Gary Cahill was lying face down on the field in disbelief. Dele Alli was squatting on the turf with his head in his hands. It was utter humiliation for England.
First-time finalist Iceland embarrassed the inept stars of the Premier League on Monday in Nice, France, dumping them out of the European Championship in the round of 16.
Ragnar Sigurdsson and Kolbeinn Sigthorsson took advantage of defensive shortcomings by England to put Iceland ahead by the 18th minute, and the Icelanders defended superbly in the second half to win, 2-1, earning the biggest victory in their history and a quarterfinal match against France in Saint-Denis.
‘‘They thought that this would be a walk in the park,’’ Sigurdsson said. ‘‘We had faith in our ability.’’
Roy Hodgson, the man who presided over yet another night of English ignominy, immediately quit. The coach had little choice. His contract was due to expire after Euro 2016 but he accepted immediately after the loss that there was no way he could stay in the job.
‘‘I would have loved to stay on another two years. However, I'm pragmatic and know that we’re in the results business,’’ Hodgson said.
‘‘My contract was always up after the Euros, so now is the time for someone else to oversee the progress of this young, hungry and extremely talented group of players.’’
Those players will probably now have this mortifying night in Nice to contend with for the rest of their careers. In the heat of the French Riviera, England melted away against Iceland, lacking creativity and technically deficient.
Center forward Daniel Sturridge was jettisoned to the right, while Raheem Sterling was bereft of ideas and confidence on the left flank.
Harry Kane, the Premier League’s top scorer last season, leaves France without a single goal. Wayne Rooney, England’s all-time leading scorer, was sloppily conceding possession with poor passes — but the captain did convert his team’s fourth-minute penalty Monday. The lead was gone in 34 seconds.
England couldn’t defend a long throw-in when Sigurdsson was left in space to equalize. Then goalkeeper Joe Hart blundered in the 18th minute, allowing Sigthorsson’s shot to squirm past him.
‘‘The standards I set haven’t been met in this tournament so I'm going to hold my hands up for that,’’ Hart said. ‘‘From the bottom of my heart, I am sorry.’’
The pampered and cossetted players won’t find much sympathy back home.
‘‘We have to get over this,’’ Rooney said. ‘‘But tonight we are devastated.’’
The scale of Iceland’s achievement, as the smallest country to ever qualify for a major tournament, is incredible.
Without any professional clubs in their domestic league and with a population of only 330,000, the Icelanders managed to upset the country which hosts the world richest and most popular soccer competition and where 1.8 million people play the game every week.
There will be much head-scratching among baffled English soccer leaders, though they have been through similar inquests before after heavy blows to national pride.
They did at least qualify for France, unlike Euro 2008. But coming so soon after the group stage exit at the 2014 World Cup is disconcerting for a country where lofty expectations don’t match the reality.
Hodgson was allowed to stay in charge despite England failing to win a single game two years ago in Brazil.
When the final whistle went, Iceland’s squad and staff raced onto the field in pure joy to celebrate with the team. Iceland captain Aron Gunnarrsson, who plays for Cardiff in the second tier of English football, tore off his shirt off and ran over to fans, leading his teammates in dancing and singing.
In Iceland’s capital, Reykjavik, an estimated 10,000 people watched the match on a giant screen downtown in daylight. Fireworks erupted and residents danced on their balconies.
The ease with which Iceland saw out the game was surprising. England finished the match with four strikers on the field but didn’t seriously test Halldorsson.
Italy 2, Spain 0 — Giorgio Chiellini scored in the 33d minute and Graziano Pelle sealed it in injury time as Spain’s era of dominance at the European Championship came to an end when Italy beat the two-time defending champion in the round of 16 in Saint-Denis, France.
‘‘It was definitely a great performance,’’ Italy coach Antonio Conte said. ‘‘They did something fantastic tonight. They are great men and wonderful footballers.’’
Chiellini, a member of Italy’s resilient defense, put his team ahead in the 33d minute, when he poked the ball across the line after Spain goalkeeper David de Gea couldn’t hold on to a free kick by Eder.
‘‘There were several games we needed to take revenge for,’’ said Chiellini, one of four Italians who lost to Spain the last two times. ‘‘But we also wanted and deserved this victory.’’
In the second half, Spain showed more menace and came close to equalizing on a couple of occasions. Sergio Ramos nearly scored with a header from close range in the team’s first clear chance of the game, and Buffon had to make a difficult save on a powerful shot by Andres Iniesta in the 76th minute.
Buffon also made another impressive save in the 90th minute when he managed to get down and save Gerard Pique’s close-range strike.
