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1966 FIFA WORLD CUP
  THEFIFAWORLDCUPS    
     
1966 WORLD CUP - ENGLAND  
  1966 WORLD CUP ENGLAND  
                                           
   
                   
                 
                                   
                                   
                                   
                                   
                     
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  1966 WORLD CUP  
   
The 1966 FIFA World Cup, the eighth staging of the World Cup, took place in England from 11 July to 30 July 1966. Sixteen teams from four confederations participated in the final tournament: 10 from Europe (UEFA), 4 from South America (CONMEBOL), 1 from North America, Central America and Caribbean (CONCACAF), and 1 from Asia (AFC). Two teams made their first World Cup presentation: Portugal and North Korea.

This World Cup was much more interesting than the previous World Cup. There were also many controversies that will be discussed later. The tournament also set up a record for the largest average attendance in the history of the World Cup. This record was only surpassed 28 years later by the 1994 World Cup held in United States. One of the best matches of the tournament was played between North Korea and Portugal. North Koreans was leading the match by an astonishing 3-0 with only 25 minutes gone, but the Portuguese  produced a stunning fightback to lead Portugal to a 5-3 victory and win one of  the most exciting game in World Cups history. The great Eusebio scored a poker in that match.

The 1966 World Cup was won by the English team that defeated West Germany 4-2 in a controversial final, to achieve their first World Cup title. England became the third host team to win the title after Uruguay in 1930 and Italy in 1934.

 
     
 
 
 
The full England 1966 World Cup squad
Wembley
 
     
   
Quick facts  
   
  Teams
  16
Slazenger 25 Challenge
  When
  11 to 30 July 1966
  
  Matches
  32
  Venues
  8
  Attendance
  1,601,153 (average 50,036)
  Goals Scored
  89 (2.78 per match)
 
   
ENGLAND 4-2 WEST GERMANY
  Champion
 Golden shoe
1
9
  Runner-up
2
6
  Third place
3
4
  Fourth Place
  Soviet Union
4
     
4
 Best young player
4
 
   
     
  The world in 1966  
   
The Feminine Mystique of Betty Friedan launches the reawakening of the Women's Movement in the United States (1963).
The first album of The Beatles is released (1963).
Kenya and Zanzibar gains their independence (1963).
Pope John XXIII dies and is succeeded by Cardinal Montini, who becomes Paul VI (1963).
Martin Luther King delivers I have a dream speech at the Lincoln Memorial, Washington D.C (1963).
President Kennedy is killed by the sniper Lee Harvey Oswald in Dallas, Texas (1963).
Lyndon Johnson becomes President of United States (1963).
Nelson Mandela is sentenced to life imprisonment and incarcerated at Robben Island Prison, off Cape Town (1964).
Martin Luther King is awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in Oslo, Norway (1964).
   
 

The Beatles' first album: Please please me

Sir Winston Churchill (1874-1965)
The Rolling Stones' first album: Around and around
   
The President of Bolivia Víctor Paz Estenssoro is overthrown by a military rebellion (1964).
Malawi, Malta, and Zambia –formerly known as Rhodesia- gain their independence (1964).
The Rolling Stone release their first album in the United Kingdom (1964).
Barbra Streisand, Bob Dylan, Elvis Presley, Stevie Wonder, and The Beatles release new albums (1964).
Cassius Clay – Mohammad Ali- is crowned heavyweight champion of the world after beating Sonny Liston (1964).
Innsbruck, Austria, holds the IX Winter Olympic Games (1964).
Tokyo, Japan, holds the 1964 Summer Olympic Games (1964).
Spain, who beat the defending champion Soviet Union 2–1 in Madrid, wins the 1964 UEFA European Nations Cup (1964).
Malcolm X, the black-nationalist leader and human-right activist, is assassinated in New York City (1965).
   
 
Martin Luther King(1929-1968)
Indira Gandhi (1917-1984)
Mao Zedong (1893-1976)
   
Sir Winston Churchill dies (1965).
The Mont Blanc Tunnel in the Alps is inaugurated   (1965).
Gambia and the Maldives become independent (1965).
The Indo-Pakistani War begins (1965).
Mao Zedong, the chairman of the Communist Party of China, launches the Cultural Revolution (1966).
The Indo-Pakistani War ends (1966).
Indira Gandhi is elected prime Minister of India (1966).
Barbados, Botswana and Lesotho gain their independence (1966).
The President of Argentina Arturo Illia is overthrown by a military rebellion (1966).
 
     
   
  Antecedents  
   

England was chosen to host the 1966 FIFA World Cup at the FIFA Congress in Rome, Italy, on 22 August 1960. There were three bids to host the 1966 FIFA World Cup: England, West Germany and Spain. Spain withdrew from the bidding before to voting leaving two remaining bids. In one round of voting, England with 34 votes defeated West Germany with 27 votes for the hosting position.

The Jules Rimet trophy caused a lot of drama when it was stolen from a public stamp exhibition at Westminster Central Hall just three month before kick-off in the tournament. The trophy was found seven days later wrapped in newspaper in South London, by Pickles, a black and white mongrel dog, while taking a walk with his owner.

 
   
      
Qualification  
   
  Participating countries:
72
  Withdrew:
19
  Qualified automatically:
2
  Teams that played at least one qualifying match:
51
  Matches:
127
  Total goals:
393 (3.09 per match)
 
     
 

A total of 74 teams signed up to participate in the 1966 World Cup qualification rounds setting a new record number of entries for the qualifying tournament.  England, as the hosts, and Brazil, as the defending champions, qualified automatically, leaving 14 spots open for competition.

The qualifying process continued to be very unclear and matter of disagreement for participants. Sixteen African nations boycotted the tournament because they did not accept the FIFA rule that required the three second-round winners from the African zone to enter a playoff round against the winners of the Asian zone in order to win a place at the finals. African nations believed that winning their zone should have been enough to go straight through to the finals.

On the other hand, two very important European teams, Yugoslavia and Czechoslovakia who were runners-up four years earlier failed to qualify. The 14 available spots were distributed in continental zones as shown below:

Europe (UEFA): 10 spots. 34 teams (including Israel and Syria) competed for 9 direct places. England, as the hosts, qualified directly. Syria, Malta and Iceland withdrew.
South America (CONMEBOL): 4 spots. 9 teams competed for 3 direct places. Brazil, as defending champion, qualified automatically.
North America, Central America and Caribbean (CONCACAF): 1 place. 10 teams competed for only 1 place. Guatemala withdrew since the entry was not accepted by FIFA.
Asia (AFC) and AFRICA (CAF): 1 place. 19 teams (including Australia from Oceania) competed for 1 place. African teams withdrew (15). South Africa: banned.
 

