The men's national football teams of the four Home Nations of the United Kingdom have played each other more times than any other footballing nations in the world. The world's first international football match was played between Scotland and England in Glasgow in 1872 (a 0–0 draw). From then on, all four teams started playing regular friendlies against each other. In 1883 a formal competition between the UK's teams, the British Home Championship, was introduced, guaranteeing that each team would play the other three at least once a season. The Championship was discontinued in 1984, partly due to problems of crowd trouble, and partly due to the desire of England (and to a lesser extent Scotland) to contest international fixtures against larger and more powerful nations.

While the British Home Championship was being played, the UK teams were also drawn together on a number of occasions during qualification competitions for the FIFA World Cup and UEFA European Championship. Early tournaments simply used the British Championship as a qualifying group, but during qualification for the 1974 World Cup, England and Wales were drawn in the same group. Subsequent to this, three more qualification tournaments saw UK teams drawn together while the British Championship was being played. Since the end of the British Home Championship, the teams have played each other mainly when drawn together in international competitions such as the European Championship or the World Cup, with occasional friendly fixtures.[1][2][3][4]

At men's major national tournaments, Home Nations teams have met four times at the UEFA European Championships. England and Wales played the first ever Home Nations tie at a World Cup when they played each other at the 2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar with England winning the match 3-0.[5]

Teams –

FIFA World Cup

Date Competition Score Venue Notes
1 October 1949 1950 FIFA World Cup qualifying Ireland  2–8  Scotland Northern Ireland Windsor Park, Belfast [a]
15 October 1949 1950 FIFA World Cup qualifying Wales  1–4  England Wales Ninian Park, Cardiff [a]
9 November 1949 1950 FIFA World Cup qualifying Scotland  2–0  Wales Scotland Hampden Park, Glasgow [a]
16 November 1949 1950 FIFA World Cup qualifying England  9–2  Ireland England Maine Road, Manchester [a]
8 March 1950 1950 FIFA World Cup qualifying Wales  0–0  Ireland Wales Racecourse Ground, Wrexham [a]
15 April 1950 1950 FIFA World Cup qualifying Scotland  0–1  England Scotland Hampden Park, Glasgow [a]
3 October 1953 1954 FIFA World Cup qualifying Northern Ireland  1–3  Scotland Northern Ireland Windsor Park, Belfast [b]
10 October 1953 1954 FIFA World Cup qualifying Wales  1–4  England Wales Ninian Park, Cardiff [b]
4 November 1953 1954 FIFA World Cup qualifying Scotland  3–3  Wales Scotland Hampden Park, Glasgow [b]
11 November 1953 1954 FIFA World Cup qualifying England  3–1  Northern Ireland England Goodison Park, Liverpool [b]
31 March 1954 1954 FIFA World Cup qualifying Wales  1–2  Northern Ireland Wales Racecourse Ground, Wrexham [b]
3 April 1954 1954 FIFA World Cup qualifying Scotland  2–4  England Scotland Hampden Park, Glasgow [b]
15 November 1972 1974 FIFA World Cup qualifying Wales  0–1  England Wales Ninian Park, Cardiff
24 January 1973 1974 FIFA World Cup qualifying England  1–1  Wales England Wembley Stadium (I), London
17 November 1976 1978 FIFA World Cup qualifying Scotland  1–0  Wales Scotland Hampden Park, Glasgow
12 October 1977 1978 FIFA World Cup qualifying Wales  0–2  Scotland England Anfield, Liverpool
25 March 1981 1982 FIFA World Cup qualifying Scotland  1–1  Northern Ireland Scotland Hampden Park, Glasgow
14 October 1981 1982 FIFA World Cup qualifying Northern Ireland  0–0  Scotland Northern Ireland Windsor Park, Belfast
27 February 1985 1986 FIFA World Cup qualifying Northern Ireland  0–1  England Northern Ireland Windsor Park, Belfast
27 March 1985 1986 FIFA World Cup qualifying Scotland  0–1  Wales Scotland Hampden Park, Glasgow
10 September 1985 1986 FIFA World Cup qualifying Wales  1–1  Scotland Wales Ninian Park, Cardiff
13 November 1985 1986 FIFA World Cup qualifying England  0–0  Northern Ireland England Wembley Stadium (I), London
8 September 2004 2006 FIFA World Cup qualifying Wales  2–2  Northern Ireland Wales Millennium Stadium, Cardiff
9 October 2004 2006 FIFA World Cup qualifying England  2–0  Wales England Old Trafford, Manchester
26 March 2005 2006 FIFA World Cup qualifying England  4–0  Northern Ireland England Old Trafford, Manchester
3 September 2005 2006 FIFA World Cup qualifying Wales  0–1  England Wales Millennium Stadium, Cardiff
7 September 2005 2006 FIFA World Cup qualifying Northern Ireland  1–0  England Northern Ireland Windsor Park, Belfast
8 October 2005 2006 FIFA World Cup qualifying Northern Ireland  2–3  Wales Northern Ireland Windsor Park, Belfast
12 October 2012 2014 FIFA World Cup qualifying Wales  2–1  Scotland Wales Cardiff City Stadium, Cardiff
22 March 2013 2014 FIFA World Cup qualifying Scotland  1–2  Wales Scotland Hampden Park, Glasgow
11 November 2016 2018 FIFA World Cup qualifying England  3–0  Scotland England Wembley Stadium, London
10 June 2017 2018 FIFA World Cup qualifying Scotland  2–2  England Scotland Hampden Park, Glasgow
29 November 2022 2022 FIFA World Cup – group stage Wales  0–3  England Qatar Ahmad bin Ali Stadium, Al Rayyan [c]
  1. ^ a b c d e f Also 1950 British Home Championship
  2. ^ a b c d e f Also 1954 British Home Championship
  3. ^ First World Cup finals match between British countries.

