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England national football team facts for kids

Kids Encyclopedia Facts
This page is about the men's team. For the women's team, see England women's national football team.
Quick facts for kids
England
Shirt badge/Association crest
Nickname(s) The Three Lions
Association The Football Association
(The FA)
Confederation UEFA (Europe)
Head coach Vacant
Captain Harry Kane
Most caps Peter Shilton (125)
Top scorer Harry Kane (66)
Home stadium Wembley Stadium
FIFA code ENG
First colours
Second colours
FIFA ranking
Current 5 Steady (7 February 2019)
Highest 3 (August–September 2012, September–October 2021, November 2023)
Lowest 27 (February 1996)
Elo ranking
Current 7 Steady (3 March 2019)
Highest 1 (1872–1876, 1892–1911,
1966–1970, 1987–1988)
Lowest 17 (11 June 1995)
First international
 Scotland 0–0 England 
(Partick, Scotland; 30 November 1872)
(The first ever international football match)
Biggest win
 Ireland 0–13 England 
(Belfast, Ireland; 18 February 1882)
Biggest defeat
 Hungary 7–1 England 
(Budapest, Hungary; 23 May 1954)
World Cup
Appearances 16 (first in 1950)
Best result Champions (1966)
European Championship
Appearances 11 (first in 1968)
Best result Runners-up (2020, 2024)
Nations League Finals
Appearances 1 (first in 2019)
Best result Third place (2019)
Medal record
Men's football
FIFA World Cup
Gold 1966 England Team
UEFA European Championship
Silver 2020 Europe Team
Silver 2024 Germany Team
Bronze 1968 Italy Team
Bronze 1996 England (s.f.) Team
UEFA Nations League
Bronze 2019 Portugal Team
Website englandfootball.com

The England national football team have represented England in international football since the first international match in 1872. It is controlled by the Football Association (FA), the governing body for football in England, which is affiliated with UEFA and comes under the global jurisdiction of world football's governing body FIFA. England competes in the three major international tournaments contested by European nations: the FIFA World Cup, the UEFA European Championship and the UEFA Nations League.

England is the joint oldest national team in football having played in the world's first international football match in 1872, against Scotland. England's home ground is Wembley Stadium, London, and its training headquarters is at St George's Park, Burton upon Trent. Gareth Southgate was the most recent manager of the team, stepping down in July 2024 following Euro 2024.

England won the 1966 FIFA World Cup final on home soil, making it one of eight nations to have won the World Cup. They have qualified for the World Cup sixteen times, with fourth-place finishes in the 1990 and 2018 editions. England has never won the European Championship, with their best performance to date being runners-up in 2020 and 2024. As a constituent country of the United Kingdom, England is not a member of the International Olympic Committee (as English athletes compete for Great Britain), and so does not compete at the Olympic Games. England is currently the only team to have won the World Cup at senior level but not their major continental title, and the only non-sovereign country to have won the World Cup.

History

Main article: History of the England national football team

Early years

England 1893
The England team before a match against Scotland at Richmond in 1893

The England men's national football team is the joint-oldest in the world; it was formed at the same time as Scotland. A representative match between England and Scotland was played on 5 March 1870, having been organised by the Football Association. A return fixture was organised by representatives of Scottish football teams on 30 November 1872. This match, played at Hamilton Crescent in Scotland, is viewed as the first official international football match, because the two teams were independently selected and operated, rather than being the work of a single football association. Over the next 40 years, England played exclusively with the other three Home Nations—Scotland, Wales and Ireland—in the British Home Championship.

At first, England had no permanent home stadium. They joined FIFA in 1906 and played their first games against countries other than the Home Nations on a tour of Central Europe in 1908. Wembley Stadium was opened in 1923 and became their home ground. The relationship between England and FIFA became strained, and this resulted in their departure from FIFA in 1928, before they rejoined in 1946. As a result, they did not compete in a World Cup until 1950, in which they were beaten in a 1–0 defeat by the United States, failing to get past the first round in one of the most embarrassing defeats in the team's history.

Their first defeat on home soil to a foreign team was a 2–0 loss to Ireland, on 21 September 1949 at Goodison Park. A 6–3 loss in 1953 to Hungary was their second defeat by a foreign team at Wembley. In the return match in Budapest, Hungary won 7–1. This stands as England's largest ever defeat. After the game, a bewildered Syd Owen said, "it was like playing men from outer space". In the 1954 FIFA World Cup, England reached the quarter-finals for the first time, and lost 4–2 to reigning champions Uruguay.

Walter Winterbottom and Alf Ramsey

The Queen presents the 1966 World Cup to England Captain, Bobby Moore. (7936243534)
Elizabeth II presenting England captain Bobby Moore with the Jules Rimet trophy following England's 4–2 victory over West Germany in the 1966 World Cup final

Although Walter Winterbottom was appointed as England's first full-time manager in 1946, the team was still picked by a committee until Alf Ramsey took over in 1963. The 1966 World Cup was hosted in England and Ramsey guided England to victory with a 4–2 win against West Germany after extra time in the final, during which Geoff Hurst scored a hat-trick. In UEFA Euro 1968, the team reached the semi-finals for the first time, being eliminated by Yugoslavia.