A total of 51 teams played at least one qualifying match. A total of 127 qualifying matches were played, and 393 goals were scored (an average of 3.09 per match). The teams that qualified for the World Cup were:

 
Flag
Team
Final Appearance
Streak
Last Appearance
 Argentina
5
3
 Brazil
8
8
 Bulgaria
2
2
 Chile
4
2
 England
5
5
 France
6
1
 Hungary
6
4
 Italy
6
2
 Korea DPR
1
1
 Mexico
6
5
 Portugal
1
1
 Soviet Union
3
3
 Spain
4
2
 Switzerland
6
2
 Uruguay
5
2
 West Germany
6
4
 
External link:
RSSSF 1966 FIFA World Cup Qualification
 
     
      
  Format and seedings  
   

The format of the 1966 competition remained the same as 1962.  The sixteen teams were divided in four groups of four teams with the top two advancing to the quarter-finals.  Each group played a round-robin format. If the top two from each group were equal in points or the second and third teams were equals on points, then goal average would be used to separate any teams equal on points. In the knockout stage, if a match was tied after ninety minutes, then thirty minutes of extra time would be added. If the score was still tied after extra time, then lots would be drawn to determine the winner. This rule would apply to all parties in the knockout stage, except for the final match. The final would have been replayed if tied after extra time. In this World Cup ,replays or drawing of lots were not necessary. 

The teams were divided for purposes of the draw into four groups according to geographic basis. Each of the four groups would contain one team from South America (Brazil, Argentina, Chile, and Uruguay), one from Europe (England, Hungary, Soviet Union, and West Germany), one from Latin Europe (France, Portugal, Spain, and Italy), and one from rest of the World (Bulgaria, Korea DPR, Mexico, and Switzerland). England, West Germany, Brazil and Italy were the seeded teams.

 
     
   
  Squads  
   
For a complete list of all squads that appeared in the 1966 FIFA World Cup, please, visit: 1966 World Cup squads

 
     
   
  Venues  
   
Eight venues were chosen to host the tournament. The host cities for the 1966 FIFA World Cup were London, Manchester, Birmingham, Liverpool, Sheffield, Sunderland, and Middlesbrough.
 
 
Overall capacity: 98,600
Overall capacity: 76,567
Overall capacity: 58,000
Overall capacity: 52,000
Overall capacity: 50,151
Overall capacity: 42,730
Overall capacity: 40,310
Overall capacity: 40,000
 
   
   
   
   
   
 
 
  Match officials  
   
   
31 match officials from 24 countries and 4 confederation were the responsible for enforcing the laws of the game during the course of the 32 World Cup matches.
   
   
Pos
Flag
Cf
Match Official
R
AR
AP
 
32
64
5
21
1
  Pierre Schwinte
2
2
2
0 0
  Juan Garay Gardeazábal
2
2
3
0
1
  Gottfried Dienst
2
2
2
0
1
  Ken Dagnall
2
1
1
0 0
  Menachem Ashkenazi
2
1
1
0
1
  Concetto Lo Bello
2
1
1
1
2
  Rudolf Kreitlein
2
1
1
1
4
8
  Karol Galba 1
4
2
0 0
  Ali Kandil 1
4
1
0
1
  István Zsolt
1
3
3
0 0
  Arturo Yamasaki
1
3
2
0
1
  Joaquim Campos 1
3
2
0 0
  Tofiq Bahramov
1
3
1
0 0
  José María Codesal 1
3
2
0
2
  Dimitar Rumentchev
1
2
2
0 0
 
       
       
       
  TOURNAMENT SUMMARY  
   

The first round had some facts worth noting. The English hosts had no problems winning Group A ahead of Uruguay and progressed to the quarterfinal stage, while in Group B, West Germany and Argentina with five points each advanced to the quarter-finals. One of the most unpredictable results of the tournament occurred in Group C. Portugal and Hungary advanced to the knock-out stage while the pre-tournament favourite and defending champions Brazil had to go home very early. Brazil won the first game but lost the next two and that was enough to go home early in the tournament. This was undoubtedly one of the worst performance of Brazil in any World Cup. On the other hand, Pele and Garrincha became the first players to find the net in three successive FIFA World Cups, when scoring against Bulgaria in the opening match at Goodison Park. The superstar Pele was injured after being hacked mercilessly by the Bulgarians, and he missed the second game against Hungary. The sight of him stricken, covered in a blanket on the touchline, remains one of that enduring images of the World Cups. Pele was brought back for the last crucial match against Portugal, but he was brutally fouled again. From the start, every time Pele touched the ball, he was put down by a Portuguese. Pele escaped some fouls, but was violently fouled by João Morais and hat to be carried out of the field. It is worth remembering that substitutes were not allowed at that time. George McCabe, the English referee, failed to send Morais from the field after a double foul on Pelé. McCabe played no further part in the competition following this incident. This terrible mistake of the referee is remembered as one of 10 top World Cup refereeing errors. After this game Pele vowed he would not play again in the World Cup, a decision he would later change. Portugal, on the other hand, appeared in the finals for the first time. The amazing striker Eusébio from Portugal, a superstar in Benfica and the 1965 European footballer of the year, scored three goals in this stage, making him one of the tournament's top scorers. 

Another big upset occurred in group D. Soviet Union and the surprising Korea DPR topped this group and progressed to the quarter-finals at the expense of Chile and the two-time World Cup champions Italy. North Korea defeated Italy 1-0 at Ayresome Park in Middlesbrough and advanced to the next stage. Pak Doo Ik became the most famous player in the world when scored the goal against Italy. This was the first time that a nation from outside Europe or the Americas had progressed from the first stage of a World Cup.

 
   
 
 
Eusebio from Portugal in action against Hungary 
Quarter-final: Portugal vs North Korea
 

 

 

In the quarterfinals there were at least two games with great controversy and one with a surprising result. Germany defeated Uruguay 4-0, but The Uruguayans claimed that this occurred only after a clear penalty that the referee Jim Finney from England did not grant -a hand stop by Schnellinger on the goal line- when the game was 0-0 and besides sent off two Uruguayan players to claim. Argentina and England staged another very intense, passionate and controversial match. England beat Argentina 1-0 with a solo goal of Geoff Hurst almost at the end of the game. This game was called “the robbery of the century” in Argentina. The German referee Kreitlein sent off the Argentina captain Antonio Rattín for “violence of the tongue” in the first half, who refused to leave the field and eventually had to be escorted by several policemen. Kreitlein later argued that he had taken the decision, since he “didn’t like how he [Rattín] was looking at me.” After the game, England manager Alf Ramsey stopped his players swapping shirts with the Argentinians whom he described as animals. “We don't swap shirts with animals”, was Sir Alf Ramsey's contribution to British-Argentinian relationships. Meanwhile, in the other two games, the Soviets beat Hungary 2-1 and Portugal, in an extremely interesting game, advanced to semi-finals at the expense of North Korea. Despite going by an astonishing 3-0 up after 22 minutes, the Koreans were beaten 5-3 by Portugal and the unstoppable Eusébio, who scored a poker in just over half an hour. The Black Pearl as he was dubbed, using a combination of skill, power and speed, would be the golden shoe of the tournament. The Portuguese produced a stunning fightback to lead Portugal to a 5-3 victory and win one of the most exciting game in World Cups history. 

