Why England, Netherlands, France and Spain won’t win Euro 2024… but why they might

Spain are the only semi-finalist who can argue with confidence or evidence that they got here by playing well at all.

England's Trent Alexander-Arnold celebrates after a quarterfinal match between England and Switzerland. Pic: AP

Und dann waren es fier. The only pity is that the nations who could interpret that literally, as well as figuratively, are no longer with us.

And then there were four. But Germany are not one of them. Nor are Turkey, the cars and vans honking and chants ringing though Dusseldorf’s leafy downtown canal district late into Saturday and early into Sunday one final raucous act from a Turkish-German expat fanbase which captured ears as much as hearts these past three weeks. The Swiss could’ve comprehended it but they too were done, Bukayo Saka’s brilliance defying English ineptitude as much as Swiss daring or destiny.