England’s greatest World Cup qualifiers
An important 18 months is about to start for England
Ahead of upcoming World Cup qualifiers, let's explore some memorable moments from this stage of the competition.
Italy 0 - 0 England | Qualification is secured
England only needed a point from their final match to qualify for the following summer's World Cup. Easier said than done when that final match is Italy away.
A battling and sometimes heroic display from the Three Lions earned them a 0-0 draw and qualification was secured. Not a lot of flair from the attacking players but the point was well deserved. Watch some of the highlights from the game in the video below.
Germany 1 - 5 England | Even Heskey scored
Germany had beaten England at the start of the end of the qualifying campaign. A disappointing end to the reign of Kevin Keegan and an awful way to say goodbye to the old Wembley Stadium. England gained their revenge though.
Before this game, Germany had only ever lost one World Cup qualifier at home. They had also never been beaten in Munich until Sven Goran-Eriksson's side destroyed that record.
READ MORE: A throwback to Sven's finest night as England manager
Despite the convincing scoreline and performance, England found themselves trailing just over five minutes into the game after Carsten Jancker hit home at his club's home ground. What happened next was simply unforgettable
England 2 - 2 Greece | Beckham the hero
Greater Manchester Football spoke about this game as part of their 'Magic Moments' series. They said:"This was not a great England performance. It was a display of great character and one of David Beckham's finest performances at Old Trafford.
"At times, the soon to be former Man United number 7 was almost playing Greece on his own. No player worked harder to make sure England qualified for the World Cup."
England were trailing 2-1 when Beckham stepped up for that free-kick and the next few moments are a blur for all those who were in attendance. What a moment. What a player.
A truly incredible match. You can watch the best clips of the match in the video below.
England 2 - 0 Wales | Beckham returns to Old Trafford after Real Madrid move
A lesser spoken about Beckham moment at Old Trafford. His spectacular goal helped England a comfortable World Cup qualifying victory over Wales.
This was one part of a journey that led them to the 2006 World Cup in Germany. More penalty heartbreak was to await them.
San Marino 1 - 7 England | A match that became memorable for all the wrong reasons
The World Cup in 1994 was the last World Cup that England didn't qualify for. Going into last game, England needed a heavy win against San Marino to stay alive in the competition. It didn't get off to the best of starts and England were ultimately knocked out despite a 7-1 victory.
