Category: History

Manfred Schaefer: From WWII Refugee to World Cup Player

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Manfred Schaefer was a central defender representing Australia and Sydney club St. George Budapest. Schaefer died earlies this year, on the 28th of March, aged 80. He was a World War II refugee, fleeing Germany at the age of 11, as his family moved down under.

His life in football is also one to notice, as he must be the only German to have played against both East and West Germany in a World Cup tournament. Manfred Scheafer was among the players representing Australia in their first ever World Cup entry.

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The first FIFA World Cup took place in an era before intercontinental air travel and household TV ownership

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World War One had ended just 12 years before, the Great Depression was raging, and archaic racial laws were still in place in countries like the United States. 

To put it bluntly, the inaugural World Cup took place in a bygone era. It was the only edition of the tournament not to feature qualification rounds, as FIFA merely invited its participating teams to join. Thirteen nations made the trip down to Montevideo, Uruguay, for a tournament that was, due to technological handicaps, unable to garner much worldwide publicity.

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The 1966 World Cup took place against the backdrop of Swinging London and the British Invasion

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It was only fitting that England were selected as hosts for the first time ever. 

Brazil held a firm stranglehold on the Jules Rimet trophy after successive wins in 1958 and 1962. With superstars like Pele and Garrincha anchoring the squad, the only threat to the Selecao was the cold English weather. 

Portugal also looked formidable as they boasted the best striker in Europe in Eusebio. Hosts England had a strong squad, but questions were raised over their poor World Cup record in previous tournaments.

How did the 1966 World Cup unfold? Let’s find out.

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