Still waiting for their first slice of continental stardom, England's latest quest for European Championships supremacy at the 2024 edition ended in all-too familiar heartbreak.
Out-witted from 12 yards against Italy under the bright Wembley lights in 2021 - their first and only final at the continental championships to date - the Three Lions endeavoured to end 58 years of anguish in Germany at Euro 2024, at least on the senior men's side of the game.
After the women's team showed their male counterparts how it is done at Euro 2022, and the Under-21 mens's team took the title in 2023, England battled it out with Serbia, Denmark and Slovenia in Group C, topping the group despite only beating the former.
Nervy wins over Slovakia and Switzerland followed in the last 16 and quarter-finals respectively, but Gareth Southgate's men were fantastic against the Netherlands, deservedly prevailing 2-1 to earn a date with destiny against Spain.
However, England would write a page of unwanted football history in Berlin, where Spain's 2-1 success saw the Three Lions become the first side to ever lose consecutive Euros finals in what may prove to be Southgate's last game in charge.
Here, Sports Mole picks out some of the noteworthy records and statistics from England's runs at the European Championships.
Appearances - 11
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By topping their qualification group for the 2024 tournament, England booked their ticket to the Euros finals for the 11th time, although their previous 10 appearances at the continental gathering have brought about mixed success.
Making their debut in 1968 and taking home the bronze medal, the Three Lions failed to mixed it with the European big boys for almost three decades afterwards, going out in the groups in 1980, 1988 and 1992 after failing to qualify in 1972, 1976 and 1984.
Then came the run to the semi-finals on home soil in 1996, before another group exit in 2000, a quarter-final elimination in 2004 and their abysmal failure to qualify for the 2008 edition, despite the best efforts of Steve McClaren and his trusty umbrella.
As Britain celebrated hosting the Olympics in 2012, more quarter-final misery reared its ugly head for England, whose Iceland heartbreak in 2016 preceded the two years where football was oh so close to coming home.
With 11 appearances to their name, England are just one of nine nations in the double figures in that category, although each of the other eight - Denmark, Germany, Russia, Spain, Italy, France, the Netherlands and the Czech Republic - have won it at least once.
Best result - Runners-up (Euro 2020 and Euro 2024)
While the naysayers did their utmost to downplay England's run to the 2018 World Cup semi-finals, the glass-half-full crowd took the Three Lions' progression as a sign of something special happening, and a home Euros was ostensibly the place to banish over 50 years of hurt.
As lockdown restrictions were also lifted following untold COVID-19 devastation, crowds flocked to Wembley to see England sink Croatia and the Czech Republic either side of a draw with Scotland, before ending Joachim Low's Germany reign with a 2-0 last-16 success.
A comprehensive 4-0 quarter-final thrashing of Ukraine followed before Denmark gave the Three Lions an excellent run for their money in the semi-finals, but a 2-1 extra-time success sent England through to their maiden Euros trophy match.
For a short while, the nation united in celebration as Luke Shaw's back-post volley made the net ripple inside the opening two minutes, but after Leonardo Bonucci levelled the tie, the Azzurri bested England's young guns from 12 yards to prolong their excruciating wait for another international honour.
Just three years down the line - where self-isolation, lateral flows and hands, face space were things of the past - England earned themselves an immediate shot at redemption in the Euro 2024 showpiece, making Southgate the first Three Lions manager to reach more than one major tournament final.
On that occasion, a Nico Williams opener preceded a brilliant equalising drive from Cole Palmer, but Spain substitute Mikel Oyarzabal popped up inside the box to consign England to the silver medal yet again.
Biggest victory - England 4-0 Ukraine (Euro 2020)
After ending Germany's dreams of Euro 2020 glory in the last 16 - thanks in no small part to Thomas Muller's heart-in-mouth miss - England would face a seemingly more straightforward quarter-final battle with Ukraine at the start of July.
It proved to be exactly that, as the Three Lions blew their opponents to smithereens with a 4-0 trouncing, marking the first time in their history that they had won a Euros fixture by at least four goals.
Harry Kane appropriately took just four minutes to begin the rout and completed his brace early in the second half, where Harry Maguire and Jordan Henderson also contributed to the pummelling.
As Ukraine were left to lament their joint-heaviest loss as a major tournament, a record-breaking England revelled in reaching their first Euros semi-final since the turn of the millennium.
Heaviest defeats - Netherlands 3-1 England and Soviet Union 3-1 England (both Euro 1988)
While Sir Bobby Robson is a rightfully lauded figure otherwise, the late England boss oversaw a truly torrid Euro 1988 campaign, where the Three Lions suffered their two heaviest losses at the tournament to date.
Despite winning five and drawing one of their six qualifying games, Robson's side lost their way and then some in the finals with three losses from three games, starting with a 1-0 reverse at the hands of the Republic of Ireland.
The two matches that followed against the Netherlands and Soviet Union were equally humbling experiences for England, who succumbed to a Marco van Basten hat-trick against the former and lost by the same 3-1 scoreline to the Soviets, although they are yet to taste defeat by at least three goals at the Euros.