England qualified automatically for the 1970 World Cup in Mexico as reigning champions, and reached the quarter-finals, where they were knocked out by West Germany. England had been 2–0 up, but were eventually beaten 3–2 after extra time. They then failed to qualify for Euro 1972 and the 1974 World Cup, leading to Ramsey's dismissal by the FA.

Don Revie, Ron Greenwood and Bobby Robson

Following Ramsey's dismissal, Joe Mercer took immediate temporary charge of England for a seven-match spell until Don Revie was appointed as new permanent manager in 1974. Under Revie, the team underperformed and failed to qualify for either Euro 1976 or the 1978 World Cup. Revie resigned in 1977 and was replaced by Ron Greenwood, under whom performances improved. The team qualified for Euro 1980 without losing any of their games, but exited in the group stage of the final tournament. They also qualified for the 1982 World Cup in Spain; despite not losing a game, they were eliminated at the second group stage.

Bobby Robson managed England from 1982 to 1990. Although the team failed to qualify for Euro 1984, they reached the quarter-finals of the 1986 World Cup, losing 2–1 to Argentina in a game made famous by two highly contrasting goals scored by Diego Maradona – the first being blatantly knocked in by his hand, prompting his "Hand of God" remark, the second being an outstandingly skilful individual goal, involving high speed dribbling past several opponents. England striker Gary Lineker finished as the tournament's top scorer with six goals.

England went on to lose every match at Euro 1988. They next achieved their second best result in the 1990 World Cup by finishing fourth – losing again to West Germany after a closely contested semi-final finishing 1–1 after extra time, then 3–4 in England's first penalty shoot-out. Despite losing to Italy in the third place play-off, the members of the England team were given bronze medals identical to the Italians'. Due to the team's good performance at the tournament against general expectations, and the emotional nature of the narrow defeat to West Germany, the team were welcomed home as heroes and thousands of people lined the streets for an open-top bus parade.

Graham Taylor, Terry Venables, Glenn Hoddle and Kevin Keegan

The 1990s saw four England managers follow Robson, each in the role for a relatively brief period. Graham Taylor was Robson's immediate successor. England failed to win any matches at Euro 1992, drawing with tournament winners Denmark and later with France, before being eliminated by host nation Sweden. The team then failed to qualify for the 1994 World Cup after losing a controversial game against the Netherlands in Rotterdam, which resulted in Taylor's resignation. Taylor faced much newspaper criticism during his tenure for his tactics and team selections.

Between 1994 and 1996, Terry Venables took charge of the team. Hosting Euro 1996, they equalled their best performance at a European Championship, reaching the semi-finals as they did in 1968, before exiting via another penalty shoot-out loss to Germany. England striker Alan Shearer was the tournament's top scorer with five goals. At Euro 96, the song "Three Lions" by Baddiel, Skinner and the Lightning Seeds became the definitive anthem for fans on the terraces, and popularised the chant "it's coming home". Venables announced before the tournament that he would resign at the end of it.

Venables' successor, Glenn Hoddle, took the team to the 1998 World Cup — in which England were eliminated in the second round, again by Argentina and again on penalties (after a 2–2 draw). In February 1999, Hoddle was sacked by the FA. Howard Wilkinson took over as caretaker manager for two matches. Kevin Keegan was then appointed as the new permanent manager and took England to Euro 2000, but the team exited in the group stage and he unexpectedly resigned shortly afterwards.

Sven-Göran Eriksson and Steve McClaren

England team
The England team at the 2006 FIFA World Cup

Peter Taylor was appointed as caretaker manager for one match, before Sven-Göran Eriksson took charge between 2001 and 2006, and was the team's first non-English manager. Although England's players in this era were dubbed a "golden generation" and only lost five competitive matches during Eriksson's tenure, they exited at the quarter-finals of the 2002 World Cup, Euro 2004 and the 2006 World Cup. In January 2006 it was announced that Eriksson would leave the role following that year's World Cup. Steve McClaren was selected to succeed Eriksson, but was sacked on 22 November 2007 after just 18 matches in charge as England failed to qualify for Euro 2008. McLaren was criticised for his team selection in his final game - a decisive qualifier against Croatia which England lost 3-2 - particularly the decision to select inexperienced goalkeeper Scott Carson, whose mistake lead to Croatia's first goal.

Fabio Capello, Roy Hodgson and Sam Allardyce

On 14 December 2007, Italian manager Fabio Capello was appointed as McLaren's successor, becoming only the second foreign coach to take the job. England won all but one of their qualifying games for the 2010 FIFA World Cup,. At the tournament finals, England drew their opening two games; this led to questions about the team's spirit, tactics and ability to handle pressure. Despite this, England progressed to the round of 16, where they were beaten 4–1 by Germany, their heaviest defeat in a World Cup finals tournament match. This match became infamous for a ghost goal when Frank Lampard hit a shot from outside the penalty area that bounced down off the crossbar and over the goal line before being cleared by German goalkeeper Manuel Neuer, with neither the referee nor the assistant opting to award a goal. Had it been given, the goal would have tied the game 2–2 with England coming from two goals down. This incident - along with similar mistakes at the tournament - lead to an apology from FIFA president Sepp Blatter and was a factor in the subsequent decision to introduce goal-line technology into football. Capello continued as England manager, leading the team's successful qualifying campaign for Euro 2012, before resigning from the role in February 2012.

