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Famous FIFA World Cup Goals: Geoff Hurst’s Ghost Goal
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Geoff Hurst's ghost goal
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Famous FIFA World Cup Goals: Geoff Hurst’s Ghost Goal

Written by
Gitanjali Roy
Gitanjali Roy is deputy managing editor, Encyclopaedia Britannica. She has over two decades of editorial experience across digital and broadcast media.
Gitanjali Roy
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Geoff Hurst's ghost goal
Geoff Hurst's ghost goalEnglish striker Geoff Hurst scored a controversial extra-time goal against West Germany in the final match of the 1966 FIFA World Cup.

Also known as a phantom goal, a ghost goal refers to officiating errors during a football (soccer) match, resulting in either a goal being awarded despite the ball not having crossed the goal line or a legitimate goal being denied. A controversial ghost goal incident occurred at the 1966 FIFA World Cup final between England and West Germany. During extra time English striker Geoff Hurst unleashed a shot that hit the underside of the crossbar, bounced onto (or just behind, depending on your perspective) the goal line, and was cleared. The referee awarded the goal, Hurst’s second of the game, putting England 3–2 ahead. Hurst found the net again and became the first player to score a hat trick in a World Cup final. England won 4–2 to lift the trophy for the first (and to date only) time. However, the legitimacy of the second goal remains the subject of fierce debate to this day. (Watch the controversial goal here.)

Gitanjali Roy
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