Referee: Daniel Orsato (Italy)

Assistants: Ciro Carbone and Alessandro Giallatini (Italy)

VAR: Massimiliano Irrati (Italy), Paolo Valeri (Italy) and Bastien Dankert (Germany)

This was England's twelfth shootout in 34 years. Only their third success had been in 2019, when they defeated Switzerland, 6-5 on penalties following a goalless draw after extra time in Guimarães in the UEFA Nations League third place play-off, but their most recent shootout had been in the European Championship Final of 2021, when they lost 3-2 to Italy at Wembley Stadium, London, following a 1-1 draw after extra time.

The 2019 defeat had been Switzerland's third defeat in penalty shootouts, but they experienced success for the first time in the European Championship second round of 2021, when they knocked out world champions, France, 5-4 on penalties in Bucharest, following a 3-3 draw after extra time. They were eliminated in the quarter-finals, however, four days later, by Spain, 3-1 on penalties, following a 1-1 draw after extra time in Saint Petersburg. It was their second successive European Championship exit on penalties.

Goalkeepers:

Jordan Pickford (Everton and England) aged 30.

Yann Sommer (Internazionale (Italy) and Switzerland) aged 35.

Pickford was making his 66th appearance for England and it was his fourth shootout in six years. He had saved one kick in each of the first two shootouts, and two in the last one which they lost. In the 2018 World Cup, Pickford had saved Colombia's fifth and last kick by diving low, but blocking it with his up-stretched left hand. Against Switzerland, a year later, Drmić stuttered a little at the beginning of his run-up, before hitting it with the side of his right foot, at medium height to the left, allowing Pickford to make a full-length diving save, with both hands, to win the shootout. In the 2021 final, he had saved Italy's second penalty, low to the right, and then pulled off a miraculous save from Jorginho with Italy's fifth and last kick which would have clinched the championship for them had he scored, but his full-length dive to the bottom left tipped it onto the post and back into his arms to give England a reprieve for a mere 45 seconds before England's last kick was saved.

Not including shootouts, he had faced nine penalties for England. Seven were converted, one went over the bar, and he saved the other, in North Macedonia, eight months earlier, to the right, though Bardhi scored from the rebound. In the 2023-24 season, he had faced eight Premier League penalties for Everton, all of them being converted, with half of them scored by fellow England internationals. Everton lost to Fulham on penalties in the Carabao Cup quarter-finals, with Pickford saving one of the eight kicks that he faced.

Sommer was making his 94th appearance for Switzerland and was the first goalkeeper to face England for a second time in a shootout. It was also his fourth shootout in the last three European Championship finals, and his fifth for his country. Having failed to stop any of Poland's kicks in 2016 and England's in 2019, and then the first four French kicks in 2021 (15 kicks in total), he saved their fifth and last from none other than Kylian Mbappé, with his left hand whilst diving to the left (his right), to clinch their place in the quarter-finals, four days later, where despite Sommer saving Rodri's kick for Spain, low to the right, and another kick hitting the post, three conversions were enough to defeat the Swiss. Since then, Sommer had saved four penalties for Switzerland during international matches, including two in the same match from Spain's Ramos.

In the 2023-24 season, Sommer had saved one of three penalties faced in Serie A, plus one in a Champions League shootout against Atlético Madrid when he saved with his left thigh, diving to the left, though they lost the contest.

Kickers (England):

1)        Cole Palmer (aged 22) - Chelsea

7th appearance, 1 goal.

Scored 29 goals for club and country in the 2023-24 season in all competitions, including one for England Under-21s (his thirtieth would come in the final, eight days later). Ten of them were penalties, including his first full-international goal, in the previous month.

Began the season with Manchester City, coming on as a substitute in the FA Community Shield at Wembley and giving them the lead, but did not take a penalty as they lost the shootout after only three were taken by them.

Scored City's equaliser in the UEFA Super Cup against Sevilla, but was substituted and missed the shootout. He did, however, score Chelsea's first penalty in their Carabao Cup quarter-final shootout against Newcastle United, and they went on to reach the final. Palmer had never missed a penalty in senior football.

Had not started a game for England in the tournament. This was his third of five consecutive substitute appearances, having come on in the 78th minute.

2)        Jude Bellingham (aged 21) - Real Madrid (Spain)

34th appearance, 5 goals.

Scored 26 goals for club and country in the 2023-24 season in all competitions, one of which was a penalty, as Real Madrid won the UEFA Champions League at Wembley, and La Liga.

Started all five games in the tournament, and was only substituted halfway through extra time in the previous round against Slovakia, after forcing the extension with a dramatic equaliser in the fifth minute of added time. It was his second goal of the tournament.

3)        Bukayo Saka (aged 22) - Arsenal

38th appearance, 12 goals.

Scored 21 goals for club and country in the 2023-24 season in all competitions, as Arsenal finished runners-up to Manchester City in the Premier League for the second year in succession. Six had been Premier League penalties.

