability to come out.

Then, when the moment comes – and he knows exactly when – he can give you that little bit of ‘wow’ factor where he draws someone out, breaks the press or when the opposition think they are going to nick the ball off him. Those times when they have got him down a blind alley but he somehow just comes out the end anyway and you are left going ‘oh my god’.

What he is doing is a part of the game – and I heard Gareth Southgate say this too, by the way – that he makes look very easy, but is actually one of the most difficult things.

Ask any midfielder what it is like to receive the ball from your defence with your back to play, not knowing what is behind you and with people pressing you from behind from different angles, but being able to feel where they are and still get out.

Waiting for his chance

IMAGE SOURCE: GETTY IMAGES

Image caption: Mainoo started each of England’s three group games on the bench, and came on in two of them. He has started all three knockout games so far at Euro 2024

It took Gareth a little while to realise Kobbie is the right man to partner Declan Rice in England’s midfield.

First he tried Trent Alexander-Arnold at these Euros, then it was Conor Gallagher. But Gareth knows now, and so does everyone else. You cannot leave Kobbie out.

I said that straight away after I watched us beat Slovakia in the last 16, which was the first competitive international Kobbie had started.

I thought there was no way Gareth could have watched that game and thought ‘oh, we still need to experiment in midfield’. The kid showed he is the real deal, so that’s it. He has to play.

Kobbie’s age and lack of experience is almost irrelevant. He already plays way beyond his years. He knows he belongs at this level and it is like nothing fazes him at all.

On Sunday, he is going to be playing in a European Championship final as a teenager but there is no way the size of the occasion is going to intimidate him.

We saw that at the FA Cup final, not just with his man-of-the-match performance but also his celebration, or lack of it, after helping Manchester United beat Manchester City at Wembley. A lot of other players his age would be a bit over-exuberant maybe, but he is just so level-headed and calm.

Part of that is down to his background. I spent a bit of time with his family earlier in the tournament, and after the semi-final win over the Netherlands too.

They were enjoying themselves and having a good time, soaking it all up the same way I expect Kobbie is, but without going crazy or getting carried away. They are all really lovely, balanced, grounded, well-rounded people, which is why he is the same and appears to be unaffected by fame.

IMAGE SOURCE: PA

Image caption: Kobbie Mainoo celebrates with his family after England’s Euro 2024 semi-final win over the Netherlands

What can he do next?

Kobbie is already an incredible player. When this tournament is over, hopefully, he will have helped England become champions of Europe.

But whether we beat Spain in Sunday’s final or not, I hope he embraces this moment and enjoys it… but then starts thinking ‘what can I add now?’

You get some kids who arrive on the scene and make a huge splash but some of that success is down to them being a surprise. No-one knows who they are, but that only lasts so long when you are on the biggest stage.

Kobbie has had an amazing few months, from making his first Premier League start in November, to playing in such huge games for England at this tournament. But this is only the start for him, so how can he enhance his game?

That’s what all the very best players did, including Seedorf himself. He told me he taught himself how to have a left foot because he knew it would make a difference, something that meant he could go both ways and become more of a threat.

So can Kobbie open his game up so he can play more passes over 20 yards, so he can pick up the ball from the full-backs and ping them forward like Paul Scholes used to?

Are we going to see him get more shots off next season, or take a few more risks with his passes?

I am not saying that these are the things that he has to do, but I want to see him continue to develop.

There are elements Kobbie could add that could turn him from being a very good player to being one of the greats – that Seedorf level, basically. That’s what he should be aiming for.

The Dutch had taken an early lead through Xavi Simons’ powerful strike but Gareth Southgate’s side were handed a lifeline when Harry Kane was caught on the follow-through by Denzel Dumfries after the England captain had already shot over the bar.

No penalty was given originally but referee Felix Zwayer then pointed to the spot after he was advised to go to the monitor by VAR.

Kane levelled with the spot-kick and substitute Ollie Watkins struck a 90th-minute winner to send England to Sunday’s final, where they will play Spain.

“In my opinion it should not have been a penalty,” said Koeman.

“He kicked the ball and the boots touched. I think that we cannot play properly and this is due to VAR. It really breaks football.”

Former England defender and ITV pundit Gary Neville felt the Netherlands had every right to feel aggrieved.

“As a defender, I think it’s an absolutely disgraceful decision,” he said.

