After what might be described, at best, as two fairly forgettable matches, there might be some value in England fans reminding themselves of more halcyon days. In the past, England sides have played their part in some thrilling World Cup encounters. In a bid to evoke some fonder memories of past achievements, here’s a list of some of the most memorable matches, one which Wayne Rooney and Steven Gerrard will be looking to help England add to this time around.
’86 England v Poland, 3-0
England got off to a bad start at the World Cup in Mexico in 1986, losing their first match to Portugal followed by their captain Bryan Robson to a tournament-ending injury. They went into the final group game with Poland in need of a result and, having failed to score against Portugal and Morocco, it looked as though Bobby Robson might drop Everton striker Gary Lineker. But Robson stuck with Lineker, and the prolific marksman repaid this faith with a devastating first-half hat-trick. Lineker’s third goal after just 34 minutes sent England’s fans into raptures and they were roused into a spontaneous conga line in the sparsely populated stands in Monterrey.
’66 England v W Germany, 4-2
Famous for Kenneth Wolstenholme’s oft-quoted commentary, Tofik Bakhramov’s hotly debated decision to award Hurst’s second goal and, of course, the iconic image of Bobby Moore lifting the Jules Rimet Trophy, the final in 1966 certainly lived up to its billing. England recovered from going a goal down to take the lead, only for the West Germans to equalise in the dying minutes. Cue extra-time and ‘that goal’. Having lost his marker with a neat turn, Geoff Hurst’s shot from the edge of the six-yard box bounced off the underside of the bar and was adjudged to have crossed the line. The West Ham striker went on to complete his hat-trick, sealing the Three Lions’ first ever World Cup triumph.
’54 England v Belgium, 4-4
With a remarkable 140 goals in just 26 matches, the 1954 tournament in Switzerland remains the highest-scoring World Cup. Notably, the West Germans recovered from an 8-3 humiliation at the hands of Hungary’s ‘Golden Team’ to beat the Hungarians, including the prolific Sandor Kocsis and footballing great Ferenc Puskas 3-2 in the final. England were not exempt from the goal-scoring frenzy and were left stunned as opponents Belgium came back to earn a draw after having been 3-1 down. An own goal from Portsmouth defender Jimmy Dickinson in the dying minutes levelled the scores at 4-4. This encounter with Belgium was just one of numerous memorable encounters in this World Cup that has gone down in history for its remarkable scorelines and great comebacks.
