England

England is the founding nation of the game of football, and its league is one of the strongest and wealthiest in the world. The English league enjoyed a period of domination of Europe in the 70’s, ironically also the lowest period in the national team’s history as they failed to qualify for two world cups in a row.
England’s greatest moment was lifting the World Cup in front of their own jubilant fans at Wembley in 1966, with Geoff Hurst becoming the only player ever to score a hat-trick in a final. The second of these goals however has been a hot topic of debate in both England and Germany ever since, with replays and even complex scientific studies being launched in both countries.
Apart from 1966 England’s record has been patchy at the World Cup, making it past the quarter finals only once since they won the tournament, though they have been eliminated from 3 of the last 5 via penalties, including a heartbreaking semi-final defeat to eventual winners Germany in 1990.