The biggest goals in England history - ranked

England are into the final of Euro 2024 after a dramatic late goal decided the semi-final against the Netherlands. A huge goal in the history of the national team.

Although England have typically been international football’s great underachievers – before and after winning the World Cup in 1966 – the tide finally appears to be changing.

For the men alone, it is successive European Championship finals after also finishing fourth at the World Cup in 2018. Euro 2024 is another step towards history because it is the first time the Three Lions will have contested a major tournament on foreign soil.

Big goals don’t always have to be great goals if the context is important. Equally, great goals can become big goals if they elicit a certain reaction from the fans, regardless of the setting.

Read on as 90min ranks the 20 biggest goals in the history of the England men’s team…

20. Graeme Le Saux vs Brazil - Friendly (1995)

There isn't anything particularly significant about the only goal of Graeme Le Saux's international career, other than the face it was a great strike against the reigning world champions at the time.

Brazil were visitors to Wembley in 1995, a year after winning the World Cup, for the invitational 'Umbro Cup'. Left-back Le Saux gave England the lead with a wonderful dipping volley from the edge of the box, although goals from Juninho, Ronaldo and Edmundo saw Brazil win 3-1 in the end.

19. Bryan Robson vs France - 1982 World Cup

After failing to qualify in 1974 and 1978, England's first World Cup goal for 12 years came just 27 seconds into their opening game of the 1982 tournament. Future captain Bryan Robson, a £1.5m signing for Manchester United less than a year earlier, got into the box for the improvised finish that was the fastest goal in World Cup history until 2002.

England won 3-1, yet this was a French golden generation that was a painful penalty shootout away from making the final a few short weeks later and would then be crowned European champions in the summer of 1984.

18. Wayne Rooney vs Croatia - Euro 2004

Long before 16-year-old Lamine Yamal was tearing it up for Spain at Euro 2024, 18-year-old Wayne Rooney was carrying England at Euro 2004. His quarter-final injury is still a huge 'what if' moment for Three Lions fans.

Rooney impressed against France in England's opener, scored twice against Switzerland on matchday two and then took Croatia apart on matchday three. His second goal of that 4-2 win epitomised everything the boy wonder was about back then, vision, composure and raw power wrapped into one, as he burst through on goal after a sublime one-two and finished.

17. David Beckham vs Argentina - 2002 World Cup

This was the ultimate redemption moment for David Beckham following his red card against the same opposiiton at the World Cup four years earlier. He had nothing left to prove in one sense, having already completed his ascent to becoming one of the best players in the world, but it was still closure.

It was a very soft penalty for a perceived foul on Michael Owen by Mauricio Pochettino and wasn't a particularly well struck attempt by Beckham - almost straight down the middle - but England won the game and Argentina ultimately exited the World Cup at the group stage.

16. Luke Shaw vs Italy - Euro 2020

England's first goal in a senior international final in 55 years came from an unlikely source when left-back Luke Shaw scored in the second minute against Italy, popping up unexpectedly at the far-post to turn the ball in.

It remains the fastest goal ever seen in a European Championship final. Sadly for England, however, Italy grabbed themselves an equaliser to take the game to extra-time and eventually won on penalties.

15. Gary Lineker vs Germany - 1990 World Cup

England's first appearance in World Cup semi-final for 24 years ultimately ended in heartbreak with the first of many penalty shootout defeats over the years. But it was a defining moment in the English football psyche nonetheless and was see as almost like a watershed moment of the public falling in love with the game all over again after the horrors of the 1980s.

Lineker's 80th minute equaliser forced extra-time after trailing 1-0 from a heavily deflected German goal, showcasing composure in a tight space to make the chance with a clever knee and instinctive swing of the left leg.

14. David Platt vs Belgium - 1990 World Cup

England would have gone to a penalty shootout much sooner in 1990 had it not been for David Platt's last 16 winner against Belgium in the last minute of extra-time - the line of commentary from John Motson has since been immortalised by being featured in the cult anthem Three Lions.

Platt, who was playing his club football for Aston Villa at the time, watched as Paul Gascoigne's lofted free-kick into the box dropped onto his foot, but still had to spin blindly to be able to hook it into the back of the net.

13. John Barnes vs Brazil - Friendly (1984)

Brazil have always been held in high esteem in international football, but that was particularly the case in the wake of their utter World Cup dominance during Pele's generation. So when John Barnes scored a stunning individual goal at the Maracana in a friendly win for England it was a very big deal.

England had never previously won in Brazil, nor had they beaten the Selecao in any game since a visit to Wembley in 1956. Meanwhile, the mercurial Barnes managed to do what he did throughout his 1980s pomp against a backdrop of vile racism from his own fans.

12. Michael Owen vs Argentina - 1998 World Cup

Michael's Owen third of 40 senior England goals was by far his best. He was just 18 at the time, blessed with electrifying pace and the fearlessness of youth, which combined to devastating effect against Argentina.

Found by David Beckham and opting to go alone rather than lay the ball off to Paul Scholes, the searing run through the heart of the defence was unstoppable and put England 2-1 ahead only 16 minutes into the last 16 tie. Before injuries ultimately, restricted his potential, the sky was the limit.

11. Emile Heskey vs Germany - 2002 World Cup qualifier

Although Michael Owen scored a hat-trick in one of England's most emphatic ever victories, which also proved crucial in qualifying for the 2002 World Cup, Emile Heskey's fifth goal - "And Heskey makes it five! " - has reached arguably greater cultural significance thanks to the catchiest of lines in Ant & Dec's cringeworthy brilliant record, On the Ball.

