Hosts: England
Winners: England
Competing teams: 16
Where were England: Looking down on the rest of the world
English football’s finest moment, but also a millstone around the neck of future generations who have been continually compared to Sir Alf Ramsey’s triumphant team.
England’s campaign began slowly with a goalless draw against Uruguay, before two straight 2-0 victories against Mexico and France sent them into the quarter-finals.
Reigning champions Brazil suffered a shock exit at the group stages after their star players, including Pele, came in for some rough treatment, while North Korea were the toast of the north-east after scoring a famous 1-0 win over Italy at Ayresome Park.
England’s quarter-final tie against Argentina is remembered as one of the ugliest in World Cup history with the South Americans employing all manner of dirty tricks in an effort to upset the hosts.
Eventually skipper Antonio Rattin was sent off, but he refused to leave the pitch causing FIFA to threaten the Argentines with immediate expulsion if he did not comply.
Geoff Hurst’s goal 12 minutes from time settled the tie, however there was more drama at the end of the game when Ramsey refused to allow his players to swap shirts with a team he later described as “animals”.
The semi-finals were an all European affair after Portugal ended North Korea’s dream run by coming from behind to win 5-3 at Goodison Park, West Germany hammering Uruguay 4-0 and the USSR beating Hungary.
Bobby Charlton was England’s hero in the semi-final after his two goals were enough to see off Portugal, while West Germany made their second final after beating the Soviet Union.
The final is the stuff of legend and hardly needs retelling. But as we’re here, we may as well.
England fell behind early on but goals from West Ham duo Hurst and Martin Peters put them on the brink of World Cup glory, only for Wolfgang Weber to equalise in the final moments of the game.
Of course Weber’s strike only put off the inevitable as two goals from Hurst, one a slightly controversial effort, meant skipper Bobby Moore was able to lift the Jules Rimet Trophy.
Did you know? The qualifying tournament was boycotted by 17 African nations angered at the fact that FIFA did not reserve a place at the finals for them. Any African champions would have been forced into a play-off, before making the finals.