Converted Arsenal's third penalty against Manchester City as they won the FA Community Shield at the start of the season at Wembley.

Took England's fifth and last penalty against Italy at Wembley in the 2021 final shootout with his first spot-kick in senior football, where he ran up and down on the spot, then ran up and side-footed, with his left foot, low to the right, where Donnarumma pushed it to safety with both hands.

Scored England's equaliser in the eightieth minute to take the game to extra time. Saka had started all five games, but only completed the two knockout fixtures, having been substituted in all three of the group games.

4)        Ivan Toney (aged 28) - Brentford

5th appearance, 1 goal.

Scored four Premier League goals for Brentford in 2024, after his season began in January following an eight-month ban for betting.

His sole international goal had been from a penalty on his only start for England, four months earlier.

Came on as a substitute for the last eleven minutes of extra time, having made his first appearance in the tournament in the previous round in added time against Slovakia, before providing the assist for the winning goal in the second minute of extra time.

5)        Trent Alexander-Arnold (aged 25) - Liverpool

29th appearance, 3 goals.

Scored three Premier League goals for Liverpool in the 2023-24 season, and one for England in the previous month.

Alexander-Arnold had scored Liverpool's fourth penalty on each of three big occasions when they beat Chelsea; firstly in the UEFA Super Cup in Istanbul in 2019 and then at Wembley in 2022 in both the Carabao Cup Final and FA Cup Final.

He had also scored four times from spot-kicks for England's Under-19s in the 2016-17 season, plus one in a shootout.

Came on as a substitute for the last five minutes of extra time, having started the first two group games, but substituted in both, and then come on as a substitute for the last six minutes against Slovenia. This was his first (and last) appearance in the knockout stages.

Kickers (Switzerland):

1)        Manuel Akanji (aged 28) - Manchester City

65th appearance, 3 goals.

Scored four goals for City in the 2023-24 season as they won their fourth successive Premier League title and reached their second successive FA Cup Final.

Did not participate in their two penalty shootouts, with only three being taken by them at the FA Community Shield, and he was substituted against Real Madrid in the Champions League quarter-final.

With Switzerland's third kick of the 2019 shootout against England, Akanji took a couple of casual, bouncing strides and then confidently side-footed with power into the top right corner, with his right foot, as Pickford could only lean in that direction, on his knees.

Against France, in the 2021 shootout, he again took the third kick for his country, and again took bouncing strides before side-footing it with his right foot into the bottom left corner, as the goalkeeper stayed on his feet. He tried the same approach again, four days later, in the quarter-final against Spain, but could not find the bottom left corner and the 'keeper made a comfortable save.

Completed all five games in the tournament.

2)        Fabian Schär (aged 32) - Newcastle United

86th appearance, 8 goals, including a penalty, but none since 2019.

Scored five goals for Newcastle in the 2023-24 season and scored their first penalty in a successful FA Cup shootout against Blackburn Rovers.

Hit Switzerland's fourth penalty against Poland in 2016, side-footing it to the right with his right foot and sending the goalkeeper the wrong way. Schär took Switzerland's fifth penalty against England in 2019, and gently slotted it to the left of Pickford, with the side of his right foot, just slightly to the left of centre, with Pickford having taken a step to the right, and then diving in vain to the left.

Took the second penalty against France in 2021 when he casually side-footed it into the top right corner with his right foot, sending the goalkeeper the wrong way. Four days later, in the quarter-final against Spain, he again approached it slowly before hitting it with the side of his right foot, to the bottom left, where it was saved.

Completed all five games in the tournament.

3)        Xherdan Shaqiri (aged 32) - Chicago Fire (United States)

125th appearance, 32 goals.

Scored twice for Chicago in 2024 (both from penalties), and three times for Switzerland (once from a penalty), the third being the equaliser against Scotland in the group stage.

Took Switzerland's third penalty against Poland in 2016, and scored with the side of his left foot, into the bottom right with the 'keeper going the other way. He had been substituted before each of their last three shootouts, against England, France and Spain.

Spent six seasons in the Premier League, with Stoke City and Liverpool and had his only penalty saved, against Swansea City, for Stoke in 2018.

Played the first hour against Scotland before being substituted, and then came on for the last eleven minutes against England. These were his only appearances in the tournament.

4)        Zeki Amdouni (aged 23) - Burnley

19th appearance, 7 goals.

Scored six goals for Burnley in all competitions in the 2023-24 season, one from a penalty, as they were relegated from the Premier League, and once for Switzerland in the previous month.

Came on as a substitute for the last three minutes of extra time. He had previously only appeared in the tournament as a substitute, in all three group games, but not at all in the previous round against Italy.

Kickers (England):

Extra Time

Bukayo Saka's eightieth-minute equaliser took the game into extra time, where both sides created chances, but none were converted, although Swiss substitute, Shaqiri hit the post direct from a corner.

