Geoff Hurst has revisited the goal that completed one of the most famous hat-tricks in football history, remembering the final strike in England's 4-2 victory over West Germany in the 1966 World Cup final at Wembley.
Speaking in 2018 to Radio 4, Hurst said he was simply going to hit the ball as hard as he could when the chance came. As he later put it, he mis-hit it and the ball flew in. It was the kind of finish that helped turn an already memorable night into a defining moment for England and for Hurst himself.
Why Hurst was on the pitch
Hurst's route to the final was not straightforward. He made his international debut against West Germany in February 1966, but his place in the squad came only after Jimmy Greaves suffered a leg injury against France. That opened the door for Hurst to step into the side during the World Cup and make the most of the opportunity.
By the time England reached the final, Hurst had become central to the team's attack. His three goals in the 4-2 win made him the scorer of the first hat-trick in a World Cup final, a record that still carries historical weight 60 years later. For England, it remains one of the signature images of the nation's football history.
From Ashton-under-Lyne to Wembley
Hurst's path to that stage began long before 1966. Born in Ashton-under-Lyne in 1941, he started playing football with his father around age 4. He later joined West Ham, where he was called up to the senior squad in 1959 and accepted £7 a week with a £20 signing fee. By age 15, he was training as a wing-half on an apprenticeship with the club.
That background helps explain why his recollection of the final goal feels so direct. The story is not just about a famous finish, but about a player who took a chance, made the most of it and ended up in the center of England's most iconic World Cup moment. As Hurst also recalled in conversation with Jimmy Armfield in 1997, even the details around his father and the game's physical demands were part of how he understood football at the time.
It is easy to focus on the last goal because it completed the hat-trick, but the broader significance is clear. England beat West Germany 4-2 at Wembley, Hurst delivered a first-of-its-kind final hat-trick, and a moment that started with a mis-hit became part of football history.
