1990 World Cup Final Italy v England

Lore & Background

England and Scotland are together the oldest national football teams, having played in the world's first international football match in 1872. England plays home matches at Wembley Stadium in London, and their training headquarters is St George's Park in Burton upon Trent. Thomas Tuchel is the current head coach. England won the 1966 FIFA World Cup final on home soil, making them one of eight nations to have won the World Cup. They have qualified for the World Cup seventeen times, finishing in third place in 2026, and fourth place in 1990 and 2018. England have never won the European Championship, with their best performances to date being runners-up finishes in 2020 and 2024. As a constituent country of the United Kingdom, England are not a member of the International Olympic Committee (as English athletes compete for Great Britain), and so do not compete at the Olympic Games. England are the only team to have won the World Cup at senior level but not their own major continental title, and the only team representing a non–sovereign state to have won the World Cup. England shares football rivalries with Scotland, Germany and Argentina.

In Their Own Story

The roar of the crowd was a physical force, vibrating through the boots of Peter Beardsley and Gary Lineker. In the tunnel, Bryan Robson adjusted his armband one last time, the weight of a nation's hope heavy on his shoulders. As the whistle blew, the grass seemed to glow under the floodlights, a stage set for glory or despair.

Reader's Guide

England's best result at the 1990 World Cup was finishing fourth, losing to West Germany in the semi-final after a 1–1 draw and a penalty shoot-out, then losing to Italy in the third-place match. The team were welcomed home as heroes and given bronze medals identical to the Italians'. Gary Lineker finished as the tournament's top scorer with six goals.

Did You Know?

• England finished fourth at the 1990 World Cup, their second best result at the time.
• Gary Lineker was the top scorer of the 1990 World Cup with six goals.
• England lost to West Germany in the 1990 semi-final on penalties after a 1–1 draw.
• The England team received bronze medals after the 1990 World Cup despite losing the third-place match.