England

LONDON — Britain's Queen Elizabeth has sent a message to the England soccer manager to wish the team luck ahead of the country's most anticipated game since the 1966 World Cup final.

England are due to play Italy on Sunday in the Euro 2020 final at London's Wembley Stadium, prompting excitement across the country, with beer sales soaring and special permission for children to start school late on Monday.

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.

England fans have grown accustomed to seeing their team fall at the final hurdle. The last four times the Three Lions have reached the semifinals of a major international tournaments, including the World Cup three years ago. 

But not this time.

MANCHESTER, England - Four teams head to London for the final week of Euro 2020 and as well as promising close battles, the two semifinals present a fascinating clash of football styles and tactical approaches.

While football has its ideologues, who insist that a particular approach is the right way to play the game, the “final four” are proof that there really is no single formula to success.