Following Capello's departure, Stuart Pearce was appointed as caretaker manager for one match, after which in May 2012, Roy Hodgson was announced as the new manager, just six weeks before Euro 2012. England managed to finish top of their group, but exited the Championship in the quarter-finals via a penalty shoot-out against Italy. In the 2014 World Cup, England were eliminated at the group stage for the first time since 1958. At Euro 2016, England were eliminated in the round of 16, losing 2–1 to Iceland in a result that has been described as among their worst ever defeats. Hodgson tendered his resignation shortly after the full-time whistle, with Sam Allardyce announced as his successor in July 2016. After one match and only 67 days in charge, Allardyce resigned from his managerial post by mutual agreement following an alleged breach of FA rules. This makes Allardyce the shortest serving permanent England manager.

Gareth Southgate

England line-up before game v Belgium
The England line-up before the last match of group G against Belgium, 28 June 2018

After Allardyce's resignation, Gareth Southgate, then the coach of the England under-21 team, was put in temporary charge of the national team until November 2016, before being given the position on a permanent basis at the end of that period. At the 2018 World Cup, England reached the semi-finals for the third time. After finishing second in their group, England faced Colombia in the round of 16 where they won on penalties for the first time at a World Cup, before beating Sweden in the quarter-finals. In the semi-final, they were beaten 2–1 in extra time by Croatia and finished fourth after losing the third place play-off match against Belgium. England striker Harry Kane finished the tournament as top scorer with six goals and was awarded the golden boot.

On 14 November 2019, England played their 1000th international match, defeating Montenegro 7–0 at Wembley in a Euro 2020 qualifying match.

Harry Kane England cap at the London Museum
England cap awarded to Harry Kane for his appearance against Germany at Euro 2020, his 58th overall

At the delayed Euro 2020, England reached the final of a major tournament for the first time since 1966 and their first ever European Championship final appearance. After finishing top of a group including Croatia, Scotland and Czech Republic, the Three Lions would subsequently defeat Germany, Ukraine and Denmark to advance to the final. In the final held at Wembley, England were defeated by Italy on penalties after a 1–1 draw.

At the 2022 World Cup, England defeated Iran and Wales in the group stage to qualify for the round of 16. In the round of 16, the Three Lions defeated the reigning African champions Senegal by 3–0, but were eliminated by the reigning world champions France in the quarter-finals, 2–1. Kane's goal against France was his 53rd for England, equalling the all-time record. He would later miss an 84th-minute penalty with the chance to level the match.

At Euro 2024, England finished top of their group following a 1–0 win against Serbia and draws against Denmark (1–1) and Slovenia (0–0). In the round of 16, England defeated Slovakia 2–1 after extra time, with Jude Bellingham notably scoring a spectacular bicycle kick in second-half stoppage time to equalise the match. In the quarter-final, England beat Switzerland on penalties after the game finished 1–1. England reached their second consecutive European Championship final after defeating the Netherlands 2–1 in the semi-final. In the final, England were defeated by Spain 2–1, making them the first team in history to lose two consecutive European Championship finals. With three goals, Kane was the joint winner of the Euro 2024 Golden Boot award, along with five other players.

Whilst the FA were willing to extend his contract further, Southgate announced his resignation as England manager on 16 July 2024, saying that it was "time for change, and for a new chapter". Southgate is England's most successful manager in terms of consistent performance at major tournaments—reaching two European Championship finals and the semi-finals of the World Cup—and has been described as England's second-greatest manager behind Alf Ramsey.

Team image

Kits and crest

Kit suppliers

Kit supplier Period Ref
St. Blaize and Hope Brothers 1949–1954
Umbro 1954–1961
Bukta 1959–1965
Umbro 1965–1974
Admiral 1974–1984
Umbro 1984–2013
Nike 2013–present

Kit deals

Kit supplier Period Contract
announcement		 Contract
duration		 Value
Nike 2013–present 3 September 2012 Spring 2013 – July 2018 (5 years) Total £125m
(£25m per year)
13 December 2016 August 2018 – 2030 (12 years) Total £400m
(£33.3m per year)

Crest

The motif of the England national football team has three lions passant guardant, the emblem of King Richard I, who reigned from 1189 to 1199. In 1872, English players wore white jerseys emblazoned with the three lions crest of the Football Association. The lions, often blue, have had minor changes to colour and appearance. Initially topped by a crown, this was removed in 1949 when the FA was given an official coat of arms by the College of Arms; this introduced ten Tudor roses, one for each of the regional branches of the FA. Since 2003, England top their logo with a star to recognise their World Cup win in 1966; this was first embroidered onto the left sleeve of the home kit, and a year later was moved to its current position, first on the away shirt.

Colours

Eng1966 football shirt
England shirt for the 1966 World Cup final

England's traditional home colours are white shirts, navy blue shorts and white or black socks. The team has periodically worn an all-white kit.