All semi-finalists were from Europe as occurred in 1934. England continued their winning streak towards the final as they beat Portugal 2-1 with Bobby Charlton scoring both goals, while West Germany, in the other semi-final, defeated Soviet Union 2-1. The third place match saw the victory of Portugal over Soviet Union 2-1. This was the best finish by a team making its World Cup debut since 1934.

The 1966 FIFA World Cup Final was contested at the legendary Wembley Stadium in London, in front of 98,000 delirious fans and millions more watching on television, for the host, England, with their stars Bobby Moore and Bobby Charlton, and West Germany, with the elegant style of Franz Beckenbauer. England, the country that invented football, beat West Germany 4-2 after extra-time in one of the most exciting and controversial of all World Cup Finals, winning for the first and, so far, only time the World Cup, and becoming the third host to win the tournament. Geoff Hurst became the hero of England after completing a hat-trick in the final, with two goals in extra time. Hurst remains the only man to have scored three goals in a World Cup final. On the other hand, the doubts on the legitimacy of Hurst's second goal remains to this day. TV replays failed to prove if the ball had crossed the line. A British record 32 million viewers watched on television the final, and another 30 million people were watching around the world, a television audience record.

 
   
 
Bobby Moore from England in action against Argentina
Pele with a rose at Brazil hotel during England 1966
 
   
     
First Round - Group 1
   
Pos
Flag
Team
Pld
W
D
L
GF
GA
GD
Pts
1
 England
3
2
1
0
4
0
4
5
2
 Uruguay
3
1
2
0
2
1
1
4
3
 Mexico
3
0
2
1
1
3
-2
2
4
 France
3
0
1
2
2
5
-3
1
 
  Report
Date: 11 July 1966
England
0-0
Uruguay
Stadium: Wembley    
Venue: London    
Attendance: 87,148    
Referee: Istvan Zsolt (Hungary)  
  Report
Date: 13 July 1966
France
1-1
Mexico
Stadium: Wembley E. Borja 48'
Venue: London    
Attendance: 69,237    
Referee: Menachem Ashkenazi (Israel)    
  Report
Date: 15 July 1966
Uruguay
2-1
France
Stadium: White City Stadium H. De Bourgoing 15' (pen.)
Venue: London  
Attendance: 45,662    
Referee: Karol Galba (Czechoslovakia)  
  Report
Date: 16 July 1966
England
2-0
Mexico
Stadium: Wembley  
Venue: London  
Attendance: 92,570    
Referee: Concetto Lo Bello (Italy)    
  Report
Date: 19 July 1966
Mexico
0-0
Uruguay
Stadium: Wembley    
Venue: London    
Attendance: 61,112    
Referee: Bertil Lööw (Sweden)  
  Report
Date: 20 July 1966
England
2-0
France
Stadium: Wembley
R. Hunt 38', 75'
 
Venue: London
 
Attendance: 98,270    
Referee: Arturo Yamasaki (Peru)  
     
 
First Round - Group 2
 
Pos
Flag
Team
Pld
W
D
L
GF
GA
GD
Pts
1
 West Germany
3
2
1
0
7
1
6
5
2
 Argentina
3
2
1
0
4
1
3
5
3
 Spain
3
1
0
2
4
5
-1
2
4
 Switzerland
3
0
0
3
1
9
-8
0
 
  Report
Date: 12 July 1966
West Germany
5-0
Switzerland
Stadium: Hillsborough  
Venue: Sheffield
H. Haller 20', 77' (pen.)
 
Attendance: 36,127  
Referee: Hugh Phillips (Scotland)    
  Report
Date: 13 July 1966
Argentina
2-1
Spain
Stadium: Villa Park
L. Artime 65', 79'
Pirri 71'
Venue: Birmingham    
Attendance: 42,738    
Referee: Dimiter Rumentchev (Bulgaria)  
  Report
Date: 15 July 1966
Spain
2-1
Switzerland
Stadium: Hillsborough R. Quentin 28'
Venue: Sheffield  
Attendance: 32,028    
Referee: Tofik Bakhramov (Soviet Union)  
  Report
Date: 16 July 1966
Argentina
0-0
West Germany
Stadium: Villa Park    
Venue: Birmingham    
Attendance: 46,587    
Referee: Konstantin Zečević (Yugoslavia)  
  Report
Date: 19 July 1966
Argentina
2-0
Switzerland
Stadium: Hillsborough  
Venue: Sheffield  
Attendance: 32,127    
Referee: Joaquim Campos (Portugal)    
  Report
Date: 20 July 1966
West Germany
2-1
Spain
Stadium: Villa Park J. Fusté 22'
Venue: Birmingham  
Attendance: 42,187    
Referee: Armando Marques (Brazil)    
     
     
First Round - Group 3
 
Pos
Flag
Team
Pld
W
D
L
GF
GA
GD
Pts
1
 Portugal
3
3
0
0
9
2
7
6
2
 Hungary
3
2
1
0
7
5
2
4
3
 Brazil
3
1
0
2
4
6
-2
2
4
 Bulgaria
3
0
0
3
1
8
-7
0
 
  Report
Date: 12 July 1966
Brazil
2-0
Bulgaria
Stadium: Goodison Park
Pelé 15'
 
Venue: Liverpool  
Attendance: 47,308    
Referee: Kurt Tschenscher (West Germany)  
  Report
Date: 13 July 1966
Portugal
3-1
Hungary
Stadium: Old Trafford F. Bene 60'
Venue: Manchester  
Attendance: 29,886    
Referee: Leo Callaghan (Wales)  
  Report
Date: 15 July 1966
Hungary
3-1
Brazil
Stadium: Goodison Park Tostão 14'
Venue: Liverpool  
Attendance: 51,387
K. Mészöly 73' (pen.)
 
Referee: Ken Dagnall (England)    
  Report
Date: 16 July 1966
Portugal
3-0
Bulgaria
Stadium: Old Trafford
I. Vutsov 17' (o.g.)
 
Venue: Manchester  
Attendance: 25,438  
Referee: José María Codesal (Uruguay)  
  Report
Date: 19 July 1966
Portugal
3-1
Brazil
Stadium: Goodison Park Rildo 73'
Venue: Liverpool
Eusébio 27', 85'
 
Attendance: 58,479    
Referee: George McCabe (England)    
  Report
Stadium: 20 July 1966
Hungary
3-1
Bulgaria
Venue: Old Trafford
I. Davidov 43' (o.g.)
G. Asparuhov 15'
Venue: Manchester  
Attendance: 24,129  
Referee: Roberto Goicoechea (Argentina)  
     
   
First Round - Group 4
 
Pos
Flag
Team
Pld
W
D
L
GF
GA
GD
Pts
1
 Soviet Union
3
3
0
0
6
1
5
6
2
 North Korea
3
1
1
1
2
4
-2
3
3
 Italy
3
1
0
2
2
2
0
2
4
 Chile
3
0
1
2
2
5
-3
1
 
 
  Report
Date: 12 July 1966
Soviet Union
3-0
North Korea
Stadium: Ayresome Park
E. Malofeyev 31', 88'
 
