Is this World Cup England’s best chance since 1966? | OneFootball

England are being tipped by many to finally come of age this summer.

With a a first-class manager in Thomas Tuchel, three Premier League champions, and Harry Kane approaching 70 goals in all competitions this season, the 2026 World Cup is being heralded as one that the Three Lions might finally win.

It’s been 60 years since the majority of West Ham’s team brought it home in 1966, making for an agonizing wait for England supporters that could find its remedy in the US, Canada, and Mexico.

Can England really bring it home this time around?

England’s near misses

Of course, we have been here before. Several times, in fact. In 1970, just four years after that famous triumph, the defending champions were hotly tipped to go back-to-back and came through a tough Group 3 in second place.

But Gordon Banks came down with a mystery illness prior to his side’s quarter final clash against West Germany, and with him any hopes England had of retaining the Jules Rimet trophy vanished.

Although given that year’s Brazil side has gone down as one of football’s best ever teams, it’s unlikely the Three Lions would’ve retained anyway.

The biggest ‘what if’ since then came in 1986. Bobby Robson’s boys looked solid without being spectacular in the group stages, but took the lead in their quarter final and appeared to have the upper hand against Argentina.

They had Gary Lineker in fine form too, with the Barcelona forward going on to win the Golden Boot. But then Diego Maradona swatted the ball into the net with his clenched first, or ‘Hand of God’, and the momentum swung the Argentina’s way.

Maradona then scored a sublime second to deny England a winnable last four clash against unfancied Belgium. Had they made it that far they would’ve sealed a second final against the Germans, 20 years after the first.

The closes that the Three Lions have ever come is undoubtedly 1990. Following a 3-2 comeback win against Cameroon in the last eight, Graham Taylor’s team were level at 1-1 with West Germany courtesy of an equaliser from Gary Lineker.

The Leicester-born striker, who would once again win the Golden Boot that year, would score in the resulting penalty shootout, but Stuart Pearce and Chris Waddle both failed to find the net as Die Mannschaft prevailed 4-3.

The Germans went on to win the final against an Argentina side who scored just two knockout stage goals, and one can’t help but feel that would’ve been England had Pearce and Waddle kept their cool.

Both 2002 and 2006 were also seen as good chances, but petered out for very different reasons.

In the former an England squad beset by fitness issues were unfortunate to face an inspired Brazil side featuring Ronaldinho, Ronaldo, and Rivaldo in the quarter finals, with Ronaldinho dumping England out with a sublime free kick.

But the events of four years later were far more ignominious.

Once again fitness concerns hung like a dark cloud over that summer’s hopes, following Watne Rooney’s broken metatarsal in the regular season and Michael Owen’s knee injury against Sweden.

Questions were also raised over the late Sven-Göran Eriksson’s tactical decisions, leaving in-form Darren Bent at home for a 17-year-old Theo Walcott while the now-Manchester United manager Michael Carrick barely featured.

England stumbled through the group stage and their last 16 tie against Ecuador before being dumped out in that infamous quarter final against Portugal.

The Southgate era

And so, that brings us up to the Gareth Southgate era. It would be easy to see the ex-Middlesbrough manager’s first tournament in 2018 as a missed opportunity, given the Three Lions made their first semi final in 30 years and took the lead against a Croatia side few expected to get that far.

But truth be told England weren’t expected to do much themselves, after scraping a solitary point in 2014’s group stage and crashing out to Iceland in the last 16 of Euro 2016.

Just making it to the last four under those circumstances was an achievement, and even if Southgate’s side had held on against the Croats they would’ve been torn apart by a rampant France in the final.

The tournament in 2022 was far more damning, however. A disappointing 0-0 group stage draw against the USA set alarm bells ringing, but comprehensive 6-2 and 3-0 wins over Iran and Wales respectively gave the impression that England were serious contenders for the first time in a generation.

As did the dominant last 16 win over Senegal. But despite being the better side against France in the last eight the Three Lions fell to a narrow 2-1 defeat, with Kane missing a penalty that would’ve levelled the scores at 2-2.

Losing to the defending champions is nothing to be ashamed of, but victory would’ve secured a semi-final tie against underdogs Morocco and eventual champions Argentina hardly looked imperious during their own campaign.

Considering those circumstances it is hard not to feel England would’ve won the whole thing had they been more clinical against Didier Deschamps side.

Can England win it?

So, given all that is this really England’s best chance since 1966? No, it isn’t. At least not quite yet.

This year’s field is very strong, and even if Tuchel’s charges top their group they will likely have to face a Brazil side managed by Carlo Ancelotti and current European champions Spain to claim ultimate glory.

But it is the best chance the Three Lions have had since 1990, and with a squad that is arguably yet to hit its prime there will be other opportunities even if they fall short on this occasion.

It will take a good performance against Croatia in their opening match in Group L this evening for England fans to get on board with Tuchel prioritizing squad balance over taking as much quality as possible.

No matter what happens this summer, England fans can look forward to some very, very exciting times ahead.

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