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Page Last Updated 3 February 2023
 
 

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(live games)

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The following is a list of the only World Cup finals games played by England and broadcast live in the United Kingdom, together with the only commentators given the honour of describing the action as it happened, for the benefit of the viewers back home. England have played seven other games (one in 1954, two in 1958 and four in 1962) that were not televised live and were broadcast only in highlights form in the days following each game. The 1950 tournament, in which England played three games, was not televised at all.

 

1954  

all at Sankt Jakob Stadium, Basel

288

Thursday, 17 June 1954 - Belgium 4 England 4 [1-2] AET [2-2]

Kenneth Wolstenholme  

290

Saturday, 26 June 1954 - Uruguay 4 England 2 [2-1]

 


1958

all at Nya Ullevi Stadion, Göteborg

323

Wednesday, 11 June 1958 - Brazil 0 England 0 [0-0]

Kenneth Wolstenholme Peter Lloyd and Gerry Loftus

325

Tuesday, 17 June 1958 - USSR 1 England 0 [0-0]


1966

all at Empire Stadium, Wembley, London

404

Monday, 11 July 1966 - England 0 Uruguay 0 [0-0]

Kenneth Wolstenholme and Ron Greenwood Hugh Johns and Dave Bowen

405

Saturday, 16 July 1966 - Mexico 0 England 2 [0-1]

Kenneth Wolstenholme and Johnny Haynes

406

Wednesday, 20 July 1966 - France 0 England 2 [0-1]

407

Saturday, 23 July 1966 - England 1 Argentina 0 [0-0]

Kenneth Wolstenholme and Jimmy Hill

408

Tuesday, 26 July 1966 - England 2 Portugal 1 [1-0]

Kenneth Wolstenholme and Tommy Docherty

409

Saturday, 30 July 1966 - England 4 West Germany 2 [1-1] AET [2-2]

Kenneth Wolstenholme and Walley Barnes


1970

all group matches at Estadio Jalisco, Guadalajara

445

Tuesday, 2 June 1970 - England 1 Romania 0 [0-0] David Coleman, Don Revie and Joe Mercer Hugh Johns and Billy Wright

446

Sunday, 7 June 1970 - Brazil 1 England 0 [0-0]

447

Thursday, 11 June 1970 - Czechoslovakia 0 England 1 [0-0]  

448

Sunday, 14 June 1970 - West Germany 3 England 2 [0-1] AET [2-2]
Estadio de Guanajuato, León (23,357)
David Coleman, Don Revie and Joe Mercer  


1982

all group matches at Estadio San Mamés, Bilbao

565

Wednesday, 16 June 1982 - England 3 France 1 [1-1] John Motson and Jimmy Hill  

566

Sunday, 20 June 1982 - England 2 Czechoslovakia 0 [0-0]   Martin Tyler and Jack Charlton

567

Friday, 25 June 1982 - England 1 Kuwait 0 [1-0]  

second phase matches at El Estadio Santiago Bernabéu, Madrid

568

Tuesday, 29 June 1982 - England 0 West Germany 0 [0-0] John Motson and Jimmy Hill  

569

Monday, 5 July 1982 - England 0 Spain 0 [0-0]   Martin Tyler and Jack Charlton


1986

first two group matches at Estadio Tecnológico, Monterrey

614

Tuesday, 3 June 1986 - Portugal 1 England 0 [0-0 John Motson and Jimmy Hill

615

Friday, 6 June 1986 - England 0 Morocco 0 [0-0]   Martin Tyler and David Pleat

616

Wednesday, 11 June 1986 - England 3 Poland 0 [3-0]
Estadio Universitário de Nuevo León, Monterrey
Barry Davies and Jimmy Hill  

second phase matches at Estadio Azteca, ciudad de México

617

Wednesday, 18 June 1986 - England 3 Paraguay 0 [1-0] John Motson and Jimmy Hill Martin Tyler and David Pleat

618

Sunday, 22 June 1986 - Argentina 2 England 1 [0-0]

Barry Davies and Jimmy Hill


1990

all group matches at Stadio Comunale Sant'Elia, Casteddu

658

Monday, 11 June 1990 - England 1 Republic of Ireland 1 [1-0]   Brian Moore and Ron Atkinson

659

Saturday, 16 June 1990 - Netherlands 0 England 0 [0-0] John Motson and Trevor Brooking  

660

Thursday, 21 June 1990 - England 1 Egypt 0 [0-0] Barry Davies and Trevor Brooking  

