England's best World Cup moments

Co-hosts Mexico kick-off the FIFA World Cup 2026 against South Africa as the battle to be crowned the best team on the planet begins once again.

England don’t play their opening game until Wednesday 17 June, however, giving us plenty of time to reminisce about the Three Lions’ greatest moments before they face Croatia in Dallas.

From that Michael Owen goal against Argentina, to ending penalty shootout heartache against Colombia and lifting the Jules Rimet Trophy 60 years ago, these are some of England’s best World Cup moments.

The Boys of ‘66

There’s only one place to start and that’s 30 July 1966 – the day England won the World Cup on home soil, defeating West Germany 4-2 after extra-time at Wembley Stadium.

On a truly momentous day in English football history, Sir Alf Ramsey’s side went 1-0 down early on, fought back to lead 2-1 courtesy of goals from Geoff Hurst and Martin Peters, and then conceded an equaliser in the 90th minute.

Fortunately for the Three Lions, Hurst wasn’t content with one goal in the World Cup final, going on to complete a historic hat-trick in extra-time to send Wembley – and the entire country – wild.

Penalty heroics

Perhaps the most memorable England moment in recent World Cup memory, the penalty shootout victory over Colombia to reach the 2018 quarter-finals was more than just a spot-kick triumph.

The Three Lions had lost six of their seven shootouts at major tournaments before this and had never come out on top at a World Cup, having cruelly lost three times previously, including in the 1990 semi-final to West Germany.

But this nerve-jangling win, courtesy of Jordan Pickford’s heroics and coolly-taken penalties from Harry Kane, Marcus Rashford, Kieran Trippier and Eric Dier, exorcised those demons as Sir Gareth Southgate’s squad went on to reach the semis for the first time in 28 years.

Owen’s super strike

It may have ultimately ended in a painful last-16 exit, but England’s enthralling clash with Argentina at the 1998 World Cup will still be remembered for one goal in particular.

With the score level at 1-1 following two early penalties, Michael Owen – who was still only 18 years old at the time – cleverly collected a pass from David Beckham before bursting past two defenders and rifling a shot past Carlos Roa in the opposition goal.

Owen’s incredible, solo strike was one of the goals of the tournament and remains among the most memorable in England’s World Cup history.

Banks’ wonder save

Another individual moment of magic, Gordon Banks’ stunning stop to deny Pele during a group stage clash with Brazil in 1970 is widely regarded as one of the greatest saves of all time.

The England goalkeeper, who had helped the Three Lions win the Jules Rimet Trophy four years earlier at Wembley, showed off every bit of his athleticism, somehow getting down to flick a powerful header from the legendary striker up and over the bar.

Speaking about the save following Banks’ death in 2019, Pele said: "The save was one of the best I have ever seen – in real life, and in all the thousands of games I have watched since.”

Beckham downs Argentina

After being sent off for kicking out at Diego Simeone during England’s heartbreaking last-16 defeat to Argentina at the 1998 World Cup in France, David Beckham was out for revenge when the two countries met four years later in Japan.

The midfielder had battled back to become Three Lions captain, and he led by example during the group stage encounter at the 2002 World Cup, scoring from the penalty spot to seal a crucial 1-0 win.

Beckham passionately celebrated his goal after laying the ghost of Saint-Etienne to rest, with his strike also helping send tournament favourites Argentina home before the knockout stages had even begun.

Platt’s volley & Italia ‘90

Before England’s run to the 2018 semi-finals, it had been nearly three decades since the Three Lions had reached the last four of the World Cup, having gone agonisingly close to making the final in 1990.

Sir Bobby Robson’s likeable squad made waves in Italy, winning the hearts of a nation with their performances, character and some special moments, none more so than David Platt’s sublime volley against Belgium in the last 16.

The midfielder spun perfectly to meet a floated free-kick from Paul Gascoigne in the last minute of extra-time, guiding his first-time shot into the top corner to spark scenes of pandemonium among the squad, in the stands and back home.