England Qualify for Euro 2024 with Victory over Italy
England secured their place in Euro 2024 after a convincing 3-1 win against European champions Italy at Wembley on Tuesday. The victory puts Gareth Southgate’s side six points clear of Italy in Group C with two games remaining. Italy and second-placed Ukraine will face each other in their final group fixture in November.
The match started with Italy taking the lead after 15 minutes, as Gianluca Scamacca fired into the roof of the net from close range. However, England quickly responded, with Harry Kane converting from the penalty spot after Jude Bellingham was fouled by Giovanni Di Lorenzo. England then took the lead 12 minutes into the second half through a Marcus Rashford solo run and finish. Kane added a second goal 13 minutes from time, sealing the victory for England and avenging their loss to Italy in the final of Euro 2020.
With this win, England joins Austria, Belgium, France, Portugal, Spain, Scotland, and Turkey in qualifying for next summer’s tournament in Germany. Italy still has a chance to qualify if they win their penultimate group game against North Macedonia, which would move them level on points with Ukraine in second place.
The draw for Euro 2024 will take place in Hamburg on Saturday, December 2. The teams will be allocated to one of four pots based on their results in the qualifying group stage. Hosts Germany will be seeded in pot 1 and automatically allocated to Group A. The three play-off winners will be assigned to pot 4. A further six pots will be used to determine the teams’ positions in each group.
Euro 2024 itself is scheduled to start on Friday, June 14, with the final set to take place at Berlin’s Olympiastadion on Sunday, July 14. The tournament will be held across 10 host cities in Germany, including Berlin, Cologne, Dortmund, Dusseldorf, Frankfurt, Gelsenkirchen, Hamburg, Leipzig, Munich, and Stuttgart.
This qualification marks a significant achievement for England, who will be looking to build on their success in the previous Euros. With a talented squad led by manager Gareth Southgate, England will be aiming to go far in the tournament and potentially bring home the trophy.
Overall, England’s victory over Italy secures their place in Euro 2024 and adds to the excitement surrounding the upcoming tournament. Fans can now look forward to the draw in December and start making plans to support their team in Germany next summer.