A long campaign of European football will culminate under the iconic Wembley Stadium arch on Saturday, as Borussia Dortmund go head-to-head with Real Madrid to lay claim to the iconic UEFA Champions League trophy.
Nestled away in North West London, Wembley is an arena truly worthy of a final of this calibre and the venue has staged some of the most memorable moments in sporting history.
While both teams will be hoping to produce a spectacle that earns them a space in this list, FromTheSpot has compiled the three best sporting moments to take place on the hallowed Wembley turf since the venue was redeveloped – so we’ll only be including events that have taken place since the 2007 reopening.
That loss to Italy in the EUROs final
Embed from Getty ImagesIt’s a moment that no England fan will be in any rush to relive; a moment that undoubtedly leaves a stain on the country’s great footballing history given the violent scenes that broke out either side of the match with fans desperate to lay eyes on the Three Lions again as the nation united following COVID-enforced lockdowns.
There would perhaps be no better ending to a year of torment than holding the EUROs trophy aloft at Wembley Stadium – a home soil win to give hope after a testing period for the majority within the country.
When Luke Shaw latched onto a Kieran Trippier cross and slammed home a half-volley with just two minutes on the clock, there was a genuine, palpable belief that maybe – just maybe – this could be the year England’s trophy drought came to an end.
But alas, 55 years of hurt would be prolonged further. A 34-year-old Leonardo Bonucci reacted quickest to Jordan Pickford’s save from a Marco Verratti header, smashing into the net to restore parity – and it was that goal that ultimately prompted a penalty shootout.
England raced into the shootout lead when Andrea Belotti missed Italy’s second attempt, but three consecutive misses from Marcus Rashford, Jadon Sancho and Bukayo Saka would leave the Three Lions heartbroken on home soil.
The Lionesses’ EURO success against Germany
Embed from Getty ImagesEngland fans learnt a lesson in 2022. When the men fall short, turn to the Lionesses. Just a year on from the Three Lions’ defeat to Italy, Sarina Wiegman had seemingly conquered Europe. Her side were the force to be reckoned with – and following a successful home tournament, they’d reached the final of EURO2022.
Despite an action-packed first half that could have – and maybe should have – seen a number of penalties awarded, there was nothing to separate England from their German opponents at the break.
But as the hour mark ticked by, Ella Toone wrote her name in England’s footballing folklore; having been played through on goal by Keira Walsh, the Manchester United midfielder launched an audacious chip over Merle Frohms that left the nation rejoicing.
It’s never that straightforward though. Tabea Waßmuth’s cross was flicked home by Lina Magull – and with neither side able to find a breakthrough with just ten minutes left to play of regulation time, a further thirty-minute period was in order.
It was in that half-hour that Chloe Kelly would produce one of the most iconic sporting images of all time. A Lauren Hemp corner fell to the Manchester City forward by way of a Lucy Bronze deflection, allowing her to stab past Frohms. Football really was coming home – albeit after eleven painstakingly long minutes in which the Lionesses sought to waste time by any possible means.
Dortmund’s last-gasp defeat
Embed from Getty ImagesBorussia Dortmund’s last appearance in a UEFA Champions League final came over a decade ago, as die Borussen left Wembley Stadium empty-handed following a painstaking defeat to Bayern Munich.
The first-ever all-German clash in a Champions League final fell in Bayern’s favour, with Mario Mandzukic opening the scoring before an Ilkay Gundogan penalty gave hope to die Schwarzgelben fans.
But as they’d find out in the most painful manner possible, it’s the hope that kills you. As the clock ticked into the final minute of the ninety, Arjen Robben was played through on goal by Franck Ribéry – dancing through the defence and slotting past Roman Weidenfeller to seal glory for die Roten.
It’s a fate they’ll be keen to avoid suffering again – but it is simply so hard to bet against Real Madrid: an indomitable force in Europe over the course of the last ten years or so.