The 1966 FIFA World Cup was the eighth edition of the tournament, serving as the world championship for men’s national football teams. The 1966 World Cup, which took place in England from July 11 to July 30, 1966. This World Cup marked England’s first victory in the tournament’s history and was notable for being widely watched on television.
England is a country in Europe and part of the United Kingdom. Its capital, London, is a vibrant and multicultural city, known as a modern hub for arts and business.
In this World Cup, England beat West Germany 4–2 in the final. The country was selected to host the hosting in 1966 World Cup in Rome.
That was the first time that 70 teams the qualifying tournament and set a new record number of entries.
1966 World Cup England Team Quick Facts and Members
The 1966 FIFA World Cup Final — held on 30 July 1966 at Wembley Stadium, London — is considered one of the most controversial matches in football history primarily because of Geoff Hurst’s disputed goal that gave England a 3–2 lead over West Germany in extra time.
Qualification Team for the FIFA World Cup 1966
- Asia- 1 Teams
- Europe- 10 Teams
- North America, Central America, and the Caribbean- 1 Teams
- South America- 4 Team
1966 FIFA World Cup Quick Facts
- 1966 was the first modern World Cup; all of the games were on television.
- The 1966 World Cup was boycotted by African teams.
For the host selection, during FIFA’s vote in Rome, England defeated West Germany by 34 votes to 27, securing the right to host the tournament.
Since 1966 and ‘World Cup Willie’ the lion, each FIFA World Cup has had a mascot.
The 1966 World Cup final is considered one of the most controversial matches in football history.
1966 World Cup England Team Members
| Position | Players |
|---|---|
| GK | Gordon Banks |
| DF | George Cohen |
| DF | Ray Wilson |
| MF | Nobby Stiles |
| DF | Jack Charlton |
| DF | Bobby Moore(captain) |
| MF | Alan Ball |
| FW | Jimmy Greaves |
| MF | Bobby Charlton |
| FW | Geoff Hurst |
| FW | John Connelly |
| GK | Ron Springett |
| GK | Peter Bonetti |
| DF | Jimmy Armfield |
| DF | Gerry Byrne |
| MF | Martin Peters |
| DF | Ron Flowers |
| DF | Norman Hunter |
| FW | Terry Paine |
| MF | Ian Callaghan |
| FW | Roger Hunt |
| MF | George Eastham |
Why was the 1966 World Cup final the most controversial match in football history?
In the 101st minute of extra time, Geoff Hurst’s shot hit the underside of the crossbar, bounced down near (or possibly on) the goal line, and was cleared away by a German defender.
- Linesman Tofiq Bahramov (from the Soviet Union, specifically the Azerbaijan SSR) signalled that the ball had crossed the line, awarding England a goal.
- Replays and studies later have never conclusively proved whether the whole ball crossed the line — some angles suggest it didn’t fully cross, while others remain inconclusive due to the technological limitations of the 1960s.
This goal gave England a 3–2 lead, completely changing the momentum of the match. Hurst later scored again in the final minute, completing a hat-trick and sealing a 4–2 win.
