In pictures: when England won the football World Cup

Above, crowds arrive at Wembley Stadium for the 1966 World Cup final between England and West Germany. A crowd of 93,000 spectators – including Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Phillip – filled the London stadium.

England football fans at Wembley Stadium on 30 July 1966. On 26 July, England's football team had faced Portugal in the semi-finals, and although Portugal's star player Eusébio had scored his ninth goal of the tournament, the hosts won 2-1 to set up the final with West Germany.

On the morning of 30 July 1966, Cissie Charlton (centre) is greeted by station staff at King's Cross, London. Her sons Bobby and Jackie played for England in the 1966 World Cup final against Germany.

As the host nation for the 1966 World Cup tournament, many people around the country were swept up in the England team’s success and a number of street parties were held. Here, residents of Leta Street, Liverpool – near Everton’s Goodison Park ground, where some of the tournament matches were played – celebrate with cakes and party hats.

The teams from England and West Germany line up with match officials before the World Cup final, 1966.

The West Germany team opened the scoring after just 12 minutes, only for England's replacement striker Geoff Hurst to equalise four minutes later. With 12 minutes of regular time remaining, England's midfielder Martin Peters scored another goal, bringing the score to 2–1. Here, England's Jackie Charlton rushes in to tackle West Germany's forward Sigfried Held.

In the 89th minute, Wolfgang Weber (far left) scored West Germany's second goal, bringing the score to 2–2 and forcing the game to extra time. England's Bobby Moore, the team's captain, is seen raising his hand in the background.

West German players protest and England's Bobby Charlton (centre) holds his hands up after Geoff Hurst scores the controversial third goal in extra time. A Russian linesman awarded England a third goal after the ball hit the bar and bounced onto the ground. In the final moments of extra time Geoff Hurst powered home his third goal to give England a 4–2 victory. Hurst became the first player to score a hat-trick in a World Cup final and his final score inspired the famous commentary line from the BBC's Kenneth Wolstenhome: "They think it's all over... it is now."

Queen Elizabeth II presents the Jules Rimet Cup to Bobby Moore, captain of England's 1966 national football team, as her husband, Prince Philip, and hat-trick scoring forward Geoff Hurst (right) look on.

England captain Bobby Moore is held aloft by his team-mates.

England manager Alf Ramsey and Bobby Moore hold up the gold-plated Jules Rimet trophy. Described by Ramsey as the "spirit and heartbeat" of England's 1966 champions, at the close of his career Moore had won 108 caps and captained his country 90 times.

Did you know that, England managed to win and lose the FIFA World Cup in the same year? Prior to the tournament, while on display at a stamp exhibition in Westminster Central Hall in London, the Jules Rimet trophy was stolen from under the noses of its guards.

Elinor Evans is acting digital editor of HistoryExtra

This gallery was first published in 2018