Before England take on Norway in their 11th World Cup quarter-final, we’ve looked back and ranked all 10 of their previous appearances at this stage — a collection filled with drama, chaos, and more than a fair share of heartbreak.

The quarter-final has long been a turning point for England. For decades, their major tournament storylines tended to end somewhere between the last eight and the semi-finals — a pattern that defined generations of supporters until Gareth Southgate’s arrival.

England have now reached 10 quarter-finals, but with just three victories, it became the expected point of exit — until Southgate’s influence began to shift the narrative.

Let’s revisit and rank them all, shall we?

For the third straight major tournament, Sven-Goran Eriksson’s England were eliminated by Luiz Felipe Scolari. First came the 2002 World Cup loss to Brazil, then Euro 2004’s penalty heartbreak against Portugal, and finally this crushing defeat.

Back when Cristiano Ronaldo was better known for winding up opponents than teammates, he played a key role in Wayne Rooney’s red card. England battled through a scrappy, tense affair to force penalties — only for the shootout to descend into chaos. Portugal advanced despite missing two of their own attempts, with Frank Lampard, Steven Gerrard, and Jamie Carragher all failing from 12 yards. England’s only successful spot-kick came from Owen Hargreaves — fittingly, the most German player in the squad.

Finishing second to Hungary in the group stage meant England faced the daunting task of meeting Brazil in the last eight.

Garrincha opened the scoring and forced the second after Gerry Hitchens had equalised, with Ron Springett parrying his free-kick for Vava to head home. Garrincha then added a second and Brazil’s third just after the hour mark. England were brave but outclassed by superior opponents, the result inevitable by the end.

Michael Owen stunned Brazil with an early goal in 2002, but just before half-time David Beckham pulled out of a 50-50 challenge, allowing Brazil to break and Rivaldo to equalise. Then came that moment — Ronaldinho’s audacious lob over David Seaman. Painful doesn’t even begin to describe it.

England fought valiantly but were simply outmatched by the eventual champions’ attacking brilliance.

Nat Lofthouse and Tom Finney found the net for England, who were led by captain Billy Wright and featured a 39-year-old Stanley Matthews — still the oldest outfield player to represent England at a World Cup. But Uruguay’s attack proved too strong, with Carlos Borges, Juan Schiaffino, Javier Ambrois, and Obdulio Varela all scoring to send Walter Winterbottom’s men home. It marked the start of England’s long-running narrative of glorious failure that would linger for decades.

This one was the big missed opportunity. England were defending champions, still full of quality, and 2-0 up with a quarter of the match remaining. But disaster struck early when goalkeeper Gordon Banks was sidelined by a stomach bug, forcing Peter Bonetti to deputise. He hadn’t played since the end of the club season.

Alan Mullery and Martin Peters had given England control, but Franz Beckenbauer’s long-range effort slipped under Bonetti to bring West Germany back into it. Bobby Charlton was substituted — reportedly to rest him for a semi-final that would never come — and Norman Hunter replaced Peters to shore up the defence. Without their two calmest players, England were suddenly vulnerable. Uwe Seeler’s looping header forced extra-time, and Gerd Muller’s winner ended an era. England wouldn’t reach another quarter-final for 16 years.

Fast forward to 2022 — a brave, narrow defeat to France that didn’t feel like the usual “outclassed by the first elite side” story. England matched the reigning champions throughout. Harry Kane’s missed penalty will haunt him forever, and Marcus Rashford’s stoppage-time free-kick missed the top corner by inches. Their plan to contain Kylian Mbappe worked, but Aurelien Tchouameni’s long-range strike and Olivier Giroud’s decisive header made the difference. England were excellent, but football can be cruel.

The 1990 quarter-final against Cameroon was a wild ride — responsible for 71% of all goals scored in that round. After a cautious group stage and a dramatic last-16 win over Belgium, Bobby Robson’s men faced surprise package Cameroon. David Platt gave England the lead, but Cameroon turned it around to lead 2-1. Gary Lineker rescued England with a late penalty, then struck again from the spot in extra time. England were through to the semi-finals — and heartbreak at the hands of West Germany awaited.

In 2018, Southgate’s side benefited from a bit of bracket fortune. Instead of facing defending champions Germany, they met Sweden — a much more manageable opponent. England’s 2-0 victory carried an almost unsettling sense of calm. It was the first time in 28 years they’d reached the semi-finals, achieved with composure and control unfamiliar to fans accustomed to chaos and despair.

Then there’s the 1986 clash with Argentina — possibly the most iconic quarter-final in World Cup history. Diego Maradona produced two unforgettable goals just minutes apart: one infamous, one immortal. The “Hand of God” and the “Goal of the Century” remain football folklore. Peter Shilton still rues his failure to outjump Maradona for the first, and England fans have never quite recovered. Gary Lineker’s late header earned him the Golden Boot but didn’t alter the outcome. The controversy and brilliance of that match ensure its place in football legend.

Finally, the 1966 quarter-final — a triumph amid chaos. Argentina’s captain Antonio Rattin was sent off after relentless dissent, taking nearly 10 minutes to leave the pitch. Geoff Hurst scored the only goal, sealing victory in a match that introduced Sir Alf Ramsey’s “Wingless Wonders” formation and sparked diplomatic tension when he called the Argentinians “animals” afterward. That, truly, was a quarter-final for the ages.