Monday, October 14, 2024

It’s finally time for England to shed tag as football’s greatest under-achievers

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England have won just one World Cup and this is embarrassing when compared to the hauls of their rivals in international football

Gareth Southgate must break England’s cycle of disappointment(Michael Regan/The FA via Getty Images)

England must shake off their tag as world football’s greatest underachievers if they are to succeed at Euro 2024 in Germany.

England’s feats on the international stage are overshadowed by their rivals in Europe and South America. The Three Lions never bothered entering World Cups before the Second World War because they just naturally assumed they were the best, having invented football, and all they have to show is one Jules Rimet trophy from 1966.




Even that has an asterisk and it was achieved in England with Brazil, boasting the world’s greatest footballer in Pele having been kicked off the pitch in the group stage, and a dodgy winner in extra-time.

Compare that tally to Brazil (four World Cup wins), Argentina (three World Cup wins), Germany (four World Cups, three Euros), France (2 World Cups, two Euros), Italy (four World Cups, two Euros) and Spain (one World Cup, three Euros).

Even little Uruguay can boast two World Cup wins and England’s story since 1966 was been failure after failure. They have been unlucky and were cheated by Diego Maradona’s infamous “hand of God”goal at the 1986 World Cup.

They deserved better than to lose to West Germany in the 1990 World Cup semi-finals on penalties and to Germany six years later at the same stage on spot-kicks at Euro 96.

But they have also blown it as they did at the 1970 World Cup when as holders, they lost 3-2 to West Germany in the quarter-finals after leading 2-0.

Then there was Euro 2004 when they bowed out to Portugal in the last eight, despite having one of the finest England sides ever, in a tournament won by the mighty Greece.

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