A peak audience of over 26 million tuned in to witness England’s extra-time 2-1 defeat to Croatia on ITV on Wednesday night.

Ratings show that 26.34 million people were watching as the Three Lions fell foul to a Mario Mandžukić goal in the 109th minute of the semi-final.

The channel had an audience share of 84% at peak, the biggest audience to tune into England in the biggest football tournament in the world.

The figures also make the heartbreaking end the most watched five minutes of television since the London 2012 Olympic Closing Ceremony.

England had one foot in the final at the end of the first half of normal time, thanks to a wonderful free kick from Kieran Trippier.

But it wasn’t to be as Ivan Perišić levelled it up in the 68th minute and sent the game to extra time where disaster struck.

In Pictures | England vs Croatia, World Cup semi-final | 11/07/2018 56 show all In Pictures | England vs Croatia, World Cup semi-final | 11/07/2018 1/56 PA 2/56 REUTERS 3/56 REUTERS 4/56 REUTERS 5/56 PA 6/56 REUTERS 7/56 REUTERS 8/56 AFP/Getty Images 9/56 REUTERS 10/56 AP 11/56 Reuters 12/56 REUTERS 13/56 REUTERS 14/56 Reuters 15/56 REUTERS 16/56 REUTERS 17/56 REUTERS 18/56 REUTERS 19/56 REUTERS 20/56 AFP/Getty Images 21/56 EPA 22/56 REUTERS 23/56 REUTERS 24/56 REUTERS 25/56 REUTERS 26/56 REUTERS 27/56 AP 28/56 EPA 29/56 AFP/Getty Images 30/56 AFP/Getty Images 31/56 AP 32/56 REUTERS 33/56 AP 34/56 AFP/Getty Images 35/56 REUTERS 36/56 REUTERS 37/56 REUTERS 38/56 AFP/Getty Images 39/56 REUTERS 40/56 EPA 41/56 AFP/Getty Images 42/56 AP 43/56 EPA 44/56 EPA 45/56 AP 46/56 PA 47/56 EPA 48/56 AFP/Getty Images 49/56 PA 50/56 Is it actually coming home? Getty Images 51/56 One man and his dog AFP/Getty Images 52/56 Young England fans in Red Square Jeremy Selwyn 53/56 Supporters from both nations in Red Square Jeremy Selwyn 54/56 Match day EPA 55/56 Is football coming home for... Croatia? AFP/Getty Images 56/56 An England fans cheers next to Croatia supporters before the match in Moscow city centre REUTERS 1/56 PA 2/56 REUTERS 3/56 REUTERS 4/56 REUTERS 5/56 PA 6/56 REUTERS 7/56 REUTERS 8/56 AFP/Getty Images 9/56 REUTERS 10/56 AP 11/56 Reuters 12/56 REUTERS 13/56 REUTERS 14/56 Reuters 15/56 REUTERS 16/56 REUTERS 17/56 REUTERS 18/56 REUTERS 19/56 REUTERS 20/56 AFP/Getty Images 21/56 EPA 22/56 REUTERS 23/56 REUTERS 24/56 REUTERS 25/56 REUTERS 26/56 REUTERS 27/56 AP 28/56 EPA 29/56 AFP/Getty Images 30/56 AFP/Getty Images 31/56 AP 32/56 REUTERS 33/56 AP 34/56 AFP/Getty Images 35/56 REUTERS 36/56 REUTERS 37/56 REUTERS 38/56 AFP/Getty Images 39/56 REUTERS 40/56 EPA 41/56 AFP/Getty Images 42/56 AP 43/56 EPA 44/56 EPA 45/56 AP 46/56 PA 47/56 EPA 48/56 AFP/Getty Images 49/56 PA 50/56 Is it actually coming home? Getty Images 51/56 One man and his dog AFP/Getty Images 52/56 Young England fans in Red Square Jeremy Selwyn 53/56 Supporters from both nations in Red Square Jeremy Selwyn 54/56 Match day EPA 55/56 Is football coming home for... Croatia? AFP/Getty Images 56/56 An England fans cheers next to Croatia supporters before the match in Moscow city centre REUTERS

The defeat at the hands of the Croatians means England will fight for third place against Belgium on Saturday in Saint Petersburg.

Croatia, meanwhile, will return to the Luzhniki Stadium in Moscow on Sunday to play France in the last match of the tournament.

Despite a disappointing end, celebrities and fans everywhere have congratulated the young England side and heaped praise on manager Gareth Southgate for their performance in Russia.

The semi-final viewing figures are slightly higher than the last England match on the BBC, where a peak of 23.8 million watched the penalty shoot-out victory over Colombia in the round of 16 and a peak of 19.9 million switched on BBC to watch the quarter-final victory over Sweden.