Celebrating 1,000 games: 20 of the most memorable England matches of all time

England will contest their landmark 1,000th international match on Thursday 14 November when Montenegro are the visitors to Wembley in qualifying for the 2020 UEFA European Championship - it could be a memorable night as the hosts look to secure their place at next summer's groundbreaking tournament.

And if they do, Three Lions supporters will be looking forward to the possibility of lifting the Henri Delaunay Trophy on home Wembley soil on Sunday 12 July 2020, after coming so close at Russia 2018.

Ahead of what promises to be a special night of celebrations at the home of Gareth Southgate's men, we've taken a look back at 20 of the most memorable contests in England's history so far.

They're all here, from glory in '66 to heartache in Turin in '90.

Cameroon 2-3 England (AET), 1 July 1990

Bobby Robson's England came so close to a shot at adding a second FIFA World Cup to their collection at the iconic Italia '90 tournament and quarter-final victory over Cameroon that year has lived long in the memory - a match that included five goals, three penalties and a period of extra-time, it's no surprise.

The Three Lions were in trouble when the African minnows went 2-1 up in the 65th minute but Gary Lineker saved the day with a pair of spot-kicks in the 83rd and 105th minutes.

England 2-1 Portugal, 26 July 1966

England's thrilling 1966 World Cup final victory over West Germany will forever be remembered in the game, however, Alf Ramsey's men's semi-final triumph in that tournament was enthralling in its own right.

Close to 95,000 fans crammed into the Old Wembley to see whether the Three Lions could reach their first-ever major final and it looked as if they were going to after Bobby Charlton's strikes either side of the break, but Eusebio would make it 2-1 eight minutes from time to set up one of the all-time England nail-biting finishes.

Denmark 0-3 England, 15 June 2002

There would be no such nervy final few minutes 36 years later at the 2002 World Cup in Asia when England met fellow Europeans Denmark in the round-of-16.

Sven-Goran Eriksson's side produced one of the best Three Lions World Cup performances to down the Danes by three goals, all of which came before half-time through Rio Ferdinand, Michael Owen and Emile Heskey.

England 2-2 Greece, 6 October 2001

Who could forget the match that gave David Beckham arguably his finest moment with the Three Lions on his chest? Certainly not us.

With England needing only a point to secure a place at the 2002 World Cup but trailing Greece 2-1 deep into stoppage time in the final game of qualifying, Beckham stepped up to a 93rd-minute free-kick at his home ground and whipped it into the top left-hand corner to send his nation to South Korea & Japan.

England 3-1 France, 16 June 1982

The 80's was not the best time in Three Lions history with only one appearance in the knockout rounds of a major tournament recorded.

However, it did yield one of the more impressive results for the nation when Ron Greenwood's team met the strong French in the opening match of Spain '82. Bryan's Robson's fastest goal in World Cup history was followed by a second for the midfielder and a Paul Marriner effort, France no match for England.

England 0-0 Portugal (1-3), 1 July 2006

One of the more infamous World Cup moments occurred during England's penalty shootout defeat to Portugal at the 2006 World Cup - and as much as Three Lions fans will want to leave it in the past, it's hardly forgettable.

A theatrical reaction from Ronaldo to a stamp from Wayne Rooney on his teammate Ricardo Carvalho led referee Horacio Elizondo to show the Manchester United legend a red card with Ronaldo winking in the direction of his team's coaching staff as Rooney was forced to trudge off the field.

Spain 0-0 England (2-4), 22 June 1996

Penalty shootouts and England on the major international stage are two things that haven't tended to mix well for the English throughout the past.

Although there was one occasion where things panned out a little differently and it's remembered with pride. The 4-2 penalty glory over Spain in the first knockout round of EURO 96 held in England, although penalties would come back to bite the Three Lions in the semi-finals that year.

England 1-2 Iceland, 27 June 2016

We hope Roy Hodgson isn't reading this, if he is he may want to look away now as this one probably still keeps him awake at night. Yes, the final match of his England tenure will be remembered for all the wrong reasons.

His players were expected to dance past Iceland and into the quarter-finals of the 2016 European Championship in France, instead and despite Rooney's early penalty, the Icelandics pulled off the shock of all shocks - the upset of the tournament.

England 1-2 Brazil, 21 June 2002

Our next memorable England matchup recalls another exit from a major tournament but in much more respectable fashion this time around.

This match will be remembered for Eriksson's budding team pushing the best side in the world all the way before just falling short. Oh, and of course, David Seaman bowing out in an England shirt at major tournaments by being audaciously lobbed from 30 yards by the great Ronaldinho.

Scotland 0-0 England, 30 November 1872

Scotland 1-2 England, Home International Championship match at Hampden Park, Mount Florida, Glasgow, Saturday 2nd April 1927.

Starting lineup: Goalkeeper John Brown, Right Back Roy Goodall, Left Back Herbert Jones, Right Half Willis Edwards, Wing half Syd Bishop, Half back Jack Hill (Captain), Outside left Arthur Rigby, Outside right Joe Hulme, Centre forward Dixie Dean (top row centre), Forward George Brown, Forward Louis Page, Trainer J. H. Hulme.

How could we not include England international number one on this list, even though it's far from the most entertaining of the Three Lions' 999 internationals thus far.

