Whatever happens next, no-one will ever forget this wonderful, glorious and nail-biting night at Wembley.
Now England are just 90 minutes away from glory but this was the night which will leave a whole nation dreaming. It was torturous, tense but ultimately victorious.
It was so loud, so inspiring and so momentous that Gareth Southgate’s players will believe anything is possible because the overwhelming atmosphere inside Wembley will carry them all the way.
Harry Kane’s extra time winner after a controversial penalty produced the iconic moment which Southgate wanted, the pictures will be cherished from a night when it really felt like football was, as they say, coming home.
The players lined up at the final whistle to join the chorus of Sweet Caroline as the near capacity crowd back inside Wembley made more noise than the new stadium has ever heard before.
It felt like normal life had returned and yet, at the same time, it felt almost surreal to see England on the back of an unstoppable wave.
It has been 55 long and painful years since England’s last and only trophy but now this one is so close you can almost touch it.
Of course Italy are formidable opponents, of course Italy are on the back of a 33 game run, of course they will feel destiny is on their side.
But this England team has made a habit of breaking down barriers under Southgate. Beating the penalty shoot-out curse, beating Germany in a major tournament and now getting into a major final at long last after losing their previous three semi finals.
With Wembley on their side, they will believe they can end the hurt. This is not about English arrogance or entitlement. This is about all those false dawns, suffering years of disappointment and yet never giving up that this might finally be England’s chance.
When they went behind, they did not let their heads drop, when it went to extra time they kept going and eventually just had too much for a defiant Denmark who ran out of energy.
At the final whistle, Wembley stood together as one and the players paraded around the pitch after giving the nation so much to enjoy after so many awful Covid months.
This was brilliant, almost as good as it gets. Yet England had to do it the hard way. They went behind after 30 minutes after Luke Shaw’s sloppy foul on Andreas Christensen.
Up stepped Mikkel Damsgaard who put his laces through his shot, got the ball up and over the wall and beat Jordan Pickford who should have done better but it was the first goal England conceded in 691 minutes.
It was the first goal keeper Jordan Pickford had conceded in this tournament, the first England had conceded in 691 minutes and it was definitely not in the script.
But, refreshingly, the crowd stayed with the team. No-one gasped, no-one lost faith and England roared back. Kasper Schmeichel denied Raheem Serling but a minute later England levelled.
Bukayo Saka’s teasing cross went across the face of goal, Sterling was sliding in at the back post and Denmark captain Simon Kjaer panicked, had to play the ball and ended up diverting it into his own net.
The game was 50-50, on a knife edge but as it wore on England took charge as Denmark tired and looked dead on their feet. Schmeichel defied England and the game went to extra time.
But finally England’s pressure had to tell. Sure enough, Sterling made a break into the box, went over as Joakim Maehle and Matthias Jensen tried to stop him and, after a lengthy and agonising VAR check, the penalty was given. It looked soft to say the least.
Up stepped Kane, Schmeichel saved the spot kick but England’s Captain Marvel followed up and smashed home the rebound to send Wembley into dreamland.
