England will contest their landmark 1,000th international match on Thursday 14 November when Montenegro are the visitors to Wembley in qualifying for the 2020 UEFA European Championship – it could be a memorable night as the hosts look to secure their place at next summer’s groundbreaking tournament.
And if they do, Three Lions supporters will be looking forward to the possibility of lifting the Henri Delaunay Trophy on home Wembley soil on Sunday 12 July 2020, after coming so close at Russia 2018.
Ahead of what promises to be a special night of celebrations at the home of Gareth Southgate’s men, we’ve taken a look back at 20 of the most memorable contests in England’s history so far.
They’re all here, from glory in ’66 to heartache in Turin in ’90.
Cameroon 2-3 England (AET), 1 July 1990
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Bobby Robson’s England came so close to a shot at adding a second FIFA World Cup to their collection at the iconic Italia ’90 tournament and quarter-final victory over Cameroon that year has lived long in the memory – a match that included five goals, three penalties and a period of extra-time, it’s no surprise.
The Three Lions were in trouble when the African minnows went 2-1 up in the 65th minute but Gary Lineker saved the day with a pair of spot-kicks in the 83rd and 105th minutes.
England 2-1 Portugal, 26 July 1966
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England’s thrilling 1966 World Cup final victory over West Germany will forever be remembered in the game, however, Alf Ramsey’s men’s semi-final triumph in that tournament was enthralling in its own right.
Close to 95,000 fans crammed into the Old Wembley to see whether the Three Lions could reach their first-ever major final and it looked as if they were going to after Bobby Charlton’s strikes either side of the break, but Eusebio would make it 2-1 eight minutes from time to set up one of the all-time England nail-biting finishes.
Denmark 0-3 England, 15 June 2002
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There would be no such nervy final few minutes 36 years later at the 2002 World Cup in Asia when England met fellow Europeans Denmark in the round-of-16.
Sven-Goran Eriksson’s side produced one of the best Three Lions World Cup performances to down the Danes by three goals, all of which came before half-time through Rio Ferdinand, Michael Owen and Emile Heskey.
England 2-2 Greece, 6 October 2001
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Who could forget the match that gave David Beckham arguably his finest moment with the Three Lions on his chest? Certainly not us.
With England needing only a point to secure a place at the 2002 World Cup but trailing Greece 2-1 deep into stoppage time in the final game of qualifying, Beckham stepped up to a 93rd-minute free-kick at his home ground and whipped it into the top left-hand corner to send his nation to South Korea & Japan.
England 3-1 France, 16 June 1982
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The 80’s was not the best time in Three Lions history with only one appearance in the knockout rounds of a major tournament recorded.
However, it did yield one of the more impressive results for the nation when Ron Greenwood’s team met the strong French in the opening match of Spain ’82. Bryan’s Robson’s fastest goal in World Cup history was followed by a second for the midfielder and a Paul Marriner effort, France no match for England.
England 0-0 Portugal (1-3), 1 July 2006
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One of the more infamous World Cup moments occurred during England’s penalty shootout defeat to Portugal at the 2006 World Cup – and as much as Three Lions fans will want to leave it in the past, it’s hardly forgettable.
A theatrical reaction from Ronaldo to a stamp from Wayne Rooney on his teammate Ricardo Carvalho led referee Horacio Elizondo to show the Manchester United legend a red card with Ronaldo winking in the direction of his team’s coaching staff as Rooney was forced to trudge off the field.
Spain 0-0 England (2-4), 22 June 1996
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Penalty shootouts and England on the major international stage are two things that haven’t tended to mix well for the English throughout the past.
Although there was one occasion where things panned out a little differently and it’s remembered with pride. The 4-2 penalty glory over Spain in the first knockout round of EURO 96 held in England, although penalties would come back to bite the Three Lions in the semi-finals that year.
England 1-2 Iceland, 27 June 2016
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We hope Roy Hodgson isn’t reading this, if he is he may want to look away now as this one probably still keeps him awake at night. Yes, the final match of his England tenure will be remembered for all the wrong reasons.
His players were expected to dance past Iceland and into the quarter-finals of the 2016 European Championship in France, instead and despite Rooney’s early penalty, the Icelandics pulled off the shock of all shocks – the upset of the tournament.
England 1-2 Brazil, 21 June 2002
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Our next memorable England matchup recalls another exit from a major tournament but in much more respectable fashion this time around.
This match will be remembered for Eriksson’s budding team pushing the best side in the world all the way before just falling short. Oh, and of course, David Seaman bowing out in an England shirt at major tournaments by being audaciously lobbed from 30 yards by the great Ronaldinho.
Scotland 0-0 England, 30 November 1872
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How could we not include England international number one on this list, even though it’s far from the most entertaining of the Three Lions’ 999 internationals thus far.
It featured an England side against bitter rivals Scotland on a field in Partick that’s now a cricket ground.
The final score: 0-0.