England, the inventor of the modern soccer game, at last hosted the World Cup on the island in 1966. The tournament was a thriller from start to finish.

England played West Germany in the final game. Only seconds before the official play time was called off, Germany scored its second goal to a 2-2 tie and send the game into overtime. A controversial goal from Geoff Hurst marked England's 3-2 lead in overtime, and it was Hurst again to mark the final 4-2 score just seconds before the 30 minutes overtime play was concluded.

• Championship game: England vs. West Germany 4-2
• Number of teams participating: 16
• Venue sites: Birmingham, Liverpool, London, Manchester, Middlesbrough, Sheffield, Sunderland