No noise. No nonsense. Just England.
Hosted by Sweden
England: Group stage
How England performed
England's route to the 1958 FIFA World Cup in Sweden ran through qualifying Group 1, which they came through unbeaten with three wins and a draw. Taylor was the outstanding scorer, with hat-tricks in the 5–2 win over Denmark and the 5–1 defeat of the Republic of Ireland, and eight qualifying goals in all.
The finals proved tighter. Walter Winterbottom's side, captained by Billy Wright, came back from two goals down to draw 2–2 with the Soviet Union, Kevan and a Finney penalty bringing them level, then held Brazil to a goalless draw and drew 2–2 with Austria through Haynes and Kevan. Three draws led to a play-off against the Soviet Union, which England lost 1–0, ending their tournament at the group stage. They finished with no wins, three draws and a defeat from four matches, scoring four and conceding five, a step back from the quarter-final finish of 1954.
England fixtures
England
5–2
Denmark
England won
England: Taylor 18', Taylor 20', Taylor 48', Edwards 56', Edwards 77'
Denmark: O.B. Nielsen 30', O.B. Nielsen 52'
England
5–1
Republic of Ireland
England won
England: Taylor 8', Taylor 17', Atyeo 38', Taylor 40', Atyeo 90'
Republic of Ireland: Curtis 56'
Denmark
1–4
England
England won
England: Haynes 28', Taylor 71', Atyeo 75', Taylor 86'
Denmark: J. Jensen 27'
Republic of Ireland
1–1
England
England drew
England: Atyeo 90'
Republic of Ireland: Ringstead 3'
Soviet Union
2–2
England
England drew
England: Kevan 66', Finney 85' pen
Soviet Union: Simonyan 13', A. Ivanov 55'
Brazil
0–0
England
England drew
Austria
2–2
England
England drew
England: Haynes 56', Kevan 74'
Austria: Koller 15', Körner 71'
Soviet Union
1–0
England
England lost
England: None
Soviet Union: Ilyin 68'
England statistics
Full England squad
| No. | Player | Pos | Club | Goals |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Colin McDonald | GK | Burnley | – |
| 2 | Don Howe | DF | West Bromwich Albion | – |
| 3 | Tommy Banks | DF | Bolton Wanderers | – |
| 4 | Eddie Clamp | MF | Wolverhampton Wanderers | – |
| 5 | Billy Wright C | DF | Wolverhampton Wanderers | – |
| 6 | Bill Slater | MF | Wolverhampton Wanderers | – |
| 7 | Bryan Douglas | FW | Blackburn Rovers | – |
| 8 | Bobby Robson | FW | West Bromwich Albion | – |
| 9 | Derek Kevan | FW | West Bromwich Albion | 2 |
| 10 | Johnny Haynes | FW | Fulham | 2 |
| 11 | Tom Finney | FW | Preston North End | 1 |
| 12 | Eddie Hopkinson | GK | Bolton Wanderers | – |
| 13 | Alan Hodgkinson | GK | Sheffield United | – |
| 14 | Peter Sillett | DF | Chelsea | – |
| 15 | Ronnie Clayton | MF | Blackburn Rovers | – |
| 16 | Maurice Norman | DF | Tottenham Hotspur | – |
| 17 | Peter Brabrook | FW | Chelsea | – |
| 18 | Peter Broadbent | FW | Wolverhampton Wanderers | – |
| 19 | Bobby Smith | FW | Tottenham Hotspur | – |
| 20 | Bobby Charlton | FW | Manchester United | – |
| 21 | Alan A'Court | FW | Liverpool | – |
| 22 | Maurice Setters | MF | West Bromwich Albion | – |
18+ only. Odds and offers are subject to change and to the bookmaker's terms. Set a budget, never chase losses, and treat betting as entertainment. National Gambling Helpline: 0808 8020 133, free, 24/7.