Britain’s King Charles congratulated England on their dramatic 2-1 victory over the Netherlands in the Euro 2024 semi-final on Wednesday.
However, he expressed hope that the final would be less nerve-wracking, with England securing a win without relying on late goals or penalties.
Substitute Ollie Watkins scored in the 91st minute, propelling England into their second consecutive European Championship final after an exhilarating match against the Dutch.
As the game seemed destined for extra time, Watkins received a pass from fellow substitute Cole Palmer and delivered a precise strike into the far corner.
“My wife and I join all our family in wishing you the warmest congratulations on reaching the final of the UEFA European Championship.
“We also send our very best wishes for Sunday’s match,” he said in a message to England coach Gareth Southgate and his players.
“If I may encourage you to secure victory before the need for any last-minute wonder-goals or another penalties drama.
“I am sure the stresses on the nation’s collective heart rate and blood pressure would be greatly alleviated! Good luck, England.”
England, who advanced past Switzerland in the quarter-finals via penalty shootout, scoring with all five of their spot kicks, will face Spain in Sunday’s final. This comes three years after their defeat to Italy in the 2021 championship match.
Also, England manager Gareth Southgate has described leading the team to their first major tournament final on foreign soil as his greatest achievement as a coach. When questioned by ITV about where he ranked the victory over the Dutch in his eight-year tenure, Southgate responded:
“Yeah, I believe it has to be the pinnacle. It marks another milestone, and the manner in which we performed was exceptional. We sustained a high level of play throughout the entire match.”
