England 1966: How the Home of Football Won the World Cup
A stolen trophy, a heroic dog, the most controversial goal in final history, and a hat-trick for the ages — the 1966 World Cup in England had everything, and ended with Bobby Moore lifting the Jules Rimet Trophy at Wembley.
The 1966 FIFA World Cup was held in England from 11 July to 30 July, and before a ball had even been kicked, the tournament had already produced one of its most extraordinary stories. Several months before the opening match, the Jules Rimet Trophy was stolen — and while Scotland Yard's finest scrambled to track it down, it was a dog named Pickles who saved the day, sniffing out the priceless trophy hidden under a hedge. How it got there was never fully explained, but the crisis was averted and the tournament could begin.
On the pitch, the group stage delivered its own sensation. North Korea — given little chance by anyone — defeated a fancied Italy side to send the Azzurri home in disgrace and announce themselves as one of the tournament's great surprise packages. Brazil, the reigning world champions, also fell at the group stage despite having Pelé and Garrincha in their ranks. Portugal, inspired by the brilliant Eusébio, emerged as one of the dominant forces of the tournament, the striker ultimately finishing as top scorer with nine goals.
The final at Wembley pitted hosts England — led by Bobby Charlton and captain Bobby Moore — against West Germany, with Seeler, Haller and Overath pulling the strings. What followed was the most controversial final in the history of the competition. Locked at 2-2, the match went to extra time, where the debate that still rages today was born. In the 101st minute, Geoff Hurst — who would finish the final with a hat-trick — struck a shot that cannoned off the underside of the crossbar and down towards the goal line. Referee Gottfried Dienst consulted his linesman, Tofiq Bahramov, and pointed to the centre circle: 3-2 to England. Whether the ball had fully crossed the line has been argued about ever since.
In the dying seconds, with supporters already spilling onto the pitch, Hurst raced clear to make it 4-2 — and the final whistle confirmed England as world champions for the first and, to this day, only time. The trophy was presented to Bobby Moore by Queen Elizabeth II herself. West Germany left Wembley defeated — but their greatest years were still ahead of them.
Top scorer: Eusébio (Portugal) — 9 goals
Champions squad: Banks, Cohen, Wilson, Stiles, J. Charlton, Moore, Ball, B. Charlton, Hurst, Peters, Hunt, Springett, Bonetti, Greaves, Connelly, Armfield, Byrne, Flowers, Hunter, Paine, Callaghan, Eastham
Coach: Alf Ramsey
Highest-scoring match: Portugal v North Korea 5-3
Total goals scored: 89 | Average per match: 2.78
Best-attended match: 98,000 — England v France | Average attendance: 51,216