England versus Germany is a rivalry that has stood the test of time in football. The Three Lions have regularly faced Die Mannschaft since their first encounter in 1930, both in friendlies - used in the loosest sense of the word - and in competitive fixtures.
Both nations have achieved major scalps over one another in their histories, and their Euro 2020 last-16 meeting will be no different. England’s 1966 World Cup final win over West Germany is still heralded in the nation, while Germany have the bragging rights during the most recent meetings, coupled with their four World Cups and three European Championships.
In total, England have played Germany - including East and West - a total of 36 times. England have won 16 times, lost on 15 occasions, and they have shared five draws. 11 of the 36 games have come in competitive fixtures, with seven at either a European Championships or a World Cup.
The major tournaments are where England’s record isn’t as flattering, where they have produced just two wins. Germany, meanwhile, have won four of those games, twice on penalties in 1990 and 1996. During the knockout rounds of tournament finals since 1966, Germany have beaten England all three times they have played - two of which were on penalties.
Included in the 36 matches are those against East Germany. However, they only played each other four times, all in friendlies. The two nations drew once in 1974, with the Three Lions emerging victorious on the other three occasions in 1963, 1970 and 1984.
1930-1990
The first meeting between England and Germany came in 1930 at the Deutshces Stadion in Berlin in 1930, with the shares spoiled in a 3-3 friendly draw. It took 36 years for the two nations’ first meeting in a competitive fixture, though, coming in the 1966 World Cup final at Wembley. England won their first, and to date, only, major tournament that day with a 4-2 win AET against West Germany on home soil.
The rivals then faced each other three times in the space of two years during competitive matches, the first of which saw West Germany exact revenge in the 1970 World Cup quarter-finals with a 3-2 win. The pair were then drawn in the same group for 1972 European Championship qualification. West Germany managed to pick up four points in total against England, who failed to qualify for the tournament.
The pair drew 0-0 in the 1982 World Cup second group stages, before West Germany’s final game against England came at Italia 90 in the World Cup semi-finals - infamous for Gazza’s tears and England’s poor penalties.
1990-Present
Since West and East Germany reunified after that fixture, the nations have met 13 times. Two of those games were at the Euros, and one was at the 2010 World Cup. Germany reached the final of Euro 96 after, inevitably, beating England on penalties in the semi-final, but the Three Lions got their own back at Euro 2000 in the group stages with a 1-0 win. Both teams failed to reach the knockout stages of the tournament that year though.
Their last competitive meeting was at the 2010 World Cup, which saw Germany convincingly dispatch England 4-1 in South Africa, albeit for Frank Lampard’s goal-that-never-was. Germany and England last met in 2017 at Wembley in a friendly match, with the score kept to a goalless deadlock.
England did also achieve a stellar 3-2 win against Germany in Berlin in 2016 during a friendly fixture, coming from 2-0 down to triumph thanks to goals from Jamie Vardy, Harry Kane, and Eric Dier.
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