The supporters gathered in Trafalgar Square dared to dream, but the curse of the penalty shootout struck again.
A dejected England fan at Trafalgar Square.
It was all a dream. It was supposed to be a narrative-changing race, a story of redemption that ended all other games and 55 years of doom. But that wasn't the case - England's hopes were dashed again in a painful match, with Italy finally winning the penalty shootout.
With the start of the Euro 2020 final less than an hour away, expectations for those who walk out of Charing Cross Station on Sunday afternoon are understandable.
Thousands of football fans, many draped in St George's flags, roamed the streets of central London, shouting that football was coming home, chanting and clapping to the sound of fog: "England! The air was filled with smoke and the smell of beer. Some fans, apparently starting early, staggered around and smashed bottles against lampposts, while mounted police and officers in riot gear stood guard around the fan precinct in Trafalgar Square.
It's less noisy inside, with 1400 fans gathered there. Lee Clark, 42, was by his side. Asked how he felt about the game, the wide-eyed Clark said he was sick. He said, "I'm so nervous," and he raised his hands and shook his head. "It's going to be a terrible experience."
Clark said a goal early in England would soothe his nerves and he was no stranger to disappointment. "Being an England fan is scary. I'm also a Spurs fan. There are always the same hopes and dreams, but they are always shattered. "
His partner, Arsenal fan Alexandra Webb, is more confident. "This is our time," she declared as she returned to the table with her drink, two Flags of England painted on her cheeks. "Italy is such a strong team, but this time, all the people are coming for England," she said. "All these songs that we've been singing for the last 40 years, we can finally stop singing. It will be an unusual world! "
Clark doesn't know what he's going to do if England does win. "Look—I don't cry, yes. I'm an old. I didn't cry when we had our baby. But if England win, I'll cry," he said, holding his head in both hands again. "The money I've spent and the emotional investment I've spent watching England over the years – to have this win would be... Indescribable. "
"If England win, it will be one of those once-in-a-lifetime moments you will never and will never forget," said their friend Nick. "I was nervous, but also glad it was all happening and I didn't know what to do. It will be one of those memories of grandchildren who are still talking about and telling you when you're 90. "
Celebrating Luke Shaw's early goal for England
Eagerly awaiting kick-off were Issa Eaqash and Smith Oliver, whom they had only met before. When Oliver's friend couldn't get there at the last minute, he spotted Eaqash standing near the fan zone, deciding whether to go home to watch the game, and he gave him his extra tickets.
Eaqash, from Chad, said: "I'm very happy to be here and be a part of it, I feel very lucky," said Eaqash, who was about to ask Oliver for a drink. "It's going to be huge, either way. That's part of history. "
Oliver, from Jamaica, added: "Thanks to England's passion for football, this experience and atmosphere will live on forever. It will be historic. I did the good thing today, I helped someone and now I hope England win 2-1. "
Two minutes later, Luke Shaw scored the first goal of the game while fireworks set off outside the fan area and fans lined up on the walls and steps of the National Gallery. Even the downpour did not in any way affect the optimism and pride of the fans watching in the square.
When night fell and the second half began, there were still high hopes for England's early goals. However, it soon became apparent that the team was at a disadvantage against Roberto Mancini's revived Italian team. Leonardo Bonucci's equaliser goal shook the fans as they curled up in the shadow of Nelson's poles and the air grew cold.
England fans at Trafalgar Square after the England defeat
But eventually, it came to a penalty shootout, where England's forward pace in major tournaments was knocked down again and again. Nearly 25 years after Gareth Southgate's missteps in the semi-finals of the 1996 European Championship at Wembley, England lost to Germany, his young lions stepped up to try to get it through.
The tension in the square reached a climax, and the hearts of the fans jumped out of their chests, watching and hoping that history would not repeat itself. It was a bitter shootout, and sometimes victory was still within reach, but in the end, a terrible blow of poetic injustice shattered their dreams again.
There was silence in Trafalgar Square. Some left immediately, while others stood there dumbfounded, completely disbelieving it all came so close. It's not the result England has spent weeks hoping to achieve, on the contrary, it's something more heartbreakingly familiar.
But one thing is worth affirming, and that is, this time, the people of the whole country really believe that they can do it. England may be on a new day as a team that has won major tournaments, but for now, it makes us all dare to dream that it's possible, which in itself is a welcome to the past.