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Football
In July 1966, England hosted and won its first World Cup, marked by a disputed goal in the final that remains a mystery today.
In July 1966, England hosted an unprecedented event in its history: the eighth edition of the FIFA World Cup, held from the 11th to the 30th of that month. The tournament featured 16 teams, predominantly from Europe, with the unique participation of North Korea as the sole representative from Asia.
As with previous editions, the 1966 World Cup included several unusual incidents and controversial decisions, some of which continue to puzzle observers to this day.
One notable episode was the theft of the World Cup trophy, which was recovered four months before the tournament began by a dog named Pickles. The competition also featured a contentious decision in the final match that sparked debate for years. During extra time, English player Geoff Hurst scored a puzzling goal against West Germany. The ball hit the post and then landed near the goal line. After consulting with the linesman, the referee awarded the goal to England. The match ended 4-2 in favor of England after extra time.
This goal remained controversial, with many arguing that the ball did not fully cross the goal line. Analysts accused the Soviet linesman Tofiq Bahramov of influencing the referee’s decision, suggesting his judgment was affected by Cold War tensions, especially since West Germany had defeated the Soviet Union in the semifinals.
The 1966 World Cup took place amid heightened hostility between the Western and Eastern blocs during the Cold War, leading to tense and sometimes violent matches between teams from opposing sides. North Korea’s debut was remarkable: after losing to the Soviet Union, they stunned Italy with a 1-0 victory and drew with Chile.
In the quarterfinals, North Korea initially led Portugal 3-0 by the 27th minute. However, the match shifted dramatically as Portugal scored five goals, ultimately winning 5-3.
The 1966 tournament was also the last to use the Jules Rimet Trophy. In 1970, Brazil won the trophy outright, marking the introduction of the modern World Cup trophy in subsequent tournaments.
