Broadcast on BBC One, the match averaged an 16.3m audience and attracted a 79% share over the two hours from 4pm.
Viewers peaked at 18.2m towards the end of the game, in the 15 minutes from 5.30pm, according to unofficial overnight figures.
England's victory came at 60 minutes from a free kick by England captain David Beckham. England striker Wayne Rooney also played for the full 93 minutes, the first time he has played an entire match during the tournament in Germany.
The knockout match, which took England into the quarter-finals of the tournament, did not live up to Thursday evening's England versus Sweden game, which recorded a peak audience of 20.9m viewers and an average of 18.8m, and was broadcast on ITV1 at 8pm.
However, England's quarter-final match next Saturday at 4pm against Portugal is expected to score highly.
Yesterday's other World Cup game, the extraordinary battle at Nuremberg featuring Portugal v Holland, brought ITV1 the second-best ratings of the tournament so far for a non-England match, as four players were sent off.
The match, which put Portugal through with a 1-0 scoreline, recorded an average of 9.3m viewers and a 39% share on ITV1 between 8pm and 10pm.
The audience for the Portugal match peaked at 10.4m viewers in the closing minutes at around 9.45pm.
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