Although England's first away kits were blue, England's traditional away colours are red shirts, white shorts and red socks. In 1996, England's away kit was changed to grey shirts, shorts and socks. This kit was only worn three times, including against Germany in the semi-final of Euro 1996 but the deviation from the traditional red was unpopular with supporters and the England away kit remained red until 2011, when a navy blue away kit was introduced. The away kit is also sometimes worn during home matches, when a new edition has been released to promote it.

England have occasionally had a third kit. At the 1970 World Cup England wore a third kit with pale blue shirts, shorts and socks against Czechoslovakia. They had a kit similar to Brazil's, with yellow shirts, yellow socks and blue shorts which they wore in the summer of 1973. For the World Cup in 1986 England had a third kit of pale blue, imitating that worn in Mexico 16 years before and England retained pale blue third kits until 1992, but they were rarely used.

Umbro first agreed to manufacture the kit in 1954 and since then has supplied most of the kits, the exceptions being from 1959 to 1965 with Bukta and 1974–1984 with Admiral. Nike purchased Umbro in 2008 and took over as kit supplier in 2013 following their sale of the Umbro brand.

Home stadium

Main article: England national football team home stadium
Wembley enggermatch
Wembley Stadium during a friendly match between England and Germany

For the first 50 years of their existence, England played their home matches all around the country. They initially used cricket grounds before later moving on to football club stadiums. The original Empire Stadium was built in Wembley, London, for the British Empire Exhibition.

England played their first match at the stadium in 1924 against Scotland and for the next 27 years Wembley was used as a venue for matches against Scotland only. The stadium later became known simply as Wembley Stadium and it became England's permanent home stadium during the 1950s. In October 2000, the stadium closed its doors, ending with a defeat against Germany.

This stadium was demolished during the period of 2002–03, and work began to completely rebuild it. During this time, England played at venues across the country, though by the time of the 2006 World Cup qualification, this had largely settled down to having Manchester United's Old Trafford stadium as the primary venue, with Newcastle United's St. James' Park used on occasions when Old Trafford was unavailable.

Their first match in the new Wembley Stadium was in March 2007 when they drew with Brazil. The stadium is now owned by the Football Association, via its subsidiary Wembley National Stadium Limited.

Rivalries

Main articles: England–Scotland football rivalry, England–Germany football rivalry, and Argentina–England football rivalry

England's three main rivalries are with Scotland, Germany and Argentina. Smaller rivalries with France, Wales and the Republic of Ireland have also been observed.

England's rivalry with Scotland is one of the fiercest international rivalries that exists. It is the oldest international fixture in the world, first played in 1872 at Hamilton Crescent, Glasgow. The history of the British Isles has led to much rivalry between the nations in many forms, and the social and cultural effects of centuries of antagonism and conflict between the two has contributed to the intense nature of the sporting contests. Scottish nationalism has also been a factor in the Scots' desire to defeat England above all other rivals, with Scottish sports journalists traditionally referring to the English as the "Auld Enemy". The footballing rivalry has diminished somewhat since the late 1970s, particularly since the annual fixture stopped in 1989. For England, games against Germany and Argentina are now considered to be more important than the historic rivalry with Scotland.

England's rivalry with Germany is considered to be mainly an English phenomenon—in the run-up to any competition match between the two teams, many UK newspapers will print articles detailing results of previous encounters, such as those in 1966 and 1990. However, this rivalry has diminished significantly in recent years.

England's rivalry with Argentina is highly competitive. Games between the two teams, even those that are only friendly matches, are often marked by notable and sometimes controversial incidents. The rivalry is unusual in that it is an intercontinental one; typically such footballing rivalries exist between bordering nations. England is regarded in Argentina as one of the major rivals of the national football team, matched only by Brazil and Uruguay. The rivalry is, to a lesser extent reciprocal in England, locally described as a grudge match although matches against Germany carry a greater significance in popular perception. The rivalry emerged across several games during the latter half of the 20th century, even though as of 2008 the teams have played each other on only 14 occasions in full internationals. The rivalry was intensified, particularly in Argentina, by non-footballing events, especially the 1982 Falklands War between Argentina and the United Kingdom. However, England and Argentina have not met since a friendly in November 2005.

Songs

Main article: List of England national football team songs

Numerous songs have been released about the England national football team.

Media coverage

All England matches are broadcast with full commentary on talkSPORT and BBC Radio 5 Live. From the 2008–09 season until the 2017–18 season, England's home and away qualifiers, and friendlies both home and away were broadcast live on ITV Sport (often with the exception of STV, the ITV franchisee in central and northern Scotland). England's away qualifiers for the 2010 World Cup were shown on Setanta Sports until that company's collapse. As a result of Setanta Sports's demise, England's World Cup qualifier in Ukraine on 10 October 2009 was shown in the United Kingdom on a pay-per-view basis via the internet only. This one-off event was the first time an England game had been screened in such a way. The number of subscribers, paying between £4.99 and £11.99 each, was estimated at between 250,000 and 300,000 and the total number of viewers at around 500,000. In 2018, Sky Sports broadcast the England Nations League and in-season friendlies, until 2021 and ITV Sport broadcast the European Qualifiers for Euro-World Cups and pre-tournament friendlies (after the Nations League group matches end), until 2022. In April 2022, Channel 4 won the rights for England matches until June 2024, including 2022–23 UEFA Nations League matches, Euro 2024 qualifying games, and friendlies. 2022 World Cup rights remained with the BBC and ITV.

