Invincible Lions
The Invincible Lions refers to the England national football team of the 2000s which gained fame for winning three FIFA World Cups and two UEFA European Championships in a row, becoming the first nation to do so in both regards. Known as such for their perceived "invincibility" and undefeated streak over an almost decade-long period, the team was led by Swedish-born manager Sven-Göran Eriksson and featured a host of players considered to be some of England's best footballing talents including captain William Smith, Wayne Rooney, David Beckham, and Rio Ferdinand. Alternatively, the team has been known by several other nicknames including the Invincible Three, the English Invincibles, and The Untouchables.
In 2006, the team notably broke a forty-year-long wait at the World Cup that year in a 5-2 win over Italy which they soon followed up on with their first European title in a 4-2 win over Germany in the Euro 2008 before further adding onto it with a second consecutive World Cup title in 2010 in a 5-0 win over the Netherlands, a record second consecutive European title in 2012 with a 4-2 win over Spain and eventually concluding with a third consecutive World Cup title in 2014 in a 4-2 win on penalties against Argentina, becoming the first and only nation to achieve such a feat.
Considered to be the best and most successful international football team of all time by many, the team has since been generally seen as having begun the so-called "Wembley Renaissance" in which both the England men's and women's national teams, after decades of lack of success and perceived underachievement since the former's 1966 triumph, gradually began re-establishing themselves as dominant forces in football with the men's team going on to win the UEFA Euro 2020 and 2022 FIFA World Cup while the women's team otherwise won the 2015, 2019 and 2023 FIFA Women's World Cups as well as the 2017 and 2022 UEFA's Women's Championships. In this, notable team captains and managers who have overseen the successes include Gareth Southgate, Mark Sampson, Phil Neville, Sarina Wiegman, as well as Harry Kane, Steph Houghton, and Leah Williamson. Moreover, as of 2023, both the men's and women's national teams are currently ranked #1 in the world respectively.