England, Israel, and Other Trophy Draughts After Three Lions' Defeat to Spain

England, Israel, and Other Trophy Draughts After Three Lions' Defeat to Spain

  • The English national team fell to another defeat in the final of the UEFA Euro tournament against Spain
  • The defeat in the final against La Roja saw the trophyless run of the Three Lions extend to nearly 60 years
  • Following England's loss, Briefly News spotlights a list of countries with the longest trophy drought in history

English football fans faced another crushing disappointment as hopes of ‘football coming home’ were dashed once more.

The Three Lions endured back-to-back final defeats in the UEFA Euro tournament, the latest against Spain.

Harry Kane remains trophyless after Euro final.
Harry Kane walks past the UEFA Euro 2024 Henri Delaunay Trophy after defeat to Spain during the UEFA EURO 2024 final at the Olympiastadion on July 14, 2024. Image: Lars Baron
Source: Getty Images

Gareth Southgate’s side, who were the bookmakers' favourites to win the showpiece, were dealt a blow as goals from Nico Williams and Mikel Oyarzabal, either side of a brilliant Cole Palmer finish, meant the odds-on favourite to win the title would suffer a defeat in the final.

Read also

Salah, Haaland and other Premier League top scorers in the 2020s

This defeat, tinged with heartbreak, extends England’s quest for a major title since their historic 1966 FIFA World Cup win over Germany.

PAY ATTENTION: Briefly News is now on YouTube! Check out our interviews on Briefly TV Life now!

As the trophy drought persists, Briefly News highlights national teams enduring the longest spells without a title in football history.

National teams with the longest title droughts in football history

South Korea - 64 years

The Asian football powerhouse currently boasts two major trophies — Asian Cup titles. However, according to data from Fotmob, these championships were secured in the mid-20th century, specifically in 1956 and 1960.

Despite the talented pool of players South Korea possesses today, they have only reached the tournament finals four times since then, with their most recent appearance being in the 2015 edition held in Australia.

Ethiopia - 62 years

Read also

5 players who changed allegiances amid Greenwood's potential shift

The East African nation closely follows South Korea on the list of countries with the longest trophy droughts. The Walia Ibex have yet to experience victory since their Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) triumph in 1962.

Ethiopia has struggled to make a significant impact on African football since its prominence in the 1950s and 60s.

Israel - 60 years

The Israeli national team is another that hasn’t tasted championship glory since the turn of the century.

To emphasise, the Skyblue and Whites' last title came at the 1964 Asian Cup. The Middle Eastern nation has not reached the final of any major football competition since that victory 60 years ago.

England - 58 years

The Three Lions follow the Israelis closely on this unwanted record list. Since tasting World Cup triumph in 1966, the English national team failed to secure a place in the final of any major tournament until the 2020 Euros, where they lost on penalties to Italy.

Read also

Rodri snubs Messi and Ronaldo, chooses Man City midfielder as GOAT

The Three Lions got another shot at redemption when they reached the final of the recently concluded event in Germany, but a stellar Spain side beat them to the ultimate prize.

Sudan - 54 years

The Sudanese national team concludes our list of teams with the longest trophy droughts in football history.

The Falcons of Jediane last tasted cup glory in 1970, defeating Ghana by a lone goal in the AFCON final according to data courtesy of FIFA Museum. Since then, the Sudanese team has not reached another final.

Carvajal forced to miss Spain’s celebration

Briefly News in another report detailed the reason why Dani Carvajal was forced to miss a significant part of his team’s Euro title celebration.

The 32-year-old was randomly selected for testing by the competition’s anti-doping committee.

Source: TUKO.co.ke

Authors:
Viginia Akinyi avatar

Viginia Akinyi (sports editor) Viginia Akinyi is the current import editor at Briefly News. She holds a B.Sc. in Communication and Public Relations from Moi University and has previously worked with Lolwe TV, Daily Nation Eldoret Bureau and SportsBrief.com. Email: viginia.akinyi@briefly.co.za