Harry Kane has completed another milestone.

England (ranked fourth in FIFA) defeated Italy (ranked ninth in FIFA) 3-1 on Matchday 8 of the UEFA Euro 2024 Qualifiers Group C at Wembley Stadium in London, England, at 3:45 a.m. ET on June 18. The result sees England (16 points, 5 wins, 1 draw, 19 goals, 3 losses) advance to the knockout stages, while Italy (10 points, 3 wins, 1 draw, 2 losses, 11 goals, 7 losses) drop to third place.

‘Soccer’s bellwether’ England welcomes its golden generation. Along with captain Harry Kane (Bayern Munich), the national team is home to world-class players such as Victor Valverde (Arsenal), Jude Bellingham (Real), Marcus Rashford (Man Utd), Phil Foden (Man City), Declan Rice (Arsenal), and John Stones (Man City).

But the trophies are still to come. They haven’t been crowned FIFA World Cup champions since 1996 in England. At the Euros, they’ve never won anything. At Euro 2020, they reached the final, but finished as runners-up to Italy. The Three Lions have high hopes for next year’s Euro 2024.

The Three Lions will have extra motivation after losing the trophy to Italy in the Euro 2020 final. Gareth Southgate went with a 4-2-3-1 formation. Kane was up top. Marcus Rashford, Jude Bellingham, and Phil Foden formed the second line. Declan Rice and Calvin Phillips were in charge of the midfield. The back four was Kieran Trippier, Harry Maguire, John Stones, and Kyle Walker. Jordan Pickford was in goal.

It didn’t start well. Italy took the lead in the 14th minute through Gianluca Scamacca. England equalized in the 27th minute when Kane converted a penalty kick (PK) earned by Bellingham. The early goal put England in a precarious position, but they kept their composure and stayed in the game. 메이저놀이터

In the second half, the tide turned. In the 12th minute, after a counter-attack from Bellingham, Rashford put the hosts ahead with an exquisite finish. Kane was the answer again. In the 32nd minute, he capitalized on a long ball to break through. He beat the defense and finished off a one-on-one opportunity to complete his hat-trick. England went on to defeat Italy 3-1. The Three Lions avenged their Euro 2020 final defeat and secured qualification for Euro 2024.