England

England, nicknamed The Three Lions, are one of the founding nations of association football and the joint-oldest national team in the sport. They have competed in 17 FIFA World Cups, winning the 1966 tournament on home soil, and have twice been UEFA European Championship runners-up (2020 and 2024).

England played the world's first official international match on 30 November 1872, a goalless draw against Scotland at Hamilton Crescent in Partick. For their first four decades they competed almost exclusively in the British Home Championship against Scotland, Wales and Ireland, before making their first overseas tours in 1908 and joining FIFA in 1906. Wembley Stadium became their permanent home after its opening in 1923.

Their finest hour came at Wembley on 30 July 1966, when Alf Ramsey's side beat West Germany 4–2 after extra time in the World Cup final, with Geoff Hurst scoring a hat-trick. It remains England's only major international title. The team subsequently endured decades of near-misses — reaching World Cup semi-finals in 1990 and 2018 (finishing fourth on both occasions) before consecutive European Championship final appearances under Gareth Southgate.

Under Southgate (2016–2024), England reached their first major final since 1966 — the delayed Euro 2020 final, lost to Italy on penalties — then fell 2–1 to Spain in the Euro 2024 final. Thomas Tuchel was appointed head coach from January 2025. Harry Kane, the all-time leading scorer with 79 international goals, captains the current side.