[1] England and Scotland separately played internationals against various European teams, but the Home Nations withdrew from FIFA in 1928, in a dispute over amateurism, and did not rejoin until 1946, missing the first three World Cups.

In June 2006, it was estimated that a United Kingdom national team would have had a one-third greater chance of winning the 2006 World Cup, than England did at the tournament's outset.

[2] Opponents of the plan argue that the existing footballing identities of the fans of the Home Nations should not be sacrificed simply to stand a better chance of success.

Although often hypothetical in nature, such a proposal has been put forward by prominent government ministers, including Jack Straw[3] and Tony Banks.

[4] In July 2014, after England performed poorly in the 2014 World Cup, Conservative MP Laurence Robertson submitted an early day motion, calling for a United Kingdom Football Team.

[7] For the match, played at Scotland's Hampden Park in front of 135,000 spectators, the Great Britain side wore a navy blue strip in honour of the host association.

The gate receipts, totalling £35,000, helped boost the finances of FIFA, which had been damaged by the lack of competition during World War II.

[7] On that occasion, the Great Britain team consisted of: The 1955 game was played to celebrate the Irish Football Association's seventy-fifth anniversary.

For this reason, the match was held at Belfast's Windsor Park, and the British team took to the field wearing Northern Ireland's green strip.

The Great Britain team fielded comprised: An All British XI played the Football League at Goodison Park, Liverpool on 4 November 1939.

[12][13] Two other games were played between Wales and a team representing the rest of the United Kingdom, with players from England, Scotland, and Northern Ireland.

After much discussion between the Home Nations and opposition from the Northern Irish, Scottish and Welsh associations, men's and women's teams organised by the English FA were entered to the 2012 Olympics.