2006, WAGs and Wii: The year England last won a knockout match

Getty/AFP/Nintendo Paris Hilton, Cheryl Tweedy, Victoria Beckham, Peter Crouhc, Sven-Goran Eriksson and a Nintendo WiiGetty/AFP/Nintendo

From WAGs to Wiis, much has changed in the UK since 2006 - when England last won a World Cup knockout match.

Back then, England beat Ecuador 1-0, before losing to Portugal in the quarter-finals, predictably on penalties.

So, as the team prepares to face Colombia, Newsbeat looks back at what was going on 12 years ago.

And it wasn't just the action on the pitch that has changed.

Getty Images England lost to Portugal on penaltiesGetty Images
A fresh-faced England team at the 2006 World Cup in Germany

It was supposedly England's golden era but it wasn't just the players who were the stars.

In 2006, the media was almost as interested in the WAGs - the wives and girlfriends.

Tabloids followed the likes of Cheryl Tweedy (as she was then) and Victoria Beckham as they went shopping and partied at the World Cup.

Rio Ferdinand later described it as a circus.

"It was like a theatre unfolding and football became a secondary element. People were worrying more about what people were wearing than the games," he said.

Players' partners were then banned for much of the 2010 World Cup.

Getty Images Sven-Goran Eriksson applauds at the end of the World Cup 2006 quarter final football game England vs. PortugalGetty Images
England had a Swedish head coach at the time of the 2006 World Cup - Sven-Goran Eriksson

Back then, the England manager was a silver-haired Swede.

Sven-Goran Eriksson was the first foreign manager to take charge of the England team, spending five years at the helm.

Despite a good run with the side, Eriksson's private life was followed closely by the tabloids.

He was in a relationship with an Italian lawyer but it came out that he'd been having an affair with the television presenter Ulrika Jonsson.

Sven stepped down after the World Cup, saying there was too much circus around his private life.

But what about away from football?

Getty Images Steve Irwin holding a crocodileGetty Images
Steve Irwin was killed in 2006 after being struck in the chest by a stingray

2006 was also the year that the hugely popular Australian naturalist and television presenter Steve Irwin died.

He was killed by a stingray during a diving expedition off the Australian coast.

Getty Images The stars of High School MusicalGetty Images
2006 was also the year that Troy and Gabriella graced our screens with High School Musical

Disney's hit movie, High School Musical, launched Zac Efron's career, led to three sequels, number one albums and paved the way for TV musicals like Glee.

As well as singing along to Breaking Free, we were also dancing to Maneater by Nelly Furtado.

The song spent three weeks at number one.

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Other hits at the time included Hips Don't Lie by Shakira and I Wish I Was A Punk Rocker by Sandi Thom.

Keane and the Kooks were also top of the album chart.

The Nintendo Wii was released in November of 2006, giving the world the Nunchuck and warnings about injuries from over-enthusiastic playing.

At the time, its biggest competition was the Xbox 360 and the PlayStation 3.

As well as playing on the Wii, you were probably using your phone for calling and texting rather than watching the latest box set.

Justin Sullivan The Nintendo WiiJustin Sullivan
Nintendo brought out the Wii

Prime Minister Tony Blair announced he'd step down the following year.

He quit in 2007 after spending ten years in the job. This made him Labour's longest serving Prime Minister.

Getty Images Former Prime Minister Tony BlairGetty Images

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