England’s World Cup Journey: From Underdogs to Heroes
Sixty years on from England’s greatest day, the lesson still holds: tournaments are built on unlikely heroes.
Back in 1966, Geoff Hurst began the World Cup as an understudy. Jimmy Greaves was the superstar, the natural No.9, the man everyone expected to fire England to glory. Then came injury, a twist of fate that flipped the script. Hurst stepped in, seized his moment and walked into immortality with a hat-trick against West Germany at Wembley Stadium. From reserve to legend in 120 frantic minutes.
That story still echoes around the national team today, especially when the conversation turns to young talents waiting their turn. Kobbie Mainoo is one of them. England have, at times, looked short of true control in midfield, short of someone who can calm a game and dictate its rhythm on the biggest stage.
Michael Owen, who knows all about breaking through on the world stage, sees the potential for another surprise. Speaking to GOAL in his role as UK ambassador for Casino.org, the former England striker made it clear he believes Mainoo has the tools to make a real impact.
“I do a little bit,” Owen said when asked if he feels for the youngster. “Because I think he's definitely got the ability to play a role in the World Cup. And who knows? Things change, you get unlikely heroes.”
Owen reached straight for the defining example.
“Our greatest moment ever in this country, winning the World Cup, who would have thought Geoff Hurst would have been playing? Jimmy Greaves was the best thing since sliced bread. My dad just raves about Jimmy Greaves. When anyone's talking about the best England XI and things like that, my dad's like, ‘Jimmy Greaves’ straight away. He was insanely good. Now, things happen, and all of a sudden, Geoff Hurst plays, and look what happens.”
That is the path Owen sketches for Mainoo: not guaranteed, not promised, but possible. Stay ready. Stay switched on. Because tournaments have a way of throwing up moments that nobody scripted.
“There will be, or there could be, a surprise. And it could be Mainoo, you can't switch off,” Owen said. Then he turned to the broader picture of England’s campaign so far, and the standards he believes should be non-negotiable.
“Really, what we've done so far, if we had been knocked out, there would have been a huge inquest. I mean, nobody should be really in our league.”
England, in his eyes, have not been punching up. They have been doing what should be expected.
“We've built it up as if Mexico was the hardest game of all time, but come on,” he continued. “Norway, if we played Norway at a neutral ground, let's say we play Norway in Spain tomorrow, people would expect us to beat them two or 3-0. So when you look back, we should be beating every single team.”
The tone hardens there. This is not a plucky underdog story. This is a football nation that, in Owen’s view, ought to be imposing itself.
Now comes the real test. Argentina.
“This [Argentina] is now the first game, this is a proper game, this is one that is a toss of a coin, this is one that's going to challenge us,” Owen said. “But everything so far has been what you would expect from England, surely.”
The message is clear: the warm-up is over. From here, the margins shrink, the pressure climbs, and the cast of heroes can change in an instant. Hurst once stepped through that door when it opened unexpectedly. Someone else will have to do it this time.
“We will see, but if we're going to win it, there are going to be so many twists and turns and so many heroes that we won't even be thinking at the moment. And Mainoo could be one of them.”
Sixty years ago, England’s greatest night belonged to a man who did not start the tournament as the star. If this team is to write its own chapter, it may again fall to a player currently standing just outside the spotlight, waiting for the moment that changes everything.
