England beat Colombia to enter FIFA World Cup last 8 on Wednesday.
England fans are dreaming of World Cup glory after their team banished a decades-long curse of flunking penalty shootouts thanks to a nail-biting win over Colombia. England fans went on an emotional roller coaster ride on Tuesday when their team prevailed in nerve-jangling penalty kicks after conceding a goal in stoppage time.
Roaring middle-aged men ripped off their shirts and women danced at the Flat Iron Square bar in central London as England beat the Colombians 4-3 on penalties in Moscow on Tuesday.
"I can't believe that England actually won a penalty shootout. I've lost my voice, I can't talk," said England fan Jamie Hughes, 29, part of the crowd at Flat Iron Square.
"England are going to win the World Cup."
Only half an hour earlier, the mood was desolate after Colombia equalised in the dying seconds of a match that England were on course to win 1-0 thanks to Harry Kane's penalty.
As extra time progressed with no more goals, the punters began to talk despairingly of more shootout pain for England, who last won a match on penalties at the 1996 European Championship, and had never done so in a World Cup before.
This time, it was different.
Eric Dier's cool sidefoot past Colombia keeper David Ospina -- the 10th kick of the shootout -- set up a quarter-final on Saturday against Sweden, who are ranked 12 places below England.
England coach Gareth Southgate, whose own shootout miss in the Euro '96 semi-finals sent England crashing out of that tournament, said the win was "fantastic", adding: "I think we deserved it as well."
Britain's Prince William said: "I couldn't be prouder of @england - a victory in a penalty shootout!"
"You have well and truly earned your place in the final eight of the #worldcup and you should know the whole country is right behind you for Saturday! Come on England!"
Fans leaving the Flat Iron Square bar chanted, "football's coming home," a 1996 song by pop band the Lightning Seeds adopted by supporters as the anthem of the England soccer team.
England won the World Cup in 1966 on home turf and, aside from reaching the semi-finals 28 years ago, they have never come close to winning the trophy again -- even with a "golden generation" of players in the 2000s captained by David Beckham.
Now bookmakers say England, unfancied at the start of the tournament in Russia, are second favourites to win the 2018 World Cup, behind five-times winners Brazil.
"I'm just so excited. Words can't describe how we feel," Max Wright, a 19-year-old Londoner, said.
"It's coming home!"
Lions roar in Russia
Greatly outnumbered by the Colombian counterparts at Moscow's Spartak Stadium, England fans occupied only a fraction of seats in the 45,000-seat venue.
But despite being relatively small in number, England fans could be heard.
After failing into despair after a Colombia goal in stoppage time forced the match into the additional 30 minutes, they erupted into boisterous clamour when midfielder Dier buried his kick.
"It was heartbreaking for it to go to extra time the way it did, you just thought 'here we go again,'" said 28-year-old Londoner Matthew Jordan at the Spartak stadium.
"For once Lady Luck shined on us! Roll on Sweden!" he added, referring to England's opponent in the quarter-finals in Samara on Saturday.
There were several standout players for the England fans in Moscow, praising Harry Kane for his composure on the penalty he smoothly executed early in the second half and Jordan Pickford for denying Colombia's Carlos Bacca.
"England looked convincing for the last 30 minutes of the game and I feel Colombia were undeserving of their goal," said Jack Salisbury, a 23-year-old England fan who lives in Moscow.
"The penalty shootout was pretty unnerving. A lot of credit needs to go to Jordan Pickford. He stood tall for the penalty he saved."
For some fans the penalty kicks were just too stressful.
"I literally didn't watch any of the penalties," said Arsenal fan Max Doyle. "I had my shirt over my face for every single penalty, I couldn't watch it."
"Never again. Never make me go through that ever again, that was one of the most painful experiences in my life," said Tim Coleman, another fan.
England fans on the pedestrian streets of central Moscow were few and far between after their country's major win.
"We're deep in the bars," Lloyd Clark from London said of the lack of England fans on the streets.
"We're the favourites, we're going to beat Sweden."
England also had a quieter support base among some soccer fans from abroad who have long waited for the team to shine on the international stage.
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