Another efficient and deserved victory for England added to their superb run of only two defeats in 40 internationals. Only Austria and Scotland had beaten them over the previous four years and Sweden never looked like repeating their win of nine years earlier in this very stadium.

The match was never a classic. England played cool and dominating football without setting the pulse racing too fast. Sweden had to rely on the occasional breakaway and Alex Stepney celebrated his debut with a splendid save from Nordahl midway through the first half.

It was not long, however, before England emphasised their superiority with a goal. It came in the 36th minute and began with a short corner between Roger Hunt and Bobby Charlton. A deflected centre was then met brilliantly by Martin Peters, who dived to head home from six yards. It was a superbly-taken goal and showed Peters's knack of being in the right place at the right time.

Two minutes later, England added a second with as fine a goal as you could wish to see. Bobby Moore sent Charlton away with a lovely through-pass. Charlton, in that elegant, flowing stride of his, jinked inside two defenders and let fly a right-foot 'thunderbolt' which roared into the top corner. It was a gem of a goal and how appropriate that such a magnificent effort should enable him to overhaul Jimmy Greaves's record total of 44 international goals. Charlton now had 45 in his 85 appearances.

Sweden struck back bravely and Ejderstedt volleyed just past the post. Shortly afterwards Stepney made another fine save as Nordahl all but broke through. But at half-time it was very clear who 'held the aces'.

England continued to 'call the tune' throughout the second half, although Colin Bell struggled to adjust to this higher level of football in the midfield. However, with 20 minutes to go, England clinched victory with a third goal. Good work by both full-backs, Keith Newton and Cyril Knowles, saw a run by the former and a shot against the bar by the latter. When the rebound came out, the ever-alert Hunt nipped in to poach a typical goal.

With five minutes to go Sweden suffered a cruel blow. Goalkeeper Larsson bravely dived at the feet of Mullery, but in so doing received a serious injury, later diagnosed as a fractured skull. He was replaced by substitute Hult.

Sweden did manage a consolation when another second-half substitute, Andersson, who came on for Ejderstedt, scored with the last kick of the match. It followed a mistake by Norman Hunter but had little effect on England's overall dominance. England also used a substitute when Geoff Hurst came on for Charlton, who had received a slight knock. When the Manchester United ace left the field the crowd gave him rapturous applause and those that were there will never forget his magical goal.
  

Alex Stepney played his only game in the England goal one week before helping Manchester United win the European Cup on the same pitch. Colin Bell also made his first appearance, and helped inspire goals from Peters, Hunt and a classic from Charlton, who became the new record holder with forty-five goals before limping off to be replaced by Geoff Hurst. Charlton recovered from his injury to lead United to their emotional European Cup victory over Benfica. There was a worrying climax to the game when Swedish goalkeeper Larsson was carried off with a fractured skull after he had bravely dived at the feet of Alan Mullery.

This was England's last home match before their European Championship semi-final with Yugoslavia in Florence. Sweden had lost in the qualifying stages and had not reached a World Cup since finishing runners-up in their own country in 1958. They were, however, unbeaten at Wembley, winning the Olympic tournament in 1948 and beating England 11 years later. England had won 2-1 in Gothenburg, though, in 1965.
Ten minutes before half-time Hunt's cross hit a defender and Martin Peters beat Kristensson to head England in front. Within two minutes they increased the lead. Moore sent Bobby Charlton through. He beat two men before unleashing a 20-yard piledriver which gave Larsson no chance. Next Knowles hit the bar from a pass by Newton and Roger Hunt swept home the rebound.
Sweden's goalkeeper Larsson was carried off with a fractured skull after an 85th-minute collision with Mullery but the visitors gained some consolation in injury-time from substitute Rolf Andersson.
England lost their European Championship semi-final to a late winner in Florence. Sweden qualified for the 1970 World Cup and were only eliminated on goal-difference but it was to be 20 years before they reappeared at Wembley.
     

Source Notes

TheFA.com
Original newspaper reports
Rothman's Yearbooks
Mike Payne's England: The Complete Post-War Record (Breedon Books Publishing Company, Derby, U.K., 1993)
Norman Giller, Football Author
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CG