WORLD CUP ROSSONERI: DAVID BECKHAM

The Three Lions' national team came to France 1998 determined to put behind them the shame of the previous World Cup, USA 1994, to which they had surprisingly failed to qualify. This was confirmed on 17 November 1993, when in the last qualifying match, despite winning 7-1 in San Marino, Graham Taylor's England failed to secure a pass for the United States.

To see the English team at the World Cup again, we had to wait until 16 June 1998, England v Tunisia at the old Vélodrome in Marseille, with Glenn Hoddle in the dugout. Group G's final standings weren't decided until the last round of matches: Romania, England and Colombia all fought it out for a place in the Round of 16.

26 June 1998, at the Stade Bollaert-Delelelis in Lens, England faced Colombia, packed with old and future Serie A stars such as Córdoba, Asprilla, Bolaño and the late Rincón. For both teams, tied on three points, the only acceptable result was victory. Glenn Hoddle's side had a very positive start, pressing the South Americans into their own half and scoring two goals in the first half-hour. Darren Anderton took the lead in the 20th minute with a powerful shot just under the crossbar, while David Beckham's right-footed stunner in the 29th minute beat Mondragón: an unstoppable free-kick. 

For David Beckham, in his second ever World Cup appearance, this free-kick was his first goal at the World Cup: the 23 year old would score two more World Cup goals in his career, one in each match. Against Argentina in 2002 and Ecuador in 2006, two decisive goals in two matches that both ended 1-0. 

After the two goals in the first 30 minutes, the Colombians really began to put up a fight: the goalkeeper Faryd Mondragón became a wall and parried all the English players' chances for a potential 3-0 lead. It did not, however, change the course of the match: Colombia 0-2 England, and the English went through to the Round of 16, where it would be Argentina, on penalties, who halted the Three Lions' progress in the competition. 

After their triumph in 1966, England's best results at the World Cup remain the semi-finals of Italia '90, lost to Germany, and that of Russia 2018, lost to Croatia. In both cases, the team ended the tournament in fourth place. 

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