UEFA European Championship

Date Competition Score Venue Notes
7 February 1979 UEFA Euro 1980 qualifying England  4–0  Northern Ireland England Wembley Stadium (I), London
17 October 1979 UEFA Euro 1980 qualifying Northern Ireland  1–5  England Northern Ireland Windsor Park, Belfast
15 October 1986 UEFA Euro 1988 qualifying England  3–0  Northern Ireland England Wembley Stadium (I), London
1 April 1987 UEFA Euro 1988 qualifying Northern Ireland  0–2  England Northern Ireland Windsor Park, Belfast
15 June 1996 UEFA Euro 1996 finals – group stage Scotland  0–2  England England Wembley Stadium (I), London [a]
13 November 1999 UEFA Euro 2000 qualifying play-offs Scotland  0–2  England Scotland Hampden Park, Glasgow
17 November 1999 UEFA Euro 2000 qualifying play-offs England  0–1  Scotland England Wembley Stadium (I), London
26 March 2011 UEFA Euro 2012 qualifying Wales  0–2  England Wales Millennium Stadium, Cardiff
6 September 2011 UEFA Euro 2012 qualifying England  1–0  Wales England Wembley Stadium, London
16 June 2016 UEFA Euro 2016 finals – group stage England  2–1  Wales France Stade Bollaert-Delelis, Lens [b]
25 June 2016 UEFA Euro 2016 finals – round of 16 Wales  1–0  Northern Ireland France Parc des Princes, Paris [c]
18 June 2021 UEFA Euro 2020 finals – group stage England  0–0  Scotland England Wembley Stadium, London
  1. ^ First match between British countries at a major championship
  2. ^ First match between British countries played outside the UK and Ireland.
  3. ^ First match involving Northern Ireland and another British team played outside the UK and Ireland; first knockout match between any two British countries in a major tournament.

