LONDON — For all the differences in style and approach, there is a remarkable symmetry to the journeys taken by England and Italy towards Sunday's Euro 2020 final.

Both nations found themselves at historic low points with fans despairing at their decline and then discovered men who could bring change and quickly lead them on a path to success.

For England, that nadir was elimination from Euro 2016 in the last 16 at the hands of Iceland while Italy's despair came two years later when the four-times world champions failed to even qualify for the World Cup in Russia.

Days before a highly anticipated England-Italy final, UEFA president Aleksander Čeferin admitted the Euro 2020 format was unfair and said he wouldn’t do it again in the future.

Obviously. How else would England have reached a major final for the first time since 1966? (Kidding, maybe.)

RIO DE JANEIRO — Europe might be waiting for England against Italy in Sunday's Euro 2020 showpiece, but there is an even bigger match to look forward to in South America as an older rivalry between two more successful teams kicks off in Saturday's Copa América final.

Brazil against Argentina is a true clasico. The teams first met in 1914 and in the years since have established themselves as two of the most storied sides in world soccer. Together they have won seven World Cups.

¡Splash! Todavía nos estamos secando el agua que Raheem Sterling salpicó después del piscinazo que terminó con el sueño europeo de Dinamarca.

Inglaterra se impuso a los escandinavos por 2-1 y logró su paso a la final de la Euro, en un juego donde no se cuestiona su superioridad, sino que la validez del penal que significó su clasificación. 

Los analistas dirán que España perdió su paso a la final de la Euro 2020 porque no supo convertir en goles su 70 por ciento de posesión de balón y sus más de 900 pases. O porque Álvaro Morata está maldito. Y si bien algo tendrán de razón, hay un elemento que muchos olvidarán y que terminó siendo, quizás, lo más importante: la batería de trucos distractivos que desplegó Giorgio Chiellini ante Jordi Alba, en el sorteo de los lanzamientos desde los doce pasos.