North Macedonia held England to a scrappy 1-1 draw in Group C on Monday, bringing an end to England’s Euro 2024 qualifying campaign.
England trailed to Enis Bardhi’s 41st-minute rebound effort after his penalty was saved, despite having qualified long ago with only a draw needed to secure a high seeding for next year’s finals.
Gareth Southgate’s group winners dominated possession but lacked fluency and ingenuity against their tenacious hosts and needed an own goal from Jani Atanasov on the hour to draw level.
Earlier, Jack Grealish had a goal ruled off, while teenager Rico Lewis had a debut he will want to forget after being severely penalized for North Macedonia’s penalty.
The Lions finished the year unbeaten, but in a very underwhelming manner, leading their group with 20 points from eight games, with North Macedonia finishing fourth.