British Home Championship

Main article: British Home Championship

The British Home Championship (also known as the Home International Championship, the Home Internationals and the British Championship) was an annual football competition contested between the United Kingdom's four national teams: England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland (the last of whom competed as Ireland for most of the competition's history). Starting during the 1883–84 season, it was the oldest international football tournament and it was contested until the 1983–84 season, when it was abolished after 100 years.

The 1949–50 and 1953–54 championships doubled up as qualifying stages for the 1950 FIFA World Cup and 1954 FIFA World Cup respectively.

Friendlies

Date Score Venue Notes
30 November 1872 Scotland  0–0  England Scotland Hamilton Crescent, Glasgow
8 March 1873 England  4–2  Scotland England Kennington Oval, London
7 March 1874 Scotland  2–1  England Scotland Hamilton Crescent, Glasgow
6 March 1875 England  2–2  Scotland England Kennington Oval, London
4 March 1876 Scotland  3–0  England Scotland Hamilton Crescent, Glasgow
25 March 1876 Scotland  4–0  Wales Scotland Hamilton Crescent, Glasgow
3 March 1877 England  1–3  Scotland England Kennington Oval, London
5 March 1877 Wales  0–2  Scotland Wales Acton Park, Wrexham
2 March 1878 Scotland  7–2  England Scotland Hampden Park (I), Glasgow
23 March 1878 Scotland  9–0  Wales Scotland Hampden Park (I), Glasgow
18 January 1879 England  2–1  Wales England Kennington Oval, London
5 April 1879 England  5–4  Scotland England Kennington Oval, London
7 April 1879 Wales  0–3  Scotland Wales Acton Park, Wrexham
13 March 1880 Scotland  5–4  England Scotland Hampden Park (I), Glasgow
15 March 1880 Wales  2–3  England Wales Racecourse Ground, Wrexham
27 March 1880 Scotland  5–1  Wales Scotland Hampden Park (I), Glasgow
18 January 1881 England  0–1  Wales England Alexandra Meadows, Blackburn
12 March 1881 England  1–6  Scotland England Kennington Oval, London
14 March 1881 Wales  1–5  Scotland Wales Acton Park, Wrexham
18 February 1882 Ireland  0–13  England Northern Ireland Knock Ground, Belfast
25 February 1882 Wales  7–1  Ireland Wales Wrexham
11 March 1882 Scotland  5–1  England Scotland Hampden Park (I), Glasgow
13 March 1882 Wales  5–3  England Wales Racecourse Ground, Wrexham
25 March 1882 Scotland  5–0  Wales Scotland Hampden Park (I), Glasgow
3 February 1883 England  5–0  Scotland England Kennington Oval, London
24 February 1883 England  7–0  Ireland England Aigburth Cricket Ground, Liverpool
10 March 1883 England  2–3  Scotland England Bramall Lane, Sheffield
12 March 1883 Wales  0–3  Scotland Wales Acton Park, Wrexham
17 March 1883 Wales  1–1  Ireland Northern Ireland Belfast
14 February 1973 Scotland  0–5  England Scotland Hampden Park, Glasgow
24 March 1976 Wales  1–2  England Wales Racecourse Ground, Wrexham
18 February 1992 Scotland  1–0  Northern Ireland Scotland Hampden Park, Glasgow
27 May 1997 Scotland  0–1  Wales Scotland Rugby Park, Kilmarnock
18 February 2004 Wales  4–0  Scotland Wales Millennium Stadium, Cardiff
6 February 2007 Northern Ireland  0–0  Wales Northern Ireland Windsor Park, Belfast
20 August 2008 Scotland  0–0  Northern Ireland Scotland Hampden Park, Glasgow
14 November 2009 Wales  3–0  Scotland Wales Cardiff City Stadium, Cardiff
14 August 2013 England  3–2  Scotland England Wembley Stadium, London
18 November 2014 Scotland  1–3  England Scotland Celtic Park, Glasgow
25 March 2015 Scotland  1–0  Northern Ireland Scotland Hampden Park, Glasgow
24 March 2016 Wales  1–1  Northern Ireland Wales Cardiff City Stadium, Cardiff
8 October 2020 England  3–0  Wales England Wembley Stadium, London
12 September 2023 Scotland  1–3  England Scotland Hampden Park, Glasgow
26 March 2024 Scotland  v  Northern Ireland Scotland Hampden Park, Glasgow