Results and fixtures

Main article: England national football team results (2020–present)
For more details, see 2023–24 in English football and 2024–25 in English football

The following is a list of match results in the last 12 months, as well as any future matches that have been scheduled.

      Win       Draw       Loss       Fixture

2023

2024

Coaching staff

Main article: England national football team manager
Position Name
Manager Vacant
Assistant manager England Steve Holland
Goalkeeping coach Wales Martyn Margetson
Coach Netherlands Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink
Coach England Paul Nevin
First-team doctor England Mark Williams
Head of performance England Steve Kemp
Physical performance coach England Hailu Theodros
England Chris Jones
Nutritionist England Mike Naylor
Head of performance medicine England Charlotte Cowie
Lead performance doctor England Mark Williams
Lead physiotherapist England Simon Spencer
Lead performance analyst England Steve O'Brien
Senior performance analyst England Michael Baker
Head of performance analysis and insight Wales Rhys Long

Players

For all past and present players who have appeared for the national team, see List of England international footballers.
See also: List of England national football team captains

Current squad

The following 26 numbered players were named in the final squad for UEFA Euro 2024.

Caps and goals are correct as of 14 July 2024, after the match against Spain.

No. Pos. Player Date of birth (age) Caps Goals Club
1 1GK Jordan Pickford (1994-03-07) 7 March 1994 (age 30) 68 0 England Everton
13 1GK Aaron Ramsdale (1998-05-14) 14 May 1998 (age 26) 5 0 England Arsenal
23 1GK Dean Henderson (1997-03-12) 12 March 1997 (age 27) 1 0 England Crystal Palace
2 2DF Kyle Walker (1990-05-28) 28 May 1990 (age 34) 90 1 England Manchester City
3 2DF Luke Shaw (1995-07-12) 12 July 1995 (age 29) 34 3 England Manchester United
5 2DF John Stones (1994-05-28) 28 May 1994 (age 30) 79 3 England Manchester City
6 2DF Marc Guéhi (2000-07-13) 13 July 2000 (age 24) 17 0 England Crystal Palace
12 2DF Kieran Trippier (1990-09-19) 19 September 1990 (age 34) 54 1 England Newcastle United
14 2DF Ezri Konsa (1997-10-23) 23 October 1997 (age 27) 7 0 England Aston Villa
15 2DF Lewis Dunk (1991-11-21) 21 November 1991 (age 33) 6 0 England Brighton & Hove Albion
22 2DF Joe Gomez (1997-05-23) 23 May 1997 (age 27) 15 0 England Liverpool
4 3MF Declan Rice (1999-01-14) 14 January 1999 (age 25) 58 3 England Arsenal
8 3MF Trent Alexander-Arnold (1998-10-07) 7 October 1998 (age 26) 29 3 England Liverpool
10 3MF Jude Bellingham (2003-06-29) 29 June 2003 (age 21) 36 5 Spain Real Madrid
16 3MF Conor Gallagher (2000-02-06) 6 February 2000 (age 24) 18 0 England Chelsea
25 3MF Adam Wharton (2004-02-06) 6 February 2004 (age 20) 1 0 England Crystal Palace
26 3MF Kobbie Mainoo (2005-04-19) 19 April 2005 (age 19) 9 0 England Manchester United
7 4FW Bukayo Saka (2001-09-05) 5 September 2001 (age 23) 40 12 England Arsenal
9 4FW Harry Kane (captain) (1993-07-28) 28 July 1993 (age 31) 98 66 Germany Bayern Munich
11 4FW Phil Foden (2000-05-28) 28 May 2000 (age 24) 41 4 England Manchester City
17 4FW Ivan Toney (1996-03-16) 16 March 1996 (age 28) 6 1 England Brentford
18 4FW Anthony Gordon (2001-02-24) 24 February 2001 (age 23) 4 0 England Newcastle United
19 4FW Ollie Watkins (1995-12-30) 30 December 1995 (age 28) 15 4 England Aston Villa
20 4FW Jarrod Bowen (1996-12-20) 20 December 1996 (age 27) 10 0 England West Ham United
21 4FW Eberechi Eze (1998-06-29) 29 June 1998 (age 26) 7 0 England Crystal Palace
24 4FW Cole Palmer (2002-05-06) 6 May 2002 (age 22) 9 2 England Chelsea

Recent call-ups

The following players have also been called up to the England squad within the last twelve months.


