11 Greatest England National Teams of All Time – Men’s and Women’s [Ranked]

World Cup champions, continental giants and historic trend-setters have all reached the zenith of international football over the years.

111984 Women’s European Championships

Finish: Runners-up

There was some toing and froing as to who should go in 11th place. With many English teams performing well over the years, even if not quite doing enough to go deep into tournaments. However, this team reached a final, so are more than deserving of their ranking.

This Lionesses team were actually the first-ever women’s side to compete in a major tournament with the 1984 European Championship squad. Led by the likes of Linda Curl and Kerry Davis, the ladies managed to reach the final too, losing to Sweden on penalties after the two-legged tie finished 1-1 on aggregate.

101990 Men’s World Cup

Finish: Fourth place

There were plenty of memories to take away from England’s 1990 World Cup campaign. On the positive front, you have David Platt’s 119th-minute volley against Belgium, which remains one of the greatest goals ever scored by an England player. On the flip side, though, Paul Gascoigne’s tears will forever be etched into the souls of those watching who suffered equal heartbreak.

This may not have been a squad that reached a final. In fact, they didn’t even win the third-place play-off, but it was one filled with incredible talent and led by one of the most popular English managers in history. If it wasn’t for ‘Gazza’s’ yellow card in the semi-final against Germany, perhaps the Three Lions could’ve kept their composure and roared on to even greater things that year.

92009 Women’s European Championships

Finish: Runners-up

Thirteen years before the Lionesses would finally capture silverware, there was a group of royalty who came ever so close to doing it first. With the goals of Kelly Smith and Eni Aluko, and the presence of other England greats such as Karen Carney and the most capped women’s player of all time, Fara Williams, England reached their first major European final since the inaugural tournament in 1984.

Unfortunately, they came unstuck against a rampant Germany, losing 6–2 in the final as their opponents picked up their fifth straight title – something they would extend to six come 2013. While they didn’t go all the way, the squad certainly shone new light on women’s football, and players like Smith brought it into the mainstream for one of the first times thanks to their efforts.

The likes of Alex Scott and Mary Earps just miss out.

82023 Women’s World Cup

Finish: Runners-up

Fast forward 14 years from the heartbreak of losing the Euros final, the incredible squad of 2023 had to suffer the same fate—this time in the World Cup. Riding high off their Euros success a year prior, this squad was arguably bolstered with even more talent. Alessia Russo had emerged as a star striker, and Mary Earps had truly established herself as the world’s best goalkeeper by this point – emphasised by her dramatic penalty save in the final.

That save wouldn’t be enough, however, as the Lionesses lost 1-0 to Spain in the final in a closely fought encounter. Nevertheless, it was continued greatness for Wiegman’s squad, even if they picked up the type of medal they didn’t want.

72020 Men’s European Championships

Finish: Runners-up

England surprised many at the 2018 World Cup, reaching the semi-final for the first time since 1990. The squad that Gareth Southgate had cultivated now had the weight of expectation on their shoulders to deal with as the delayed 2020 European Championships rolled around.

Some of the best performers ever in an England shirt were at this tournament and also at their peak, and with the final at Wembley – even with a limited capacity as a result of the pandemic – it felt like there was an inevitability about what was to come, especially when Luke Shaw sent the nation into raptures. Sadly, it wasn’t to be, as Italy would triumph on penalties, but it was a return to finals that had been a long time in the making.

62004 Men’s European Championships

Finish: Quarter-finals

In terms of where this team reached in their respective tournament, it is much the same. After all, the golden generation’s love affair with quarter-final eliminations is stuff of legend at this point. However, the talent roster was second to none and, despite not coming close to reaching expectations, they would still likely triumph in a one-off match against most English teams in history.

A back four of Gary Neville, Sol Campbell, John Terry and Ashley Cole. Beckham, Lampard, Gerrard and Scholes in midfield. And the 18-year-old sensation that was Wayne Rooney, who announced himself in Portugal as one of the best players on the planet despite his tender age, should’ve taken Sven-Goran Eriksson’s side all the way.

Lamine Yamal, Kylian Mbappe and Wayne Rooney all stood out during the first international tournament of their careers.

52004 Men’s European Championships

Finish: Runners-up

If there was one squad that man for man could’ve competed with the 2004 cohort in terms of talent, it was probably the one that followed it two decades later. The amount of talent, especially in the forward areas, that Gareth Southgate had at his disposal was obscene. The likes of Anthony Gordon, Cole Palmer and Eberechi Eze barely got a look in as Jude Bellingham, Bukayo Saka and Phil Foden started over them.

For whatever reason, it never clicked for Foden, and England’s performances often left plenty to be desired. Yet despite that, they made it back to the final of Europe’s elite international competition, only to be thwarted once again, this time by Spain.

41996 Men’s European Championships

Finish: Semi-finals

How to make a country fall in love with you. There were a lot of disrupting factors heading into the 1996 Euros. There was the infamous dentist chair, the fact that star striker Alan Shearer had been in abysmal form for his country leading up to the tournament. Yet, the nation adored the group of lads who took to that field, and with the tournament being hosted in the country, it was the first time people thought that football was coming home – literally, as the famous Lightning Seeds song was released that year.

Gascoigne’s goal against Scotland, the drubbing of the Netherlands – there are so many memorable moments from the tournament that it makes this squad the best to never win a trophy. Which just leaves two left to pick from.

32025 Women’s European Championships

Finish: Winners

There is the temptation to rank the most recent Euro-winning team higher, but the truth is they weren’t exactly perfect on their journey to glory. While nobody can ever take away their grit and determination, their performances across the tournament often left a lot to be desired.

That said, when it mattered most, as all great teams do, Sarina Wiegman’s squad stepped up in spectacular fashion. Be it Hannah Hampton in goal, or Chloe Kelly off the substitute bench, the players delivered constant clutch moments to get the team across the line. For that reason, they will be fondly remembered as one of the most compelling English football sides ever.

The England and Arsenal forward notched the winning penalty against Spain – and the top speed of her strike was recorded.

22022 Women’s European Championships

Finish: Winners

The finest hour in English women’s football history. Having suffered numerous heartbreaks in semi-finals and finals down the years, all it took was for Wiegman to bring her winning prowess and instil it into the already talented and fearless Lionesses – and in true England spirit, they did it in extra time against, of all teams, Germany.

Ella Toone and Chloe Kelly were the heroes of the hour, but every single woman in that squad played a part in creating history. They will forever be etched as the trailblazers who first showed young girls across the country that they could go all the way to the very top.