The wink seen around the world. How England were dumped out of the World Cup twenty years ago today

July 1 isn't a particularly positive day in England's World Cup history. 

As the Three Lions get set to face DR Congo for a place in the last 16 at the 2026 tournament, it takes place on the anniversary of one of their most controversial exits.

Rewind twenty years to Gelsenkirchen and England's 'Golden Generation' taking on Portugal at the 2006 finals in Germany. 

This was Sven-Goran Eriksson's Three Lions. A squad boasting the talents of Beckham, Gerrard, Lampard, Owen and of course the prodigy that was Wayne Rooney. 

Much has been written and spoken about why that generation failed to win anything for their country, but they were hindered in this game by the antics of another young name destined to go on and become an all-time great in Cristiano Ronaldo. 

Rooney and Ronaldo were Manchester United teammates at the time, but it didn't stop the mother of all controversies that centred around the two talented youngsters. 

With the game locked at 0-0 and with only half an hour or so to play, Rooney contested the ball with Ricardo Carvalho and, during a tangle of legs, appeared to force his foot into the chest of the Portuguese defender. 

Cue Ronaldo, whose demonstrations over the foul caused a melee amongst the players and convinced referee Horacio Elizondo to show Rooney the red card. 

To rub salt in the wounds, Ronaldo was then caught on camera giving a sly wink to the Portugal bench in acknowledgement of the part he played in the incident. 

From then on, England's backs were against the wall, but they managed to force the game into a penalty shootout, where the inevitable happened. 

Frank Lampard, Steven Gerrard and Jamie Carragher all missed and it was down to Ronaldo to have the last laugh, and he dispatched the winning spot-kick and sent the Three Lions crashing out.