Home > Football World Cup 1966

1966 was the year that the Football World Cup went back to the country that first conceived football: England. And it was England who won the tournament in a controversial final over West Germany, 4-2. Eusebio of Portugal lead the tournament in scoring with nine goals.

The format of the competition stayed the same as 1962: 16 teams qualified, divided into four groups of four. Top two teams in each group would advance to the quarterfinals.

It was a World Cup that had a rather unusual hero off the field, a dog called Pickles. In the build up to the tournament the Jules Rimet trophy had been stolen from an exhibition display. A nation wide hunt for the icon ensued. It was later discovered in some newspaper as the dog sniffed at some bushes in London.

Despite achieving record attendances at the time, it was a World Cup with few goals as the teams began to play much more tactically and defensively. This was exemplified by Alf Ramsey's England as they finished top of Group A with only four goals to their credit, but having none scored against them. Uruguay were the other team to qualify from that group at the expense of both Mexico and France.

In Group B, West Germany and ArgentinaThe Argentina national football team is one of the most successful national football teams, having won two World Cups and one Olympic Title. Argentina and Uruguay hold the record for the most international matches played against two countries, there have qualified with ease as they both finished the group with 5 points, SpainThe Spain national football team is controlled by the Royal Spanish Football Federation (Real Federacion Espanola de Futbol). They won the second European Championship ever held in 1964. Spain has greatly underachived in the World Cup, never advancing bey managed 2, while SwitzerlandThe Switzerland national football team is the national team of Switzerland and is controlled by the Swiss Football Association. Its best performances in the World Cup have been reaching the quarterfinals, in 1934, 1938 and 1954 (when they hosted the tourn left the competition after losing all three group matches.

In the northwest of England, the Old TraffordOld Trafford football stadium (given the nickname The Theatre Of Dreams by Bobby Charlton) is the home of Manchester United F. one of the most famous football clubs in the world. in the borough of Trafford in Greater Manchester. It has been their home sin and Goodison ParkGoodison Park is the home ground of Everton F. in Liverpool. It has a total capacity of 40,103 all-seated. Built in 1892, it is one of the oldest football grounds in the world and was the first major football stadium in England and is nicknamed the Grand stadiaAthens Olympic Stadium terraces, such as shown here at Sarajevo's Stadium Kosevo. A modern stadium (plural stadiums or stadia is a place, or venue, for outdoor sports, concerts or other events, consisting of a field or stage partly or completely surrounde played host to Group C which saw the World Cup holders, Brazil, finish in third place behind Portugal and Hungary and so be eliminated along with Bulgaria.

Group D, however, provided the biggest upset when North Korea beat Italy 1-0, and finished above them, earning themselves qualification along with the USSR. Chile finished bottom of the group.

The quarterfinals provided an easy victory for West Germany as they cruised past Uruguay 4-0. It appeared as though the surprise package North Korea might do the same to Portugal when after 22 minutes they were in the lead 3-0. It fell to one of the greatest stars of the tournament, Eusebio, to change that. He scored four goals in the game and with Augusto adding a fifth in the 78th minute, one of the most incredible comebacks was complete.

Captain Bobby Moore with Jules Rimet trophy

Meanwhile in the other two games, Bene's late goal for Hungary against the USSR, who was lead by Lev Yashin's stellar goalkeeping, proved little more than a consolation as they crashed out 2-1, and the only goal between Argentina and England came courtesy of England's Geoff Hurst.

Both semifinals finished 2-1: Franz Beckenbauer providing the winning goal for West Germany as they beat the USSR, while Bobby Charlton scored both goals in England's triumph against Portugal. Portugal went on to beat the USSR 2-1 to take third place.