‘‘We waited too long before killing the game off,’’ Chiellini said. ‘‘We deserved to finish it earlier, and we suffered in the last 15 minutes.’’
As Spain swept forward in search of the elusive equalizer, Italy counterattacked to put the match beyond doubt. Pelle sealed the victory — Italy’s first competitive triumph over Spain since the 1994 World Cup — with his second goal of the tournament after a cross by Matteo Darmian in second-half injury time.
‘‘We have to accept the loss and move forward. It wasn’t meant to be,’’ Spain coach Vicente Del Bosque said. ‘‘In sport sometimes the opponent is better but it’s not because we haven’t played without enough hunger.’’
It was Italy’s first win over La Roja at the European Championship since it was defeated comprehensively by the Spaniards, 4-0, in the 2012 final. Italy had also been eliminated by Spain in a penalty shootout in the quarterfinals at Euro 2008.
The result brings an end to Spain’s unprecedented success at the European Championship following its two consecutive victories in 2008 and 2012. Two years ago, defending its 2010 World Cup, Spain was dumped out of the World Cup in Brazil at the group stage.
. . .
Lionel Messi shocked his native country with his abrupt resignation from international soccer after Chile defeated Argentina, 4-2, on penalties after a 0-0 draw on Sunday in the Copa America final in East Rutherford, N.J.
Some fans, players, and even Argentina’s president want Messi to reconsider. Other supporters were simply sad that he’s quitting the national team.
‘‘The national team is over for me,’’ the 29-year-old Messi said. ‘‘It’s been four finals, it’s not meant for me. I tried. It was the thing I wanted the most, but I couldn’t get it, so I think it’s over.’’
Messi lifted Argentina’s first penalty kick over the crossbar, setting the stage for another loss in a final. Messi and Argentina lost to Brazil in the 2007 Copa final and to Germany in extra time in the 2014 World Cup final. They lost last year’s Copa final to host Chile on penalty kicks after a 0-0 draw.
‘‘I imagine it was a very hard blow,’’ Barcelona teammate Gerard Pique said. ‘‘I know how competitive he is. He will recover from this.’’
Messi moved to Barcelona in 2001 when he was 13, producing lots of hardware for the Catalan club. But many fans at home have criticized him for not leading the nation to a World Cup title, as Diego Maradona did in 1986.
‘‘On top of everything, I missed the penalty kick,’’ Messi told TyC. ‘‘I think this is best for everyone. First of all for me, and then for everyone. I think there are a lot of people who want this, who obviously are not satisfied, as we are not satisfied reaching a final and not winning it.’’
Fans gathered outside the downtown office of the Argentine Football Association, many torn by Messi’s promised departure.
‘‘I feel an enormous sadness, it tears my heart in two,’’ said 29-year-old Juan Pablo Pinasco. ‘‘It was the cup that [Messi] had to win, more than anything it is something that he deserves and I just don’t want him to leave the national team.’’
Another Argentine was more critical of Messi.
‘‘He is the best, he is the best outside [of Argentina] but he just has no luck here,’’ Guido Stanchi said. ‘‘That’s it, he’s got to go. The team doesn’t help him. Now there has to be a change. Let some new players come, ones that have a bit more will.’’
Sergio Romero, Argentina’s goalkeeper, said Messi spoke in the heat of the moment and he wants him to reconsider.
‘‘It’s sad because once again a beautiful chance slipped away,’’ Romero said.
Argentine president Mauricio Macri said on Twitter that ‘‘more than ever I feel great pride for our team. I hope we can continue to have the joy of seeing the world’s best player for many years.’’
Messi was speaking in the aftermath of the emotional defeat and could change his mind. The team was to arrive later Monday in Buenos Aires, where Messi is sure to be mobbed by reporters.
Argentina’s next competitive match is a World Cup qualifier against Uruguay in September, and the top-ranked Albiceleste are considered among the early favorites to win the 2018 World Cup in Russia.
Argentina won the World Cup in 1978 and 1986, but took its last major title in 1993 with the Copa America championship.
Messi won under-20 and Olympic (under-23) titles with Argentina. He has led Barcelona to four Champions League and eight Spanish league titles, scoring 453 competitive goals in 531 games, including a La Liga-record 312.
He is the national team’s career leading scorer with 55 goals in 113 international appearances.
‘‘That’s it, I've already tried enough,’’ he told TyC. ‘‘It pains me more than anyone not being able to be a champion with Argentina, but that’s the way it is. It wasn’t meant to be, and unfortunately I leave without having achieved it.’’
