England are the founders of football and one of the most fascinating and thrilling teams to watch…and not always because they win. As a country, England have flattered to deceive more than they have succeeded in tournaments, with only a solitary World Cup win to their name. They have never won a European Championship, with their semifinal appearance at Italia ’90 the furthest they have gone since 1966. Can they break their duck in the European Championships at Euro 2016?
England’s history may be punctuated with disaster, but they have also enjoyed some memorable victories. Their victory in 1966 was the greatest, when players such as Jack and Bobby Charlton, Nobby Stiles, captain Bobby Moore and goal-scoring hero Geoff Hurst helped England to an incredible 4-2 win against West Germany in the World Cup Final, the trophy being presented to Bobby Moore by Queen Elizabeth after the final whistle. Since that victory, however, things have not gone so well.
Failure to reach consecutive World Cups in the 1970’s and in 1994 are probably the lowest ebbs of England’s International soccer history, but the highlights would definitely include the 1990 World Cup. Under the tutelage of Sir Bobby Robson, England reached the semifinal, triumphing over Belgium and Cameroon in thrilling encounters along the way. The semi-final pitched England against rivals West Germany. A deflected opener from a free-kick put West Germany ahead, but a Gary Lineker equalizer sent the match into extra-time and eventually a penalty shoot-out. England’s hopes died, as misses in the shoot-out from Stuart Pearce and Chris Waddle led to West Germany progressing to the final, where they defeated an Argentina side led by Diego Maradona.
In Euro ’96, England once again returned to form on home soil, with a devastating, fluid attack managed by Terry Venables and led by Paul Gascoigne, Alan Shearer and Teddy Sheringham. England thrashed Holland 4-1 and advanced to a semifinal re-match with a now-unified Germany. Again, England looked like they might have done enough to earn the win, but Paul Gascoigne missed a chance by the length of his studs and it was penalties again. Gareth Southgate was the only man to miss, and England were again defeated on spot-kicks.
Since Euro ’96, “30 years of hurt” has turned into 50. England have failed to advance past the quarterfinal since their heyday of the early-mid 1990’s. Foreign managers Sven Goran-Eriksson and Fabio Capello’s tenures were underwhelming.
Now England are once again managed by an Englishman in former West Brom, Inter Milan and Liverpool boss Roy Hodgson. And with stars like Wayne Rooney, Harry Kane and Jamie Vardy all ready to fire, England will be desperate to prove their pedigree at Euro 2016.
Who Does England National Team Play Next
England next game will help you evaluate Roy Hodgson’s squad for the forthcoming schedule. Can they utilize their attacking prowess while keeping the defense tight?
England National Team Game Schedule
England’s next game can be viewed below. Be sure to check the latest odds to get the best value on whether England’s stars will falter or shine bright.
England National Team Standings Today
Want to know where England currently sit in their Euro 2016 group? Check out the full standings right here and use them to analyse the worth of your next potential bet.
How To Make Money Betting On England
England are +800 to win the European Championships, which could look appealing to those of you who have been thrilled by Jamie Vardy and Harry Kane all season.
The raw facts are that no matter how impressive England were in qualifying for Euro 2016 (they won all ten relatively easy fixtures in their group), they are a really poor tournament team.
Often out thought tactically and at times hilariously fragile under the spotlight of global attention, England have become a symbol of underachievement in recent years.
Players such as David Beckham, Paul Scholes, Steven Gerrard and Frank Lampard have all struggled to get to the latter stages of any tournament.
Most of England's international success - World Cup 1966 and Euro 1996 - has come on home soil, which doesn't bode well for the Three Lions.
Although they have disappointed in the past, there are still some great moments in their football history, as you can see here:
The current breed of speedy youngsters, couple with a convincing qualification campaign could give fans the cruelest thing in football – false hope.
In players such as Dele Alli, the aforementioned Vardy and Kane, as well as bright stars of the future such as Eric Dier and Raheem Sterling, England have players who can harm any opposition. The problem fans will have is that manager Roy Hodgson is a notoriously pessimistic tactician who constantly relies on the waning talents of players such as Wayne Rooney, James Milner and Gary Cahill.
England should escape a group that looks comparatively easy (-1000), but Russia and Wales will provide tests despite hardly being world-beating teams of international repute. We think England will win their group so if you're going to wager on England at Euro 2016, make it a group winners bet. Unfortunately, the odds for such a bet won't return much unless you put a chunk of cash down or use it as part of a bigger parlay.
