Oh England, how you tease us, how you bring us joy, how you bring us comfort, how you bring us stress and how you bring us heartbreak. The country has lived and breathed the last four weeks, roaring their nation on in the hope that finally, at long last, they bring football home.
Alas, they have come up short, so desperately short in their bid to end nearly 60 years of hurt on the international stage.
Not since that day in 1966 have the men's senior team tasted glory and we will have to wait another two years for another go at it.
The Three Lions have now tasted defeat in back-to-back European Championship finals. It's gut-wrenching, not just for the players but for Gareth Southgate and the supporters too.
Though, in truth, England were probably fortunate to get as far as they did at Euro 2024. They were beaten in the final by Spain, a remarkable side who had certainly been the best team in Germany this summer.
We know the best team doesn't always win but on this occasion it did. Not even Cole Palmer's sumptuous strike could rescue Southgate and Co, with Mikel Oyarzabal prodding home late on to break England's hearts.
So, where do we all go from here? Who will be there in 2026? Will Southgate throw in the towel? We've had a go at answering those questions.
1 What happens to Gareth Southgate?
No English figure in football history has more experience at international tournaments than Southgate does. He went to three as a player and has now been to four as a manager. He has been there and seen it all with the Three Lions. For his service, we certainly thank him.
He arrived in 2016 and has overseen a tremendous amount of growth within this England side. He has taken them to the World Cup semi-final and two European Championship finals, yet without tasting success.
It's safe to say he's done his hardest to make up for that penalty miss at Euro 96.
Though, have this group of players now outgrown him? Southgate's tactics left plenty to be desired this summer. He faced wave after wave of criticism. Why did it take until England went behind for them to wake up? Why did they always sit back after taking the lead? We will never quite know.
This squad had so much potential. They had the Bundesliga's leading scorer in Harry Kane, a Champions League winner in Jude Bellingham and the PFA Player of the Season in Phil Foden. Yet, the attack was disjointed, it lacked pace and it lacked urgency. Southgate will surely have regrets that he couldn't get a bigger tune from his attacking personnel.
So, where does this leave him? Well, it felt that prior to the tournament regardless of the outcome Southgate would leave his post. He may still do that.
Yet, some reports suggest the FA want him to stay. Perhaps there may well be one last dance at the World Cup in 2026.
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Despite reaching the final, England certainly didn't play to their full potential over the last month of football.
Many of the squad came into this tournament with high expectations but simply didn't meet them. Foden left without a goal or assist to his name, Kane – despite finishing as joint top scorer on three – was sluggish and looked bereft of fitness, hauled off in every knock-out stage game for Ivan Toney or Ollie Watkins.
Then there's Bellingham. A potential Ballon d'Or winner so they said, but he did not live up to the dizzy heights he achieved during a remarkable debut campaign in Madrid. There may have been that stunning overhead kick against Slovakia but he ultimately didn't produce the goods on a regular enough basis.
That said, it's incredibly likely we'll see Kane, Foden and Bellingham back in America in two years time. They're too good not to have another bite of the cherry.
So, who could be gone? Well, Kyle Walker – who left Nico Williams in acres of space for Spain's opening goal on Sunday night – may well have played his last tournament match. Aged 34, the Manchester City star is certainly getting on and wasn't at his best right throughout the tournament.
With the likes of Trent Alexander-Arnold, Reece James and Ben White breathing over his shoulder, England aren't short of options at right-back either.
It's also likely that Kieran Trippier – despite his service as a left-back this summer – will be out of the team by the time the 2026 World Cup comes around while fellow defenders Lewis Dunk and Joe Gomez could be hard-pressed to make another squad.
3 Who will benefit from Euro 2024?
England may not have come out on top but this was still a valuable experience for the entire squad.
Bukayo Saka made up for his penalty miss three years ago by finding the net from the spot against Switzerland while Marc Guehi – arguably England's Player of the Tournament – has surely all but ended Harry Maguire's England career.
It was also a fabulous summer for Manchester United's Kobbie Mainoo who was named in FFC's Team of the Tournament. He looks nailed on to partner Declan Rice for a number of years at the heart of England's midfield now.
Ollie Watkins also did himself no favours, scoring that memorable goal in Dortmund against the Dutch.
Football FanCast's Team of the Tournament.
For those who didn't really play, you'd think the likes of Anthony Gordon and Adam Wharton will be more prominent parts of future squads, as too will Cole Palmer who really should have featured more regularly.
Palmer, who left Manchester City last summer, was a revelation for Chelsea and proved as much for England too, popping up with an assist in the semi-final and scoring the equaliser in the final.
It may all feel rather doom and gloom now, but this squad is still young enough and promising enough to challenge over the next couple of tournaments.
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