60th Anniversary of the 1966 World Cup Win

“I don’t think we ever dreamed of winning the World Cup, but it was in 1962 when the seeds for 1966 were there. I remember young players like Bobby Moore were coming into the action and there was a lot of real interest in the football that England was producing. We played quite a lot and we won quite a lot leading up to ’66. I remember thinking, when I was looking at the team that had been selected, this is as good as anybody”.

This was Sir Bobby Charlton speaking 12 years ago as a Laureus World Sports Academy Member about winning the 1966 World Cup on 30th July 1966 – the England men’s team’s greatest achievement of all time. The names of the eleven members of that special team are inked not just into football history, but the social and sporting fabric of the country. They were immensely talented, yet humble; they were different characters, yet a united team. They inspired generations of footballers: their unforgettable spirit is a legacy woven into our national consciousness forever.

At the Sir Bobby Charlton Foundation, we are very proud of our founder. He was a legend and an icon the world over. To us, he is all that and more. He won a World Cup, he scored spectacular goals, yet he was modest about his achievements on the pitch. Off the pitch, he loved being with young people, and was immensely moved by those struggling to make their way in life – latterly and particularly those affected by war and conflict. He recognised the power of football to make a difference. We see his values threaded through the Street Reds programme in Moss Side that bears his name, where the kids are encouraged to play with fairness, with unity and above all with passion.

It was relentless passion that the 1966 team displayed that afternoon at Wembley Stadium. A formidable determination. Sir Bobby called winning the 1966 World Cup “the greatest thing you can achieve”. Sixty years to the day, we celebrate Sir Bobby and the England team, the memories they made and their unforgettable place in football and in history.