This Day in History: 2023-01-24

Nr. 389

THE FA CELEBRATES ITS CENTENARY (1963)

To commemorate 100 years of the Football Association, the oldest domestic governing body in the world, an exhibition match was staged at Wembley between England and a FIFA World XI. The Rest of the World’s team sheet was a roll-call of some of the game’s greatest ever players, including Alfredo di Stefano, Denis Law, Raymond Kopa, Eusebio, Franscico Gento and Lev Yashin. Despite facing a team of superstars, England took the lead through Terry Paine in the second half. After 84 minutes Law equalized, but three minutes later Jimmy Greaves scored the winner to send the vast majority of the 100,000 crowd back down Wembley Way happy.

Di Stefano and Puskas head the FIFA XI whilst Jimmy Armfield and Bobby Moore are the first men out for England at Wembley.