Record goalscorers - Alan Shearer and Harry Kane (7)
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Still in a class of his own when it comes to Premier League goals, Alan Shearer may not be looking down on his England colleagues in the scoring charts, but his record of seven European Championship goals was unrivalled before the tournament began.
The Newcastle United legend struck five of those efforts at Euro 96, netting in all three of England's group games against Switzerland, Scotland and the Netherlands before also striking in the Germany semi, even though it was ultimately in vain.
Shearer still finished as the highest scorer at that year's edition, though, and he was on target twice more at Euro 2000, making the net bulge against Germany and Romania in the group stage.
However, as England suffered group-stage humiliation, the latter game marked Shearer's final match - and indeed goal - for the national team, and his record has since been matched by none other than Harry Kane himself.
The ex-Tottenham Hotspur striker failed to make the net bulge at Euro 2016, but he ended the delayed Euro 2020 tournament with four efforts to his name - one in the last 16 against Germany, two versus Ukraine in the quarters and one against Denmark in the semi-finals.
Despite not being at his brilliant best throughout Euro 2024, Kane still drew level with Shearer on seven Euros goals by poking home against Denmark, nodding in an extra-time winner versus Slovakia and crashing home the equalising penalty against the Dutch.
Most appearances - Harry Kane (18)
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While Kane needs one more goal to surpass Shearer at the top of England's Euros goalscoring charts, the Bayern Munich striker is now his nation's outright leading male appearance maker at the Championships.
Present in every match for England during the 2016 and 2020 editions, Kane had participated in 11 European Championship matches for the Three Lions, the joint-most for his country alongside right-back stalwart Gary Neville, before captaining the nation in his 12th against Serbia, a new all-time high.
Before Kane burst onto the English scene, Neville was involved in England's Euro 1996, 2000 and 2004 campaigns, although disciplinary indiscretions denied him the chance to top this list with a previously unparalleled 12 before Euro 2024 began.
Indeed, the ex-Manchester United man picked up two bookings at the 1996 edition before the semi-final loss to Germany, which he was forced to miss due to suspension as a result.
Youngest player - Jude Bellingham (Euro 2020)
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Before making the big-money move to Real Madrid and sending many a record tumbling in his debut season with Los Blancos, Jude Bellingham had not even reached adulthood when he first turned out for England at the Euros.
At just 17 years and 349 days old, the former Birmingham City and Borussia Dortmund protege came off the bench for England in their opening Euro 2020 win over Croatia, becoming the first Englishman to play a European Championship game before turning 18.
Bellingham broke the previous record set by Marcus Rashford, who was 18 years and 229 days old when he debuted at Euro 2016, just four days more senior than Euro 2004 Wayne Rooney.
While Bellingham only made a fleeting impression three years ago, he arrived back in Germany with a Champions League winners' medal around his neck and played a prominent role as England's attacking midfield maestro; his bicycle kick against Slovakia will live long in the memory.
Youngest goalscorer - Wayne Rooney (Euro 2004)
While his 12-year record of being England's youngest-ever Euros player has now been broken, the revered Rooney is still the youngest man to ever score for the Three Lions in the continental finals.
Just four days after making his Euros bow against France at Euro 2004, Rooney started against the Swiss and headed in from a Michael Owen delivery in the 23rd minute as just 18 years and 233 days.
The now-Plymouth Argyle boss ended the 3-0 win with two strikes to his name and also notched a brace against Croatia in the Three Lions' final group game, sending more tongues wagging about England's new boy wonder.
As the youngest player in England's Euro 2024 squad was 19-year-old Kobbie Mainoo - who has still impressed at the Euros and is the youngest Three Lions player to start a major tournament semi-final - Rooney's record will remain untouched for at least another four years.
Oldest player - Peter Shilton (Euro 1988)
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As the tortoises of the football world, it is no surprise to see a goalkeeper top the oldest players list, as Peter Shilton was a remarkable 38 years and 271 days old when he guarded the posts for England at Euro 1988.
The 1949-born shot-stopper was selected for the Three Lions' opening losses to Ireland the Netherlands, setting the record in the latter game, before being dropped for Chris Woods for their final loss to the Soviets.
Shilton kept on kicking for two more years in an England jersey, eventually calling it quits after Italia 90, and his record should certainly not come under any threat anytime soon; a 36-year-old David Seaman at Euro 2000 is his closest challenger.
Oldest goalscorer - Trevor Brooking (Euro 1980)
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England's run at Euro 1980 is also best consigned to the history books, unless your name is Trevor Brooking, in which case you set a national team record that is still yet to be broken over 40 years later.
During the Three Lions' final group game against Spain, Brooking opened the scoring at 31 years and 260 days to set England on their way to a 2-1 win - one of just five efforts he struck for the national team.
Bryan Robson and Jordan Henderson have also scored Euros goals at 31 for England - albeit missing out on breaking Brooking's record by a matter of days - while Kyle Walker, Kieran Trippier and Lewis Dunk have all blown out 32 candles but failed to make the net bulge at Euro 2024.
Ben Knapton
