Background |
The
1958 FIFA World Cup, the sixth staging of the World Cup, was hosted by
Sweden from 8 June to 29 June. Sweden were chosen as unopposed hosts by
the 27th FIFA
Congress in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil on 23 June 1950.
Other countries
did show an interest, namely Argentina, Chile and Mexico. But the Swedish
delegates convinced all other nations at the 1950 FIFA Congress that
theirs was the only viable option to host the tournament. |
|
The Draw |
The format of the competition changed once more. Sixteen
teams competed in four groups of four,
in which all four teams would play each other
once, there was no extra time to
be added if the scores were level. As in the previous finals
tournament, if the second- and third-placed teams finished on the
same points, then there would be a play-off with the winner going
through.
On 8 February 1958, in Solna, Lennart Hyland and Sven
Jerring presented the results of the draw where the qualified teams
were divided into four groups. There were no seeded teams:-
West Europe Pot |
East Europe Pot |
British Pot |
American Pot |
Sweden |
Czechoslovakia |
England |
Argentina |
West Germany |
Hungary |
Northern Ireland |
Brazil |
Austria |
USSR |
Scotland |
Mexico |
France |
Yugoslavia |
Wales |
Paraguay |
|
|
The Build-Up |
28 May:
The Football Association announced the twenty players that would travel
to Sweden for the tournament.
5 June: The
England squad arrived in Sweden.
"Before
leaving London Airport, the team manager, Mr. Winterbottom said: "If we
do well in the opening part, we shall stand a good chance of winning. It
is so difficult to predict who will win as there are so many teams which
are about as good as each other. Our team for the first game will
probably be that which drew with Russia recently."
[it was]
The England captain,
Wright, said: "I think Yugoslavia might pull it off, but we will
certainly do our best."
- The Times, 5 June 1958
|
|
First Phase
Pool 4 |
Team |
P
|
W
|
D
|
L
|
F
|
A
|
GAve |
Pts
|
Brazil |
3 |
2 |
1 |
0 |
5 |
0 |
1.67 |
5 |
USSR |
3 |
1 |
1 |
1 |
4 |
4 |
1.33 |
3 |
England |
3 |
0 |
3 |
0 |
4 |
4 |
1.33 |
3 |
Austria |
3 |
0 |
1 |
2 |
2 |
7 |
0.67 |
1 |
8 June 1958 -
both 7:00pm CET |
Brazil 3 Austria 0 [1-0]
Rimnersvallen, Uddevalla
(17,778) |
Mazzola (2),
Nílton Santos |
England 2 USSR 2 [0-1] Nya Ullevi Stadion,
Göteborg
(49,348) |
Kevan, Finney (pen)
Simonyan, A.Ivanov |
ENGLAND'S STORMING FINISH FOILS RUSSIA
"England, it seemed, were about to depart at a slow march with drums
muffled. But suddenly some old latent instinct, some old fighting spirit
surged up out of apparent defeat." - The Times, 9 June 1958
11 June 1958 -
both 7:00pm CET |
Brazil 0 England 0 [0-0] Nya Ullevi Stadion,
Göteborg
(40,895) |
|
USSR 2 Austria 0 [1-0] Ryavallen Stadion,
Borås
(21,239) |
A.Ivanov,
V.Ivanov |
ENGLAND ANSWER CRITICS AND HOLD BRAZIL
"...a chess match played at
full pace..."
- The Times, 12 June 1958
15 June 1958 -
both 7:00pm CET |
England 2 Austria 2 [0-1] Ryavallen Stadion,
Borås
(15,872) |
Haynes, Kevan
Koller, Körner |
Brazil 2 USSR
0 [1-0] Nya Ullevi Stadion, Göteborg
(50,928) |
Vavá
(2) |
THREE U.K. TEAMS IN WORLD CUP PLAY-OFFS
"England...escaped after a performance in the first half that was first
cousin to a funeral.
"...unintelligent attack,
moving ponderously.
"A real England forward
line would have scored five goals to-day." - The Times, 16
June 1958
|
|
Play-off |
17 June 1958 -
7.00pm CET |
USSR 1 England 0 [0-0] Nya
Ullevi Stadion, Göteborg
(23,182) |
Ilyin |
ENGLAND ARE ELIMINATED |
FAILURE IN ATTACK AGAINST RUSSIA
"...a match where they held
a greater command than at any time since they arrived here.
"...morale and stamina in
full measure; skill only in a modicum; and of luck, none at all."
- The Times, 18 June 1958
A STORY OF WASTED OPPORTUNITIES
"Without trying to make
excuses (for she hardly deserved to win) England has not enjoyed the
best of luck, for she had goals disallowed in two matches when they
would have made all the difference and to-night the Russian post was hit
twice with no reward.
"The selectors...omitted
Charlton, for reasons that few English football followers here can
fathom."
- The Guardian, 18 June 1958
|
|
Second Phase |
19 June 1958 -
all 7:00pm CET |
France 4 Northern Ireland 0 [1-0]
Idrottsparken, Norrköping (11,800) |
Wisniesk, Fontaine (2),
Piantoni |
Sweden 2 USSR
0 [0-0]
Råsunda Fotbollstadion,
Solna (31,900) |
Hamrin, Simonsson |
Brazil 1 Wales 0 [0-0]
Nya Ullevi Stadion, Göteborg (25,923) |
Pelé |
West Germany 1 Yugoslavia 0
[1-0] Malmö Stadion,
Malmö
(20,055) |
Rahn |
|
Quarter Finals |
|
Semi
Finals |
24 June 1958
-
both 7:00pm CET |
Brazil 5 France 2
[2-1]
Råsunda Fotbollstadion,
Solna (27,100) |
Vavá,
Didi, Pelé (3)
Fontaine, Piantoni |
Sweden 3 West Germany 1
[1-1] Nya Ullevi Stadion, Göteborg
(49,471) |
Skoglund, Gren, Hamrin
Schäfer |
Juskowiak |
|
|
Third Place
Play-off |
28 June 1958
-
5:00pm CET |
France 6
West Germany 3 [3-1] Nya Ullevi Stadion, Göteborg (32,483) |
Fontaine (4), Kopa (pen),
Douis Cieslarczyk, Rahn, Schäfer |
|
|
The
1958 Final |
29 June 1958
-
3:00pm CET |
Brazil 5
Sweden 2 [2-1]
Råsunda Fotbollstadion,
Solna (49,737) |
Vavá
(2), Pelé
(3),
Zagallo
Liedholm, Simonsson |
|
|
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