Considered one of the most interesting rivalries in world football, the national teams of England and France have been rivals in the international arena for many years. The teams, who have met many times in various tournaments, have only crossed paths four times in World Cups. Interestingly, each of these encounters has gone down in football annals with dramatic events, historical records, and memorable moments.
Modern.az has investigated the history of England-France matches in World Cups.
First encounter brought success to England
England and France first met in the group stage of the 1966 World Cup held in England. The host team won 2:0 thanks to two goals scored by Roger Hunt. This victory marked the beginning of England's successful run. The team advanced to the final, defeating Germany 4:2 in extra time, and won their first, and so far only, World Cup title in their history.
Record goal scored in the 27th second
The teams' next meeting took place at the 1982 World Cup in Spain. England started the game at lightning speed, and Bryan Robson opened the scoring in just the 27th second. This goal remained for many years as the record for the earliest goal in the history of the England national team at World Cups.
Although France equalized with a goal from Gerard Soler, Robson scored a second time, and Paul Mariner scored a third goal late in the match, giving England a 3:1 victory.
Harry Kane's missed penalty stopped England
The two teams met again in the World Cup exactly 40 years later. In the quarter-final stage of the 2022 World Cup held in Qatar, France won 2:1.
Aurelien Tchouameni opened the scoring with a long-range shot, and Harry Kane equalized with a penalty. However, Olivier Giroud put the French team ahead again. The most dramatic moment of the game occurred in the 84th minute. England won a second penalty, but Harry Kane, who again stepped up to the spot, shot over the bar. That episode resulted in England's elimination from the tournament.
2026: Ten-goal bronze battle
In 2026, the rivals met for the fifth time in the World Cup. This time, the battle was for third place. Fans witnessed the highest-scoring England-France match in World Cup history.
England won 6:4, securing the bronze medals. Declan Rice scored a hat-trick for Thomas Tuchel's team, Ezri Konsa scored one, Bukayo Saka three, and Jude Bellingham scored one in the final minutes. Kylian Mbappe scored a brace for the French team, and Bradley Barcola and Ousmane Dembele also scored, but these goals did not save the team from defeat.
60 years of World Cup history
England and France have met a total of five times in World Cups held since 1930. England won four of these matches, and France won one. England scored a total of 16 goals in these matches, while France scored 10.
Thus, although the balance in overall head-to-head matches is different, the advantage in World Cup history is still on the side of the England national team.