Venue: Middlesbrough  
Attendance: 23,006    
Referee: Juan Gardeazábal Garay (Spain)  
  Report
Date: 13 July 1966
Italy
2-0
Chile
Stadium: Roker Park  
Venue: Sunderland  
Attendance: 27,199    
Referee: Gottfried Dienst (Switzerland)  
  Report
Date: 15 July 1966
Chile
1-1
North Korea
Stadium: Ayresome Park
R. Marcos 26' (pen.)
Pak Seung-Zin 88'
Venue: Middlesbrough
 
Attendance: 13,792    
Referee: Ali Kandil (United Arab Republic)    
  Report  
Date: 16 July 1966
Soviet Union
1-0
Italy
Stadium: Roker Park  
Venue: Sunderland    
Attendance: 27,793    
Referee: Rudolf Kreitlein (West Germany)  
  Report
Date: 19 July 1966
North Korea
1-0
Italy
Stadium: Ayresome Park  
Venue: Middlesbrough    
Attendance: 17,829    
Referee: Pierre Schwinte (France)    
  Report
Date: 20 July 1966
Soviet Union
2-1
Chile
Stadium: Roker Park
V. Porkujan 28', 85'
R. Marcos 32'
Venue: Sunderland    
Attendance: 16,027    
Referee: John Adair (Northern Ireland)  
     
     
Quarter-finals
   
    Report  
Date: 23 July 1966
Portugal
5-3
North Korea
Stadium: Goodison Park
Eusébio 27', 43' (pen.), 56', 59' (pen.)
Pak Seung-Zin 1'
Venue: Liverpool Lee Dong-Woon 22'
Attendance: 40,248   Yang Seung-Kook 25'
Referee: Menachem Ashkenazi (Israel)    
  Report
Date: 23 July 1966
West Germany
4-0
Uruguay
Stadium: Hillsborough
H. Haller 11', 83'
 
Venue: Sheffield  
Attendance: 40,007  
Referee: Jim Finney (England)  
  Report
Date: 23 July 1966
Soviet Union
2-1
Hungary
Stadium: Roker Park F. Bene 57'
Venue: Sunderland  
Attendance: 26,844    
Referee: Juan Gardeazábal Garay (Spain)    
  Report
Date: 23 July 1966
England
1-0
Argentina
Stadium: Wembley  
Venue: London    
Attendance: 90,584    
Referee: Rudolf Kreitlein (West Germany)  
     
     
Semi-finals
   
  Report
Date: 25 July 1966
West Germany
2-1
Soviet Union
Stadium: Goodison Park V. Porkujan 88'
Venue: Liverpool  
Attendance: 38,273    
Referee: Concetto Lo Bello (Italy)    
  Report
Date: 26 July 1966
England
2-1
Portugal
Stadium: Wembley
B. Charlton 30', 80'
Eusébio 82' (pen.)
Venue: London    
Attendance: 94,493    
Referee: Pierre Schwinte (France)  
     
     
Third-place Match
   
  Report  
Date: 28 July 1966
Portugal
2-1
Soviet Union
Stadium: Wembley
Eusébio 12' (pen.)
E. Malofeyev 43'
Venue: London  
Attendance: 87,696    
Referee: Ken Dagnall (England)    
       
     
Final
   
  Report  
  a.e.t.
Date: 30 July 1966
England
4-2
West Germany
Stadium: Wembley
G. Hurst 18', 101', 120'
H. Haller 12'
Venue: London W. Weber 89'
Attendance: 96,924    
Referee: Gottfried Dienst (Switzerland)  
       
   
 
Bobby Moore kissing the Jules Rimet trophy after winning the World Cup
The English are world champions
 
 
 
 
 
 
   
   
Standings
     
     
 
Pos
Flag
Team
Pld
W
D
L
GF
GA
GD
Pts
Ap.
CS
1
 England
6
5
1
0
11
3
8
11
5
5
2
 West Germany
6
4
1
1
15
6
9
9
6
4
3
 Portugal
6
5
0
1
17
8
9
10
1
1
4
 Soviet Union
6
4
0
2
10
6
4
8
3
3
Eliminated in the quarter-finals
5
 Argentina
4
2
1
1
4
2
2
5
5
3
6
 Hungary
4
2
0
2
8
7
1
4
6
4
7
 Uruguay
4
1
2
1
2
5
-3
4
5
2
8
 Korea DPR
4
1
1
2
5
9
-4
3
1
1
Eliminated in the group stage
9
 Italy
3
1
0
2
2
2
0
2
6
2
10
 Spain
3
1
0
2
4
5
-1
2
4
2
11
 Brazil
3
1
0
2
4
6
-2
2
8
8
12
 Mexico
3
0
2
1
1
3
-2
2
6
5
13
 Chile
3
0
1
2
2
5
-3
1
4
2
14
 France
3
0
1
2
2
5
-3
1
6
1
15
 Bulgaria
3
0
0
3
1
8
-7
0
2
2
16
 Switzerland
3
0
0
3
1
9
-8
0
6
2
 
 
 
 
 
  STATISTICS
     
     
Top goalscorers
   
 

In total, 89 goals were scored by 47 players, with two of them credited as own goals.

   
 
Pos
Flag
Player
Goals
1
 Eusébio
9
2
 H. Haller
6
3
 G. Hurst
4
 F. Bene
4
 V. Porkujan
4
 F. Beckenbauer
4
7
 L. Artime
3
 B. Charlton
3
 R. Hunt
3
 José Augusto
3
 J. Torres
3
 E. Malofeyev
3
13
 R. Marcos
2
 K. Mészöly
2
 Pak Seung-Zin
2
 I. Chislenko
2
 U. Seeler
2
18
 E. Onega
1
 Pelé
1
 Tostão
1
 Garrincha
1
 Rildo
1
 G. Asparuhov
1
 M. Peters
1
Pos
Flag
Player
Goals
 
 H. De Bourgoing
1
 G. Hausser
1
 J. Farkas
1
 S. Mazzola
1
 P. Barison
1
 E. Borja
1
 Lee Dong-Woon
1
 Yang Seung-Kook
1
 Pak Doo-Ik
1
 A. Simões
1
 A. Banishevskiy
1
 Amancio
1
 J. Fusté
1
 M. Sanchís
1
 Pirri
1
 R. Quentin
1
 P. Rocha
1
 J. Cortés
1
 L. Emmerich
1
 S. Held
1
 W. Weber
1
 
 I. Davidov (Bul., o.g.)
1
 I. Vutsov (Bul., o.g.)
1
   
   
 
Portugal (Mozambique 1942-2014)
West Germany (1939-2012)
England (Born 1941)
   
   
        
Overall top goalscorers
   
   
Pos
Flag
Player
G
30
34
38
50
54
58
62
66
1
 Just Fontaine
13
13
2
 Sándor Kocsis
11
11
3
 Helmut Rahn
10
4
6
4
 Vavá
9
5
4
 Eusébio
9
9
6
 Guillermo Stábile
8
8
 Leônidas
8
1
7
 Ademir
8
8
 Pelé
8
6
1
1
 Oscar Míguez
8
5
3
 