Pos. Player Date of birth (age) Caps Goals Club Latest call-up
GK James Trafford (2002-10-10) 10 October 2002 (age 22) 0 0 England Burnley UEFA Euro 2024 PRE
GK Sam Johnstone (1993-03-25) 25 March 1993 (age 31) 4 0 England Crystal Palace v.  Belgium, 26 March 2024 INJ
DF Harry Maguire (1993-03-05) 5 March 1993 (age 31) 63 7 England Manchester United UEFA Euro 2024 PRE INJ
DF Jarrad Branthwaite (2002-06-27) 27 June 2002 (age 22) 1 0 England Everton UEFA Euro 2024 PRE
DF Jarell Quansah (2003-01-29) 29 January 2003 (age 21) 0 0 England Liverpool UEFA Euro 2024 PRE
DF Ben Chilwell (1996-12-21) 21 December 1996 (age 27) 21 1 England Chelsea v.  Belgium, 26 March 2024
DF Rico Lewis (2004-11-28) 28 November 2004 (age 19) 1 0 England Manchester City v.  Belgium, 26 March 2024
DF Fikayo Tomori (1997-12-19) 19 December 1997 (age 26) 5 0 Italy AC Milan v.  Macedonia, 20 November 2023
DF Levi Colwill (2003-02-26) 26 February 2003 (age 21) 1 0 England Chelsea v.  Malta, 17 November 2023 INJ
MF James Maddison (1996-11-23) 23 November 1996 (age 28) 7 0 England Tottenham Hotspur UEFA Euro 2024 PRE
MF Curtis Jones (2001-01-30) 30 January 2001 (age 23) 0 0 England Liverpool UEFA Euro 2024 PRE
MF Jordan Henderson (vice-captain) (1990-06-17) 17 June 1990 (age 34) 81 3 Netherlands Ajax v.  Belgium, 26 March 2024
MF Kalvin Phillips (1995-12-02) 2 December 1995 (age 28) 31 1 England Manchester City v.  Macedonia, 20 November 2023
FW Jack Grealish (1995-09-10) 10 September 1995 (age 29) 36 2 England Manchester City UEFA Euro 2024 PRE
FW Marcus Rashford (1997-10-31) 31 October 1997 (age 27) 60 17 England Manchester United v.  Belgium, 26 March 2024
FW Callum Wilson (1992-02-27) 27 February 1992 (age 32) 9 2 England Newcastle United v.  Malta, 17 November 2023 INJ
FW Eddie Nketiah (1999-05-30) 30 May 1999 (age 25) 1 0 England Arsenal v.  Italy, 17 October 2023

INJ Withdrew due to injury
PRE Preliminary squad / standby
RET Retired from the national team
SUS Serving suspension
WD Player withdrew from the squad due to non-injury issue.

Individual records

Main article: England national football team records and statistics
See also: List of England international footballers

Most appearances

.

Shilton
Goalkeeper Peter Shilton is England's most capped player with 125 appearances.
Rank Player Caps Goals Position Career
1 Peter Shilton 125 0 GK 1970–1990
2 Wayne Rooney 120 53 FW 2003–2018
3 David Beckham 115 17 MF 1996–2009
4 Steven Gerrard 114 21 MF 2000–2014
5 Bobby Moore 108 2 DF 1962–1973
6 Ashley Cole 107 0 DF 2001–2014
7 Bobby Charlton 106 49 MF 1958–1970
Frank Lampard 106 29 MF 1999–2014
9 Billy Wright 105 3 DF 1946–1959
10 Harry Kane 98 66 FW 2015–present

Top goalscorers

.

Harry Kane 2023
Harry Kane is England's all-time top scorer with 66 goals.
Rank Player Goals Caps Average Career
1 Harry Kane (list) 66 98 0.67 2015–present
2 Wayne Rooney (list) 53 120 0.44 2003–2018
3 Bobby Charlton (list) 49 106 0.46 1958–1970
4 Gary Lineker 48 80 0.60 1984–1992
5 Jimmy Greaves 44 57 0.77 1959–1967
6 Michael Owen 40 89 0.45 1998–2008
7 Nat Lofthouse 30 33 0.91 1950–1958
Alan Shearer 30 63 0.48 1992–2000
Tom Finney 30 76 0.39 1946–1958
10 Vivian Woodward 29 23 1.26 1903–1911
Frank Lampard 29 106 0.27 1999–2014

Most clean sheets

.

Rank Player Clean sheets Caps Average Career
1 Peter Shilton 66 125 0.53 1970–1990
2 Joe Hart 43 75 0.57 2008–2017
3 David Seaman 40 75 0.53 1988–2002
4 Gordon Banks 35 73 0.48 1963–1972
5 Jordan Pickford 31 68 0.46 2017–present
6 Ray Clemence 27 61 0.44 1972–1983
7 Chris Woods 26 43 0.60 1985–1993
8 Paul Robinson 24 41 0.59 2003–2007
9 David James 21 53 0.40 1997–2010
10 Nigel Martyn 13 23 0.57 1992–2002

Manager records

Main article: England national football team manager
Walter Winterbottom: 139
Fabio Capello: 66.7%
Gareth Southgate: 14 (as of 10 July 2024)
Walter Winterbottom: 33 years old
Roy Hodgson: 64 years old

Team records

Main article: England national football team records and statistics
13–0 vs. Ireland, 18 February 1882
1–7 vs. Hungary, 23 May 1954
22 games from 18 November 2020 to 29 March 2022
7 games from 11 May 1958 to 4 October 1958
10 games from 6 June 1908 to 1 June 1909
7 games from 2 June 2021 to 3 July 2021

Competitive record

For the all-time record of the national team against opposing nations, see England national football team all-time record.
Main article: List of England national football team World Cup and European Championship squads