661

Tuesday, 26 June 1990 - England 1 Belgium 0 [0-0] AET [0-0]
Stadio Renato Dall' Ara, Bologna
John Motson and Trevor Brooking Brian Moore and Ron Atkinson

662

Sunday, 1 July 1990 - Cameroon 2 England 3 [0-1] AET [2-2]
Stadio San Paolo, Napoli
Barry Davies, Trevor Brooking and Bobby Charlton

663

Wednesday, 4 July 1990 -
West Germany 1 England 1 [0-0] AET [1-1] & Penalties [4-3]
Stadio delle Alpi, Torino
John Motson and Trevor Brooking

664

Saturday, 7 July 1990 - Italy 2 England 1 [0-0]
Stadio San Nicola, Bari
Barry Davies and Trevor Brooking Alan Parry and Ron Atkinson
Notes This was the first World Cup to be broadcast in the UK on satellite television, with Eurosport showing every game. Peter Brackley and Lawrie McMenemy probably provided live commentary on most of England's matches, with Ian Darke possibly stepping in for Brackley against Italy, with Brackley doing the following night's final. The games against Republic of Ireland, Netherlands and West Germany were not shown live, but broadcast in full, two hours after the kick-off time.


1998

747

Monday, 15 June 1998 - England 2 Tunisia 0 [1-0]
Le Stade Vélodrome, Marseille
Barry Davies and Trevor Brooking  

748

Monday, 22 June 1998 - Romania 2 England 1 [0-0]
Stade Municipal, Toulouse
  Brian Moore and Kevin Keegan

749

Friday, 22 June 1998 - England 2 Colombia 0 [2-0]
Stade Félix-Bollaert, Lens
John Motson and Trevor Brooking  

750

Tuesday, 30 June 1998 - Argentina 2 England 2 [2-2]
AET [2-2] & Penalties[4-3][4-3]
Stade Geoffroy-Guichard, Saint-Étienne
  Brian Moore and Kevin Keegan
Notes Only the Tunisia game was shown live by Eurosport. The commentators were Guy Mowbray and Bryan Robson, who were probably also at the microphone for the other England games. These were broadcast in full, two hours after the kick-off time. It was the last World Cup tournament in which Eurosport showed live games.


2002

791

Sunday, 2 June 2002 - England 1 Sweden 1 [1-0]
Saitama Sutajiamu Niimarumarunii, Saitama-shi
  Clive Tyldesley and Ron Atkinson

792

Friday, 7 June 2002 - Argentina 0 England 1 [0-1]
Sapporo Dōmu, Toyohira-ku
John Motson and Trevor Brooking

793

Wednesday, 12 June 2002 - Nigeria 0 England 0 [0-0]
Ōsaka-shi Nagai Rikujō Kyōgijō, Ōsaka-shi
 

794

Saturday, 15 June 2002 - Denmark 0 England 3 [0-3]
Niigata Sutajiamu, Niigata-shi
Clive Tyldesley and Ron Atkinson

795

Friday, 21 June 2002 - England 1 Brazil 2 [1-1]
Shizuoka Stadium Ecopa, Fukuroi city

Notes

BBCi, the interactive service, gave viewers the option of listening to the Radio Five Live commentary team, instead of the television commentators, for the games shown live by the BBC.


2006
838 Saturday, 10 June 2006 - England 1 Paraguay 0 [1-0]
Commerzbank-Arena, Frankfurt am Main
John Motson and Mark Lawrenson  
839 Thursday, 15 June 2006 - England 2 Trinidad & Tobago 0 [0-0]
easyCredit-Stadion, Nürnberg
  Clive Tyldesley and Gareth Southgate
840 Tuesday, 20 June 2006 - Sweden 2 England 2 [0-1]
Rhein-Energie-Stadion, Köln
 
841 Sunday, 25 June 2006 - England 1 Ecuador 0 [0-0]
Gottlieb-Daimler-Stadion, Stuttgart
John Motson and Mark Lawrenson  
842 Saturday, 1 July 2006 - England 0 Portugal 0 [0-0]
AET
[0-0] & Penalties [1-3]

Veltins Arena, Gelsenkirchen
 
Notes BBCi, once again, gave viewers the option of listening to the Radio Five Live commentary team, instead of the television commentators, for the games shown live by the BBC.

The three games shown live by the BBC were also broadcast live by UKTV G2. Commentary for one or both of the Paraguay and Ecuador games was provided by Andy Burton and Ron Atkinson, with John Roder and Ron Atkinson at the microphone for the Portugal game.