“There’s no way that was a penalty. He just goes in naturally to block the shot. It’s not a penalty for me.”

Ex-England striker Alan Shearer said on BBC Radio 5 live: “There is no doubt that there is contact, but the defender [Dumfries] is trying to block the ball.

“The follow-through from Harry Kane makes the connection and I didn’t think it was a howler to be turned over.”

Netherlands and Liverpool captain Virgil van Dijk also felt the penalty decision was the turning point in the game.

“I think the penalty moment is a big moment, England had some confidence out of it,” he added.

“I think so many decisions didn’t go our way, but I don’t want to speak about the referee.”

Both sides began positively, but it was the Netherlands who took the lead early, Declan Rice losing the ball and Xavi Simons drilling home a beauty, as he fell, from the edge of the box to get the Dutch off to the perfect start.

England, though, forced their way back into the game with Kobbie Mainoo and Phil Foden to the fore. Then, on 16 minutes, Harry Kane got off a decent shot, only to be caught by Denzel Dumfries, making an attempt to block, in his follow-through. He stayed down and eventually VAR took an interest, the referee coming over and deciding the award a penalty; Kane drilled home into the bottom-left corner.

Though England dominated the remainder of the half, Dumfries headed against the bar with the Pickford beaten before Foden unfurled a curler reminiscent of Lamine Yamal’s goal for Spain last evening, but his effort almost as brilliant, crashed against the angle.

The second half was an altogether duller affair, Netherlands suffocating England in midfield. But Gareth Southgate was positive and decisive with his changes, and received his reward when Cole Palmer found Watkins, who did exactly what he was brought on to do and sent England to Berlin.

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Match background

The Netherlands have grown as a force in this tournament, recovering from finishing third in Group D behind Austria and France to batter Romania 3-0 in the round of 16. They then showed great composure and resilience to come from behind and defeat Turkey 2-1 in the quarterfinals – via unlikely hero Stefan De Vrij and an own goal from Mert Muldur. The Oranje may not have the sheer talent of the other three semifinalists, but they have a canniness and self-belief that could yet carry them to glory.

England, despite their lack of cohesion throughout the tournament, have advanced into the final four on the back of topping Group C, a dramatic extra time 2-1 win over Slovakia (in which Jude Bellingham pulled the game from the fire with an incredible goal), and a penalty shootout triumph over Switzerland in the quarterfinals. Gareth Southgate’s side have not fully capitalised on the tools they have at their disposal, but that perhaps makes it even more impressive that they have got this far… and hints that they could hit their stride at just the right time.

What the teams are saying

“It will be a great night on Wednesday between two big nations – a historic night,” predicted Netherlands coach Ronald Koeman. “If we play in the final, my preference is Spain because we had France in the group. But first we must prepare in the best way to play a good semifinal.”

“Our intention is to play with the ball, but you have opponents trying to stop you. Our team has been under enormous pressure from the start, and they did so well. Now we can’t score lots but the last three games we’ve played against five at the back. We’re through to our third semi-final in four attempts but that’s not where we want it to end,” said England coach Gareth Southgate.

Players to watch

Memphis Depay – The attacker with Ghanaian heritage has scored just once at the tournament thus far but has nonetheless played with his characteristic swagger. Memphis Depay’s movement and maverick style could be a real challenge for the England defence to handle.

Bukayo Saka – The Arsenal winger played somewhat out of position as a wingback against Switzerland but still made a major contribution – including a superb equalising goal. Bukayo Saka’s pace, movement and shooting ability will be a major feature of the Three Lions’ play on Wednesday night.

Head-to-head

In head-to-head terms, Netherlands and England have met in 22 matches dating back as far as 1935. The Oranje have claimed seven wins compared to six for the Three Lions, while nine games have been drawn.

The teams last met in the semifinals of the UEFA Nations League in June 2019, with the Dutch winning 3-1 in Guimaraes, Portugal, thanks to strikes from Matthijs de Ligt and Quincy Promes, as well as a Kyle Walker own goal.

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UEFA Euro 2024 broadcast details

All times CAT

Wednesday 10 July

21:00: Netherlands v England – LIVE on SuperSport Premier League, SuperSport Maximo 1, SuperSport Maximo 2 and SuperSport Maximo 360

An own goal from Mert Muldur, bundling the ball over his goalline under pressure from Cody Gakpo, meant the Dutch clawed back the lead having trailed at the break.

