When did England last win a trophy?

Carlo Garganese

• 14 Jul 2024 22:32 BST
• 4 min read

England's long wait for a second major international trophy continued at Euro 2024 when they were defeated by Spain.

The Three Lions were far from impressive in Germany but battled their way through to the final in Berlin thanks to some gritty performances and a number of late goals.

In the final, they came up against the most impressive team at the tournament in Spain, who blitzed their way to Berlin and ultimately ran out 2-1 victors over the Three Lions.

England is widely considered as the birthplace of football, and indeed the England national team are the joint-oldest international football team ever.

The Three Lions played in the world’s first-ever international football match in 1872 against the Scotland national team.

Despite their history, England have not been as successful as one would expect in international football.

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When did England last win the World Cup?

England last won the World Cup in 1966 when they won the trophy on home soil.

Managed by Sir Alf Ramsey, England beat West Germany 4-2 in the final at Wembley after extra thanks to a hattrick from Sir Geoff Hurst.

The game is best remembered for the controversial third England goal, in which Geoff Hurst’s shot crashed off the crossbar and onto - or over - the line. The goal was eventually given despite West German protests but it is still hotly debated today whether the ball actually crossed the line.

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England have won one World Cup in their history.

The 1966 World Cup final is the only World Cup final that England have ever played in.

Their next-best performances were in the 1990 and 2018 World Cups when they reached the semi-finals. On both occasions, they finished fourth after losing the third-place play-off.

When did England last win the European Championship?

England have never won the European Championship.

Their best performances were at Euro 2020 and Euro 2024 when they finished runners-up. In the former, they were beaten in the final at Wembley on penalties by Italy after a 1-1 draw after extra time. In the latter, they lost 2-1 to Spain the Olympiastadion in Berlin.

England’s next best performances in the Euros were in 1968 and 1996 when they reached the semi-finals.

They finished third in Italy in 1968, having lost to Yugoslavia in the semis before beating the Soviet Union in the third place play-off. In 1996, on home soil, England agonisingly lost on penalties to Germany.

When did England last win a trophy?

England’s last major trophy was the 1966 World Cup when they beat West Germany 4-2 in the final at Wembley.

The last minor trophy won by England was the 2004 FA Summer Tournament. The Three Lions won a three-team round-robin featuring Japan and Iceland, drawing 1-1 with the former before thrashing the latter 6-1.