The 1966 World Cup returned to European soil, and this edition became synonymous with an air of fortune — not only for the hosts, but also for the debutants.
It was the first World Cup staged in an English-speaking nation. The homeland of Queen Elizabeth was chosen as host at the FIFA Congress on 22 August 1960, defeating West Germany and Spain. Even before the tournament began, FIFA and the organising committee were thrown into turmoil by the disappearance of the Jules Rimet Trophy. To make matters worse, FIFA did not possess a replica, given the uniqueness of the original prize. Fortunately, the trophy was recovered just four months before kick-off — and remarkably, it was not found by the authorities, but by a dog named Pickles. In hindsight, it proved to be the first stroke of luck in a tournament filled with fortunate twists.
1966 World Cup Fun Facts
* African nations
boycotted the tournament in protest at the allocation of places, with only one
intercontinental playoff spot available and no automatic qualification berth.
* Portugal and
North Korea made their World Cup debuts.
* The first-ever
World Cup mascot was introduced: Willie, a lion wearing a Union Jack shirt.
* It was the
first World Cup to be widely televised beyond Europe.
* The tournament
was held in July rather than the usual May or June, to avoid the clash with the
iconic annual tennis tournament, Wimbledon.
* It was the
final World Cup to be broadcast in black and white.
* National
anthems were sung only at the final.
Throughout the tournament, luck appeared to smile on both the hosts and the two debutants, Portugal and North Korea. Two traditional powerhouses — Brazil and Italy — who had often troubled the Three Lions in the past, were surprisingly eliminated in the group stage. Pelé suffered a serious injury after the opening match against Bulgaria, leaving Brazil powerless in their subsequent defeats to Hungary and Portugal. Both European sides advanced, with Portugal going on to finish third after defeating the Soviet Union, led by legendary goalkeeper Lev Yashin. North Korea, meanwhile, stunned Italy in the group stage, becoming the first team from outside Europe and the Americas to progress beyond the opening round.
England themselves marched confidently to the final, eliminating Argentina and debutants Portugal in the knockout rounds after navigating the group stage without conceding a goal. Bobby Charlton and company faced their sternest test in the final against a formidable West Germany side, who had crushed Uruguay 4–0 in the quarter-finals and beaten the Soviet Union 2–1 in the semi-finals.
The final proved
a dramatic contest. Germany struck first through Helmut Haller, only for Geoff
Hurst to equalise six minutes later. In the second half, Martin Peters put
England ahead, but Wolfgang Weber levelled the score moments before normal time
final whistle. It was in extra time that fortune truly sided with Alf Ramsey’s
men. Geoff Hurst’s controversial “ghost goal,” followed later by his fourth
strike, sealed England’s first — and to date only — World Cup triumph.
Top scorer: Eusébio (Portugal) – 9 goals
Best player: Bobby Charlton (England)
Best young
player: Franz Beckenbauer (West Germany)
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