2010
885 Saturday, 12 June 2010 - England 1 United States 1 [1-1]
Royal Bafokeng Sports Palace, Rustenburg
Clive Tyldesley and Andy Townsend
886 Friday, 18 June 2010 - England 0 Algeria 0 [0-0]
Kaapstad-stadion, Green Point
 
887 Wednesday, 23 June 2010 - Slovenia 0 England 1 [0-1]
Nelson Mandela Bay Stadium, Die Baai
Guy Mowbray and Mark Lawrenson  
888 Sunday, 27 June 2010 - Germany 4 England 1 [2-1]
Vodacom Park, Bloemfontein
 
Notes The BBC Red Button service gave viewers the option of listening to the Radio Five Live commentary team, instead of the television commentators, for the games shown live by the BBC.


2014
932 14 June 2014 - England 1 Italy 2 [1-1]
Arena da Amazônia, Manaus
Guy Mowbray and Philip Neville  
933 19 June 2014 - Uruguay 2 England 1 [1-0]
Arena Corinthians, São Paulo
  Clive Tyldesley and Andy Townsend
934 24 June 2014 - Costa Rica 0 England 0 [0-0]
Estádio Governador Magalhães Pinto, Belo Horizonte
 
Notes For the Italy game, the BBC Red Button service, once again, gave viewers the option of listening to the Radio Five Live commentary team, instead of the television commentators.

 

2018

979 18 June 2018 - Tunisia 1 England 2 [1-1]
Volgograd Arena, Volgograd
Guy Mowbray and Martin Keown  
980 24 June 2018 - England 6 Panama 1 [5-0]
Stadion Nizhny Novgorod, Nizhny Novgorod
Guy Mowbray and Danny Murphy  
981 28 June 2018 - England 0 Belgium 1 [0-0]
Stadion Kaliningrad, Kaliningrad
  Clive Tyldesley and Glenn Hoddle
982 3 July 2018 - England 1 Colombia 1 [0-0]
AET [0-0] & Penalties
[4-3]

Stadion Spartak, Moskva
 
983 7 July 2018 - Sweden 0 England 2 [0-1]
Cosmos Arena, Samara
Guy Mowbray and Martin Keown  
984 11 July 2018 - Croatia 2 England 1 [0-1] AET [1-1]
Luzhniki Stadium, Moskva
 

Clive Tyldesley and Glenn Hoddle

985 14 July 2018 - Belgium 2 England 0 [1-0]
Krestovsky Stadium, Saint Petersburg
 

Sam Matterface and Glenn Hoddle

Notes The BBC Red Button service again gave viewers the option of listening to the Radio Five Live commentary team, instead of the television commentators, for the games shown live by the BBC. They were also streamed in Ultra High-Definition on the BBC iPlayer and in an experimental 360° Virtual Reality application on selected devices.

 

2022

1037 21 November 2022 - England 6 Iran 2 [3-0]
Istād Khalīfah, Baaya, Al Rayyan
Guy Mowbray and Jermaine Jenas  
1038 25 November 2022 - England 0 United States 0 [0-0]
Āstād āl-Bayt, Al Oqda, Al Khawr
  Sam Matterface and Lee Dixon
1039 29 November 2022 - Wales 0 England 3 [0-0]
Ahmad Bin Ali Stadium, Rawdat Al Jahhaniya, Al Rayyan
Guy Mowbray, Jermaine Jenas and Danny Gabbidon  
1040 4 December 2022 - England 3 Senegal 0 [2-0]
Āstād āl-Bayt, Al Oqda, Al Khawr
  Sam Matterface and Lee Dixon
1041 10 December 2022 - France 2 England 1 [1-0]
Āstād āl-Bayt, Al Oqda, Al Khawr
 
Notes The BBC iPlayer and Red Button service also provided a World Cup Extra with Five Live programme within which the Radio Five Live commentators were used instead of those on BBC1, for the games shown live by the BBC. They were also streamed in Ultra High-Definition and High Dynamic Range on the BBC iPlayer. For the game with Wales, BBC1 Wales had their own commentary team of Simon Davies, Nia Jones and Neil Taylor, whilst S4C also broadcast the game live, with commentary from Nic Parry, Malcolm Allen and Gwennan Harries in the Welsh language. The BBC iPlayer, in addition, broadcast a World Cup Watchalong with Nihal Arthanayake and three teenage cast members of the Children's BBC football drama, Jamie Johnson.

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