Heart Of Football

Matching vintage World Cup thrills the ultimate goal

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Barring the outbreak of war, the Fifa World Cup is about to consume us. Greatness beckons. Lionel Messi, Cristiano Ronaldo and, God willing, Mo Salah, can make this their defining stage.

Given that I, an Englishman, was alive and in love with the sport in 1966, you might imagine that England winning the tournament is the high point for me. Well, nostalgia certainly can distort the memories, but it was actually the following World Cup that transcended that "home win", and transcends everything since.

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A version of this article appeared in the print edition of The Sunday Times on June 10, 2018, with the headline Matching vintage World Cup thrills the ultimate goal. Subscribe