FIFA World Cup

Main article: England at the FIFA World Cup
2018 World Cup Semifinal - England v Croatia
2018 World Cup semi-final: England vs. Croatia
ENG-FRG 1966-07-30
1966 World Cup final lineups: England (red) vs. West Germany

England first appeared at the 1950 FIFA World Cup, and have subsequently qualified for a total of 16 World Cup tournaments, tied for sixth best by number of appearances. They are also placed sixth by number of wins, with 32. The national team is one of only eight nations to have won at least one FIFA World Cup title. The England team won their first and only World Cup title in 1966. The tournament was played on home soil, and England defeated West Germany 4–2 in the final. In 1990, England finished in fourth place, losing 2–1 to host nation Italy in the third place play-off, following defeat on penalties, after extra time, to champions West Germany in the semi-final. They also finished in fourth place in 2018, losing 2–0 to Belgium in the third place play-off, following a 2–1 defeat to Croatia, again after extra time, in the semi-final. The team also reached the quarter-final stage in 1954, 1962, 1970, 1986, 2002, 2006 and 2022.

England failed to qualify for the World Cup in 1974, 1978 and 1994. The team's earliest exit in the finals tournament was elimination in the first round in 1950, 1958 and, most recently, 2014. This was after being defeated in both their opening two matches for the first time, against Italy and Uruguay in Group D. In 1950, four teams remained after the first round, in 1958 eight teams remained and in 2014 sixteen teams remained. In 2010, England suffered its most resounding World Cup defeat, 4–1 to Germany, in the round of 16 stage.

FIFA World Cup record Qualifying record Manager(s)
Year Round Pos Pld W D L GF GA Squad Pld W D L GF GA
Uruguay 1930 Not a FIFA member Not a FIFA member None
Kingdom of Italy 1934
French Fourth Republic 1938
Fourth Brazilian Republic 1950 Group stage 8th 3 1 0 2 2 2 Squad 3 3 0 0 14 3 Winterbottom
Switzerland 1954 Quarter-finals 7th 3 1 1 1 8 8 Squad 3 3 0 0 11 4
Sweden 1958 Group stage 11th 4 0 3 1 4 5 Squad 4 3 1 0 15 5
Chile 1962 Quarter-finals 8th 4 1 1 2 5 6 Squad 4 3 1 0 16 2
England 1966 Champions 1st 6 5 1 0 11 3 Squad Qualified as hosts Ramsey
Mexico 1970 Quarter-finals 8th 4 2 0 2 4 4 Squad Qualified as defending champions Ramsey
West Germany 1974 Did not qualify 4 1 2 1 3 4
Argentina 1978 6 5 0 1 15 4 Revie
Spain 1982 Second group stage 6th 5 3 2 0 6 1 Squad 8 4 1 3 13 8 Greenwood
Mexico 1986 Quarter-finals 8th 5 2 1 2 7 3 Squad 8 4 4 0 21 2 Robson
Italy 1990 Fourth place 4th 7 3 3 1 8 6 Squad 6 3 3 0 10 0
United States 1994 Did not qualify 10 5 3 2 26 9 Taylor
France 1998 Round of 16 9th 4 2 1 1 7 4 Squad 8 6 1 1 15 2 Hoddle
South Korea Japan 2002 Quarter-finals 6th 5 2 2 1 6 3 Squad 8 5 2 1 16 6 Keegan, Wilkinson, Eriksson
Germany 2006 7th 5 3 2 0 6 2 Squad 10 8 1 1 17 5 Eriksson
South Africa 2010 Round of 16 13th 4 1 2 1 3 5 Squad 10 9 0 1 34 6 Capello
Brazil 2014 Group stage 26th 3 0 1 2 2 4 Squad 10 6 4 0 31 4 Hodgson
Russia 2018 Fourth place 4th 7 3 1 3 12 8 Squad 10 8 2 0 18 3 Allardyce, Southgate
Qatar 2022 Quarter-finals 6th 5 3 1 1 13 4 Squad 10 8 2 0 39 3 Southgate
Canada Mexico United States 2026 To be determined To be determined
Morocco Portugal Spain 2030
Saudi Arabia 2034
Total 1 Title 16/22 74 32 22 20 104 68 — 122 84 27 11 314 70 —
     Champions       Runners-up       Third place       Fourth place       Hosted tournament
Correct as of 10 December 2022

UEFA European Championship

Main article: England at the UEFA European Championship
ITA-ENG 2021-07-11
Euro 2020 final lineups: England (white) vs. Italy

England first entered the UEFA European Championship in 1964, and have since qualified for eleven tournaments, tied for fourth-best by number of finals appearances. England's best results at the tournament were finishing as runners-up in both the 2020 (held in 2021) and 2024 edition, followed by third-place finishes in 1968 and 1996, a tournament they hosted. In addition, England have reached the quarter-finals on two further occasions, in 2004 and 2012.

England's worst results in the finals tournament to date have been first round eliminations in 1980, 1988, 1992 and 2000, whilst they failed to qualify for the finals in 1964, 1972, 1976, 1984 and 2008.

