What is England's greatest World Cup moment? | OneFootball

They might be one of only eight nations to have won it, but England have had an often-uneasy relationship with the World Cup.

So, just what have been their greatest moments in the tournament’s history?

According to us here at GiveMeSport, four of them happened in games they lost, and one was in a recording studio.

10. World in Motion (1990)

Four years earlier, ‘We’ve Got the Whole World at Our Feet’ could reach no higher than number 66 in the UK singles charts, and New Order were drafted in for 1990, along with the help of Keith Allen.

In need of someone to cover the rap interlude, they turned to John Barnes, who proved to be a natural.

The only time New Order have ever topped the charts, it spent two weeks at number one and was the ninth biggest selling single of the year.

On the pitch, England reached the semi-finals, before losing out in a penalty shootout to West Germany.

9. England Defeat Argentina (2002)

Not a classic game by any means, in the group stages against Argentina, but certainly a huge result.

David Beckham scored the only goal of the game from the penalty spot in Sapporo, giving England their first World Cup finals win against a previous World Cup winning nation since they beat West Germany in the 1966 final.

It also buried some of the disappointment of four years earlier, when they had lost to the same opponents on penalties in the last-16, and satisfied those who still held a grudge about the events of the 1986 quarter-final.

8. Bryan Robson’s 27-Second Goal Against France (1982)

England’s first World Cup finals game for 12 years, it took Bryan Robson just 27 seconds to break the deadlock in Bilbao against a Michel Platini led France.

A long throw from Steve Coppell on the right, a flick on from Terry Butcher, and there was Robson to ruthlessly take advantage.

England went on to win the game, but France would travel further in the tournament, reaching the semi-finals, while England went home unbeaten, the victims of a format that included a second-round system that saw four, three-team groups, decide the semi-finalists.

7. David Platt’s Winner Against Belgium (1990)

A game in which England were largely outplayed and the wonderful Enzo Scifo almost won it for the Red Devils, as Paul Gascoigne clipped a temping free kick into the Belgium penalty area, David Platt – on as a substitute for Steve McMahon – span away toward the back post and caught his volley with the most breath-taking of accuracy, with very nearly the last kick of extra time, thus saving his team from near certain elimination on penalties.

Platt, who had made a late run into the England squad, was an unlikely hero, something that was summed up by the expression on Gary Lineker’s face.

6. John Barnes’ 16 Minutes Against Argentina (1986)

Having watched on from the side-lines for the entirety of England’s World Cup campaign up until this point, John Barnes was thrown on for the last 16 minutes of their quarter-final against Argentina with his team trailing 2-0.

Teasing his way down the left he set up one goal for Lineker and so very nearly another, leaving a nation to ponder what if.

Two years earlier, Barnes had scored a spectacular solo goal in Rio, at the Maracanã against Brazil, but had fallen onto the periphery of Bobby Robson’s plans by the time the 1986 World Cup arrived.

5. Gary Lineker’s Hat-Trick Against Poland (1986)

After taking just one point from their opening two fixtures, and losing their captain to injury, along with the vice-captain to suspension, England needed something special against Poland in their final group game and Lineker delivered it with a brilliant hat-trick to belatedly kick start his team’s World Cup campaign in Mexico.

Linking up brilliantly with Peter Beardsley, who had been brought in to replace Mark Hateley, the soon to be Barcelona star would go on to score three more times, claiming the Golden Boot.

4. Michael Owen’s Wonder Goal Against Argentina (1998)

Picking up the ball from Beckham with the outside of his right foot, just inside the Argentina half, the 18-year-old Michael Owen soon left José Chamot for dust, before cutting across the advancing Roberto Ayala, and even shrugging off the attentions of Paul Scholes, before he stuck sweetly across the face of goal and past the helpless Carlos Roa to put England 2-1 up.

Beckham would soon turn from hero to villain, when sent off for a needless yet half-hearted kick that Diego Simeone took full advantage of. England went on to lose on penalties.

3. Bobby Moore’s Tackle on Jairzinho (1970)

Left badly exposed by a Brazilian counterattack, Bobby Moore only had Brian Labone in support as Jairzinho swept towards him with the ball seemingly tied to his right foot.

With perfect timing the England captain executed a magnificent right-footed tackle to dispossess Brazil’s number seven of the ball, before bringing it forward with a laconic ease.

It was one of a set of impressive interventions by the West Ham United man, and he and Pelé swapped shirts and embraced warmly at full-time, England unfortunate to lose, undone only by a piece of footballing magic.

2. Gordon Banks’ Save Against Brazil (1970)

The Save of the Century; with the deadlock still to be broken Jairzinho powered past the England left-back, Terry Cooper, to reach the byline.

Angling in the perfect cross on the run to Pelé, a goal looked certain as the best player in the world directed his powerful header downward, only to see Banks fling himself across his goalmouth, expertly judging the projected bounce of the ball, and somehow turning it upwards, and over the top of his crossbar from near ground level.

Not believing his eyes, Pelé had shouted “Goal” and his arms were raised in celebration of the strike he was denied by Banks, while an equally bewildered Tostão punched the air, almost in triumph of the perfection that had just unfolded.

1. England Win the World Cup (1966)

Geoff Hurst’s hat-trick, and Kenneth Wolstenholme’s iconic line of commentary, they have almost become caricatures in the mist of the failures that have followed across the last 56 years, for England at the World Cup.

A success that was built upon a wingless formation, the inspiration of a peak of his powers Bobby Charlton, and the energy of Alan Ball, Alf Ramsey’s team sedately navigated a group containing Uruguay, Mexico, and France, before seeing off the ill-tempered Argentina, and the wonderfully talented Portugal, in the quarter and semi-finals respectively.

The Franz Beckenbauer powered West Germany were the obstacle in the final, and with a devastated Jimmy Greaves watching on from the side-lines, Hurst and Martin Peters were the heroes.

QUIZ: Can you name these 40 obscure England players from the 21st century?

1 of 40

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