As one of the most successful national teams in world football, England has won a number of major honors and cups over the years. In this article, we will take a look at the major cup competitions England has won throughout their history.
The FIFA World Cup
The FIFA World Cup is considered the most prestigious prize in international football. Held every four years, it brings together the top national teams from around the world to compete for the title of world champion. England’s World Cup record is:
- Appearances: 15
- Best Finish: Champion (1966)
England has appeared at 15 World Cup tournaments, but has only managed to lift the trophy on one occasion. Their lone World Cup triumph came at the 1966 tournament held in England. The final was played at Wembley Stadium in London, where England defeated West Germany 4-2 after extra time to claim the Jules Rimet Trophy.
No other England team has managed to match the heroes of ’66 by winning another World Cup. Their best finishes aside from the 1966 win are fourth place in 1990 and 2018.
UEFA European Championship
The UEFA European Championship (Euros) is the top continental tournament contested by European national teams. Held every four years, England’s record at the Euros is:
- Appearances: 10
- Best Finish: Third Place (1968)
England has reached 10 Euro tournaments since the competition began in 1960, but has never managed to lift the Henri Delaunay Trophy. Their best performance was a third place finish at Euro 1968. In more recent editions, England reached the semi-finals in 1996 and the final in 2021, but fell short both times of claiming their first European championship.
UEFA Nations League
The UEFA Nations League is a biennial national team competition that started in 2018. It features all UEFA members divided into leagues based on ranking. England’s Nations League record is:
- Appearances: 2
- Best Finish: Third Place (2019)
England took part in the first two editions of the Nations League in 2018-19 and 2020-21. They managed a third place finish in 2019, defeating Switzerland on penalties in the third place play-off match.
British Home Championship
The British Home Championship was an annual football competition contested between the UK’s four national teams of England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland. It ran from 1884 to 1984. England’s record in the British Home Championship:
- Appearances: 100
- Titles: 54
England participated in all 100 editions of the British Home Championship. They finished as tournament champions 54 times, more than any other nation.
Notable England Title Wins
- 1903-04 (shared with Scotland)
- 1908-09
- 1910-11
- 1920-21
- 1923-24
- 1947-48
- 1953-54
- 1963-64
- 1980-81
- 1982-83
- 1983-84 (final edition)
Some of England’s most memorable British Home Championship wins came in the early 20th century and the immediate post-World War II years. Their final title in 1983-84 was the competition’s last edition before being discontinued.
Rous Cup
The Rous Cup was a short-lived football competition held intermittently between 1985-89. It was contested between England, Scotland and sometimes other guest teams. England’s Rous Cup record:
- Appearances: 5
- Titles: 5
England won the Rous Cup on all five occasions they participated from 1985 to 1989. The competition was named after Sir Stanley Rous, former FIFA President and English FA secretary.
| Year | Winner | Runner-up |
|---|---|---|
| 1985 | England | Scotland |
| 1986 | England | Scotland |
| 1987 | England | Scotland |
| 1988 | England | Scotland |
| 1989 | England | Scotland |
FA Community Shield
The FA Community Shield is an annual one-off match contested at the start of each season between the reigning Premier League champions and FA Cup winners. England’s Community Shield record:
- Appearances: 64
- Titles: 21
As the Community Shield is played between English club sides, the England national team does not take part. However, we’ve included it here as a major domestic cup competition.
England have won 21 Community Shields in total. Manchester United (21 wins) is the most successful club, followed by Arsenal (15 wins), Liverpool (15 wins) and Everton (9 wins).
FIFA Confederations Cup
The FIFA Confederations Cup was a tournament held every four years between national teams who had won major regional competitions. England’s record:
- Appearances: 0
- Titles: 0
England never appeared at the Confederations Cup during the tournament’s existence from 1992 to 2017. The competition was discontinued by FIFA after 2017.
Kirin Cup
The Kirin Cup is an invitational football tournament held annually in Japan. England’s Kirin Cup record is:
- Appearances: 3
- Titles: 1
England took part in the Kirin Cup three times, winning once in 1979. Their other appearances came in 1984 and 1995 when they finished as runners-up.
China Cup
The China Cup is a current quadrennial football tournament held in China. England’s China Cup record:
- Appearances: 1
- Titles: 0
England has participated in the China Cup once, at the inaugural edition in 2017. They finished as runners-up to the hosts China.
Tournoi de France
The Tournoi de France was a one-off friendly tournament held in 1997 to celebrate France hosting the World Cup a year later. The participants were France, England, Italy and Brazil. England’s record:
- Appearances: 1
- Titles: 0
England took part in the sole edition of the Tournoi de France in 1997, losing 1-0 to Brazil in the final.
US Cup
The US Cup was a friendly tournament held in the United States in the 1990s. England’s record:
- Appearances: 2
- Titles: 0
England took part in the 1992 and 1995 editions of the US Cup, finishing third on both occasions. The USA won both tournaments.
Nehru Cup
The Nehru Cup was an Indian football tournament that ran intermittently from 1982 to 1997. England’s record:
- Appearances: 1
- Titles: 0
England appeared at the Nehru Cup once in 1985. They did not advance past the group stage.
FA Summer Tournament
The FA Summer Tournament was a short-lived friendly competition held by the English FA in 1964. England appeared alongside Argentina, Portugal and Tottenham Hotspur. England’s record:
- Appearances: 1
- Titles: 1
England won the lone edition of the FA Summer Tournament in 1964, defeating Argentina 2-1 in the final.
Conclusion
In summary, here are the major football cups and tournaments won by England over the years:
- FIFA World Cup: 1 (1966)
- UEFA European Championship: 0
- UEFA Nations League: 0
- British Home Championship: 54
- Rous Cup: 5
- FA Community Shield: 21 (by English clubs)
- Kirin Cup: 1 (1979)
- FA Summer Tournament: 1 (1964)
The highlight of England’s honors is undoubtedly winning their one and only World Cup on home soil in 1966. Their multiple British Home Championship titles also marked them as the dominant national team within Great Britain during the competition’s 100-year run.
In more recent decades, England has come up short in major tournaments like the Euros despite fielding extremely talented squads. Their continued lack of titles in worldwide competitions like the World Cup and Euros remains an ongoing disappointment for England fans and players alike.
However, the current England squad under manager Gareth Southgate has shown promise. After reaching the Euro 2020 final and 2022 World Cup quarterfinals, expectations are high that this generation of players may add to England’s international trophy haul in the coming years.
