England's quest for major international football tournament silverware since their 1966 World Cup triumph has been repeatedly stalled by dramatic eliminations. The latest setback occurred Wednesday with a World Cup semifinal loss to Argentina, marking another chapter in a history of near misses and agonizing defeats.
World Cup Struggles
The 1986 World Cup saw England eliminated in the quarterfinals by Argentina. Diego Maradona scored two controversial goals, including the infamous "Hand of God," and the "Goal of the Century" within minutes of each other to secure the victory.
Four years later, in the 1990 World Cup semifinals against West Germany, England's hopes unraveled. A late equalizer sent the match into extra time, where Paul Gascoigne received a yellow card that would have disqualified him from a potential final. The match ultimately went to penalties, with England losing 4-3 after missing their final two spot-kicks.
Argentina was again involved in England's downfall at the 1998 World Cup. In the round of 16, David Beckham received a red card early in the second half. Despite playing with ten men, England managed to keep the score level and even had a goal disallowed in extra time. Argentina eventually prevailed in the penalty shootout.
In the 2018 World Cup, England took an early lead in the semifinal against Croatia but conceded a 68th-minute equalizer. Croatia scored the winning goal in the 109th minute of extra time, denying England a place in the final.
The 2022 World Cup quarterfinal against France proved another close call. Harry Kane equalized with a penalty kick in the second half, but France took a late lead. England was awarded another penalty in the 82nd minute, but Kane missed the net, and France advanced.
European Championship Heartaches
England's penalty shootout woes have also been evident in the European Championships. In the 1996 semi-finals, the match against Germany went to penalties after an early exchange of goals. Both teams converted their first five penalties, but Germany scored its sixth, while England's Gareth Southgate missed, leading to Germany's progression.
The 2004 Euros quarterfinal saw England lose to Portugal. After blowing a 2-1 lead in the 83rd minute, England forced penalties with a goal in the 115th minute. However, Portugal won the shootout 6-5, with David Beckham and Darius Vassell missing their attempts.
Italy has been a recurring thorn in England's side at the Euros. In the 2012 semi-finals, the match against Italy remained scoreless through 120 minutes, leading to another penalty shootout. Ashley Young and Ashley Cole missed their penalties for England, allowing Italy to win 4-2.
Perhaps the most painful defeat came in the final of the 2020 Euros. England took an early lead, but Italy equalized. The match went to penalties, where Marcus Rashford, Jadon Sancho, and Bukayo Saka all missed their crucial spot-kicks, resulting in an Italian victory at Wembley.
More recently, in the Euro 2024 semifinals, Cole Palmer scored an equalizer for England in the 73rd minute against Spain. However, Spain secured a 2-1 victory with a goal just before stoppage time, ending England's tournament hopes.