Owen makes England believe, 2005

Played in Geneva, Switzerland, this meeting between two international rivals was anything but neutral.

The match was played with tempo and purpose – a pleasant surprise, given that England’s manager at the time, Sven-Goran Eriksson, remains as culpable as anyone for making international friendlies the farces they so often are.

Rather than kill the contest with countless subs, Eriksson made only minor tweaks as a spirited England side – including David Beckham, Rio Ferdinand, Steven Gerrard, Wayne Rooney and Michael Owen – stole a 3-2 win, thanks to two Owen headers in the last four minutes.

Universal optimism greeted the comeback, and there was a genuine sense that Eriksson’s side could win the 2006 World Cup.

Sadly, that buoyancy was misplaced, with the Three Lions bombing out in the quarter-finals on penalties.

Vardy and Dier make England believe… again, 2016

Having navigated England’s first ever perfect qualifying campaign, Roy Hodgson took his boys to Germany for a Euro 2016 tune-up.

His inexperienced starting XI – Gary Cahill was the only player older than 30, while captain Wayne Rooney was out injured – found themselves 2-0 down, but a swift reply from Harry Kane kept the game alive.

Hodgson then introduced Jamie Vardy, who within three minutes scored his first ever international goal with an audacious back-heeled volley.

Eric Dier then went one better in injury-time, heading home to win the game.

Universal optimism greeted the comeback, and there was a genuine sense that Hodgson’s side could win Euro 2016.

Sound familiar?

That buoyancy was also misplaced, with the Three Lions producing probably their worst performance in history when losing 2-1 to Iceland.

Roberto Carlos scores the greatest free-kick ever, 1997

Twenty minutes into the opening game of Le Tournoi, a friendly international tournament that prefaced France hosting the 1998 World Cup, Brazil won a free-kick 38 yards from goal.

Goalkeeper Fabian Barthez lined up a four-man wall, but he needn’t have bothered. Roberto Carlos was too far out to trouble him.

Or was he?

Taking a 15-yard run up, Carlos used the outside of his left boot to honk the ball towards the corner flag, only for the spin to yank it back towards goal and into the back of the net, via the motionless Barthez’s left-hand post.

The Brazilian left-back became instantly famous, while the strike itself – which was the subject of a study published in the New Journal of Physics in 2010 – remains the most remarkable free-kick ever scored.

Ibrahimovic silences his English detractors, 2012

When Zlatan Ibrahimovic moved to Manchester United aged 35, it wasn’t outrageous to question his suitability to the Premier League.

Five years ago, however, when Ibrahimovic had won nine league titles with five different clubs, the widespread suspicion towards him from these shores was strange.

It was typical of the striker, then, that he produced a virtuoso performance against England, who had journeyed to Stockholm to open Sweden’s new national stadium.

The hosts came from behind to win 4-2, with Ibrahimovic scoring the lot, including an extraordinary 25-yard overhead kick.

A perfect hybrid of athleticism, technique and vision, the strike is genuinely one of the greatest goals ever scored.

It was also the perfect way for Ibrahimovic to stick two fingers up at his English critics. Probably what spurred him on.

Nani hilariously thwarts Ronaldo, 2010

Receiving the ball in the inside-left channel, Cristiano Ronaldo accelerated past Gerard Pique and towards the penalty box.

A half-Cruyff turn embarrassed Pique further, and also gave Ronaldo the half-yard he needed to shoot.

But rather than unleash, Ronaldo rolled his studs over the ball before, in the same motion, brilliantly lifting it over Iker Casillas with the outside of his right boot.

It would have been another iconic CR7 moment had Nani not inexplicably nipped in to steal the goal for himself.

If that wasn’t enough, Nani was offside, meaning the strike was ruled out altogether.

How did the offended Ronaldo respond? By angrily stomping and throwing his captain’s armband on the ground, of course.

You can’t blame him.

The scorpion kick is born, 1995

Whether you believe Rene Higuita knew the referee had blown for offside prior to his scorpion kick – performed in a friendly between England and Colombia at Wembley – probably depends on your outlook on life.

Cynics will say he did, while optimists will want to believe he’s a maverick.

In truth, it doesn’t really matter.

Even before social media, football has always been defined by brilliant moments that capture people’s attention. Higuita’s audacious, nonchalant manoeuvre did exactly that.

For what it’s worth, it’s not inconceivable that the goalkeeper – who, as well as taking free-kicks, went to prison for serving as a go-between for Pablo Escobar and rival drug kingpin Carlos Molina and underwent several cosmetic procedures to his face - deemed the scorpion kick to be the reasonable thing to do at the time.

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