   
   
   
   
   
   
     
Number of players who scored at least one goal till 1966
   
   
Pos
Team
Flag
Td
Tot
30
34
38
50
54
58
62
66
Ch
     
363
395
37
45
42
48
63
59
54
47
 
1
  Brazil
29
37
2
1
4
9
5
6
6
4
0
2
  West Germany
27
31
6
3
9
4
3
6
0
3
  Hungary
25
28
4
6
7
4
3
4
0
4
21
24
6
6
7
3
2
+1
5
  Italy
20
22
5
4
3
6
2
2
+1
  Yugoslavia
20
20
4
5
2
4
5
-1
7
  Sweden
17
18
3
5
5
5
0
8
16
16
7
2
3
2
2
+1
  Czechoslovakia
16
17
4
4
4
5
0
  England
16
18
2
5
3
4
4
+4
  France
16
19
3
2
3
3
6
2
+1
12
  Austria
14
14
6
6
2
-3
13
  Switzerland
13
15
3
3
3
3
2
1
0
14
  Spain
12
12
3
3
2
4
+3
  Chile
12
12
3
4
4
1
0
  Mexico
12
12
3
2
2
1
3
1
0
17
  Soviet Union
10
11
3
4
4
+2
18
9
9
4
1
4
-2
19
  Paraguay
8
8
1
2
5
-2
20
  Romania
6
7
3
1
3
0
21
  Belgium
5
5
1
1
3
0
  Colombia
5
5
5
0
  Portugal
5
5
5
  Turkey
5
5
5
0
25
  Korea DPR
4
4
4
  Scotland
4
4
4
-1
27
  Cuba
3
3
3
-2
  Wales
3
3
3
-2
29
  Netherlands
2
2
2
-2
  Northern Ireland
2
2
2
-2
  Poland
2
2
2
-2
32
  Bulgaria
1
2
1
1
-2
  Egypt
1
1
1
-2
  Norway
1
1
1
-2
  Peru
1
1
1
-2
 
 
 
 
 
   
   
   
Scoring frequency by team
   
Absolute frequency is a statistical term describing the number of times a particular piece of data, or value, appears during a trial or set of trials. Essentially, it is the number of times a particular thing happens. For example, in this World Cup one player from Portugal scored nine goals, two scored three goals, and two more players scored one goal. The sum of the absolute frequency represents the number of players that scored at least one goal (5 players in the case of Portugal: 1 + 2 + 2 = 5). The sum of the product between the number of times per value results in the number of goals for a team (14 goals in the case of Portugal: 1*9 + 2*3 + 2*1 = 17)
 
   
   
Pos
Flag
Team
NG
NP
9
6
4
3
2
1
 
89
47
1
1
4
6
5
30
1
  Portugal
17
5
1
2
2
2
  West Germany
15
6
1
1
1
3
3
  England
11
4
1
2
1
4
  Soviet Union
10
4
1
1
1
1
5
  Hungary
8
4
1
1
2
6
  Korea DPR
5
4
1
3
7
  Brazil
4
4
4
  Spain
4
4
4
  Argentina
4
2
1
1
10
  France
2
2
2
  Italy
2
2
2
  Uruguay
2
2
2
  Chile
2
1
1
14
  Bulgaria
1
1
1
  Mexico
1
1
1
  Switzerland
1
1
1
 
   
   
   
Scoring frequency by team till 1966
   
   
Pos
Flag
Team
NG
NP
NDP
13
11
9
8
7
6
5
4
3
2
1
Ch
 
756
395
363
1
1
1
2
1
6
8
30
41
77
227
1
  Brazil
84
37
29
 
1
1
1
1
3
4
8
18
0
2
  Hungary
70
28
25
1
 
2
5
2
5
13
0
  West Germany
70
31
27
 
3
5
2
5
16
+1
4
  Uruguay
52
24
21
 
2
2
4
6
10
0
5
  Italy
38
22
20
 
1
2
1
4
14
+1
  France
38
19
16
1
 
2
3
13
+1
  Sweden
38
18
17
 
2
5
4
7
0
8
  Yugoslavia
33
20
20
 
1
3
4
12
0
9
  Argentina
31
16
16
 
1
3
2
10
+1
10
  Czechoslovakia
30
17
16
 
1
1
1
4
10
-1
 
   
   
Interesting facts
   
 
Milestone goals. The goal number 700 in the World Cups history was scored by Seung-Zin Pak of North Korea in Middlesbrough on 15 July 1966. Pak scored the 1-1. North Korea tied with Chile 1-1.
Czechoslovakia, which had ended in the second place in the previous World Cup, could not qualify for the finals in England.
The World Cup had its first mascot, a lion named Willie.
This was the first time that doping controls were introduced.
FIFA banned the naturalisation of players.
The North Korea surprising team started winning the match against Portugal 3-0 in the quarter-final, but ended up losing 5-3 with a superb performance of Eusébio who scored four goals.
Portugal remains as the only team in the World Cups history that has come from three goals down to win.
This was the first time that a nation from outside Europe or the Americas (North Korea) had progressed from the first stage of a World Cup.
Pele and Garrincha became the first players to find the net in three successive FIFA World Cups.
Geoffrey Hurst became the first player in the World Cups history to have scored a hat-trick in a World Cup final.
Portugal had the best finish by a team making its World Cup debut since 1934.
Antonio Carbajal, Mexico's goalkeeper, has an impressive attendance record: 5 World Cup. His first appearance was in the 1950 World Cup held in Brazil.
Antonio Carbajal also holds the record for most thrashed goalkeeper in World Cup history. Carbajal received 25 goals in 11 games.
England became the third host to win the tournament.
Hat-trick: Hurst (England).
Poker: Eusébio (Portugal).
The youngest player was Tostão from Brazil: 19y (25 January 1947). The youngest goalkeeper was Lee Chang-Myung from Korea DPR: 19y (2 January 1947). The youngest scorer was Tostão from Brazil: 19y (25 January 1947). The youngest champion was Alan Ball from England: 21y (12 May 1945). The youngest captain was Gustavo Peña from Mexico: 23y (29 November 1942). The youngest finalist as well as medalist was Franz Beckenbauer from West Germany: 20y (11 September 1945). The youngest coach was Myung Rye-Hyun from Korea DPR: 40y (14 April 1926).
The oldest player was Djalma Santos from Brazil: 37y (27 February 1929). The oldest goalkeeper was Antonio Carbajal from Mexico: 37y (7 June 1929). The oldest scorer was Garrincha from Brazil: 32y (28 October 1933). The oldest champion as well as finalist was Ray Wilson from England: 31y (17 December 1934). The oldest medalist was José Pereira from Portugal: 34y (15 September 1931). The oldest captain was Lev Yashin from Soviet Union: 36y (22 October 1929). The oldest coach was Vicente Feola from Brazil: 56y (20 November 1909).
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
Clubs and players
   
The most important teams that contributed players to the national teams are shown in the table below.
   