With seven goals in 62 appearances by the time he retired from international duty in 2010, Heskey wasn't the most clinical for England. But he rode the wave of a glorious night in Munich here, played in by Paul Scholes, taking a touch to set himself and sliding past Oliver Kahn.

10. Bobby Charlton vs Mexico - 1966 World Cup

Alf Ramsey didn't leave much room for failure when he declared in 1963 that England would win the World Cup on home soil three years later. Things then didn't get off to the best start with a 0-0 stalemate with Uruguay.

But Bobby Charlton, who finished 1966 with a Ballon d'Or, made sure the ball got rolling next up against Mexico with a trademark thunderbolt from. The Manchester United star advanced and advanced as the defence backed away and, after a feint one way, unleashed an unstoppable drive.

9. Alan Shearer vs Netherlands - Euro '96

For some, England's 4-1 demolition of a Netherlands side considered one of the best teams in the world throughout the 1990s remains the best they've ever seen from the Three Lions - including Alan Shearer.

Shearer and Teddy Sheringham each scored twice that day at Wembley during Euro '96 to ensure England topped the group. The former's thumping second (England's third) is the goal that most remember. As much as the finish itself, the incredibly subtle lay-off from Sheringham was what made it.

8. Jude Bellingham vs Slovakia - Euro 2024

Talk of England playing in the Euro 2024 final would have been completely redundant but for Jude Bellingham's awesome overhead kick to force extra-time against Slovakia in the last 16. Until then, England were crashing out in arguably one of the national team's most embarrassing defeats ever.

It was the ultimate clutch performance from Bellingham, fresh off the back of a stunning debut season in which he scored 23 times for Real Madrid, winning both La Liga and the Champions League.

7. David Beckham vs Greece - 2002 World Cup qualifier

From one ultimate clutch player to another. David Beckham dragged England to the 2002 World Cup, not just for his stoppage time free-kick against Greece at Old Trafford, but for his all-round performance that day.

Beckham was a free-kick master anyway, yet the precision, combined with the pressure makes this his very best. It wasn't curtains for England had they not secured that vital point, but it meant automatic qualification and therefore removing the extra jeopardy of entering the play-offs.

6. Paul Gascoigne vs Scotland - Euro '96

Masterful is probably the most accurate way of describing the way Paul Gascoigne manipulated the ball in England's clash with Scotland in Euro '96.

With the ball arriving from his left, he had the vision to see Colin Hendry closing in from the right and, while shaping to shoot first time, simply lift it over the defender's head and smash home the volley on the way down. This was Gazza, ultimately a flawed genius, at his effortless best

5. Harry Kane vs Denmark - Euro 2020

England had ended a long absence from major tournament semi-finals in 2018, but Gareth Southgate inspired the team to go one better three years later at the delayed Euro 2020 - the win here sealed by Harry Kane's extra-time rebound from his own saved penalty.

The goal itself is quite unremarkable, if showing a poacher's instint to stay alert to every second ball. But it was what it mean to English football that makes this really stand out as a huge goal in the history of the Three Lions.

4. Ollie Watkins vs Netherlands - Euro 2024

Ollie Watkins waited patiently for his chance as England's first choice XI laboured in the early rounds of Euro 2024. His minutes across the opening five games totalled just 20, while he didn't appear until the closing stages of the semi-final. Yet his impact was still enormous.

The tie looked destined for extra-time, but Watkins had other ideas and took his chance the second it came to book England's place in a second successive European Championship final. It only added to the fairytale narrative that Watkins didn't start his journey at a Premier League academy and didn't play in the top flight for the first time until he was nearly 25.

3. Bobby Charlton vs Portugal - 1966 World Cup

England sealed their place in the 1966 World Cup final thanks to Bobby Charlton and his two semi-final strikes against Eusebio's Portugal. He had opened the scoring in the first half with a quick-thinking first-time effort into an empty net after the ball rebounded off Portugal goalkeeper Jose Pereira.

His second, scored with ten minutes to go, was the match-winner as Eusebio pulled one back from the penalty spot almost immediately to keep it tight until the end. Geoff Hurst chased the ball down and cut it back to Charlton, who met it perfectly, first time, at the edge of the box.

2. Geoff Hurst vs (West) Germany - 1966 World Cup

Over half a century later, the debate of whether it crossed the line rages on - chances are, it probably didn't. Either way, Geoff Hurst's 101st minute strike against Germany, which bounced down off the underside of the crossbar, was the goal that secured England's first and still only World Cup triumph.

The game went on to finish 4-2, but this was the decisive goal that proved to be the matchwinner. Its significance in English football history is only eclipsed by one other considered the iconic moment of that World Cup.

1. Geoff Hurst vs (West) Germany - 1966 World Cup

Geoff Hurst's third goal of the final, England's fourth, will never be matched. Most England supporters today weren't even alive to see it and yet there is no football fan in the country who doesn't know this goal or what it means.

It didn't decide the result but it defined the legacy of the tournament and the decades that have followed for England, forever the standard bearer. What's more, until 2022 Hurst was the only player in World Cup history to score a hat-trick in the final - and it was a perfect hat-trick at that.

The commentary soundtrack wasn't bad either...

"Some people are on the pitch. They think it's all over...it is now."

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