England World Champion (1966)

On a summer afternoon in 1966, nearly 100,000 people packed into a stadium in northwest England to witness what would become the nation's greatest sporting triumph. This was the World Cup final, and England faced West Germany in a match that would define a generation. The game ended 4-2 after extra time, with Geoff Hurst becoming the only player in history to score a hat-trick in a World Cup final. His three goals secured England's first and only World Cup title. 

The match is most famous for the controversial third goal. Hurst's powerful shot struck the crossbar and bounced down near the goal line. Swiss referee Gottfried Dienst consulted his linesman, Tofiq Bahramov from the Soviet Union, who signaled that the ball had crossed the line. Germans still call such goals a Wembley-Tor in reference to this moment. Captain Bobby Moore lifted the Jules Rimet Trophy in front of 32.3 million television viewers, making it the most-watched event in British television history. The stadium, with its iconic Twin Towers entrance, was known as the Cathedral of Football. BBC commentator Kenneth Wolstenholme captured the final seconds with words that became legendary: "Some people are on the pitch, they think it's all over. It is now!"