England are set to face Argentina on Wednesday evening for a place in the World Cup final, with the winners due to meet Spain in New Jersey on Sunday, 19 July.

If the Three Lions emerge victorious, it would mark consecutive major tournaments in which they have reached the final, following their appearance in the Euro 2024 final in Germany.

But exactly how many finals have England featured in over the years? Here’s a detailed look.

In 2024, at the Olympiastadion in Berlin, England fell short despite a remarkable equaliser from Cole Palmer, who found the net just minutes after coming off the bench.

That defeat marked their second consecutive loss in a European Championship final, after Italy edged them out on penalties in 2021 during the delayed Euro 2020. Luke Shaw had given Gareth Southgate’s side an early lead inside two minutes at Wembley, but they couldn’t hold on and were eventually beaten in a dramatic shootout beneath the iconic arch.

Those two matches were among the only three major finals England’s men have ever contested.

The third, and most famous, was the 1966 World Cup final at the old Wembley Stadium, where England triumphed 4-2 over West Germany after extra time, thanks to a historic hat-trick from Geoff Hurst.

If England can overcome Argentina, they will reach just their second-ever World Cup final — a rare feat in their footballing history.

However, if they fall short once again, it would be added to their list of near misses on the world stage.

The most recent of those came in 2018, when Southgate’s men reached the semi-final in Russia. Kieran Trippier gave England an early lead with a stunning fifth-minute free-kick, but they were ultimately beaten in extra time by Croatia.

Before that, England had not made a semi-final appearance in either the Euros or the World Cup for 22 years, their previous one being in 1996. That tournament, held exclusively in England, ended in heartbreak as they lost to Germany on penalties at Wembley.

Just six years earlier, they had suffered a similar fate in the 1990 World Cup semi-final in Turin, losing to West Germany on penalties. That was only their second-ever semi-final at a major tournament, the first being in 1966 — a year that ended in glory.

Turning to the women’s side, the England women’s team have made it to five finals overall — three of which have come in their last three major tournaments.

The Lionesses famously lifted the Euro 2022 trophy by defeating Germany at Wembley, before falling to Spain in the 2023 World Cup final. However, they avenged that loss in 2025, beating Spain in a penalty shootout in Switzerland.

They have also suffered semi-final defeats twice in the European Championship — in 1995 and 2017 — along with two World Cup semi-final exits in 2015 and 2019. Impressively, they have reached at least the semi-finals in each of their last six major tournaments, underlining their status as one of the world’s elite teams.