1966 FIFA World Cup facts for kids
.jpg)
The 1966 FIFA World Cup was a major international football tournament. It was the eighth time this exciting event took place. England hosted the tournament from July 11 to July 30. FIFA, the world football governing body, chose England to celebrate 100 years of football in the country. England won the final match, beating West Germany 4-2. This was England's first and, so far, only World Cup victory. England also became the first host country to win the tournament since Italy did in 1934. Later, Germany, Argentina, and France also won the World Cup when they hosted it.
Contents
Teams That Played
Many countries from around the world came to play in the 1966 World Cup. Sixteen teams qualified to compete in England. These teams came from different parts of the world, including Europe, South America, North and Central America, and Asia.
Here are the teams that took part:
- From Asia: Korea DPR
- From Europe: Bulgaria, England, France, West Germany, Hungary, Italy, Portugal, Soviet Union, Spain, Switzerland
- From North and Central America: Haiti (though they did not play in the finals, they were part of the qualification process)
- From South America: Argentina, Brazil, Chile, Uruguay
How the Tournament Worked
The tournament had two main parts: the group stage and the knockout stage. Teams first played in groups, and then the best teams moved on to play in single-elimination matches.
Group Stage Matches
The sixteen teams were divided into four groups: Group A, Group B, Group C, and Group D. Each team played every other team in its group once. Teams earned points for wins and draws. The top two teams from each group moved on to the next round, called the quarterfinals.
- Group A: England and Uruguay moved to the next round.
- Group B: West Germany and Argentina advanced.
- Group C: Portugal and Hungary qualified for the quarterfinals.
- Group D: Soviet Union and North Korea made it through.
Knockout Stage: The Road to the Final
After the group stage, the tournament became a knockout competition. This meant that if a team lost a match, they were out of the World Cup.
Quarterfinals
Eight teams played in the quarterfinals. The winners moved on to the semifinals.
- Portugal beat Korea DPR 5-3 in a high-scoring game.
- England won against Argentina 1-0.
- West Germany defeated Uruguay 4-0.
- Soviet Union won 2-1 against Hungary.
Semifinals
Only four teams remained for the semifinals. The winners would play in the final match.
- West Germany beat Soviet Union 2-1.
- England won against Portugal 2-1.
Third Place Match
The teams that lost in the semifinals played each other for third place.
- Portugal won 2-1 against Soviet Union, securing third place.
The Final Match
The final match was played between England and West Germany. England won the championship with a score of 4-2 after extra time. This was a historic moment for English football!
Images for kids
-
Wolfgang Weber (left) and Luis Artime during the match between West Germany and Argentina in Birmingham
See also
In Spanish: Copa Mundial de Fútbol de 1966 para niños
