England's record against Germany: World Cup, Euros and qualifying results between rival national teams

For England, there is no greater rival in football than Germany.

Other historical animosities exist with their neighbours to the north, Scotland, and the Republic of Ireland to the west, while relations with Argentina have been soured thanks to the two Diegos - Maradona and Simeone.

Nevertheless, getting one over on Germany remains one of the sweetest victories in football for England fans and players. The Three Lions have experienced the highest of highs against the Germans and they've also endured plenty of suffering at their hands. Goal looks at England's record against Germany in football.

Contents

1. What is England's overall record against Germany?
2. England's record vs Germany in competitive games
3. England record vs Germany: Game-by-game breakdown
4. England vs Germany: Which team has won more trophies?

What is England's overall record against Germany?

As of their last meeting on November 10, 2017, England have played Germany 32 times in official matches. They have won 13 games and lost on 15 occasions, drawing four.

The first official game between the teams was played on May 10, 1930 in Berlin, which ended a 3-3 draw.

England's record vs Germany in competitive games

While the overall record taking into account friendly matches is fairly even, it is an altogether different story when it comes exclusively to competitive encounters between England and Germany.

They have met competitively - that is, in a major tournament, either qualifiers or finals - 11 times. Of those 11 matches, England have won just three, with the Germans coming out on top six times.

The first competitive meeting between the teams was the 1966 World Cup final at Wembley, which England won by a scoreline of 4-2 in extra time. Prior to that point there had been seven friendly games between England and Germany, with the Three Lions winning six and drawing one.

English dominance against the Germans began to weaken in the 1970s, as the all-conquering West Germany team of Franz Beckenbauer and Co. began to assert themselves as the leading force in world football.

Indeed, the Germans held the upper hand against England for the next three decades and it was perhaps no surprise, considering they also won two World Cups and three European Championships in those years.

After beating Germany in the 1966 World Cup final, England did not win any of their next six competitive encounters - famously enduring penalty heart-ache in the semi-finals of 1990 World Cup and Euro 96.

The early 2000s were a time of great hope for English football, with Sven-Goran Eriksson presiding over what was believed to be an emergent 'Golden Generation', and they managed to beat Germany at Euro 2000 before inflicting a devastating 5-1 defeat on their arch rivals in Munich in the 2002 World Cup qualification campaign.

However, the hope didn't last long and normal service was resumed when the sides met at the end of the decade at the 2010 World Cup, with Germany trouncing England 4-1 in the last-16 stage of the competition.

There has been no competitive meeting since then, but the four friendly games that have subsquently been played have been keenly contested affairs, with both sets of players fully aware of the bragging rights at stake.

England record vs Germany: Game-by-game breakdown

*Bold signifies competitive matches

England vs Germany: Which team has won more trophies?

When it comes to trophy cabinets, Germany have enjoyed greater success in football than England on the international stage, having overtaken their rivals as a superior force in world football from the 1970s onward.

Germany have won four World Cups and three European Championships, as well as winning the Confederations Cup once. Indeed, they have appeared in a total of eight World Cup finals, finishing runners-up on four occasions, and played in six European Championship finals, losing on three occasions.

In contrast, England have just one major honour to their name: the World Cup, which they won in 1966 by beating Germany in the final.

Since their 1996 triumph, England's best performance at the World Cup has been to reach the semi-finals in 1990 and 2018.

England have never been crowned European champions either, with their best performances coming in 1968 (third place) and 1996 (semi-final).