   
 
   
   
        
Clubs and players up to 1966
   
   
Pos
Log
Flag
Cf
Team
NP
30
34
38
50
54
58
62
66
1
  Peñarol
42
5 1
9
9
7
11
2
  Nacional
38
9
1 5 8
9
6
3
  Botafogo
32
4
9
5 1 1 3 5 4
4
  Internazionale
30
4 5 5 6 1 2 7
5
  Ferencvárosi TC
28
6
8
1 3 4 6
  Juventus
28
10
2 4 5 1 2 4
7
  Universidad de Chile
26
3
9
14
8
  SK Rapid Wien
24
5 4
10
5
  MTK Budapest FC
24
3 7 6 3 4 1
  Red Star Belgrade
24
8
5 6 5
 
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
        
Leagues and players
   
 
The leagues that contributed players to the national teams are shown in the table below.
   
   
Pos
Flag
League
NP
1
  Italy
29
2
22
  Brazil
22
  Bulgaria
22
  Chile
22
  England 22
  Hungary 22
  Mexico
22
  Korea DPR
22
22
 
   
   
   
Leagues and players up to 1966
   
   
Pos
Flag
Team
NP
30
34
38
50
54
58
62
66
Ch
1
 Brazil
171
24
15 22 22 22 22 22 22 0
2
 England
149
22
29
55
21 22 0
3
 Italy
148
22 22 22 22
6
25
29
0
4
 France
132
19
23 25 22 21 2 20 0
5
 Hungary
131
22 21 22 22 22 22 0
6
 Mexico
127
17 22 22 22 22 22 0
7
 Switzerland
124
23 20
19
22
18
22 +1
8
 West Germany
115
22
13
22
18
21
19
+2
9
 Uruguay
111
22 2 22 22 21 22 +2
10
 Argentina
106
22
18
22 22 22 +2
 
   
   
   
   
   
 
   
H-index, i-10 index and ne
   
Pos
Flag
League
H-index
I-10 index
NT
Ch
1
 Brazil
8
6
20 0
2
 Mexico 7 5 21 0
 Switzerland 7 5 21 +2
4
 West Germany 7 1
42
+11
5
 Italy 6
6
20 -2
6
 France 6 4
32
-2
7
 Yugoslavia 6 4 13 -1
8
 Soviet Union
6 4 11
+12
9
 England 6 3
34
-1
10
 Argentina 6 3
27
+3
 
 
 
 
 
 
        
Head coaches
   
 
Alf Ramsey (England, 1931-1999) was the manager that led the English to their first FIFA World Cup title.
   
   
 
Pos
Flag
Tm
Head coach
Pld
W
AP
Perf.
1
  Alf Ramsey
6
5
1
83%
2
    Helmut Schön
6
4
1
67%
3
  Otto Glória
6
5
1
83%
4
    Nikolai Morozov
6
4
1
67%
5
    Juan Carlos Lorenzo
4
2
2
50%
  Lajos Baróti
4
2
3
50%
7
  Vicente Feola
3
1
2
33%
  Edmondo Fabbri
3
1
1
33%
    José Villalonga
3
1
1
33%
    Myung Rye-Hyun
4
1
1
25%
    Ondino Viera
4
1
1
25%
12
  Rudolf Vytlačil
3
0
2
0%
    Luis Alamos
3
0
1
0%
    Henri Guérin
3
0
1
0%
  Alfredo Foni
3
0
1
0%
    Ignacio Tréllez
3
0
2
0%

 

 
 
 
 
 
Alf Ramsey (1920-1999) England
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Alf Ramsey and Bobby Moore hold the Jules Rimet World Cup trophy
 
 
 
   
   
   
  Head coaches and statistics through 1966
   
   
 
Pos
Flag
Tm
Head coach
Pld
W
AP
Perf.
WC1
WC2
WC3
WC4
1
18
9
4
50%
38
54
58
62
2
  Vittorio Pozzo
9
8
2
89%
34
38
3
  Vicente Feola
9
6
2
67%
58
66
    Juan López Fontana
9
6
2
67%
50
54
  George Raynor
11
6
2
54%
50
58
5
  Aymoré Moreira
6
5
1
83%
62
  Alf Ramsey
6
5
1
83%
66
  Otto Glória
6
5
1
83%
66
  Lajos Baróti
12
5
3
42%
58
62
66
9
  Alberto Suppici
4
4
1
100%
30
  Francisco Olazar
5
4
1
80%
30
   
   
   
Head coaches' home country & statistics
   
   
Pos
Flag
Home country
Pld
W
Nhc
Perf.
1
  Brazil
9
6
2
67%
2
  England
6
5
1
83%
3
  Soviet Union
6
4
1
67%
  West Germany
6
4
1
67%
5
4
2
1
50%
  Hungary
4
2
1
50%
7
  Spain
3
1
1
33%
  North Korea
4
1
1
25%
4
1
1
25%
  Italy
6
1
2
17%
11
  Austria
3
0
1
0%
  Chile
3
0
1
0%
  France
3
0
1
0%
  Mexico
3
0
1
0%
 
   
     
     
Head coaches' home country & statistics through 1966
   
   
Pos
Flag
Home country
Pld
W
Nhc
Perf.
1
  Brazil
38
25
10
66%
2
  Hungary
38
21
11
55%
3
  West Germany
28
16
6
54%
4
29
14
9
48%
  Italy
29
14
8
48%
6
20
12
5
60%
  Yugoslavia
25
12
6
57%
  England
30
12
11
40%
  Austria
32
12
9
37%
10
  Soviet Union
15
8
3
53%
 
   
   
   
   
        
 
Match officials, countries and confederations
 
 
 
31 match officials from 24 countries and 4 confederation were the responsible for enforcing the laws of the game during the course of the 32 World Cup matches.
 
 
The order of the table is based on the matches as referee.
   
 
Pos
Flag
Cf
Home country
TOT
R
AR
 
96
32
64
1
  England
15
4
11
2
  West Germany
5
3
2
3
  France
4
2
2
  Spain
4
2
2
  Switzerland
4
2
2
  Israel
3
2
1
  Italy
3
2
1
8
  Czechoslovakia
5
1
4
  Egypt
5
1
4
  Scotland
5
1
4
  Hungary
4
1
3
  Peru
4
1
3
  Portugal
4
1
3
  Soviet Union
4
1
3
4
1
3
 
 
 
Pos
Logo
Confederation
R
Per.
AR
Per.
1
  UEFA
27
84%
48
75%
2
  CONMEBOL
4
13%
10
16%
3
  CAF
1
3%
4
6%
4
  AFC
0
0%
2
3%
 
      
 
Match officials, countries, confederations through 1966
 
 
Pos
Flag
Cf
Home country
TOT
R
AR
Ch
 
600
200
400
 
1
  England
46
21
25
0
2
  Italy
44
18
26
0
3
  France
54
17
37
0
4
  Switzerland
46
14
32
0
5
  Belgium
26
12
14
-1
6
  West Germany
24
9
15
+7
  Spain
21
9
12
+2
  Brazil
18
9
9
0
9
30
8
22
-1
  Sweden
23
8
15
-1
     
     
 
Pos
Logo
Confederation
R
Per.
AR
Per.
 
