Brazil and England play out the first goalless match in World Cup history, 1958
Chris Oakley | 14 March 2026
The England team that qualified for the 1958 World Cup was in many ways different from the one that played in the finals in Sweden.
Playing in a three-team group along with the Republic of Ireland and Denmark, England began their qualification campaign in December 1956 with a 5-2 victory over Denmark at Molineux. Three of the goals for the home team were scored by Manchester United's Tommy Taylor, the other two by his teammate at Old Trafford, Duncan Edwards.
In England's final two qualifiers, Taylor and Edwards were joined by another young talent from Manchester United, Roger Byrne. Each one of them unquestionably played their part in booking England's place at the 1958 World Cup, but just four months before the tournament started, all three of them lost their lives in the Munich air disaster.
The Busby Babes - Matt Busby's group of brilliant and talented young players - won the League Championship in 1955–56 and 1956–57. Eight of their squad were to die after their plane crashed on its third attempt to take off from a snowy Munich-Riem Airport on February 8th 1958. The tragedy was devastating for their families and friends, but it also had a profound impact on Manchester United and, to some extent, the England team.
Tommy Taylor, who died fifteen days after the crash, scored eight of England's goals across its four qualifiers, making him the top scorer for the competition in Europe. That he would be the spearhead of Walter Winterbottom's team in Sweden, there was no doubt. Backed up by Edwards and Byrne, along with more established stars like Tom Finney and Billy Wright, many believed England had the potential to go far in the tournament, but their absence left fans to wonder what might have been.
When England took to the field for their first match of the 1958 World Cup, the lack of experience among the starting line-up was extraordinary. Aside from Billy Wright (93 appearances), Tom Finney (74) and Johnny Haynes (21), no other team member had played more than eight times for his country. It was therefore something of an achievement that they earned a 2-2 draw against the Soviet Union, especially as they'd been 2-0 down with just over half an hour of the game remaining.
Following Brazil's decisive 3-0 victory over Austria, the match between Brazil and England three days later at the Ullevi Stadium was almost a must-win for the English side. Both teams adjusted their line-ups. Brazil introduced Vavá at inside left, replacing Dida. England, however, were forced to make a change due to the injury of Tom Finney (who had scored the equalising penalty against the Soviets — virtually his last contribution in international football), bringing in Liverpool winger Alan A'Court as his replacement.
England's second performance marked a significant improvement over their first. The tactical shift in defence, implemented at the suggestion of coach Bill Nicholson, proved effective. The match showcased a clash of styles. While Brazil dominated possession in the first half, the English defence successfully contained their attack. Goalkeeper Colin McDonald of Burnley was particularly outstanding, making several tremendous saves.
Brazil adopted a more defensive approach in the second half, and England narrowly missed scoring a late winner. They were also unfortunate not to be awarded a penalty in the first half when Hilderado Bellini fouled West Bromwich Albion's Derek Kevan.
Ultimately, however, the game ended goalless - the first time a World Cup match had ended with neither team able to score. It was of little consequence to Brazil who were virtually assured of a place in the quarter-finals anyway, but England weren't so confident. This was their third consecutive draw - the first time they'd ever tied three games in a row - and the sequence extended to a fourth draw when their last Group 4 match ended 2-2 against Austria.
The final Group 4 table in the first round of the 1958 World Cup.
When the First Round ended, both England and the Soviet Union were tied on points, goals scored and goals conceded. A play-off was duly arranged back at the Ullevi to see who would accompany Brazil in the last eight of the competition, and it was hoped that a survivor of the Munich air crash, Bobby Charlton, might make his international debut. Sadly for him, Walter Winterbottom instead opted for Chelsea's Peter Brabrook and Wolves' Peter Broadbent. Brabrook missed an easy opportunity to score and hit the woodwork twice against the Soviets in the play-off.
The only goal of the game came from Anatoli Ilyin, whose shot went in off the woodwork in the 69th minute. The USSR, playing in their first World Cup, held onto their lead, so ending England's chances of winning the World Cup in 1958.
Would the inclusion of Byrne, Edwards and Taylor have seen England through to a quarter-final against Sweden? It's possible, but beyond that, hardly anybody could have stopped Brazil on their way to winning the Jules Rimet trophy. England were the only team that prevented Brazil from winning a match during the tournament, and on reflection, that was probably an achievement in itself.