Perhaps, as it was Gareth Southgate and England, it had to come down to penalties. Sadly for Southgate and England, the national curse struck again. Italy, who had won the World Cup on spot kicks in 2006, claimed silverware in sudden death again.
Gianluigi Donnarumma emerged as the hero as England missed their last three spot kicks. Marcus Rashford rolled his against the post before Donnarumma denied Jadon Sancho and Bukayo Saka. Southgate, who missed against Germany in 1996, will know how they feel. England have lost shootouts in quarter-finals and semi-finals before, but never a final. Their 55-year wait for silverware goes on.
But Italy’s remarkable renaissance is complete. They failed to qualify for the 2018 World Cup. Now they are unbeaten in 34 games and European champions. The greatest disappointment of Roberto Mancini’s playing days came at Wembley. The greatest success of his managerial career has come there. Mancini, whose Sampdoria lost the 1992 European Cup final at England’s national stadium, inspired a turnaround with his substitutions and Domenico Berardi, Leonardo Bonucci and Federico Bernardeschi took fine penalties after the Juventus centre-back delivered the equaliser.
For England, Jordan Pickford’s shootout saves from Andrea Belotti and Jorginho – the second a quite brilliant stop when the Chelsea midfielder had a chance to win it – were in vain. Yet, in truth, it started to go wrong long before the shootout.
England were ahead after 117 seconds but then there were echoes of the 2018 World Cup semi-final against Croatia when they scored early but lost control of the game to superior passers in the second half. Here Southgate’s side looked tired. Mancini was the first manager to make substitutions and he altered the game. Bonucci cancelled out Luke Shaw’s opener, two defenders finding the net.
Shaw joined Geoff Hurst and Martin Peters in the select band of players to score for England in the finals of tournaments but England showed too little creativity after that stunning start. The goal came with their only first-half shot of any variety. Indeed, they did not muster an effort in open play for the next 100 minutes, limited to headers from Harry Maguire and John Stones from corners and, following another, a half-volley from Kalvin Phillips that went wide.
The fastest goal scored in the final of a European Championships was just the fourth of Shaw’s career. If it capped the revival of a player who, until recently, only played 59 minutes of international football in six years, it was a spectacular and immediate reward for Southgate’s pre-match tinkering.
The England manager reverted to the wing-back formation he used against Germany, demoting Bukayo Saka and bringing in Kieran Trippier. And when Shaw found Harry Kane and he sprayed the ball out to the right flank, there was Trippier. An outstanding crosser delivered the deep ball for Shaw, given licence to get further forward now he was no longer playing as a full-back, to drill in a low shot.
The watching David Beckham and Tom Cruise bumped fists. Southgate’s celebrations were restrained but his gameplan was paying off. Theirs was a confident, assured start, with players adapting well to their different duties. Declan Rice cut a forceful figure in midfield, bringing the ball forward with some driving runs. But while Kane excelled early on, Italy started to snuff him and England out.
This was the first time Italy trailed in the tournament and, within 20 minutes, the longest they had been behind since 2018. It was an unfamiliar scenario but, while it took them time to react, they began to have possession in the England half as Marco Verratti became more of an influence.
Federico Chiesa spurred them into life, powering away from Rice and drilled a shot that fizzed just past the post with Jordan Pickford beaten. Ciro Immobile had little service but when he connected well with a half-volley, Stones made a terrific block.
Opportunities became more frequent. Lorenzo Insigne twice directed free kicks over the bar but he was irrepressible and tested Pickford from an acute angle. It came after a reshuffle by Mancini, who removed the ineffective Immobile and installed Insigne as his central attacker. In the process, he changed the game.
Chiesa moved to the left and became still more threatening. Pickford made a terrific save to deny him. He made a still better one to keep out Verratti’s close-range header from a corner, but Bonucci was on hand to sweep in the rebound, a centre-back showing a striker’s predatory instinct.
It was only the second goal England conceded in the tournament but sheer weight of pressure had told. The substitute Berardi volleyed over after a glorious ball by Bonucci. England rallied a little in extra time after Jack Grealish came on and Jorginho may have been fortunate to escape a red card for a foul on the substitute but greater drama followed.
What are the main cyber security threats?
Cyber crime - This includes fraud, impersonation, scams and deepfake technology, tactics that are increasingly targeting infrastructure and exploiting human vulnerabilities.
Cyber terrorism - Social media platforms are used to spread radical ideologies, misinformation and disinformation, often with the aim of disrupting critical infrastructure such as power grids.
Cyber warfare - Shaped by geopolitical tension, hostile actors seek to infiltrate and compromise national infrastructure, using one country’s systems as a springboard to launch attacks on others.
NATIONAL%20SELECTIONS
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more from Janine di Giovanni
COMPANY%20PROFILE
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Ten tax points to be aware of in 2026
1. Domestic VAT refund amendments: request your refund within five years
If a business does not apply for the refund on time, they lose their credit.
2. E-invoicing in the UAE
Businesses should continue preparing for the implementation of e-invoicing in the UAE, with 2026 a preparation and transition period ahead of phased mandatory adoption.
3. More tax audits
Tax authorities are increasingly using data already available across multiple filings to identify audit risks.
4. More beneficial VAT and excise tax penalty regime
Tax disputes are expected to become more frequent and more structured, with clearer administrative objection and appeal processes. The UAE has adopted a new penalty regime for VAT and excise disputes, which now mirrors the penalty regime for corporate tax.
5. Greater emphasis on statutory audit
There is a greater need for the accuracy of financial statements. The International Financial Reporting Standards standards need to be strictly adhered to and, as a result, the quality of the audits will need to increase.