UEFA European Championship record Qualifying record Manager(s)
Year Round Pos Pld W D L GF GA Squad Pld W D L GF GA
France 1960 Did not enter Did not enter Winterbottom
Francoist Spain 1964 Did not qualify 2 0 1 1 3 6 Winterbottom, Ramsey
Italy 1968 Third place 3rd 2 1 0 1 2 1 Squad 8 6 1 1 18 6 Ramsey
Belgium 1972 Did not qualify 8 5 2 1 16 6 Ramsey
Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia 1976 Did not qualify 6 3 2 1 11 3 Revie
Italy 1980 Group stage 6th 3 1 1 1 3 3 Squad 8 7 1 0 22 5 Greenwood
France 1984 Did not qualify 8 5 2 1 23 3 Robson
West Germany 1988 Group stage 7th 3 0 0 3 2 7 Squad 6 5 1 0 19 1
Sweden 1992 7th 3 0 2 1 1 2 Squad 6 3 3 0 7 3 Taylor
England 1996 Semi-finals 3rd 5 2 3 0 8 3 Squad Qualified as hosts Venables
Belgium Netherlands 2000 Group stage 11th 3 1 0 2 5 6 Squad 10 4 4 2 16 5 Hoddle, Keegan
Portugal 2004 Quarter-finals 5th 4 2 1 1 10 6 Squad 8 6 2 0 14 5 Eriksson
Austria Switzerland 2008 Did not qualify 12 7 2 3 24 7 McClaren
Poland Ukraine 2012 Quarter-finals 5th 4 2 2 0 5 3 Squad 8 5 3 0 17 5 Capello, Hodgson
France 2016 Round of 16 12th 4 1 2 1 4 4 Squad 10 10 0 0 31 3 Hodgson
Europe 2020 Runners-up 2nd 7 5 2 0 11 2 Squad 8 7 0 1 37 6 Southgate
Germany 2024 Runners-up 2nd 7 3 3 1 8 6 Squad 8 6 2 0 22 4
United Kingdom Republic of Ireland 2028 To be determined To be determined
Italy Turkey 2032
Total Runners-up 11/17 45 18 16 11 59 43 — 116 79 26 11 270 68 —
     Champions       Runners-up       Semi-finalists/Third place       Hosted tournament
Correct as of 14 July 2024

UEFA Nations League

England have competed in the UEFA Nations League since its inaugural season in 2018–19, when they qualified for the 2019 finals and finished third overall. To date this is their only appearance in the finals and their best performance in the competition.

UEFA Nations League record
League phase Finals Manager(s)
Season Lg Grp Pos Pld W D L GF GA P/R Rnk Year Pos Pld W D L GF GA Squad
2018–19 A 4 1st 4 2 1 1 6 5 Same position 3rd Portugal 2019 3rd 2 0 1 1 1 3 Squad Southgate
2020–21 A 2 3rd 6 3 1 2 7 4 Same position 9th Italy 2021 Did not qualify Southgate
2022–23 A 3 4th 6 0 3 3 4 10 Decrease 15th Netherlands 2023
2024–25 B 2 To be determined 2025
Total 16 5 5 6 17 19 3rd Total 1/4 2 0 1 1 1 3 — —
     Champions       Runners-up       Third place       Fourth place  
Correct as of 8 February 2024

Minor tournaments

Year Round Position Pld W D L GF GA Ref.
Brazil 1964 Taça de Nações Group stage 3rd 3 0 1 2 2 7
United States 1976 USA Bicentennial Cup Tournament Group stage 2nd 3 2 0 1 6 4
Scotland 1985 Rous Cup One match 2nd 1 0 0 1 0 1
Mexico 1985 Ciudad de México Cup Tournament Group stage 3rd 2 0 0 2 1 3
Mexico 1985 Azteca 2000 Tournament Group stage 2nd 2 1 0 1 3 1
England 1986 Rous Cup Winners, one match 1st 1 1 0 0 2 1
England Scotland 1987 Rous Cup Group stage 2nd 2 0 2 0 1 1
England Scotland 1988 Rous Cup Winners, group stage 1st 2 1 1 0 2 1
England Scotland 1989 Rous Cup Winners, group stage 1st 2 1 1 0 2 0
England 1991 England Challenge Cup Winners, group stage 1st 2 1 1 0 5 3
England 1995 Umbro Cup Group stage 2nd 3 1 1 1 6 7
France 1997 Tournoi de France Winners, group stage 1st 3 2 0 1 3 1
Morocco 1998 King Hassan II International Cup Tournament Group stage 2nd 2 1 1 0 1 0
England 2004 FA Summer Tournament Winners, group stage 1st 2 1 1 0 7 2
Total 6 Titles 33 12 10 11 43 37 –

Honours

The Queen presents the 1966 World Cup to England Captain, Bobby Moore. (7936243534)
Elizabeth II presents the Jules Rimet Trophy to England captain Bobby Moore, after winning the 1966 World Cup.

Major

Regional

  • British Home Championship
    • Champions (54): (including 20 shared)
  • Rous Cup
    • Champions: 1986, 1988, 1989

Awards

Exhibition tournament

  • England Challenge Cup: 1991
  • Tournoi de France: 1997
  • FA Summer Tournament: 2004

Summary

Competition 1 2 3 Total
FIFA World Cup 1 0 0 1
UEFA European Championship 0 2 2 4
UEFA Nations League 0 0 1 1
Total 1 2 3 6

See also

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