200
400
1
  UEFA
169
84%
300
75%
2
  CONMEBOL
30
15%
76
19%
3
  CAF
1
1%
5
1%
4
0
0%
17
4%
5
  AFC
0
0%
2
1%
 
   
 
 
Match officials through 1966
 
 
Pos
Flag
Cf
Match Official
TOT
R
AR
AP
WC1
WC2
WC3
 
600
200
400
 
23
23
     
1
  Juan Gardeazábal Garay
12
7
5 3 0 2 58 62 66
  Benjamin Griffiths
12
7
5 3 0 0 50 54 58
  Jan Langenus
9
7
2 3 2 0 30 34 38
4
  Arthur Ellis
13
6 7 3
3
0 50 54 58
  Nikolay Latyshev
10
6 4 2 1 0 58 62
  Ivan Eklind
8
6 2 3 0 0 34 38 50
7
  István Zsolt 
12
5 7 3 1 0 54 58
  Gottfried Dienst
9
5 4 2 0 1 62 66
9
  Raymon Wyssling
9
4 5 2 0 0 54 58
  Arturo Yamasaki
8
4 4 2 2 1 62 66
 
 
 
 
 
  Match officials with the most red and yellow cards  
     
     
 
Pos
Flag
Cf
Match Official
TOT
 
26
5
21
1
  Jim Finney
4
2
2
2
  Rudolf Kreitlein
5
1
4
  Concetto Lo Bello
3
1
2
  Konstantin Zečević
2
1
1
5
  Kurt Tschenscher
3
0
3
  José María Codesal
2
0
2
  Armando Marques
2
0
2
  Ali Kandil
1
0
1
  Gottfried Dienst
1
0
1
  Arturo Yamasaki
1
0
1
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
  Match officials with the most red and yellow cards through 1966  
     
     
 
Pos
Flag
Cf
Match Official
TOT
 
46
23
23
1
  Pal von Hertzka
3
3
0
  Arthur Ellis
3
3
0
3
  Jim Finney
4
2
2
  Arturo Yamasaki
3
2
1
  Karol Galba
2
2
0
  Jan Langenus
2
2
0
  Ken Aston
2
2
0
8
  Rudolf Kreitlein
5
1
4
  Concetto Lo Bello
3
1
2
  Konstantin Zečević
2
1
1
 
   
   
      
   
   
  

 
Discipline
 
 
This section presents the statistics of all dissmissals and cautions since the first 1930 FIFA World Cup held in Uruguay. However, the use of red and yellow cards to indicate sent-off and cautions were officially introduced at the 1970 World Cup.
 
 
 
Teams' discipline
   
 
Red cards are one of the most remarkable event that can impact the outcome of a game after goals and penalties. The team receiving the red card is in a vulnerable position and faces a significant disadvantage, mainly if it occurs in the first half. The opposing side on the other hand, receives the advantage and the score is more likely to be in their favor.
   
 
 
Pos
Flag
Penalized Team
TC
1
5
2
3
3
2
1
3
 Soviet Union
4
1
3
4
4
0
4
 Bulgaria
3
0
3
2
0
2
2
0
2
1
0
1
1
0
1
1
0
1
Pos
Flag
Benefited Team
TC
1
8
4
4
2
4
1
3
3
 North Korea
3
0
3
2
0
2
 Bulgaria
2
0
2
1
0
1
1
0
1
1
0
1
 Soviet Union
1
0
1
1
0
1
1
0
1
1
0
1
   
 
   
Teams' discipline up to 1966
   
 
 
Pos
Flag
Penalized Team
TC
 
46
23
23
1
7
5
2
2
4
3
1
 Hungary
3
3
0
4
6
2
4
6
2
4
2
2
0
 Czechoslovakia
2
2
0
8
 Soviet Union
4
1
3
2
1
1
  Peru
1
1
0
Pos
Flag
Benefited Team
TC
 
46
23
23
1
8
4
4
2
5
3
2
3
3
0
4
 Czechoslovakia
2
2
0
 Hungary
2
2
0
6
4
1
3
2
1
1
 Austria
1
1
0
 Northern Ireland
1
1
0
 Romania
1
1
0
   
   
   
Matches' discipline
   
 
 
Pos
WC
CI
Date
TC
Match
1
1966
QF
23 Jul 66
4
2
2
West Germany
4-0
Uruguay
2
1966
QF
23 Jul 66
4
1
3
England
1-0
Argentina
1966
SF
25 Jul 66
3
1
2
West Germany
2-1
Soviet Union
1966
FR-G2
16 Jul 66
2
1
1
Argentina
0-0
West Germany
5
1966
FR-G3
12 Jul 66
3
0
3
Brazil
2-0
Bulgaria
1966
FR-G3
16 Jul 66
2
0
2
Portugal
3-0
Bulgaria
1966
FR-G2
20 Jul 66
2
0
2
West Germany
2-1
Spain
1966
FR-G4
12 Jul 66
1
0
1
Soviet Union
3-0
North Korea
1966
QF
23 Jul 66
1
0
1
Portugal
5-3
North Korea
1966
FR-G4
16 Jul 66
1
0
1
Soviet Union
1-0
Italy
   
 
   
Matches' discipline up to 1966
   
 
 
Pos
WC
CI
Date
TC
Match
1
1938
QF
12 Jun 38
3
3
0
Brazil
1-1
Czechoslovakia
1954
QF
27 Jun 54
3
3
0
Hungary
4-2
Brazil
3
1966
QF
23 Jul 66
4
2
2
West Germany
4-0
Uruguay
1962
FR-G1
2 Jun 62
2
2
0
Yugoslavia
3-1
Uruguay
1962
FR-G2
2 Jun 62
2
2
0
Chile
2-0
Italy
1962
SF
13 Jun 62
2
2
0
Brazil
4-2
Chile
7
1966
QF
23 Jul 66
4
1
3
England
1-0
Argentina
1966
SF
25 Jul 66
3
1
2
West Germany
2-1
Soviet Union
1966
FR-G2
16 Jul 66
2
1
1
Argentina
0-0
West Germany
1930
FR-G3
14 Jul 30
1
1
0
Romania
3-1
Peru
   
   
   
World Cup's discipline
   
 
 
Pos
WC
TC
1
1966
23
5
21
   
   
   
World Cups' discipline up to 1966
   
 
 
Pos
WC
TC
1
1962
7
6
1
2
1966
23
5
21
3
1938
4
4
0
4
1954
3
3
0
1958
3
3
0
6
1930
1
1
0
1934
1
1
0
8
1950
1
0
1
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Attendance
   
 
The total attendance at the World Cup as well as both the total and average attendance for each of the national teams is shown in the table below.