Centre-back Samet Akaydin had deservedly put Turkey in front when he headed in Arda Guler’s dinked cross, capping an impressive first-half display.

He ran over to the Turkey fans, kissed the badge on his shirt and knelt down to pray in front of them, while substitutes sprinted down the touchline.

But their celebrations would not last as the Netherlands, who had a poor first half, responded after the break, buoyed by substitute Wout Weghorst.

They found an equaliser through Stefan de Vrij’s header, moments after Weghorst made a crucial interception inside his own box to stop Turkey’s Kaan Ayhan getting to a rebound.

Turkey almost doubled their lead when Real Madrid’s Guler bent a brilliant free-kick on to the post, but did not capitalise when they had their chances.

It means Ronald Koeman’s side will now take on England in Dortmund on Wednesday (20:00 BST) after Gareth Southgate’s team beat Switzerland on penalties, with a place in the final against either France or Spain at stake.

It was left to penalties to decide the match. Manuel Akanji saw his penalty saved by Jordan Pickford, which allowed Trent Alexander-Arnold to score England’s fifth penalty in the shootout and settle the contest.

Breel Embolo gave Switzerland the lead with 15 minutes to go in normal time before a low, long-range drive from Bukayo Saka drew the game level five minutes later.

The match was a stalemate throughout, with few chances created by either side. In the extra-time period Xherdan Shaqiri almost scored directly from a corner, hitting the angle of post and bar.

England will now face the winner of Netherlands and Turkey, in a semi-final in Dortmund on Wednesday night.

The 21-year-old’s ban is suspended for a year and he has also been fined £25,400 (30,000 Euros).

The midfielder’s crotch-grabbing gesture towards the Slovakian bench after scoring a late equaliser in the 2-1 victory was investigated by Uefa.

Bellingham, who has made the gesture while playing for his club side Real Madrid, denied that it was aimed at England’s opponents.

Responding to the incident on social media, Bellingham said it was “an inside-joke gesture towards some close friends who were at the game”, adding he had “nothing but respect for how Slovakia played”.

IMAGE SOURCE: GETTY IMAGES

Image caption: Bellingham’s gesture after his equaliser against Slovakia

Bellingham has started all four of England’s Euro 2024 matches, scoring two of England’s four goals in Germany, including the 95th-minute overhead kick equaliser against Slovakia.

England play Switzerland in Dusseldorf at 17:00 BST in a match that will be live on BBC One, BBC Radio 5 Live and the BBC Sport website and app. All 26 players in manager Gareth Southgate’s squad trained on Friday morning.

Meanwhile, the Football Association has been fined £9,310 (11,000 euros) for crowd issues involving England supporters. A fine of 10,000 euros was issued for crowd disturbances and 1,000 euros for lighting fireworks.

While Bellingham is available for Saturday’s match, Turkey defender Merih Demiral has been handed a two-match ban for a gesture he made during his side’s last-16 win against Austria.

Demiral, 26, scored both of Turkey’s goals in the 2-1 win and celebrated his second goal with a ‘wolf salute’.

The gesture, which is banned in Austria and France, is associated with the far-right extremist group Grey Wolves that is closely linked with Turkey’s ruling coalition party the National Movement Party.

Turkey face the Netherlands in Berlin, with the game kicking off at 20:00.

The Three Lions emerged 2-1 victors after Jude Bellingham levelled with an injury-time overhead kick, before captain Harry Kane notched the decisive strike in extra time.

Stones, speaking as England prepared for Saturday’s quarter-final against Switzerland (17:00), said the success will “change a lot of things”.

“It shows that unity, and togetherness, as a team,” said the 30-year-old defender.

“When you have done those things, you can believe you can do it better, and when it gets tough you can always recap to these moments.”

Stones felt England were heading for an early exit before their late fightback – and will now use that performance as “fuel” for the rest of the tournament.

“I thought we were going home up to 60 minutes into the game,” he added.

“To change the mindset, and for us all to keep the belief, it has a lot of power behind it – for ourselves and other teams.”

The Manchester City centre-back also said he is “all good” despite appearing in training with heavy strapping around his knee on Wednesday.

Stones will have to find a new centre-back partner with Marc Guehi suspended for Saturday’s quarter-final, which is being shown live on the BBC.

