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Original poster

To ask why the England team (the men) keep falling at the final hurdle, (well virtually at the final hurdle,) at the football World Cup ... and The Euros too?

837 replies

GorgeousSpringtime · 16/07/2026 08:58

Not an England-team bashing thread, but why, oh WHY do they - the men - keep falling at the final hurdle (well, virtually the final hurdle,) every time at the football (soccer) World Cup - and the Euro Cup too...?

They do so well, and get so far, and then BANG they're out. Nearly always in the top 8, or top 4, (and the top 2, in the World Cup once, and a couple of times in the Euros I think,) but never the winner. (Not since 1966 anyway!)

Is it nerves? Is it that they're so anxious to win that they keep making silly mistakes? Are they just not quite good enough? WHAT IS IT? Why do they keep getting so close, but just never manage to get the win?!

As I said, I am not bashing them, and they did well, and I am proud of them, but I just get so frustrated that they can't quite ever get the win!

!

OP posts:
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XelaM · 16/07/2026 13:40

Argentina have the better manager and they have Messi (I hate him but he seems to only get better with age 😡).

England needed the manager to make difference substations to give them some breathing space. They could have held on had the manager made different subs. The England bench was quite good

IcedPurple · 16/07/2026 13:40

RockinCara · 16/07/2026 13:38

I’m not a football fan, but it seems to me as though England has drawn pretty insignificant sides in the earlier rounds and then got knocked out once against the bigger guns?

A bit like France then?

IcedPurple · 16/07/2026 13:39

GorgeousSpringtime · 16/07/2026 13:35

Probably right there, but people just really WANT them to win. Nothing wrong with that. The vast majority of people alive today (in the UK) don't remember the 1966 win, so people would just like to see them win - just once even - in their lifetime!

Then again, only 8 countries have ever actually won the World Cup, so England are still up there with the elite.

It's just since 1966, there always seems to be someone better!!! And they always get SO close, and it's bloody annoying. (IMO!)

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But they don't always get 'so close'.

They haven't been in a final since the one they won, and only in three semis. Quarter finalists is probably their most frequent position. So they usually perform respectably, but are rarely serious contenders for the trophy.

RockinCara · 16/07/2026 13:38

I’m not a football fan, but it seems to me as though England has drawn pretty insignificant sides in the earlier rounds and then got knocked out once against the bigger guns?

DuncinToffee · 16/07/2026 13:38

randomchap · 16/07/2026 13:34

Agreed, the men's team had a good chance, but weren't good enough on the night.

I do wonder how much piss taking Reece James gets from his sister Lauren considering she's won a tournament

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We could have used Lauren last night

ComeOnEngland12 · 16/07/2026 13:35

They were good enough their /managers tactics let them down.

Original poster
GorgeousSpringtime · 16/07/2026 13:35

Itsnotallaboutyoulikeyouthink · 16/07/2026 13:25

I don’t understand why we have this massive pressure on them to reach the final. They won once in the 60s and ever since I can remember we think we are going to bring it home. I can see in recent years why we might be more excitable but but not since the 60s. The minute we don’t apply this pressure is the minute we shall win.

Probably right there, but people just really WANT them to win. Nothing wrong with that. The vast majority of people alive today (in the UK) don't remember the 1966 win, so people would just like to see them win - just once even - in their lifetime!

Then again, only 8 countries have ever actually won the World Cup, so England are still up there with the elite.

It's just since 1966, there always seems to be someone better!!! And they always get SO close, and it's bloody annoying. (IMO!)

OP posts:
CharlotteStreetW1 · 16/07/2026 13:35

In this case because the manager lost his mind and made some catastrophic decisions.

Also because Harry Kane went missing.

I also think the early poster who mentioned seeding had a point but I wouldn't have fancied our chances against Spain in the semi either (let alone the final).

IcedPurple · 16/07/2026 13:34

malloryknox123 · 16/07/2026 13:14

It’s down to chance. The other team scored more goals.

That's not chance.

Argentina scored more goals because they were the better team.

Scrappy, obnoxious little thugs, sure. But overall more talented than the England team.

randomchap · 16/07/2026 13:34

SerafinasGoose · 16/07/2026 13:27

The Lionesses are England's best hope for an international win.

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Agreed, the men's team had a good chance, but weren't good enough on the night.

I do wonder how much piss taking Reece James gets from his sister Lauren considering she's won a tournament

Twonewcats · 16/07/2026 13:32

Pepperlee · 16/07/2026 13:23

No need to apologise.

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Ok, I take it back, then.

Scotiasdarling · 16/07/2026 13:32

Because they are good but not the best in the world. Unfortunately they think they are best in the world so they are always disappointed when they lose.

