The eighth World Cup games were scheduled to be held in England, who were chosen as the hosts by FIFA in 1960, to celebrate the centenary of the standardisation of soccer. The tournament was chaotic even before the start of the first game. The African teams stepped back from playing qualifying games and revolted against FIFA because of a ruling that required the champion team from Africa to enter a playoff round against the winners of either Asia or Oceania to win a place at the finals.

FIFA soon announced its final decision on the teams that would be taking part in the World Cup games. The sixteen teams that would play included four South American teams, ten European teams, one Asian team and one Central and North American team. They were further divided into four groups to play Round 1 of the World Cup matches. Eight teams, with two of the top scoring teams from each group, would be going into the quarter-finals round later.

A dog named Pickles became the most famous canine in England after he discovered the stolen World Cup trophy hidden in some bushes in London. The trophy had been stolen earlier from an exhibition, and simply thrown into the streets.

World Cup games would be held at eight different stadiums, including the famous Wembley Stadium, Goodison Park, Hillsborough Stadium, Roker Park, White City Stadium, Villa Park, Old Trafford and Ayresome Park.

After a stupendous first round, eight teams (England, Argentina, Portugal, Korea DPR, West Germany, Uruguay, Soviet Union and Hungary) were selected for the quarter-finals. The 1966 World Cup games were also famous for their controversial quarter-final match that was played between Argentina and England. Many soccer fans believe that this match was fixed in favor of the hosts! Then, Argentinean soccer star Antonio Rattin was sent off the field for no valid reason, while many of the physical fouls made by the England team went unnoticed by the referees.

Another controversial World Cup game was the one between West Germany and Uruguay. An unfavorable decision against Uruguay sent two players off the field, resulting in their defeat 4-0. In the other two matches Portugal defeated Korea DPR, while the Soviet Union overpowered Hungary to reach the semi-finals. The four teams that made it to the semi-finals were England, Portugal, West Germany and the Soviet Union.

The first semi-finals saw England crush Portugal to enter the finals. In the other semi-final match West Germany finished with two goals to beat the Soviet Union's single goal, the result of a penalty kick in the 82nd minute of the game.

The final match of the 1966 World Cup games also ended on a controversial note. The third goal that was scored against Germany was awarded to England, but studies and research later showed that the ball did not actually cross the goal line! England finished the game with a score of 4-2 and became the first host to win the World Cup games since 1934.