The country that invented football, England, finally found a formula for success on the world stage in 1966. Alf Ramsey's ‘Wingless wonders' overcame final opponents West Germany thanks to Geoff Hurst's historic hat-trick, though the debate over whether his middle strike crossed the line continues to this day. In 1978, hosts Argentina captured their first world title as the Netherlands suffered final heartache for the second tournament running. __