BERLIN — England captain Harry Kane insisted he would gladly swap every individual honor he has ever won for a Euro 2024 champion's medal on Sunday night.
Kane's record of never having won a trophy at either club or international level is one of modern soccer's great anomalies, and has come through a mixture of bad luck, bad timing, and inspired performances from opponents.
His team's showdown with Spain at the Olympic Stadium ( 3 p.m. ET on FOX and the FOX Sports app ) is the chance to finally achieve vindication, and to give England its finest soccer moment since it won the World Cup in 1966.
"It is no secret that I haven't won a team trophy," Kane told reporters on Saturday. "Every year that goes by, you are more determined to change that. Tomorrow, I have the opportunity to win one of the biggest you could ever win and to make history with my mates.
"I'm extremely proud to be English, so no question I would swap everything I've done in my career to have a special night and a win. But … there is a lot of hard work from now until that moment.
"I think it would mean everything. Obviously, the most incredible feeling as a professional footballer you could get. We've been here before, and it was a tough finish in the last Euros so it gives you hunger to make sure this one goes our way."
England's defeat on penalty kicks to Italy in the Euro 2020 final (staged in 2021 due to COVID) was the most stinging for Kane, but there have been others. Kane lost the Champions League final while at Tottenham , plus two Carabao Cup finals, and the German Super Cup with Bayern Munich .
Bayern, which had won 11 straight Bundesliga titles before Kane's arrival, missed out to undefeated Bayer Leverkusen this past season.
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Kane goes into the final not blessed with his finest form, but is still level with Spain's Dani Olmo and four others in the race for the Golden Boot as tournament top scorer, having scored three times.
The 31-year-old claimed past disappointments have fueled him in England dramatic run to the final, and have strengthened the will and belief of his teammates as well.
"A lot of us after that (Euros) final were obviously heartbroken with the result and as always it is a long journey back to where we are now," Kane said. "It speaks volumes for the mentality of this squad. Of course, we are desperate to go one step further than last time.
"Whenever you lose a final it is always tough to wipe it out of the memories. I am always someone who tries to learn from disappointment and learn from times that are tough and I feel like it helps me improve as a player and a person.
"We have done fantastic in a lot of tournaments but now it is time to get over the line."
As a soccer nation, England has suffered. There have been near-misses and gut-wrenching exits, with penalty kicks often being the method of execution of another set of dreams.
Southgate believes in dreaming big about more positive stuff, while not wishing to burden his players with pressure. Before the tournament he sought to inspire them with an idea of what victory would mean to a country that has been through turbulent economic and political times.
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The coach played footage of the public scenes of mass celebration that took place when England won the Ashes cricket trophy against archrival Australia for the first time in 18 years in 2005, and from when England won the Rugby World Cup for only time in its history in 2003.
There was a parade through the streets of London on both those occasions. Another one is planned if England wins against Spain, which would conclude with a reception hosted by King Charles.
Southgate also insisted that for all the progress made, reaching the semifinal of 2018 World Cup, getting to the last Euros final, and a narrow quarterfinal loss to France in Qatar in 2022, the team needs to get over the line to make the breakthrough of being regarded as one of the world's best national teams.
"We tried to change the mindset from the start," Southgate, who has been in the job since 2016, said. "We tried to be more honest about where we were as a football nation.
"(I) watched highlights reels before matches that were on the big screens. We weren't in any of them, because they only show the finals, and only show the big games. We needed to change that.
"In the end, you have to be always in the latter stages of the tournaments to learn how to win those big games. We are learning that. We have come through a lot of big nights now. A lot of records we have broken.
"But we know in the end we have to do this one, we have to get this trophy to really feel the respect of the rest of the football world."
England's squad is all available and an unchanged lineup is likely. Southgate has found the answer to the team's central midfield dilemma in the form of Kobbie Mainoo , 19, while the back-three defensive reshuffle has seen general improvement.
Without doubt, England faces a huge task against Spain, filled with talent and the winner of six straight in the tournament.
It will take a special performance if it is to get over the line - to give Southgate the respect he craves for English soccer, to spark scenes of widespread national joy, and to hand Kane his long-awaited medal.
Martin Rogers is a columnist for FOX Sports. Follow him on Twitter @ MRogersFOX.
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