Others

Date Competition Score Venue Notes
25 May 1985 Rous Cup Scotland  1–0  England Scotland Hampden Park, Glasgow
23 April 1986 Rous Cup England  2–1  Scotland England Wembley Stadium (I), London
23 May 1987 Rous Cup Scotland  0–0  England Scotland Hampden Park, Glasgow
21 May 1988 Rous Cup England  1–0  Scotland England Wembley Stadium (I), London
27 May 1989 Rous Cup Scotland  0–2  England Scotland Hampden Park, Glasgow
9 February 2011 2011 Nations Cup Northern Ireland  0–3  Scotland Republic of Ireland Aviva Stadium, Dublin
25 May 2011 2011 Nations Cup Wales  1–3  Scotland Republic of Ireland Aviva Stadium, Dublin
27 May 2011 2011 Nations Cup Wales  2–0  Northern Ireland Republic of Ireland Aviva Stadium, Dublin

Head to head

England

Opponent Played Won Drawn Lost W%
 Northern Ireland 98 75 16 7 76.53
 Scotland 112 47 24 41 41.96
 Wales 102 67 21 14 65.69

Northern Ireland

Opponent Played Won Drawn Lost W%
 England 98 7 16 75 7.14
 Scotland 95 15 17 63 15.79
 Wales 96 28 24 44 29.17

Scotland

Opponent Played Won Drawn Lost W%
 England 112 41 24 47 36.61
 Northern Ireland 95 63 17 15 66.32
 Wales 107 61 23 23 57.01

Wales

Opponent Played Won Drawn Lost W%
 England 102 14 21 67 13.73
 Northern Ireland 96 44 24 28 45.83
 Scotland 107 23 23 61 21.5

British Overseas Territories

Seven British Overseas Territories have a national football team affiliated to FIFA – Anguilla, Bermuda, British Virgin Islands, Cayman Islands, Gibraltar, Montserrat and Turks and Caicos Islands. All play within the CONCACAF (North American) area, with the exception of Gibraltar. This makes fixtures between the Home Nations and the overseas territories rare, although the North American overseas territories play between each other often.

Gibraltar v UK Home Nations

In 2013, the Gibraltar Football Association became a member of UEFA enabling their national team to play international fixtures. This opened the possibility of Gibraltar playing against a Home Nation during the qualification phase of major international competitions. To date, there have been three matches between Gibraltar and one of the Home Nations – Scotland played them twice as part of their UEFA Euro 2016 qualification group, beating them on both occasions; and Wales defeated them in a friendly match. These fixtures are the only occasions when a Home Nation and an overseas territory have played each other in an official international match.

Date Competition Score Venue Notes
29 March 2015 UEFA Euro 2016 qualifying Scotland  6–1  Gibraltar Scotland Hampden Park, Glasgow
11 October 2015 UEFA Euro 2016 qualifying Gibraltar  0–6  Scotland Portugal Estádio Algarve, Faro
11 October 2023 Friendly Wales  4–0  Gibraltar Wales Racecourse Ground, Wrexham
3 June 2024 Friendly Gibraltar  v  Scotland Portugal Estádio Algarve, Faro

