The tournament famously captured the hope and spirit of the time, with England - hosting an international tournament for the first time since the victorious 1966 World Cup campaign - carrying the aspirations of the nation on their shoulders.
Desperate to end what was then 30 years of hurt (it’s now almost 60), the team - spurred on by the mercurial excellence of Paul Gascoigne - briefly let the nation dream before they lost in the semi finals on penalties to the Germans.
With England heading into this summer’s Euros as tournament favourites, the onus now lies with the likes of Jude Bellingham, Phil Foden, Bukayo Saka, and Harry Kane to finally do what none of their predecessors could manage: to bring football home.
Here are some pics of Preston-based fans and the England players themselves during the much-vaunted Euro 1996 tournament...
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1. Euro '96
England fans celebrate at Wall Street, Preston, during Euro 96 after beating Spain | National World
2. Euro '96
The England team of back row left to right, Paul Ince, David Platt, Steve McManaman, David Seaman, Gareth Southgate and Alan Shearer. Front row left to right Paul Gascoigne, Teddy Sheringham, Tony Adams, Stuart Pearce and Darren Anderton, line up before the European Championship Finals semi final match between England and Germany at Wembley, on June 26 1996. | Getty Images
3. Euro '96
England fans celebrate at Wall Street, Preston, during Euro 96 after beating Spain | National World
