It was on this day in 1966 that the finals for the eighth World Cup took place.  The game was held at Wembley Stadium in London, England, as the host country defeated West Germany 4-2 to capture their first World Cup.

England cruised through the group stage, winning two games and drawing one, scoring five goals and shutting out all three opponents.  West Germany also had an easy time in the group stage, as they also won twice and tied one game, scoring seven goals and conceding just one.  England would squeeze by both Argentina and Portugal in the knockout stage, beating each team by one goal.  As for West Germany, they pummeled Uruguay 4-0 in the quarterfinals and beat the Soviet Union 2-1 in the semis.

In the finals, Wolfgang Weber of Germany would score in the 89th minute to tie the game at two and force extra-time.  In the extra frame, Geoff Hurst scored twice to complete his hat-trick, and England was crowned World Champions for the first time.

Here are highlights of the 1966 World Cup final.

Notable Birthdays

Chris Mullin, NBA – Born July 30, 1963 (age 49) in Queens, New York

Markus Naslund, NHL – Born July 30, 1973 (age 39) in Ornskoldsvik, Sweden

Carlos Arroyo, NBA – Born July 30, 1979 (age 33) in Fajardo, Puerto Rico