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Tue 04 October 2022 | 20:29

England's Greatest World Cup Moments

England doesn't have a rich World Cup history, but it certainly has a few moments in which the team shone on the field; what are those moments, you may ask? Welcome to England's Greatest World Cup Moments.

When it comes to important tournaments, England frequently makes a lot of promises but delivers very little. They had a terrible track record in World Cups.

Although expectations were low this time, when England travels to major competitions, they usually leave behind a frenzy at home where the country genuinely believes this may be their year. People believe that Qatar 2022 World Cup is where the team will create some of

England's Greatest World Cup Moments

.

But before we start the opening ceremony of 2022 World Cup, we should take a look back at some of the highlights from earlier England World Cup campaigns.

Reviewing England's greatest World Cup moments one by one

Accompany us while we take a walk in the memories of this beloved team and rank the top 10

England's Greatest World Cup Moments

in a well-organized list.

10. Owen shines against Brazil

Owens' masterpiece against Brazil starts the list of England's greatest World Cup moments.

On paper, England's 2002 team appeared to be one of their greatest ever for a major event. After a convincing victory against Denmark, England was assured of a quarterfinal matchup against Brazil. When

Michael Owen

gave England the lead after 23 minutes, optimism that they could win the championship surged even more.

Their aspirations were dashed, though, by goals from

Rivaldo

and Ronaldinho early in the second half.

The 2002 Brazil team was one of the best in the history of the competition, and they went on to win a record-tying fifth World Cup. Thus there was no shame in the outcome.

9. Win over Ecuador 2006

Even though it was a close victory, England's 1-0 victory over Ecuador allowed them to advance to the World Cup quarterfinals in Germany in 2006. The event seemed significant.

The difference between the two teams came from a

David Beckham

free-kick, which made him the first England player to score in three World Cups.

England advanced to the quarterfinals before losing to Portugal on penalties.

8. England dominates Denmark 2002

Given the caliber of their team, there were high expectations for England's 2002 World Cup campaign. The excitement only grew after Denmark was defeated 3-0 in the round of 16.

It was simple to advance to the round of eight thanks to goals from Michael Owen and Emile Heskey and a Thomas Sorensen own goal. However, England was dejected to lose to Brazil and return home.

7. England wins over Poland 1986

In Mexico '86, England needed a win against Poland to advance out of the group stages after losing to Portugal and drawing with Morocco. A hat-trick by

Gary Lineker

gave his team a 3-0 victory and guaranteed them a spot in the round of 16.

It's unlikely that Lineker ever scored many more significant goals in his whole career, especially with England's chance of competing in the tournament hanging in the balance.

As a result, England won Group F by virtue of the goal differential against Poland.

6. Lineker and Beardsley duo 1986

These two players made one of England's Greatest World Cup Moments with their marvelous goals.

England defeated Paraguay 3-0 in Mexico City to firmly secure their spot in the 1986 World Cup quarterfinals. Before their victory over Poland, England appeared certain to quit the competition at the group stage, but now they were dreaming of success.

Lineker gave England the lead from close range after Paraguay had early chances, and Peter Beardsley scored a second goal in the second half to make it 2-0. With Lineker's second goal, the victory was complete and 3-0.

5. A close game against Cameroon

England's strongest World Cup campaign, aside from 1966, was in 1990 in Italy, led by the legendary

Bobby Robson

.

The Three Lions were proudly worn on the shirts of many of the players on the squad, including Peter Shilton, Des Walker, Bryan Robson, Gary Lineker, Paul Gascoigne, and John Barnes.

They advanced to the semifinals, and their 3-2 victory over Cameroon in the quarterfinal heightened the anticipation at home.

After a well-placed header by David Platt off a

Stuart Pearce

cross, Cameroon took the lead thanks to goals from Emmanuel Kunde and Eugene Ekeke.

However, Lineker's penalty in the 83rd minute forced extra time, where another penalty from Lineker sealed a thrilling and crucial victory.

It was a game full of controversy that brought England and West Germany together for a semifinal matchup that they ultimately lost on penalties.

4. 1966 World Cup win

We are close to reaching the top 3 of England's Greatest World Cup Moments, but here's the only Win of England in a World Cup.

The only time England won a World Cup was in 1966 when a team led by Bobby Moore and managed by Alf Ramsey defeated West

Germany

4-2 to win the Jules Rimet trophy and make history for their country.

With goals from

Geoff Hurst

and Martin Peters, the score was tied 2-2 at the end of regulation. The best moment in England's lengthy World Cup history was definitely when Hurst scored goals in each half of extra time to seal the victory and complete his hat-trick.

3. Michael Owen's Goal Against Argentina, 1998

We have reached the top 3 of England's Greatest World Cup Moments list.

One of the greatest goals ever was scored by Michael Owen in a 1998 encounter between England and

Argentina

. He was one of England's youngest players at the age of 18, and after just seven minutes on the field, he followed his gut and scored a magnificent goal that forever transformed his life.

The goal itself will go down in English football history despite the fact that England lost the game 2–1.

2. Bryan Robson's Goal Against France, 1982

Before we move on to the top moment of England's Greatest World Cup Moments list, we have a runner-up that we need to review.

The second-fastest goal in the history of the tournament was scored by Robson in 27 seconds after knocking the ball out of the goalkeeper's hands. Robson scored two more times, leading England to a 3-1 victory. He ended up leading and captaining England 65 times, making him a fan favorite among the men.

1. Geoff Hurst's hat trick against Germany

Closing the list of

England's Greatest World Cup Moments

with Geoff Hurst's Hat Trick.

Sir Geoff Hurst's contentious hat trick won the World Cup in 1966 against Germany, giving rise to one of the most well-known phrases in English football: "They think it's all over. It is now!"

The first time ever that a football player won a Cup game with a lone hat trick scored. At Wembley Stadium, a bronze statue honors the group known as the "wingless wonders" for their (at the time) odd configuration.

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