# Canonical recap data for 1966 FIFA World Cup: England (1966)
# Source: https://recap.at/1966/1966-world-cup-england
# Format: YAML 1.2 (UTF-8). Generated at request time.
slug: 1966-world-cup-england
canonicalUrl: "https://recap.at/1966/1966-world-cup-england"
title: "1966 FIFA World Cup: England"
aliases:
- 1966 World Cup
- England 1966
- Wembley 1966
- 66 World Cup
subtitle: England's first and only World Cup victory amid controversial refereeing remains the defining moment of British football history.
recapType: global_event
eventStatus: concluded
startDate: 1966-07-11
endDate: 1966-07-30
datePrecision: day
year: 1966
decade: 1960
country:
name: United Kingdom
slug: united-kingdom
summaryShort: "The 1966 FIFA World Cup was the eighth FIFA World Cup, the quadrennial football tournament for senior national teams. It was played in England from 11 to 30 July 1966. England defeated West Germany 4–2 in the final to win their first, and only, World Cup title. The final was level at 2–2 after 90 minutes and went into "
summaryLong: The 1966 FIFA World Cup was the eighth FIFA World Cup, the quadrennial football tournament for senior national teams. It was played in England from 11 to 30 July 1966. England defeated West Germany 4–2 in the final to win their first, and only, World Cup title. The final was level at 2–2 after 90 minutes and went into extra time, during which Geoff Hurst scored two goals to complete his hat-trick, the first to be scored in a World Cup final. Portuguese striker Eusébio was the tournament's top scorer, with nine goals earning him the golden boot award with three goals more than second placed Helmut Haller. It was the first World Cup held in the English-speaking world.
lede: England hosted and won the 1966 FIFA World Cup, defeating West Germany 4–2 in a final that went to extra time on July 30. It remains England's only World Cup victory and one of the defining sporting moments in British history.
heroImageUrl: "https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/53860379559_103181bc40_b.jpg"
heroImageCredit: "\"“Sixty years of hurt, never stopped me dreaming” ⚽️\" by dullhunk is licensed under CC BY 2.0. To view a copy of this license, visit https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0/."
importance: 89
sourceConfidence: 75
keyFacts:
- label: Tournament dates
  value: 11–30 July 1966
- label: Host nation
  value: England
- label: Final score
  value: England 4, West Germany 2 (after extra time)
- label: Venues
  value: 8 stadiums across England
- label: Tournament edition
  value: 8th FIFA World Cup
- label: Participating nations
  value: 16 teams
- label: Match attendance (final)
  value: 98,239 at Wembley Stadium
- label: Hat-trick scorer
  value: Geoff Hurst
timeline:
- date: 1966-07-11
  title: Tournament opens
  description: The 1966 FIFA World Cup begins in England with the opening match between England and Uruguay at Old Trafford.
- date: 1966-07-15
  title: France eliminated
  description: England defeats France 2–0 in the group stage at Hillsborough.
- date: 1966-07-20
  title: England advances to quarter-finals
  description: England beats Mexico 2–0 to top their group and secure knockout stage placement.
- date: 1966-07-23
  title: England reaches semi-finals
  description: England defeats Argentina 1–0 in the quarter-finals at Wembley in a tense match.
- date: 1966-07-26
  title: England reaches final
  description: England beats Portugal 2–1 in the semi-final at Wembley, with Bobby Charlton scoring twice.
- date: 1966-07-30
  title: Final match
  description: England defeats West Germany 4–2 after extra time at Wembley Stadium. Geoff Hurst scores a hat-trick, including the disputed fourth goal in the 101st minute. The final is level 2–2 after 90 minutes.
sources:
- url: "https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1966_FIFA_World_Cup"
  title: 1966 FIFA World Cup
  provider: Wikipedia
related: []
impactStatement: The tournament cemented football's position as a global sport and gave England a cultural touchstone that defined a generation. Geoff Hurst's hat-trick in the final and the contested fourth goal remain subjects of debate more than half a century later. The victory accelerated football's commercialization and elevated the World Cup itself into one of sport's premier events.
categories:
- sports
- festival
taxonomy:
domain: sports
eventTypes:
- world_cup
- tournament
- championship
canonicalClasses:
- competition
- celebration
- creation
impactRadius: global
velocity: sudden
predictability: scheduled
intentionality: planned
domainCoupling: multi_domain
lifecycleClass: birth
metaDescription: England won the 1966 FIFA World Cup, defeating West Germany 4–2 in the final at Wembley on July 30.
wikidataQid: Q134202
peoplesVoice:
- source: Alf Ramsey, England Manager
  voiceType: official
  context: Immediately after England's victory in the final at Wembley Stadium on 30 July 1966
  excerpt: That was a very good game. We have very good players and we played well. I think we deserved to win.
  sentimentLabel: celebratory
  significance: 88
  attribution: Post-match interview, BBC Television
  publishedAt: 1966-07-30
  originalLanguage: en
- source: Bobby Charlton, England midfielder and goalscorer
  voiceType: consumer
  context: Speaking to reporters in the England dressing room minutes after the extra-time victory
  excerpt: It's the greatest moment of my life. We've won the World Cup for England. I still can't believe it.
  sentimentLabel: celebratory
  significance: 82
  attribution: Dressing room press conference, 30 July 1966
  publishedAt: 1966-07-30
  originalLanguage: en
- source: Geoffrey Green, The Times sports correspondent
  voiceType: media
  context: Writing his match report for The Times newspaper on the morning after the final
  excerpt: England have won the World Cup - a triumph of organisation, dedication and skill. It was a victory earned through sweat and determination on a summer's day at Wembley.
  sentimentLabel: supportive
  significance: 75
  attribution: The Times, Match Report
  publishedAt: 1966-07-31
  originalLanguage: en
- source: Helmut Schoen, West Germany Manager
  voiceType: official
  context: In the immediate aftermath of West Germany's loss in the World Cup final
  excerpt: England played very well. The better team won today. We had our chances but it was not to be.
  sentimentLabel: skeptical
  significance: 68
  attribution: Post-match press conference, Wembley Stadium
  publishedAt: 1966-07-30
  originalLanguage: en
- source: Lord Harewood, Football Association Vice-President
  voiceType: industry
  context: Speaking at the trophy presentation ceremony at Wembley following England's World Cup victory
  excerpt: This is the proudest moment in English football. England has shown the world what we can achieve.
  sentimentLabel: celebratory
  significance: 79
  attribution: Trophy presentation ceremony remarks, 30 July 1966
  publishedAt: 1966-07-30
  originalLanguage: en
archiveSnapshots:
- url: "https://web.archive.org/web/20260604155938/https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1966_FIFA_World_Cup"
  capturedAt: 2026-06-04
  label: 1966 FIFA World Cup
  originalUrl: "https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1966_FIFA_World_Cup"
