England’s Historic Knockout Rivalries

England’s national team has a rich history in the World Cup knockout stages, from their legendary 1966 triumph to recent battles. Now, with Thomas Tuchel at the helm, fans are dreaming of another run. But before that, can you recall every opponent England has faced when it really mattered?

The Early Years and Glory Days

England’s first knockout match was in the 1966 quarterfinals against Argentina. They then took on Portugal in the semifinals and West Germany in the final to lift the trophy. In 1970 they met West Germany again in the quarterfinals and lost. After missing knockout rounds in 1982, they returned in 1986 with a round-of-16 win over Paraguay before falling to Argentina in the quarterfinals.

• 1966: Argentina, Portugal, West Germany
• 1970: West Germany
• 1986: Paraguay, Argentina

The Modern Era of Heartbreak and Heroics

The 1990s brought dramatic penalty shootouts and memorable matches. England beat Belgium and Cameroon before losing to West Germany in the semifinals and then Italy in the third-place match. In 1998 they faced Argentina again, losing on penalties. The 2000s saw wins over Denmark, Ecuador, and a classic loss to Brazil in 2002. Penalty heartbreak returned against Portugal in 2006. Germany ended their 2010 run in the round of 16. More recently, 2018 produced a thrilling run to the semifinals, beating Colombia, Sweden, then losing to Croatia and Belgium. In 2022 they beat Senegal before falling to France.

• 1990: Belgium, Cameroon, West Germany, Italy
• 1998: Argentina
• 2002: Denmark, Brazil
• 2006: Ecuador, Portugal
• 2010: Germany
• 2018: Colombia, Sweden, Croatia, Belgium
• 2022: Senegal, France

Put Your Knowledge to the Test

Now it’s your turn. From Argentina to France, England has faced a wide range of talented teams in World Cup knockout matches. Can you name every single one? Don’t forget the legendary clashes and the ones that ended in heartbreak. See how many you can remember without looking it up!