Criticism makes Southgate ‘want to win even more’

Manager Gareth Southgate will take charge of his 100th game at the weekend, but it hasn’t been easy for the England boss at Euro 2024.

His side have faced jeers – and even some cups being thrown by angry supporters – amid underwhelming performances, but they were greeted by a better reaction after beating Slovakia.

Stones said the criticism Southgate has faced will further motivate the Three Lions manager.

He added: “He pushes it aside, I can only comment on how that’ll only affect him in a good way. It will make him want to win even more, do better. It gets brushed aside very quickly.”

As Southgate nears his landmark century, Stones praised the way the 53-year-old has changed the national team’s “culture” as they look to win a first major trophy.

“The great attributes and qualities he has as a manager – he’s simple and clear with what he wants,” added Stones.

“To be here and try to leave a mark in this tournament is important and we have that goal at the end of it, to do something that has not been done before.”

England striker Toney was sent on for his first appearance of Euro 2024 in the final seconds of the round of 16 match with the Three Lions trailing 1-0.

Jude Bellingham’s overhead kick took the game to extra time, before Toney provided the headed assist for Harry Kane’s winner.

England manager Gareth Southgate said afterwards that Toney was “disgusted” at being introduced with a minute to go, but the player himself says he is ready to play any part at the Euros.

“It’s always going to be tough,” he said at a media conference on Wednesday when asked about his lack of minutes in Germany.

“It’s tough for all of us as we play week in, week out for our clubs. I have been in this position before and when I get an opportunity I’ll take it.”

Toney is an automatic starter when fit for Brentford, but has to play second fiddle to Kane for England in Southgate’s one-striker system.

The 28-year-old admits that can be frustrating, but he has worked with sports psychologists at his club to ensure he is ready for his country at any moment.

“At my club, there is a guy called Michael Caufield [a sports psychologist] and he talks about controlling your emotions,” Toney said.

“Yes, I was annoyed but there was still 30 minutes of football to play [including extra-time] and you have got to come out of that mood and focus.

“I feel like, people call them substitutes, others finishers. I think you have to be ready and there’s more than 11 players needed to win a tournament.”

Toney and England are preparing to face Switzerland in their quarter-final on Saturday in Dusseldorf at 17.00 BST.

Originally defender Luke Shaw had been due to face the media, but was replaced by Toney at the last minute as the left-back tries to regain fitness and face the Swiss for his first appearance at Euro 2024 after injury.

Shearer: England’s Euro 2024 starts here

England’s performances at Euro 2024 have drawn criticism, however they have reached the quarter-finals of a fourth successive major tournament under Southgate.

The England manager, despite pressure from fans and pundits, has made minimal changes to his starting XI throughout the competition.

He will be forced to make one change against Switzerland with central defender Marc Guehi suspended.

Former England striker Alan Shearer thinks that whatever decisions Southgate makes, now is when his players have to raise their game.

“He has got some difficult decisions to make,” Shearer told BBC iPlayer of Southgate.

“But whoever wins this tournament will have to make big decisions and be brave at times.

“This is time for England now to say ‘we’re in this competition, we haven’t played as well as we want to or can do and this is it’. This is where it has to start for them.”

European football’s governing body said it is looking into a “potential violation” of “the basic rules of decent conduct” by Bellingham.

Bellingham was seen making a crotch-grabbing gesture towards the Slovakian bench after scoring an overhead kick in stoppage time.

The Real Madrid player denied it was aimed at England’s opponents, saying on social media that it was an inside joke directed towards some close friends.

If found to have breached the rules, the 21-year-old could face a suspension, a fine or both.

The rule in question is Article 11 2b, which requires anyone subject to Uefa regulations to respect the “principles of ethical conduct, loyalty, integrity and sportsmanship.”

Anyone whose conduct is “insulting or otherwise violates the basic rules of decent conduct” could be in breach.

England won 2-1 after extra time to set up a quarter-final meeting with Switzerland on Saturday.

Responding to the incident on social media, Bellingham said: “An inside-joke gesture towards some close friends who were at the game.

“Nothing but respect for how that Slovakia team played tonight.”

Cristiano Ronaldo was fined but avoided a ban for making a similar gesture while celebrating a goal for Juventus against Atletico Madrid in a Champions League last-16 second-leg tie in 2019.