IcedPurple · 16/07/2026 13:32

NinjaCoffee · 16/07/2026 13:02

The way the draw lands mean England tend to always get fairly easy teams to initially compete against. Then when they get further they fail because they just aren’t as good as they think they are and the other teams are better.

You could say that about the other teams too.

France faced easy opponents, had everyone gushing over them, and then folded like a deckchair when up against a world class team like Spain.

Argentina also had an easy path to the semis, though they made it look pretty difficult at times.

And I'm not sure England have elevated ideas of their ability. If anything, the problem could be the opposite. Tuchel's emphasis on defence when only leading 1-0 being a prime example.

Pedallleur · 16/07/2026 13:31

It's sport. You can be a champion one day and an also ran a few days later. There are no guarantees

catmothertes1 · 16/07/2026 13:30

Eyesopenwideawake · 16/07/2026 08:59

The other team were better on the night.

Exactly. France lost in the quarter final and they have won the World Cup twice.

SerafinasGoose · 16/07/2026 13:27

randomchap · 16/07/2026 12:48

What's not to like? Quality players playing a game many find entertaining to watch.

If you don't like it, there's so many other things to do/watch

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The Lionesses are England's best hope for an international win.

Gengha · 16/07/2026 13:25

Because other teams also want to win and have more talent than England? England are ranked 4th in the world so they’ve kind of got as far as expected. Any further would have been a bonus. I’m Scottish so I think they’ve done great! They’ve got no entitlement to win. They just need to keep going.

Itsnotallaboutyoulikeyouthink · 16/07/2026 13:25

I don’t understand why we have this massive pressure on them to reach the final. They won once in the 60s and ever since I can remember we think we are going to bring it home. I can see in recent years why we might be more excitable but but not since the 60s. The minute we don’t apply this pressure is the minute we shall win.

Pepperlee · 16/07/2026 13:23

Twonewcats · 16/07/2026 13:13

Oh no, sorry to hear that.

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No need to apologise.

randomchap · 16/07/2026 13:21

Gloriia · 16/07/2026 13:15

You're missing my point and yet I though I was being very clear. I can and do change the channel' that doesnt change the fact it is covered constantly and excessively on many channels. I hope that helps but happy to explain again if needed.

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So you don't have to watch it, you've got plenty of other options, and yet you're grumbling?

XDownwiththissortofthingX · 16/07/2026 13:21

XelaM · 16/07/2026 13:16

Netherlands have never won the World Cup and won Euros once, yet they are always considered in the conversation and have been amazing so many times.

Why are England fans always tearing into their own players???

That's not true.

The Netherlands didn't take football seriously until the 1960s. It's a nation with a population of less than a third of England's.

They are always seen as "nearly" men, underachievers, bottle-merchants etc because of the fact they turn up at tournaments playing great football and then get dumped out, or they get to a Final and lose.

Despite this, the Netherlands have four Tournament Final appearances, and one Tournament Final win. This is in comparison to England's three Final appearances and one win.

So a nation which has been viewed as a perennial underachiever still has a superior record of achievement to England's, despite being much smaller and starting down the path of serious organised football a century later.

Their qualification record is also patchy, so no, they are not always in the conversation or considered amazing.

ComeOnEngland12 · 16/07/2026 13:20

I'm actually watching the game again now .

ComeOnEngland12 · 16/07/2026 13:20

France crumpled against Spain and didn't even try

We were the far better team last night until the last half hour or so which is a classic well known. Argentina special time

EmeraldShamrock000 · 16/07/2026 13:20

hourspassed · 16/07/2026 12:49

I agree they lost last night to a team who played better. I also loathe the English mentality of criticism - the so-called 'pundits' who seem to enjoy kicking them when they're down. It's such a lottery of who you play and when you play them. If we had played any other team last night - France, Spain etc - it could well have been us in the final.

A few days ago, the English press and fans wanted Kane to be knighted, Bellingham was the new world-class footballer and England were brave Lions.

Now, after one extremely difficult game that didn't go their way - for whatever reason - the press and fans want to know where Kane and Bellingham were and think they are clueless.

And don't get me started on Rooney and his awful criticism of Tuchel as a manager - talking like he has all the answers - I think Rooney's managerial results tell us he doesn't!

This is the part that irritates me when it comes to the English media. When you’re up you are celebrated, you slipped up and your stamped on. It’s disgusting.
The media is probably why people support other countries against England as the media are insufferable.

KnickerlessParsons · 16/07/2026 13:16

They will be either 3rd or 4th in the world. That’s pretty good by anyone’s reckoning.