England has given us some interesting World Cup moments, good and bad. However, we want to focus on England’s Best World Cup Moments. Sure, there have been numerous times we have pulled our hair out as soon as we get to a penalty shoot-out. If you are into World Cup betting, then I’m pretty sure you know the odds of England winning a penalty shoot-out are off the chart. However, penalties aside, one thing you can bet on is that England will have you at the edge of your seat. From out of the blue-wonder goals to crazy red cards, this is a team that provides entertainment. So, what are our top 5 in England’s best World Cup moments?
5 1998: Michael Owen’s Goal against Argentina
In fifth place in our England’s Best World Cup Moments list, we have Michael Owen’s wonder goal against our footballing nemesis, Argentina. At the tender age of just 18, Owen was new to the scene and hadn’t proved himself on the international stage. What happened when he came on went down in England World Cup history. This boy, one of England’s youngest players, scored a spectacular goal after just 7 minutes that would change the course of his life. England may have lost the game 2-1 in the end, but that beautiful goal from the young Michael Owen has to go down as one of England’s best World Cup moments.
4 1986: Gary Lineker’s Hat-Trick against Poland
This was a year the saw England get off to a terrible start. At the beginning of the tournament, it looked as though we wouldn’t even get through the group stages. Losing 1-0 to Portugal and drawing 0-0 to Morocco saw us on the edge of defeat until we faced Poland. This was the game that saved us. Gary Lineker changed the entire course of the tournament. In this match, he scored a well-needed hat-trick, and it was this that saw us go through to the next round. This win saw us on equal points to Poland – and what made the difference to us was beating them on goal difference. 1986 was the year that saw Gary Lineker score 6 goals and win the Golden Boot. He was the first – and is still the only – England player to earn this award. Gary Lineker’s sheer brilliance deserves a place in England’s best World Cup moments.
3 1998: David Beckham’s Free Kick against Colombia
No list of England’s Best World Cup Moments could be complete without a David Beckham entry. Here we have it. He has been a driving force in the England team throughout many tournaments, but none more so than here. Beckham is known for his match-changing free kicks and this is the perfect example. He managed to curl the ball in at 30 yards for a spectacular goal; this was just 9 minutes after Darren Anderton scored, giving the team a 2-0 victory. Having created memorable moments against Argentina in 2002 and against Ecuador in 2006, he deserves a place on the list.
2 1982: Bryan Robson’s Goal against France
Oh yes, we are going back a few years here, when top England Captain, Bryan Robson, scored a goal against France. What qualifies this goal to be in the list of England’s Best World Cup Moments is the speed at which it was scored. Robson managed to knock the ball out of the goal keeper’s hands and score within the first 27 seconds of the game. This makes it the second-fastest goal in the tournament’s history – ever. He followed this up by scoring another goal and the final score was 3-1. Robson went on to captain England 65 times and became an England footballing legend.
1 1966: Geoff Hurst’s Third Goal in the World Cup Final
No list of England’s Best World Cup Moments would be complete without the goal that won us the tournament in 1966. This is the moment that has never been repeated; a moment that us English folk still hold on to. Never has there been a better time in English football than this. This game against Germany saw Hurst score the hat-trick, controversial as it was, that won us the cup. This is the first time a player had ever scored a hat-trick to win a cup game. The team in 1966 was a very unusual formation, and was nicknamed “The Wingless Wonders”. This didn’t stop them though and there is a bronze statue at Wembley Stadium that now immortalises that winning team. This was the goal that gave life to one of the most famous sayings in World Cup history: “They think it’s all over. It is now!” On this glorious note, so is our list of England’s Best World Cup Moments.
So, there you have it. England has broken out hearts but they have also put the biggest smiles on our faces. We won in a year that we were called ‘The Wingless Wonders”; a year that we never expected to win, so that gives us hope. England isn’t totally out of the running. At most online bookmakers we are considered 7th favourite, so it’s not completely out of the question. At top bookmakers such as William Hill and Unibet, you can currently get fantastic odds on a win. So, if you want a bit of World Cup betting and you want to get behind our boys, then check out the best World Cup odds now. Hopefully, next year, we could have a new entry on our list of England’s Best World Cup Moments.