It featured an England side against bitter rivals Scotland on a field in Partick that's now a cricket ground.

The final score: 0-0.

England 4-2 West Germany (AET), 30 July 1966

This country's finest hour on the football pitch and scenes that are never likely to be repeated again; those that are not old enough to remember '66 have surely had these memories drilled into their heads by the generation that do remember.

With the weight of the nation on their shoulders, Ramsey's legendary side downed West Germany 4-2 in an extra-time thriller that had everything, including the only ever World Cup final hat-trick, a last-gasp equaliser and goalline controversy but ultimately ended in Bobby Moore lifting the Jules Rimet Trophy to an overjoyed Wembley.

West Germany 1-1 England (4-3), 4 July 1990

Gazza's tears and the night that changed English football forever. Although they weren't ultimately happy memories, no one will forget England's exit from Italia '90.

West Germany were after revenge for 1966 and they would get it in the most dramatic of circumstances with a 4-3 penalty shoutout victory to progress to the World Cup final and break English hearts to the tune of Paul Gascoigne's tears after he received a yellow card that would mean he would miss the final even if England did get there.

Germany 1-5 England, 1 September 2001

Maybe it's something to do with what happened twice in the first half of the 20th century but England and Germany matches have always been hotly-fought contests with the winners taking home a lot more than just the victory.

That's why we'll never forget the time the Three Lions smashed the Germans 5-1 in their own backyard with goals from Owen (hat-trick), Steven Gerrard and Heskey creating arguably the greatest moment of Eriksson's reign in a qualifier for the 2002 World Cup.

England 2-3 Croatia, 21 November 2007

Speaking of qualifying, that was something the Three Lions shocked the football world by failing to do for the 2008 European Championship and the memories of the cold and wet November evening at Wembley when it happened live on.

Needing only a point against the Croatians to make it to Austria & Switzerland, an infamous early Scott Carson mistake put Steve McClaren's men on the back foot before they fell further behind and would eventually succumb to a 3-2 defeat, in spite of recovering to 2-2 at one point. The next day the most famous headline in English football history would appear on the back page of The Daily Mail, "a Wally with a Brolly."

Germany 4-1 England, 27 June 2010

You'd be hard-pressed to find a Three Lions fan that isn't still angry with what happened when their nation clashed once more with the Germans in the first knockout round of the 2010 World Cup in South Africa.

Trailing 2-1 after Matthew Upson's lifeline just before half-time, Frank Lampard's excellent lob struck the bar and landing feet over the line behind a sprawling Manuel Neuer who picked up the ball and proceeded to play on with referee Jorge Larrionda's blessing. A second-half Thomas Muller double would controversially mean Bloemfontein was the end of the road for Fabio Capello's men - oh, how different it could have been.

Germany 1-1 England (6-5), 26 June 1996

Sticking with the German theme and another memorable clash of the two European powerhouses that are England and Germany and unfortunately for the former, yet another heartbreaking one in a major tournament. However, on home soil this was the heartbreak to end all heartbreaks.

Terry Venables' side had got the whole nation dreaming of a first European title and in England too, by reaching the semi-finals of EURO '96. But the Germans would await and in typical style continued their unbeaten run against the English since 1966 by knocking the hosts out of a second tournament in three at the final-four stage on penalties.

England 0-1 Brazil, 7 June 1970

Although it only yielded the single goal and none of the big drama and controversy that other games in this list have brought, this 1970 World Cup meeting is remembered for a contest between two of the greatest players ever to play the game.

Playing in central defence for Ramsey's reigning world champions was captain Moore and leading the line for the team that had won two of the last three World Cups was none other than Pele. The latter great name would have the last laugh as his team won and went on to lift the trophy in Mexico.

Croatia 2-1 England (AET), 11 July 2018

It's difficult to forget any of the games Southgate's England played in the summer when they recaptured the imagination of a nation and got us loving its national team once more.

All good things must come to an end at some time, though, and the semi-final stage was as far as the Three Lions would get before that old foe Croatia dashed dreams in Moscow.

This wasn't before Kieran Trippier lashed home an early free-kick to put England on course for a first World Cup final in 52 years, only for Ivan Perisic and Mario Mandzukic to have other ideas.

Netherlands 1-4 England, 18 June 1996

In 1996, football fever hit the country in a way that it hadn't done since 1966 as England was hosting a major tournament for only the second time and perhaps the happiest memory from that summer was born in the middle of June.

Qualification wasn't certain for Venables' men heading into their final group match against a formidable Dutch outfit that boasted names such as Dennis Bergkamp and Clarence Seedorf but it certainly was after a 4-1 win courtesy of strikes from Alan Shearer and Teddy Sheringham. What a performance.

Scotland 0-2 England, 15 June 1996

England v Scotland European Championships group match at Wembley Stadium 15th June 1996.

Paul Gascoigne scores goal

Final score: England 2-0 Scotland

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We stick with the EURO '96 theme now for the 20th and last of our most memorable England internationals.

You really didn't think we were going to leave out the match that brought us THAT goal from Paul Gascoigne, did you?

Alan Shearer also scored at Wembley on that day as Terry Venables' men picked up their first victory of the tournament and virtually secured their place in the knockout stages in front of the adoring home faithful.