Southgate may still be knighted whether England wins the championship

Before the European Championship semi-final between England and the Netherlands, The Telegraph reported that if England wins the European Championship, England's head coach Gareth Southgate is likely to be awarded a knighthood. Even if they do not win the championship, he might still receive this honor.

The England team came close to winning the 2020 European Championship, reaching the final for the first time in a major tournament since 1966. It is reported that Southgate nearly received a knighthood at that time. However, discussions about knighting him were ultimately halted due to controversies within Boris Johnson's government regarding Southgate's involvement in a film investment scheme questioned by HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC). Southgate's spokesperson previously emphasized that he is a "proud Englishman" who has "always paid taxes on time and fully complied with HMRC regulations" throughout his career. It is said that he resolved the issue immediately when it first arose.

But if England wins the European Championship this time, these issues might not matter. Southgate's tax issues surfaced when he first became England's head coach in 2016, but this did not prevent him from receiving an OBE (Officer of the Order of the British Empire) in 2019 after leading the team to the World Cup semi-finals, their first since 1990. Since then, they have also reached the final of the 2020 European Championship, the quarter-finals of the 2022 World Cup, and the semi-finals of the 2024 European Championship, cementing his position as England's most successful coach since Sir Alf Ramsey.

The match against Switzerland was also his 100th game in charge, making him the third-longest-serving manager in terms of games, behind the late Sir Alf Ramsey and Sir Walter Winterbottom. Sources familiar with the honors system told The Telegraph that the 53-year-old Southgate is likely to join the ranks of the former two and receive a knighthood, although it may not be immediate. The late Sir Bobby Robson only received his knighthood 12 years after stepping down as England manager. If England wins the European Championship, Harry Kane's MBE may be upgraded to an OBE.