# England 1966

> Fouled out of two of Brazil's three matches, Pelé saw the holders go out in the first round and vowed never to play another World Cup.

Source page: https://pele.wiki/footballer/chapters/england-1966
Reference: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1966_FIFA_World_Cup

- Began: 12 July 1966
- Ended: 19 July 1966

Brazil went to England in 1966 as two-time holders, with Vicente Feola back as coach. The squad still included Garrincha, Djalma Santos and Gilmar from earlier wins, alongside younger players such as Jairzinho, Tostão and Gérson. Their three group matches were all at Goodison Park in Liverpool.

The first, against Bulgaria on 12 July, was won 2–0. Pelé scored the first goal and Garrincha the second. Pelé became the first player to score at three World Cups in a row. But the Bulgarian defenders kicked him repeatedly, and he left the match with a knee injury.

He missed the second match, against Hungary. Brazil lost 3–1, their first World Cup defeat in twelve years. Brazil had never lost a match in which both Pelé and Garrincha played.

For the last game, against Portugal on 19 July, Pelé was brought back though not fully fit. Brazil had to win. Portugal, with Eusébio, led 2–0 within half an hour. The defender João Morais fouled Pelé twice, and the referee, George McCabe, did not send him off. That decision is often listed among the worst refereeing errors in World Cup history. Substitutions were not allowed, so Pelé could do little more than limp; accounts differ on whether he stayed on until the end. Brazil lost 3–1.

The holders were out in the first round. The tournament was remembered for its rough play, and Pelé was its most obvious victim. Afterwards he said he would never play in a World Cup again.

He kept that promise for three years. In 1969 he agreed to return to the national team, which had a new coach, João Saldanha, and a new generation of players. The road to Mexico had begun.

## Related

- What the chapter is about: [FIFA World Cup 1966](https://pele.wiki/footballer/tournaments/1966-fifa-world-cup), [Brazil 2–0 Bulgaria](https://pele.wiki/footballer/matches/brazil-2-0-bulgaria-1966), [Brazil 1–3 Portugal](https://pele.wiki/footballer/matches/brazil-1-3-portugal-1966), [Bulgaria](https://pele.wiki/footballer/teams/bulgaria-national-team), [Portugal](https://pele.wiki/footballer/teams/portugal-national-team), [Brazil](https://pele.wiki/footballer/teams/brazil), [Eusébio](https://pele.wiki/footballer/people/eusebio), [Vicente Feola](https://pele.wiki/footballer/people/vicente-feola), [Garrincha](https://pele.wiki/footballer/people/garrincha), [England](https://pele.wiki/footballer/locations/england-country), [Liverpool](https://pele.wiki/footballer/locations/liverpool), [Goodison Park](https://pele.wiki/footballer/locations/goodison-park)