Matches between CONCACAF overseas territories

Date Competition Score Venue Notes
10 May 1991 1991 Caribbean Cup qualification British Virgin Islands  1–2  Cayman Islands Saint Kitts and Nevis St. Kitts and Nevis
14 May 1991 1991 Caribbean Cup qualification Montserrat  1–1  Anguilla Saint Lucia Vieux Fort National Stadium, Vieux Fort
2 March 1994 1994 Caribbean Cup qualification British Virgin Islands  0–5  Cayman Islands Cayman Islands Cayman Islands
26 March 1995 1995 Caribbean Cup qualification Montserrat  5–2  Anguilla Montserrat Sturge Park, Plymouth
2 April 1995 1995 Caribbean Cup qualification Anguilla  0–1  Montserrat Anguilla Webster Park, The Valley
3 April 1997 1997 Caribbean Cup qualification British Virgin Islands  4–1  Anguilla Dominica Dominica
10 May 1998 1998 Caribbean Cup qualification Cayman Islands  2–0  Bermuda Cayman Islands Cayman Islands
5 February 1999 1999 Caribbean Cup qualification British Virgin Islands  3–1  Montserrat British Virgin Islands Shirley Ground, Road Town
7 February 1999 1999 Caribbean Cup qualification British Virgin Islands  3–0  Montserrat British Virgin Islands Shirley Ground, Road Town
7 May 1999 1999 Caribbean Cup qualification Bermuda  4–1  Cayman Islands Bermuda Bermuda
5 March 2000 2002 FIFA World Cup qualification British Virgin Islands  1–5  Bermuda British Virgin Islands Shirley Ground, Road Town
19 March 2000 2002 FIFA World Cup qualification Bermuda  9–0  British Virgin Islands Bermuda Bermuda National Stadium, Hamilton
8 February 2001 2001 Caribbean Cup qualification Montserrat  1–4  Anguilla Collectivity of Saint Martin Stade Alberic Richards, Marigot
4 April 2001 2001 Caribbean Cup qualification British Virgin Islands  2–2  Cayman Islands Martinique Stade Dillon, Fort-de-France
29 February 2004 2006 FIFA World Cup qualification Bermuda  13–0  Montserrat Bermuda Bermuda National Stadium, Hamilton
21 March 2004 2006 FIFA World Cup qualification Montserrat  0–7  Bermuda Montserrat Blakes Estate Stadium, Plymouth
24 November 2004 2005 Caribbean Cup qualification Bermuda  2–1  Cayman Islands Saint Vincent and the Grenadines St. Vincent and the Grenadines
26 November 2004 2005 Caribbean Cup qualification British Virgin Islands  0–1  Cayman Islands Saint Vincent and the Grenadines St. Vincent and the Grenadines
28 November 2004 2005 Caribbean Cup qualification British Virgin Islands  2–0  Bermuda Saint Vincent and the Grenadines St. Vincent and the Grenadines
4 September 2006 2007 Caribbean Cup qualification Cayman Islands  0–2  Turks and Caicos Islands Cuba Estadio Pedro Marrero, Havana
3 February 2008 2010 FIFA World Cup qualification Bermuda  1–1  Cayman Islands Bermuda Bermuda National Stadium, Hamilton
30 March 2008 2010 FIFA World Cup qualification Cayman Islands  1–3  Bermuda Cayman Islands Truman Bodden Stadium, George Town
31 August 2008 2008 Caribbean Cup qualification Cayman Islands  0–0  Bermuda Cayman Islands Truman Bodden Stadium, George Town
4 October 2010 2010 Caribbean Cup qualification Cayman Islands  4–1  Anguilla Puerto Rico Estadio Juan Ramón Loubriel, Bayamón
9 September 2012 2012 Caribbean Cup qualification British Virgin Islands  7–0  Montserrat Martinique Stade Pierre-Aliker, Fort-de-France
3 June 2014 2014 Caribbean Cup qualification British Virgin Islands  0–2  Turks and Caicos Islands Aruba Trinidad Stadium, Oranjestad
21 March 2019 2019–20 CONCACAF Nations League qualifying British Virgin Islands  2–2  Turks and Caicos Islands Anguilla Raymond E. Guishard Technical Centre, The Valley
22 March 2019 2019–20 CONCACAF Nations League qualifying Cayman Islands  2–0  Montserrat Cayman Islands Ed Bush Stadium, West Bay
8 June 2021 2022 FIFA World Cup qualification Bermuda  1–1  Cayman Islands United States IMG Academy, Bradenton
3 June 2022 2022–23 CONCACAF Nations League British Virgin Islands  1–1  Cayman Islands British Virgin Islands A. O. Shirley Recreation Ground, Road Town
6 June 2022 2022–23 CONCACAF Nations League Cayman Islands  1–1  British Virgin Islands Cayman Islands Truman Bodden Sports Complex, George Town
11 June 2022 2022–23 CONCACAF Nations League Montserrat  3–2  Bermuda Dominican Republic Estadio Olímpico Félix Sánchez, Santo Domingo
14 June 2022 2022–23 CONCACAF Nations League Bermuda  3–0A  Montserrat Bermuda Dame Flora Duffy National Sports Centre, Hamilton
9 September 2023 2023–24 CONCACAF Nations League British Virgin Islands  3–1  Turks and Caicos Islands British Virgin Islands A. O. Shirley Recreation Ground, Road Town
16 October 2023 2023–24 CONCACAF Nations League Turks and Caicos Islands  2–2  British Virgin Islands Turks and Caicos Islands TCIFA National Academy, Providenciales
22 March 2024 2026 FIFA World Cup qualification Anguilla  v  Turks and Caicos Islands
26 March 2024 2026 FIFA World Cup qualification Turks and Caicos Islands  v  Anguilla
4 June 2025 2026 FIFA World Cup qualification Bermuda  v  Cayman Islands