   
   
 
Pos
Flag
Team
Total
#M
Average
  
1,563,145
32
48,848
1
 England
559,989
6
93,332
2
 Portugal
336,240
6
56,040
3
 West Germany
300,105
6
50,018
4
 Uruguay
233,929
4
58,482
5
 Mexico
222,919
3
74,306
6
 Soviet Union
219,639
6
36,607
7
 France
213,169
3
71,056
8
 Argentina
212,036
4
53,009
9
 Brazil
157,174
3
52,391
10
 Hungary
132,246
4
33,062
11
 Spain
116,963
3
38,988
12
 Switzerland
100,292
3
33,431
13
 Bulgaria
96,875
3
32,292
14
 Korea DPR
94,875
4
23,719
15
 Italy
72,821
3
24,274
16
 Chile
57,018
3
19,006
   
   
   
Cumulative attendance till 1966
   
   
Pos
Flag
Team
Total
#M
Average
Ch
  
6,419,219
200
32,096
1
  Brazil
1,555,510
32
48,610
0
2
  West Germany
1,059,847
28
37,852
0
3
  England
930,270
20
46,514
+9
4
  Uruguay
928,032
20
46,402
0
5
  Italy
771,914
20
38,596
-2
6
  Switzerland
601,673
18
33,426
0
7
  Hungary
575,077
23
25,003
+3
8
  Spain
571,817
15
38,121
+1
9
  Argentina
560,857
16
35,054
+4
10
  Yugoslavia
557,207
19
29,327
-5
 
   
   
 
Total and average attendance at the world cups
   
   
Pos
World Cup
Total
  
6,419,219
1
  1966 World Cup
1,563,145
2
  1950 World Cup
1,045,246
3
  1962 World Cup
893,172
4
  1958 World Cup
819,800
5
  1954 World Cup
768,607
6
  1930 World Cup
590,549
7
  1938 World Cup
375,700
8
  1934 World Cup
363,000
Pos
World Cup
Average
 
32,096
1
  1966 World Cup
48,848
2
  1950 World Cup
47,511
3
  1930 World Cup
32,808
4
  1954 World Cup
29,562
5
  1962 World Cup
27,912
6
  1958 World Cup
23,423
7
  1934 World Cup
21,353
8
  1938 World Cup
20,872
 
   
      

  Awards and best players
   
 
The top scorer (Golden Shoe) of the tournament was Eusébio from Portugal, who would go on to score nine goals. The best young player of the tournament was Franz Beckenbauer from West Germany. The names that people probably remember from those times are:

    
 
   
Flórián Albert (1941-2011)
     
    
  All-star team
   
 
The All-Star Team is a team of the best performers at the respective World Cup finals
   
 
 
 
  Cumulative participation by country
 
Pos
Team
Flag
Tot
30
34
38
50
54
58
62
66
Ch
1
  Brazil
18
2
4
1
6
5
0
2
  Italy
13
6
6
1
0
13
7
5
1
0
4
  Hungary
9
2
6
1
0
5
  West Germany
5
       
2
1
2
+2
6
  Czechoslovakia
4
1
1
2
-1
  England
4
4
  Spain
4
3
1
-1
9
3
2
1
-1
3
3
11
  Austria
2
1
1
-3
  France
2
       
2
-3
  Northern Ireland
2
       
2
-3
  Sweden
2
1
1
-3
15
  Chile
1
           
1
-2
  Soviet Union
1
           
1
-2
1
1
-2
  Yugoslavia
1
1
-2
       
    

  CONTROVERSIES
   
 

Sixteen African nations boycotted the tournament because they did not accept the FIFA rule that required the three second-round winners from the African zone to enter a playoff round against the winners of the Asian zone in order to win a place at the finals. African nations believed that winning their zone should have been enough to go straight through to the finals.

The final match between West Germany and England was a very controversial game. The Germans are still debating whether England's first goal in extra time crossed the line or not. TV replays failed to prove if the ball had crossed the line.

João Havelange, the ex-FIFA President also claimed that the 1966 and 1974 World Cups were fixed so that England and West Germany would win respectively. Havelange told Folha de Sao Paulo that "In the three matches that the Brazilian national team played in 1966, of the three referees and six linesmen, seven were British and two were Germans". On the other hand, it is good to remember that in quarter-finals the referee of the game between England and Argentina was from West Germany, and the referee of the game between West Germany and Uruguay was from England. Havelange's words were published in various newspapers around the world.

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/football/article-1029687/Englands-World-Cup-66-win-fixed-referees-claims-ex-FIFA-president.html

http://www.goal.com/en/news/9/english-football/2008/06/26/753029/1966-1974-world-cups-were-fixed-former-fifa-president

http://www.theguardian.com/uk/2000/dec/01/alantravis

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/football/teams/england/8807225/Englands-1966-World-Cup-win-tainted-by-evidence-to-suggest-three-West-Germany-players-may-have-been-doped.html

http://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/education/resources/world-cup-1966/

       
    

  DID YOU KNOW?
   
 
The Jules Rimet trophy was stolen during a public stamp exhibition at Westminster Central Hall just three month before kick-off in the tournament. The trophy was found seven days later wrapped in newspaper in South London, by Pickles, a black and white mongrel dog, while taking a walk with his owner. When England won the trophy, Pickles was invited, as a reward, to the celebration banquet.
The opening match between England and Uruguay was delayed because several of the England players left their ID cards at the team hotel. A police motorcyclist was sent to collect them. Credit: ESPN
The match between Uruguay and France was played at London's White City, not a traditional football venue, because there was greyhound racing scheduled for Wembley and the owners refused to cancel it. Credit: ESPN
North Korea caused the biggest upset of the tournament when beat Italy 1 to 0, at Ayresome Park, Middlesbrough. Pak Doo Ik became the most famous player in the world when scored the goal against Italy. This victory is ranked as one of the biggest shocks in the World Cups history. Italy, on the other hand, was eliminated in the group stage. North Korea, which had a lot of trouble coming to England because they did not have diplomatic relations with the UK, got into the hearts of the people of Middlesborough. When North Koreans had to move to Liverpool for the crucial game against Portugal and Eusébio, 3,000 fans from Middlesborough followed the North Korean team. 
Antonio Rattín, the captain of Argentina, became the first player to be sent off in a senior international football match at Wembley for violence of the tongue. It must be said that the German referee Rudolf Kreitlein spoke no Spanish. Rattín was so angered by what he considered an unfair decision that he initially refused to leave the field and then he sat on the red carpet which was exclusively for the Queen to walk on to show his disgust. The game was referred to in Argentina as the theft of the century, since England won 1-0 thanks to a goal from Geoff Hurst, reclaimed by the Argentines as a clear offside. After the match, the England coach Alf Ramsey refused his players to exchange shirts with the Argentineans whom he described as animals in the press. Argentina's response was immediate; one Argentine newspaper published a picture of the official World Cup mascot, the lion Willie, dressed in pirate regalia to show their opinion of the England team. This was one of several incidents between the English and the Argentine teams and their sets of fans.
   
   
 

Fans dance in the fountains at Trafalgar Square at 1am in 1966, after England’s World Cup victory

A North Korea player signs an autograph at Lime Street Station in Liverpool 
Portugal's Eusebio takes breakfast in bed
   
   
  
           Last updated: 2 February 2021
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