England history in major semifinals: Three Lions' all-time record in final four of World Cup, Euros

England are once again within one victory of soccer's biggest stage.

The Three Lions face Argentina in the FIFA World Cup 2026 semifinals, with a place in the final in New York New Jersey awaiting the winner.

England have reached the final four of major international tournaments several times, but their record at this stage has featured both historic triumphs and painful defeats.

Here is England's complete semifinal history at the World Cup, European Championship and UEFA Nations League, along with how many major finals the Three Lions have played.

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England record in World Cup semifinals

England have reached the FIFA World Cup semifinals four times, including the 2026 tournament.

The Three Lions won their first semifinal in 1966, defeating Portugal 2-1 at Wembley thanks to a Bobby Charlton brace before going on to beat West Germany in the final and lift the World Cup for the only time in their history.

England's next two semifinal appearances both ended in heartbreak. They lost to West Germany on penalties after a 1-1 draw at Italia '90 before suffering a 2-1 extra-time defeat to Croatia at the 2018 World Cup in Russia.

England will attempt to reach a second World Cup final when they face Argentina in the 2026 semifinals.

England record in European Championship semifinals

England's men have reached the UEFA European Championship semifinals four times, winning two and losing two.

The Three Lions' first appearance in the final four came in 1968, when they were beaten 1-0 by Yugoslavia before going on to defeat the Soviet Union in the third-place playoff.

England then suffered one of the most painful defeats in their history at Euro 1996, losing 6-5 on penalties to Germany at Wembley after a 1-1 draw.

After decades of semifinal disappointment, Gareth Southgate's side broke through at Euro 2020 with a 2-1 extra-time victory over Denmark to reach England's first European Championship final. Three years later, Ollie Watkins' dramatic late winner secured a 2-1 victory over the Netherlands, sending England to a second successive Euros final, where they were defeated by Spain.

England record in UEFA Nations League semifinals

England have reached the UEFA Nations League semifinals once.

The Three Lions qualified for the inaugural Nations League Finals in 2019 after finishing above Spain and Croatia in their group.

They led the Netherlands through Marcus Rashford's first-half penalty in the semifinal, but Matthijs de Ligt equalised before the Dutch scored twice in extra time to secure a 3-1 victory.

Southgate's side recovered to finish third, beating Switzerland 6-5 on penalties following a goalless draw in the third-place playoff.

How many World Cup, Euros finals have England played?

England have reached three major tournament finals, appearing in one FIFA World Cup final and two European Championship finals.

The Three Lions lifted the World Cup on home soil in 1966, defeating West Germany 4-2 after extra time at Wembley to claim their only major international trophy.

England had to wait 55 years to reach another major final, finishing runners-up at Euro 2020 after losing to Italy on penalties following a 1-1 draw at Wembley. They returned to the European Championship final at Euro 2024 but were beaten 2-1 by Spain in Berlin.

Should England overcome Argentina in the 2026 FIFA World Cup semifinals, they would reach only their second World Cup final and fourth major tournament final overall.

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