Top 10 England World Cup Moments

Watching England at the World Cup has been a rollercoaster as there have been both moments of joy and moments of pain and plenty of them.

But its the moments of joy that we'll be celebrating in this top 10 and there have been plenty of them over the years including the World Cup win in 1966 which of course is on the list.

When I look back at the list, the one moment I should've had on it would have to be Kieron Trippier's free kick against Croatia in 2018 because it was a moment that got England fans believing that they were going to reach another World Cup final.

I wrote about that moment when I did a top 10 on England moments last year and I can't believe that I didn't think of it when doing the list for this top 10.

Now without further ordo, here is the list:

Winning a World Cup penalty shootout for the first time - 2018

Winning the World Cup - 1966

Beating Iran 6-2 - 2022

Michael Owen's goal against Argentina - 1998

David Beckham's penalty against Argentina - 2002

Gary Lineker winning golden boot - 1986

Gordon Banks' save from Pele - 1970

Bobby Charlton's double against Portugal - 1966

David Platt's extra time winner v Belgium - 1990

Joe Cole's goal against Sweden - 2006

10. Joe Cole's goal against Sweden

Cole's goal against Sweden was one of the goals of the tournament in 2006 and it was meant to be a moment that kicked England's World Cup campaign into life after two rather flat performances from their first two games against Paraguay and Trinidad and Tobago.

The goal itself was a beauty as Cole controlled the ball on his chest from a headed clearance and hit it first time on the volley and into the top corner.

But I had to have it down in tenth because the moment itself wasn't very significant and was short lived as England would go on to draw the match 2-2.

It was still a brilliant moment because of the quality of the goal but it didn't carry any significance.

9. Gordon Banks' save from Pele

Pretty much everyone will know Banks for being part of the England team that won the World Cup in 1966. But his most iconic moment came four years later when he pulled off that save from Pele.

This save summed him up as a keeper as he was capable of pulling off any kind of save on his day and it also showed why he was one of the best keepers of his generation.

The ball came into the box from Jairzinho and just when you thought Pele was going to head the ball home into the bottom corner, readjusted his position and pulled off an incredible one-handed save.

8. Michael Owen's goal against Argentina

Owen's goal against Argentina in 1998 was the moment he announced himself on the world stage at the age of just 18.

He received the ball just inside the Argentina half from David Beckham's pass which he controlled brilliantly with the outside of his foot before running at the Argentina defence with pace during which he beat two defenders before striking the ball into the top corner.

This moment had to be quite low down because it was a moment that was short lived as England would later go out on penalties.

7. Beating Iran 6-2

England went into the 2022 World Cup in Qatar in not the best of form after a disappointing Nations League campaign during which they were relegated.

But they put that behind them the moment the tournament started as they blew Iran away in their opening game by putting in an eye-catching performance.

Their performance in this game was probably their best one in a very long time and they played more on the front foot and got the fans believing that they were going to go far.

They played a better brand of football in Qatar than they did in previous tournaments and their performance against Iran set the tone for that.

6. Gary Lineker winning golden boot

Gary Lineker became the first Englishman to win a World Cup golden boot when he won the award in 1986 and also the first Englishman to win a golden boot at a major tournament.

He scored 6 goals at the 1986 World Cup to win the award as England reached the Quarter Finals with three of them coming in one game against Poland.

Most of his goals were poachers finishes or tap ins which pretty much every striker in world football can score, but he still had to score them to win games for his team and to win the golden boot.

5. David Beckham's penalty against Argentina

The spotlight was very much on David Beckham heading into England's game against Argentina at the 2002 World Cup because of what happened four years prior when he was sent off for kicking out at Diego Simeone.

He became the most hated man in the country off the back off that incident and spent the next few years trying to himself back onside with the England fans.

His free kick against Greece might've been the moment he got himself back onside with the England fans, but his penalty against Argentina was the moment that banished those demons for good.

There must've been a lot of pressure on him to score that penalty and once he scored it, you could tell how much it meant to him by looking at the way he celebrated it.

4. David Platt's extra time winner v Belgium

What made Platt's extra time winner against Belgium a special moment was both the quality of goal it was and the timing of it.

The game looked to be heading for penalties with score at 0-0 heading into the final seconds of stoppage time in extra time and just when England needed something from somewhere, Platt was the player to provide it when he volleyed the ball home right at the end.

England were given a free kick from about 30 yards out and needed something to come from it and thankfully it did as Paul Gascoigne delivered the ball into the box for Platt to hit first time on the volley.

3. Winning a World Cup penalty shootout for the first time

England and penalties have never been a good match and especially in the World Cup as they hadn't won a shootout heading into their last 16 tie against Colombia in 2018.

To finally win a shootout at a World Cup was such an incredible feeling and a relief knowing that the penalty hoodoo was finally over after years of heartbreak.

I remember feeling nervous and tense when watching the shootout as everyone does when watching their team in a shootout and when Eric Dier scored the winning penalty I jumped off the sofa.

It was a brilliant moment for Gareth Southgate as well as the team because of what happened at Euro 96 when he missed the deciding penalty against Germany in the semi finals

2. Bobby Charlton's double against Portugal

Charlton's double against Portugal in the semi finals in 1966 were the goals that sent England into the World Cup final in what was their first proper test.

Portugal were probably the favourites coming into the game as they had arguably the best player in the world at the time in Eusebio, who was the top goal scorer and scored four times in their previous game against North Korea.

England were without arguably their best player in Jimmy Greaves who picked up a tournament ending injury earlier in the tournament which left their chances looking slim.

But Charlton stepped up in his absence against Portugal by scoring those two goals with his first being an effort into an empty net and his second being a deflected strike into the bottom corner.

1. Winning the World Cup

There was only going to be one winner of this top 10 and it had to be the World Cup win in 1966 and I think we can all agree on this.

I know I and most people reading this were born or around long enough to remember it, but it still had to be my no.1 because of how special and brilliant a moment it was.

It didn't start well for England as Germany took the lead through Helmut Haller before Geoff Hurst headed home the equaliser a few minutes later.

They appeared to have it won when Martin Peters latched onto a loose interception to put them 2-1 up 12 minutes from time only for Wolfgang Weber to equalise a minute before the end to send the game into extra time.

They upped the tempo in extra time and got the goals their pressure deserved as Geoff Hurst netted twice to complete his hat trick and win the World Cup for England.

MY TOP 10:

1. Winning the World Cup

2. Bobby Charlton's double against Portugal

3. Winning a World Cup penalty shootout for the first time

4. David Platt's extra time winner v Belgium

5. David Beckham's penalty against Argentina

6. Garry Lineker winning golden boot

7. Beating Iran 6-2

8. Michael Owen's goal against Argentina

9. Gordon Banks' save from Pele

10. Joe Cole's goal against Sweden