Friendlies

Date Competition Score Venue Notes
9 September 1999 Friendly Bermuda  3–1  Cayman Islands Bermuda Bermuda National Stadium, Hamilton
11 September 1999 Friendly Bermuda  1–0  Cayman Islands Bermuda Bermuda National Stadium, Hamilton
25 February 2000 Friendly British Virgin Islands  3–4  Anguilla British Virgin Islands A. O. Shirley Recreation Ground, Road Town
27 February 2000 Friendly British Virgin Islands  4–0  Anguilla British Virgin Islands A. O. Shirley Recreation Ground, Road Town
6 July 2002 Friendly British Virgin Islands  2–1  Anguilla British Virgin Islands A. O. Shirley Recreation Ground, Road Town
18 September 2010 Friendly British Virgin Islands  2–1  Anguilla France Stade Thelbert Carti, Quartier-d'Orleans, Saint Martin
7 July 2012 Friendly British Virgin Islands  1–0  Anguilla British Virgin Islands A. O. Shirley Recreation Ground, Road Town

Non-FIFA matches

Date Competition Score Venue Notes
4 July 2007 2007 Island Games Gibraltar  2–0  Bermuda Greece Diagoras Stadium, Rhodes
15 July 2013 2013 Island Games Bermuda  8–0  Falkland Islands Bermuda Bermuda National Stadium, Hamilton
11 November 2018 Friendly Falkland Islands  1–3 FA England Representative Team Falkland Islands Stanley Stadium, Stanley [6]

See also

References

  1. ^ "Scotland – International Results". RSSSF. Retrieved 23 June 2016.
  2. ^ "England – International Results". RSSSF. Archived from the original on 26 April 2003. Retrieved 23 June 2016.
  3. ^ "(Northern) Ireland – International Results". RSSSF. Retrieved 23 June 2016.
  4. ^ "International matches of Wales". RSSSF. Retrieved 23 June 2016.
  5. ^ McNulty, Phil. "Wales 0-3 England-Rashford double sees England top group as Wales exit". www.bbc.co.uk. BBC Sport. Retrieved 29 November 2022.
  6. ^ "What Liam Ferdinand will be up to on the Falkland Islands". Football In Bracknell. Retrieved 8 November 2018.
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