1966 FIFA World Cup later discovered wrapped in newspaper as the dog sniffed under some bushes in London. The FA commissioned a replica cup in case the original cup was not found in time. This replica is held at the English National Football Museum in Manchester, where it is on display. "World Cup Willie", the mascot for the 1966 competition, was the first World Cup mascot, and one of the first mascots to be associated with a major sporting competition. "World Cup Willie" is a lion, a typical symbol of the United Kingdom, wearing a Union Flag jersey emblazoned with the words "WORLD CUP".
1966 FIFA World Cup qualification (UEFA) team at World Cup were all due to withdrawals (1938, 1950, and 1962). Soviet Union qualified. Italy qualified. Syria withdrew to support the African teams who withdrew in protest at the allocation of spots. Republic of Ireland and Spain finished level on points, and a play-off on neutral ground was played to decide who would qualify. This match was initially to be played in London, a city with a large Irish immigrant population, but the Spanish and Irish football associations later came to an agreement and moved the match to Paris. Spain qualified. 1966 FIFA World Cup qualification (UEFA) The