When Ian Broudie released the 1996 England soccer anthem, “Three Lions,” with the help of comedians David Baddiel and Frank Skinner, they probably didn’t expect the “Years of Hurt” to stretch on for three more decades. Yet here we are, with England still searching for a major title since the 1966 FIFA World Cup.

And when you compare that to the NFL, it’s hard not to think of the Dallas Cowboys. Just as England has spent six decades waiting to lift another trophy, the Cowboys have gone three decades without tasting Super Bowl glory. That similarity led former New England Patriots tight end Rob Gronkowski to draw a comparison between the Cowboys and England amid the FIFA World Cup.

“The Dallas Cowboys is America’s team. Just like England, everyone knows who England is in the soccer world, and everyone knows who the Dallas Cowboys are in the NFL world. But both of those teams just can’t get over that hump, even though they got superstars all over the place,” Gronkowski said.

“And they always have passion for years. They always have enthusiasm that they’re going to get over that hump and that next year or the next World Cup, they’re going to be the ones to win it all. And then they always come up short. I’m going to go with the Dallas Cowboys with this one, as for the comparison to England.

Gronkowski’s comparison of England and the Cowboys carries weight, especially if we look at the last decade. England’s only major title remains the 1966 World Cup. They’ve gone nearly six decades without winning either the World Cup or European Championship. But in the past few years, England has gone so close to winning a championship, but still came away without a trophy.

Under Gareth Southgate, England enjoyed arguably their most successful era since 1996. In the 2018 World Cup, they reached the semifinals for the first time in decades. England beat Colombia in the Round of 16, then Sweden in the quarterfinals, but lost 2-1 to Croatia in extra time in the semifinals.

Then, in Euro 2020, the tournament produced England’s first major final since 1966. The squad featured Harry Kane, Raheem Sterling, Bukayo Saka, Phil Foden, Declan Rice, Jude Bellingham, you name it. The team defeated Germany, Ukraine, and Denmark before reaching the final at Wembley Stadium. They led Italy early but eventually lost on penalties after a 1-1 draw.

The 2022 World Cup also featured a strong lineup, including Kane, Bellingham, Saka, Foden, and Rice. They scored nine goals in the group stage and defeated Senegal 3-0 in the Round of 16 before facing defending champions France. However, England lost 2-1 in the quarterfinals with Kane missing a late penalty that would have tied the game.

By 2024, expectations had never been higher in Euro 2024. The roster again included big-time stars, and England entered the tournament among the favorites. Despite struggling throughout the competition, they somehow kept advancing. Jude Bellingham’s stoppage-time bicycle kick saved them against Slovakia. They beat Switzerland on penalties. Ollie Watkins’ late goal defeated the Netherlands.

While they reach their second straight European Championship final, they also became the first nation to lose consecutive European Championship finals after losing 2-1 to Spain. That said, England always entered the tournaments with massive expectations because their squad was filled with stars from top clubs. But ultimately, despite possessing one of the deepest talent pools in soccer world, England still failed to lift the trophy.

In 2026, they’ve reached the USA soil under the leadership of Thomas Tuchel to give another push for returning to glory for the first time since 1996. And that’s what made Rob Gronkowski compare the England soccer team to the Cowboys.

The Cowboys have a familiar arc like England’s soccer team

The Cowboys have plenty of records to their name, but they also own one of the most unwanted marks in NFL history: the longest NFC Championship Game drought. Since their 1995 season Super Bowl glory, the Cowboys have failed to win the George Halas Trophy, let alone hoisting the Lombardi. To put that into perspective, the Cowboys reached the conference championship game 16 times in the first 30 Super Bowls.

But they failed to reach the NFC title game in the next three decades. On top of that, since their last conference championship appearance, the Cowboys have qualified for the postseason 13 times. Still, every run ended before reaching the NFC title game. And just as England enjoyed success without a trophy under Gareth Southgate, the Cowboys have enjoyed success in the Dak Prescott era, without winning the Super Bowl.

In 2016, Prescott and Ezekiel Elliott burst onto the scene, as Dallas finished 13-3, earning the No. 1 seed in the NFC. Most believed they had found the next dynasty, but instead, Dallas lost in the Divisional Round to Aaron Rodgers and the Green Bay Packers.

Then in 2021, the Cowboys fielded one of the league’s best offenses. They scored 530 points, the most in the NFL, and finished 12-5, with Micah Parsons winning the Defensive Rookie of the Year. Yet Dallas lost to San Francisco in the Wild Card round. A year later, Dallas finished with another 12-win season and defeated the Tampa Bay Buccaneers for their first road playoff win in 30 years. But they lost again to the 49ers in the Divisional Round.

They probably had the best chance in 2023 after finishing 12-5 once again. Prescott finished runner-up in the MVP voting. CeeDee Lamb established franchise receiving records. Parsons remained one of football’s most dominant defenders. And Dallas entered the playoffs as heavy favorites at home. Instead, they suffered a shocking 48-32 Wild Card loss to Green Bay.

Fast forward to now, and they’re heading into the 2026 season after a massive overhaul following a disappointing 2025 campaign, especially the defense. Whether England and the Cowboys could make a change this year to rewrite history remains to be seen.