England: a country where governments crumble, markets collapse and the nation's football team loses a European Championship game to Iceland. In the event of England's exit from Euro 2016, an obvious headline had been laid out: "Go, in the name of cod, go."Iceland deserved every second, every laugh and kiss on Monday night. But their amazing 2-1 achievement in earning a quarterfinal against France cannot disguise the reality that this was England's most humiliating night in international football: far worse than many others.The contagion from England's week of political hell has spread to destroy England as a credible football nation. Again, this takes nothing away from Iceland, who were rugged and ruthless. At the same time, though, money, fame and resources were all spectacularly overturned. Iceland has a populace of 330000; England has the richest football league in the world.England - who went out at the group stage in Brazil, eight days into the 2014 World Cup - cannot be said to have made progress. England won one of their four games in Euro 2016. They drew with Russia and Slovakia and beat Wales only in the dying seconds.Here are the disparities in Monday night's players: a £49-million (almost R1-billion) left-sider, Raheem Sterling, went toe-to-toe with Birkir Saevarsson, 31, who plays for Hammarby in Sweden; in England's midfield, Wayne Rooney made his 115th appearance, with his opposing captain Aron Gunnarsson of Cardiff City.By this stage, international tournaments are meant to strike down romantic tales. Thus we saw Germany smash Slovakia and Belgium wipe Hungary off the chart. The last 16 is the stage when the rich countries beat the poor ones.Monday night's game started with a smooth affirmation of England's higher status: a Rooney penalty after Iceland's goalkeeper had tripped Sterling.So England were ahead inside two minutes. Finally, they were pressing on early with the job of dispatching a lesser name. But then the volcano blew. A long throw by Gunnarsson - hardly a secret weapon - found the head of Kari Arnason, who flicked it on for Ragnar Sigurdsson to equalise.England's lead lasted less than four minutes and soon they were behind. While Gylfi Sigurdsson slipped the ball to Kolbeinn Sigthorsson, England's centre-backs watched with all the rapt detachment of theatregoers. Joe Hart, in England's goal, could manage only a weak push at the ball and watched it trundle across his goal-line.Jamie Vardy's arrival in place of Sterling on 59 minutes confirmed manager Roy Hodgson's inability to see that England's most expensive footballer (Sterling) is shot to bits, in his confidence and his touch.It was a shame Hodgson refused to show similar faith in Vardy, who runs behind defences rather than shuttling the ball around in front of them, which too many of these England players do.Harry Kane, Rooney and Hart also had a dreadful game. England lacked composure and precision as they seemed to sense that calamity was closing in. The old fatalism returned. We should pause a moment to say again: Well done Iceland. If only England had their qualities. ©The Daily Telegraph..