CHAMPION: England
RUNNER-UP: West Germany
GOLDEN SHOE: Eusebio (POR)
TEAMS: 16
TOTAL MATCHES: 32
GOALS SCORED: 89 (2.8 per match)
AVERAGE ATTENDANCE: 51,093
SUPRISES: North Korea knocked Italy out at the group stage with a 1-0 shock victory.
FORMAT: Four teams in four groups in the preliminary stage, followed by a single elimination knockout round.
1966 – The birthplace of football, England hosted the tournament in 1966 for the first time under coach Alf Ramsey. The Three Lions advanced all the way to the final at Wembley where they controversially defeated West Germany on the strength of a Geoff Hurst hat trick.
Did the ball cross the line or not in extra time after a 2-2 draw after 90 minutes? The linesman judged the ball over the line, then Hurst scored his third and England claimed its first and only World Cup title. To this day, the controversy still exists and is always a hotly debated topic of conversation.
Earlier in the tournament, Pele was brutally tackled into submission with some heavy-footed tactics, and Italy was shocked by North Korea in the group stage but fell to a terrific Portuguese side led by tournament leading scorer Eusebio, despite owning a commanding 3-0 lead at halftime. Portugal eventually settled for a third place finish.
The 1966 World Cup was also the first for German legend Franz Beckenbauer. At only 20-years old, the supremely talented libero scored four goals en route to the final, including a vital one against the Soviet Union’s famous goalkeeper Lev Yashin in the semifinals.