Atletico boss Diego Simeone was also fined for making the gesture during the first leg.

With England seemingly out of ideas and virtually out of the tournament in the fifth minute of injury time, Jude Bellingham sent the game into extra time with a spectacular overhead kick to draw England level.

Within a minute of the extra period England located what would prove to be the winning goal, as Harry Kane crashed home a close-range header after a flick across goal by substitute Ivan Toney.

Slovakia had been just 60 seconds from their first-ever tournament quarter final and Ivan Schranz was once again their goal scorer. He converted another smart finish here to put the Slovaks ahead after 25 minutes after good work from David Strelec.

They almost went two ahead early in the second half when Strelec shot from 50 yards after a miscommunication between John Stones and Marc Guehi, with the effort beating Pickford but going just wide of the post.

Although they were outplayed for the majority of normal time England managed to turn it around and will now face Switzerland in Dusseldorf in the quarterfinals next Saturday.

England play Slovakia, who advanced as one of the best third-placed sides, in Gelsenkirchen on Sunday for a place in the Euro 2024 quarter-finals.

And Skriniar says his side have an opportunity to cause a major upset as they do not depend on star players, like the Three Lions.

“They [England] rely on individual quality and they know that they have players who can decide matches for them,” the Paris St-Germain defender said.

“That is why I think we can handle them through teamwork.”

Skriniar, 29, added that Gareth Southgate’s side go into the match under more presssure than Slovakia.

“Even in their first match [against Serbia], they went in with the fact that they are England, and they have to manage things in terms of results,” he said.

“The media and fans have been critical after their matches, so they will be under much more pressure than us. It can work in our favour.”

Slovakia finished third in Group E on four points, the first time in Euros history that all four teams within a group have finished on the same points.

Previously, they were knocked out of the last 16 by Germany in 2016, and then failed to make it out of the group at Euro 2020 when England finished as runners-up to Italy.

Officers from the UK Football Policing Unit (UKFPU) have been working with German authorities during the competition.

Fans issued with the orders will be unable to attend domestic matches and England internationals for the duration of their ban.

Head of the UKFPU, Mick Johnson, hailed the “swift action” and said it shows there are “consequences” for those who are intent on causing disorder in the UK or overseas.

“We are continuing to work closely with our policing colleagues in Germany and have a team of UK officers deployed overseas supporting their operation to deliver a safe tournament,” Johnson said.

“We want fans who are travelling to have a good time, but please remember to drink responsibly, respect the local culture and don’t get involved in disorder.”

Todd Hines, 21, Liam Jackson, 28 and Kyran Alcock, 28, have been handed three-year football banning orders, while Lewis Dodsworth, 29, Jack Hatton, 27, and Gary McIvor, 38, have been issued five-year football banning orders.

A further four fans have already attended court in the UK and were bailed with conditions to surrender their passports.

The UKFPU is continuing to investigate a number of other fans who were suspected of being involved in the disorder prior to England’s 1-1 draw against Serbia.

“It is important to stress that the vast majority of England fans in Germany are behaving extremely well, and those involved in any disorder are very much a tiny minority. This has been the case at all of England’s fixtures so far,” Johnson said.

The 24-year-old left the England camp for what the Football Association said on Wednesday was a “pressing family matter”.

Foden, who has 37 caps, has started all three of England’s group games at the tournament, including Tuesday’s draw with Slovenia.

England play Slovakia (17:00 BST) in the last 16 of Euro 2024 on Sunday in Gelsenkirchen and Foden should be involved in training on Friday.

Manager Gareth Southgate’s side finished top of Group C with five points from three matches.

In April, Foden and his partner Rebecca Cooke announced on Instagram they were expecting a third child.

The couple’s other children are son Ronnie, five, and daughter True, who is two years old.

The England team were booed off following the 0-0 draw in their final group game with Slovenia and some empty cups were thrown at the Southgate as he applauded supporters.

The result was enough for the Three Lions to finish as group winners and they will play Slovakia in the last 16 on Sunday.

Crystal Palace defender Guehi was handed his first senior England call-up by Southgate in March 2022 and has gone on to make 14 appearances.

He has been Southgate’s first-choice centre-back alongside John Stones at Euro 2024.

“He has been fantastic for England. If you look at his record, it speaks for itself,” 23-year-old Guehi said.

