In 2026, the English press will exhaustively remember the country’s only world title in the history of World Cups. The fans do not hide their dissatisfaction with the uncomfortable fast, especially since it is the birthplace of football. The rules of the most exciting game on the planet were established in the distant year 1863 at Freemason’s Tavern, a commercial establishment located on Great Queen Street, in the center of London.
Absent from the first three World Cups, 1930, 1934 and 1938, the English made their World Cup debut in 1950, in Brazil, when they lost embarrassingly to the United States. A haven of greats and good players, the “English Team” lifted the cup in 1966, at home, in the legendary Wembley Stadium. Captain Bobby Moore received the cup from Queen Elizabeth.
Campaign in the 1966 World Cup
England 0x0 Uruguay – group stage
England 2×0 Mexico – group phrase
England 2×0 France – group phrase
England 1×0 Argentina – quarter-finals
England 2×1 Portugal – semi-final
England 4×2 Germany – final
With an undefeated campaign, the English were efficient and won the title. However, the 1966 World Cup entered history through the back door. The competition received labels from the press: “the Cup of shame”, “the scandalous Cup”, “the suspicious Cup” or “the Cup of violence”.
To this day, the performance of referees is questioned. The then president of FIFA, the Englishman Stanley Rous, would also have interfered in favor of the Queen’s team. The home team did not play once away from Wembley, which generated protests from opposing teams, such as Portugal, which featured top scorer Eusébio da Silva Ferreira.
England, led by Alf Ramsey, had a good team, but the country’s only achievement in the World Cup ended up overshadowed by the judges’ errors and the violence in the matches. In 2026, the team will arrive in North America, pressured by the uncomfortable queue of 60 years.