6. Further transfer pricing enforcement
Transfer pricing enforcement, which refers to the practice of establishing prices for internal transactions between related entities, is expected to broaden in scope. The UAE will shortly open the possibility to negotiate advance pricing agreements, or essentially rulings for transfer pricing purposes.
7. Limited time periods for audits
Recent amendments also introduce a default five-year limitation period for tax audits and assessments, subject to specific statutory exceptions. While the standard audit and assessment period is five years, this may be extended to up to 15 years in cases involving fraud or tax evasion.
8. Pillar 2 implementation
Many multinational groups will begin to feel the practical effect of the Domestic Minimum Top-Up Tax (DMTT), the UAE's implementation of the OECD’s global minimum tax under Pillar 2. While the rules apply for financial years starting on or after January 1, 2025, it is 2026 that marks the transition to an operational phase.
9. Reduced compliance obligations for imported goods and services
Businesses that apply the reverse-charge mechanism for VAT purposes in the UAE may benefit from reduced compliance obligations.
10. Substance and CbC reporting focus
Tax authorities are expected to continue strengthening the enforcement of economic substance and Country-by-Country (CbC) reporting frameworks. In the UAE, these regimes are increasingly being used as risk-assessment tools, providing tax authorities with a comprehensive view of multinational groups’ global footprints and enabling them to assess whether profits are aligned with real economic activity.
Contributed by Thomas Vanhee and Hend Rashwan, Aurifer
Sarfira
Director: Sudha Kongara Prasad
Starring: Akshay Kumar, Radhika Madan, Paresh Rawal
Rating: 2/5
Avatar: Fire and Ash
Director: James Cameron
Starring: Sam Worthington, Sigourney Weaver, Zoe Saldana
Rating: 4.5/5
How to protect yourself when air quality drops
Install an air filter in your home.
Close your windows and turn on the AC.
Shower or bath after being outside.
Wear a face mask.
Stay indoors when conditions are particularly poor.
If driving, turn your engine off when stationary.
RESULT
Manchester United 2 Burnley 2
Man United: Lingard (53', 90' 1)
Burnley: Barnes (3'), Defour (36')
Man of the Match: Jesse Lingard (Manchester United)
Another way to earn air miles
In addition to the Emirates and Etihad programmes, there is the Air Miles Middle East card, which offers members the ability to choose any airline, has no black-out dates and no restrictions on seat availability. Air Miles is linked up to HSBC credit cards and can also be earned through retail partners such as Spinneys, Sharaf DG and The Toy Store.
An Emirates Dubai-London round-trip ticket costs 180,000 miles on the Air Miles website. But customers earn these ‘miles’ at a much faster rate than airline miles. Adidas offers two air miles per Dh1 spent. Air Miles has partnerships with websites as well, so booking.com and agoda.com offer three miles per Dh1 spent.
“If you use your HSBC credit card when shopping at our partners, you are able to earn Air Miles twice which will mean you can get that flight reward faster and for less spend,” says Paul Lacey, the managing director for Europe, Middle East and India for Aimia, which owns and operates Air Miles Middle East.
England's Ashes squad
Joe Root (captain), Moeen Ali, Jimmy Anderson, Jofra Archer, Jonny Bairstow, Stuart Broad, Rory Burns, Jos Buttler, Sam Curran, Joe Denly, Jason Roy, Ben Stokes, Olly Stone, Chris Woakes.
PREMIER LEAGUE RESULTS
Bournemouth 1 Manchester City 2
Watford 0 Brighton and Hove Albion 0
Newcastle United 3 West Ham United 0
Huddersfield Town 0 Southampton 0
Crystal Palace 0 Swansea City 2
Manchester United 2 Leicester City 0
West Bromwich Albion 1 Stoke City 1
Chelsea 2 Everton 0
Tottenham Hotspur 1 Burnley 1
Liverpool 4 Arsenal 0
Timeline
2012-2015
The company offers payments/bribes to win key contracts in the Middle East
May 2017
The UK SFO officially opens investigation into Petrofac’s use of agents, corruption, and potential bribery to secure contracts
September 2021
Petrofac pleads guilty to seven counts of failing to prevent bribery under the UK Bribery Act
October 2021
Court fines Petrofac £77 million for bribery. Former executive receives a two-year suspended sentence
December 2024
Petrofac enters into comprehensive restructuring to strengthen the financial position of the group
May 2025
The High Court of England and Wales approves the company’s restructuring plan
July 2025
The Court of Appeal issues a judgment challenging parts of the restructuring plan
August 2025
Petrofac issues a business update to execute the restructuring and confirms it will appeal the Court of Appeal decision
October 2025
Petrofac loses a major TenneT offshore wind contract worth €13 billion. Holding company files for administration in the UK. Petrofac delisted from the London Stock Exchange
November 2025
180 Petrofac employees laid off in the UAE
NBA FINALS SO FAR
(Toronto lead 3-2 in best-of-seven series)
Game 1 Raptors 118 Warriors 109
Game 2 Raptors 104 Warriors 109
Game 3 Warriors 109 Raptors 123
Game 4 Warriors 92 Raptors 105
Game 5 Raptors 105 Warriors 106
Game 6 Thursday, at Oakland
Game 7 Sunday, at Toronto (if needed)
First Person
Richard Flanagan
Chatto & Windus
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Coming 2 America
Directed by: Craig Brewer
Starring: Eddie Murphy, Arsenio Hall, Jermaine Fowler, Leslie Jones
3/5 stars
How to donate
Send “thenational” to the following numbers or call the hotline on: 0502955999
2289 – Dh10
2252 – Dh 50
6025 – Dh20
6027 – Dh 100
6026 – Dh 200
Ferrari 12Cilindri specs
Engine: naturally aspirated 6.5-liter V12
Power: 819hp
Torque: 678Nm at 7,250rpm
Price: From Dh1,700,000
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