Costa Rica Beats Italy, England Eliminated

Costa Rica victory means England is eliminated from the World Cup.

ByABC News

June 20, 2014, 2:13 PM

Italy's Mario Balotelli, left, gets in a shot despite the challenge of Costa Rica's Oscar Duarte during the group D World Cup soccer match between Italy and Costa Rica at the Arena Pernambuco in Recife, Brazil, June 20, 2014.
Frank Augstein/AP Photo

 -- With Costa Rica's 1-0 win against Italy today at the World Cup, England fans reacted with devastation to their country's elimination.

Costa Rica's victory over Italy -- or even a draw -- would eliminate England. Fans of the Three Lions had been cheering for an Italy win, the only result that would have kept their side alive.

VOTE: Who is the Hottest Player in the World Cup?

World Cup Players With the Craziest Hair

All over the world, English fans had cheered for Italy in a bid to salvage the country's two other losses -- first to Italy (2-1) last Saturday, then to Uruguay (again, 2-1) on Thursday.

Even actor Patrick Stewart, from "Star Trek: The Next Generation" and the "X-Men" film series, had been cheering for Italy.

Before the game, Italy's star player, Mario Balotelli, had tweeted that he hoped Queen Elizabeth would give him a kiss if his team beat Costa Rica, allowing England to stay in the tournament.

After England's first World Cup first-round exit since 1958, fans reacted in awe, despair or disappointment on social media:

Sign up for occasional World Cup dispatches from Brazil delivered right to your phone -- including the best photos and limited highlights -- by "starring" this story in ABC News' phone app. Download ABC News for iPhone here or ABC News for Android here.