England's trek to the 2024 European Championships final wasn't their first rodeo into that stage of the competition.
Just four years early, the Three Lions had a chance to capture their first-ever Euro title on home soil, vanquishing all foes to set up a date with Italy in the tournament final.
It was a memorable contest, with both sides showcasing their attacking endeavor. In the end, though, Italy took home the title, claiming a penalty shootout victory after goals from Luke Shaw and Leonardo Bonnuci sent the game into extra time.
For all the joy — and in England fans' case, distress — that the match brought, it also proved chaotic. Scores of ticketless fans took to Wembley Stadium, attempting to gain access to the clash between footballing superpowers.
LIVE: Argentina vs. Colombia in 2024 Copa America final
The situation, coupled with the racial abuse Bukayo Saka, Jadon Sancho, and Marcus Rashford endured after missing their kicks during the ensuing penalty shootout, left an ugly mark on what was an epic European Championship final.
Three years later, and those images still swirl in soccer fans' heads.
MORE: Why was the Copa America final delayed?
What happened at Wembley for Euro 2020 final?
Thousands of ticketless fans attempted to rush into Wembley Stadium, hoping to catch a glimpse of England-Italy. Many found a way into the ground, although some 400 were ejected by stadium personnel. Nineteen police officers suffered injuries during the fracas, while 86 people were arrested in the mayhem.
No severe injuries were reported on the day. However, an independent report on the events of the day concluded that the rush could have proved far bloodier if not for a serendipitous collection of "near misses."
"Shocking and unprecedented levels of criminal and anti-social behaviour were evident from very early in the day, which caught all agencies off guard and meant the police deployment arrived too late," the report states, per Sky Sports News.
Mark Bullingham, the CEO of England's FA, accepted the terms of the report, apologizing for the chaotic nature of the pre-match festivities.
"Everyone at The FA was appalled at the significant levels of crowd disorder throughout the day on 11 July. The Review makes clear that the circumstances leading up to the match led to a perfect storm of lawlessness.
"No event is set up to deal with such disgraceful behaviour from thousands of ticketless fans. Collectively, we must never allow this to happen again."
Among those to suffer injuries during the contest was Harry Maguire's father. The England international reported that his dad hurt his ribs amid the chaos of the contest, per the Stoke Sentinel.
