1966 in association football

The following are the football (soccer) events of the year 1966 throughout the world.

Events

• Copa Libertadores 1966: Won by Peñarol after defeating River Plate on an aggregate score of 4–2.
• Real Madrid won the European Cup defeating Partizan 2–1.
• November 6 – Johan Cruijff becomes the first player in history of the Netherlands national football team who receives a red card, when he is expelled by East-German referee Rudi Glöckner in the friendly against Czechoslovakia.

Winners club national championship

Asia

• Qatar: Al-Maref

Europe

• Austria: FC Admira Wacker Mödling
• Belgium: Anderlecht
• Czechoslovakia: Dukla Prague
• England: Liverpool
• France: Nantes
• Italy: Inter Milan
• Netherlands: Ajax
• Portugal: Sporting C.P.
• Soviet Union: Dynamo Kiev
• Scotland: Celtic
• Spain: Atlético Madrid
• Switzerland: FC Zürich
• Turkey: Beşiktaş J.K.
• West Germany: TSV 1860 München
• Yugoslavia: FK Vojvodina

North America

• Mexico: América

South America

• Argentina: Racing Club
• Brazil: Cruzeiro

International tournaments

• 1966 British Home Championship (October 2, 1965 – April 2, 1966)

England

• FIFA World Cup in England (July 11 – 29 1966)
  1. England
  2. West Germany
  3. Portugal

Clubs Founded

• PAS Giannina (Greece)

Births

• January 13 – Gerardo Esquivel, Mexican footballer
• January 15 – Rommel Fernández, Panamanian striker (d. 1993)
• January 29 – Romário, Brazilian footballer
• February 1 – Michelle Akers, American women's soccer player
• February 4 – Egidio Notaristefano, Italian footballer and manager
• February 8 – Hristo Stoichkov, Bulgarian footballer
• March 27 – Ramiro Castillo, Bolivian footballer (d. 1997)
• April 2 – Teddy Sheringham, English footballer
• April 9 – Thomas Doll, German footballer and manager
• May 12 – Vladimir Quesada, Costa Rican footballer
• May 24 – Eric Cantona, French footballer
• May 30 – Thomas Häßler, German footballer
• June 6 – Fernando Kanapkis, Uruguayan footballer
• June 12
  • Nélson Bertolazzi, Brazilian former footballer
  • Albeiro Usuriaga (died 2004), Colombian footballer
• June 14 – Nelson Cossio, Chilean footballer
• June 14 – Byron Tenorio, Ecuadorian footballer
• June 21 – Guillermo Sanguinetti, Uruguayan footballer
• June 26 – Abel Shongwe, retired Swazi footballer
• June 29 – Massimo Brambati, Italian footballer
• July 1 – Frank De Bleeckere, Belgian soccer referee
• July 5 – Gianfranco Zola, Italian international footballer
• July 7 – Henk Fräser, Dutch footballer
• July 28 – Miguel Ángel Nadal, Spanish footballer
• August 2 – Anzor Koblev, Russian professional football coach and former player
• August 13 – Miguel Miranda, Peruvian footballer
• August 22
  • Laurent Cadu, French former professional footballer
  • Luca Lurati, retired Swiss footballer
  • Michel van Oostrum, Dutch footballer
  • Rob Witschge, Dutch international footballer
• October 5 – Wilfred Agbonavbare, Nigerian international footballer (died 2015)
• October 16 – Stefan Reuter, German international footballer
• October 19 – José Carpio, Ecuadorian football referee
• November 10 – Michael Voss, former cricketer at CricketArchive
• December 3 – Flemming Povlsen, Danish international footballer

Deaths

• March 27 – Hermann Garrn, German forward, capped 2 times for the Germany national football team (78)
• April 29 – Sílvio Lagreca, Brazilian manager, first ever manager of the Brazil national football team (70)
• May 2 – Agostinho Fortes Filho, Brazilian midfielder, squad member at the 1930 FIFA World Cup (64)
• September 17 – Mário Filho, Brazilian legendary football journalist who revolutionized football coverage in Brazil. The Maracanã Stadium was named after him after his death (58)
• December 26 – Guillermo Stábile, Argentine striker, runner-up and top scorer of the 1930 FIFA World Cup (61)