The Shootout (England first)

1-0 Palmer side-footed into the bottom left corner, with his left foot, sending Sommer the wrong way.

Akanji side-footed, with his right foot, low to the right, where Pickford blocked it.

2-0 Bellingham took a big stride, but then slowed and side-footed, with his right foot, into the bottom right corner, as Sommer sat down, having moved towards the opposite side.

2-1 Schär side-footed into the bottom right corner, as Pickford dived the other way.

3-1 Saka ran up and down on the spot, before side-footing it, with his right foot, into the bottom right corner, as Sommer dived the other way.

3-2 Shaqiri side-footed, with his left foot, just to the right of Pickford's dive.

4-2 Toney stared at the 'keeper, and not at the ball, as he walked up to it, centrally, and hit it with the side of his right foot into the bottom left corner, beyond Sommer's dive.

4-3 Amdouni ran up and down on the spot, before calmly slotting it down the middle with the side of his right foot, as Pickford dived to the right.

5-3 Alexander-Arnold waited a few moments before running up and down on the spot and then running up to hit it with the side of his right foot into the top left corner as Sommer dived the wrong way.

If Alexander-Arnold had missed, who would have taken England's sixth penalty?

At the end of extra time, Gareth Southgate gathered all of the players around him, and in turn, pointed to each player and gave him a number to indicate the order in which they would be taken. From this, we can ascertain that Arsenal's Declan Rice (25 years old, with 56 appearances, and three goals) would have been next up, after Alexander-Arnold. He had scored seven Premier League goals in the 2023-24 season, but had missed his last two Premier League penalties, in previous seasons, for West Ham United. One (in the third minute of the match) hit the post, and the other was saved, though he had scored an earlier one, in 2021.

The remaining order of takers was Eze, Pickford (who had scored in the 2019 shootout against Switzerland), Walker, Shaw and Stones. Captain, Harry Kane, scorer of a record 65 goals for England, and who had scored in their last three shootouts, had been substituted with an injury, twelve minutes from the end of extra time.

Why did England win?

This victory was entirely down to preparation, and it's fair to say that this England team prepared more thoroughly than any other England team of the past. The attention to detail was second to none, and Gareth Southgate and his assistants had also learned from previous tournaments.

Not for the first time, Jordan Pickford had his penalty strategy against every single player in the opposition squad, displayed on his water bottle, even including when to hold his ground beforehand, and when to fake a move to one side before diving to the other. Presumably, he would have had to have checked his bottle after every single kick, unless he'd memorised the whole squad's preferences, not knowing beforehand who would be taking the next kick. He also knew that he could get away with a modicum of delaying tactics that could have an impact on the kicker, before the referee gave him a warning. This is what happened before Switzerland's first kick, where Pickford did all that he needed to do to send England into the semi-finals, and led to Switzerland's third successive exit on penalties in the European Championship.

He got off to the best possible start by diving to his left, just as it had said on his bottle, and saving Akanji's kick. Pickford ignored the advice for the next kick (or misread it) however, and went the wrong way for Schär's kick. The third was just too well hit by Shaqiri, and the fourth and last, from Amdouni, went straight down the middle, whilst Pickford was expecting it to go to his left.

It was impossible to fault any of England's takers, as every kick was either right in the corner of the net, or pretty close to it. Given his miss in the 2021 final, Saka was probably under the greatest pressure, but he didn't show it, and his kick hit the inner side-netting. Sommer extended his penalty shootout record against England to an unenviable eleven kicks faced, eleven conceded, despite his generally good record against other teams, but he never really stood a chance with these five.

Ivan Toney's kick drew attention because he did not look at the ball, showing quite incredible nerve to do that at this level of competition, but it demonstrated an unshakeable confidence in his kicking, always an advantage in shootouts. It was revealed that he practised taking penalties from 13 yards, rather than twelve, to make the goals look bigger when it came to the real thing.

There were other interesting strategies revealed after the game, all of which undoubtedly had a positive effect on England's kickers. They took longer to take their kicks, as they composed themselves and stayed in control. Each player was greeted by a designated team-mate as they made the long walk back to the centre-circle after taking their kick, though this would probably have a greater impact, psychologically, if a player had missed.

England's Dutch assistant, Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink also played an important part in their penalty success. With all previous advice prescribing the taking of as many practice kicks as possible, England's players were taken, in turn, into small groups away from the rest of the squad and only practiced a small number of spot-kicks, where they could concentrate on their preferred placement.

The outcome of this shootout was universal acclaim. Though they had previously scored six out of six against the same opponents, when it came to a much more pressured situation, the five out of five kicks made them appear unbeatable. We no longer need to look at Germany, or any other team, for inspiration as to how to win at penalties, though we must not be complacent because other teams will learn from us, and there may be new strategies that are required in future tournaments.

It is to be hoped that Gareth Southgate's successor will continue this great work and maintain this new-found confidence in the ultimate pressure situations.