The Origin: Turin 1990
The story of the curse begins under the Italian summer sky at the 1990 World Cup. Bobby Robson's England faced West Germany in a titanic semifinal struggle in Turin. After going behind to a deflected Andreas Brehme free-kick, Gary Lineker's late equaliser
sent the game into a grueling extra time. The match is famously remembered for Paul Gascoigne's tears after receiving a yellow card that would have ruled him out of the final. But the true heartbreak was yet to come. For the first time in their World Cup history, England's fate would be decided by a penalty shootout. Stuart Pearce saw his powerful shot saved, and Chris Waddle blazed his effort over the bar, sending Germany to the final and embedding a national trauma that would echo for decades.
Déjà Vu on Home Soil: Euro '96
Six years later, football was coming home. England hosted the 1996 European Championship, and a wave of national optimism carried Terry Venables' team to the semifinals. Their opponent? A newly unified Germany. The scene was Wembley, the stakes were immense, and the sense of destiny felt real. Alan Shearer headed England into an early lead, only for Stefan Kuntz to equalise. What followed was a nerve-shredding match, where Paul Gascoigne came agonisingly close to scoring a golden goal in extra time. But inevitably, it went to penalties. After ten perfect spot-kicks, the shootout went to sudden death. Gareth Southgate, then a defender, stepped up, and his shot was saved. Andreas Möller scored Germany's next, and England were out. Same opponent, same method, same heartbreak.
A New Generation, an Old Wound: Russia 2018
For years, England failed to reach another semifinal, falling in earlier knockout rounds. Then came the 2018 World Cup in Russia. Gareth Southgate, the man who missed that crucial penalty in '96, was now the manager, leading a young, vibrant team that had captured the nation's imagination. They faced Croatia in the semifinal, and when Kieran Trippier scored a stunning free-kick after just five minutes, it seemed the curse was about to be broken. But England couldn't find a second goal, and Croatia clawed their way back, with Ivan Perišić equalising in the second half. The game drifted into extra time, where Mario Mandžukić struck the fatal blow, ending England's dream with a 2-1 defeat. The pain felt familiar; a promising start undone by an inability to see the game through.
The Lionesses' Own Heartbreak
The semifinal curse hasn't been exclusive to the men's team. The England women's team, the Lionesses, experienced their own string of penultimate-round exits. At the 2015 World Cup, a cruel injury-time own goal saw them lose 2-1 to Japan. At Euro 2017, they were defeated 3-0 by hosts the Netherlands. Then, at the 2019 World Cup, they fell 2-1 to the eventual champions, the USA, in another tightly contested semifinal. For a time, it seemed the curse had crossed genders, becoming a shared burden for English football.
Finally Breaking the Barrier
The narrative began to shift in the 2020s. At the delayed Euro 2020, Southgate's men found themselves in another semifinal, this time against Denmark at Wembley. After falling behind, an own goal brought them level. In extra time, England were awarded a controversial penalty. Harry Kane's initial shot was saved, but he scored the rebound, sending England to their first major men's final since 1966. A year later, the Lionesses went even further. At Euro 2022, they stormed to the final and defeated Germany, winning their first major trophy and capturing the hearts of the nation. These victories didn't erase the painful memories of the past, but they offered a powerful counternarrative.
