Winnipeg's Little Italy district erupts with joy after Italy beats England for European Championship

Winnipeg's Corydon Avenue was plastered green, white and red Sunday evening as fans of Italy swarmed the area to toast the country's European Championship win over England.

"It means everything," said a jubilant Gianluca Foderaro, who was with a group of friends — all of them decked out in team gear — celebrating on the Corydon strip.

"We've been waiting for this since 2006 ... I'm speechless man, Italy won and that's all that matters."

Italy won its second-ever European Championship by beating England 3-2 on penalties.

The match finished 1-1 after extra time at Wembley Stadium, which was filled mostly with English fans hoping to celebrate the team's first international trophy since the 1966 World Cup.

"Italy killed England. They said it's coming home but in reality it's coming to Rome. They've been talking a lot of smack, but I mean, us Italians, we always pull through," Foderaro said.

Matteo Moncado, sporting a painted-on Italy flag on his cheek, is of the same mind.

"Soccer's our national sport. Everyone who's Italian across the world loves soccer, and winning this game really put Italy on the map to be one of the best teams in the world," Moncado said.

It was less than four years ago that Italy plunged to the lowest moment of its soccer history by failing to qualify for the World Cup for the first time in six decades. Now, they are the best team in Europe and on a national-record 34-match unbeaten run.

And Genio Cisternino, waving a large Italian flag on Winnipeg's Bar Italia patio, knows it.

"This is just the beginning of Italia — I'll tell you something right now: you see the Italian pride in Italy, you see the way we defend and stop the goal and the way we celebrate.

"Everything's passion when you're Italian — we're the best and that's all that it comes down to."