“Everyone is behind the manager and we have a really close tight-knit group just focused on the next group. Everyone appreciates him, especially me.

“He gave me my debut for England and he’s showed so much confidence in me. I am really grateful and I’m sure the rest of the team is as well.”​​​​​​​

Southgate has said that the reaction to the team’s performances in Germany is creating an “unusual environment” for the team, but Guehi says the players are not listening to any outside noise.

“I don’t think the team is too focused on that,” he said. “We are thankful for all of the fan support because they have travelled to see us.

“It is a calm and focused camp. Everyone is just focused on the next task at hand.”

As a result of winning their group, England have a path through the knockouts which avoids many of the other major nations.

Spain, Germany, Portugal, France and Belgium are all on the other side of the draw and England cannot play any of them before the final, but Guehi believes there is no easy route to the showpiece in Berlin on 14 July.

“Everyone has seen in this competition that I don’t think there is a favourable side of the draw,” he said. “Every opponent is tough to play against.

“We just need to remain calm. We put pressure on ourselves, but it’s a very calm and focused environment. We just need to continue focusing on one thing at a time.”

Guehi is forming a solid partnership at the back with Manchester City defender Stones and England have conceded only one goal during the three games so far.

“I think what builds confidence is togetherness and performances,” Guehi said.

“We haven’t lost a game yet. It’s important for us to control what we can control.”

England play Slovakia in Gelsenkirchen on Sunday and kick off is at 17:00 BST.

The Real Madrid player, 20, scored the only goal in England’s opening Group C match against Serbia but has struggled to make an impact in draws against Denmark and Slovenia.

“Jude starts the first game well but I’m sure he’d tell you himself he hasn’t the best games in the last two games,” Rooney told the Football Daily podcast.

“For me, he’s looked very frustrated, I’ve been there exactly the position he’s in, even the game yesterday, you saw him throwing his arms up in the air.

“As a talisman for England and Real Madrid, I haven’t heard him in speak. What is the reason for that? As one of the iconic players now for England in the squad, he should be fronting that.

“That tells me that he’s probably not quite right in the tournament.

“He’s giving it his all, 100%, I don’t think that’s the problem. You want players demanding more from their team-mates, and I think that’s what he was trying to do.

“So, it’s not a criticism, it is a compliment in some ways but you just don’t want that to boil over to the point where he might pick up a silly red card.”

England’s display in the 1-1 draw with Denmark in their second group game was widely criticised by pundits, with captain Harry Kane calling for more positivity from the media before the Slovenia game, adding that former players should remember how “tough” tournament football is.

Southgate said that criticism and the angry reaction by some supporters after the Slovenia draw was “creating an unusual environment” which is “causing an issue” for the players.

Former England players Gary Lineker, Alan Shearer and Micah Richards have defended their comments, saying they were always constructive and wanted the team to do well.

Rooney ‘shocked’ at Chilwell omission

Rooney has also questioned Southgate’s decision to pick just one natural left-back in his squad in Luke Shaw, who is not yet fully fit, and thinks Chelsea’s Ben Chilwell should have been included to give the side more balance.

Shaw has yet to feature in Germany with right-back Kieran Trippier filling in on the left.

Chilwell was left out of the squad after an injury-hit season that restricted him to 12 Premier League appearances.

“I was very surprised and really shocked that Ben Chilwell didn’t get picked just for balance of having a left footed player there,” said Rooney.

“You’re talking about Ben Chilwell who’s playing at Chelsea and he’s played well for England in the past.

“Do you play Tripper or [Joe] Gomez there? Do you bring Kyle Walker across?

“There’s so many imbalances about the team. Phil Foden, should he play on the left, or right, or as a 10? There’s so many questions about that.”

In a statement the Football Association said the Manchester City player needed to go home because of a “pressing family matter”.

It is hoped Foden will be back with the squad by Sunday, the day of England’s last-16 match (17:00 BST).

In April, Foden and his partner Rebecca Cooke announced on Instagram they were expecting a third child.

They have two children. Son Ronnie, five, and daughter True, who is two years old.

Foden, who has 37 caps, started all three of England’s group games at the tournament so far, including Tuesday’s draw with Slovenia.

Gareth Southgate’s side finished top of Group C with five points from three matches.

Their last-16 tie will take place in Gelsenkirchen, with their opponents to be confirmed after Wednesday’s final group games.