By the time you read this we will be two days away from England’s opening match of the 2026 World Cup.
Red and white bunting will be aloft, wallcharts up and Panini albums at the ready.
There really is nothing like the World Cup to galvanise a nation, unite diehard fans with fair-weather supporters, and generally bring a smile to everyone’s faces.
Until we crash out of course.
Or will this be the summer to end 60 years of hurt?
We have another very special piece of football memorabilia appearing in our auction this month and, who knows, it might even bring us luck.
It is an England cap awarded to legendary striker Jimmy Greaves for the 1962 FIFA World Cup in Chile – a tournament, like this one, in which England travelled with hopes of lifting the Jules Rimet Trophy.
More than six decades before today’s generation of stars carried the weight of expectation, Walter Winterbottom’s England side arrived in South America with one of the most feared forward lines in world football.
At its heart was Greaves, then regarded as perhaps the finest natural goalscorer on the planet.
Still only in his early twenties, Greaves had already become a phenomenon.
Having returned from AC Milan to Tottenham Hotspur only months earlier, he was entering the peak years of a career that would eventually bring 44 goals in 57 England appearances.
The team heading to Chile boasted established names such as Johnny Haynes and Bobby Charlton with emerging talents including Bobby Moore.
Expectations in the British press were high, with many believing England possessed the attacking flair to challenge the great footballing powers of Brazil and Argentina.
England progressed from the group stages before meeting reigning champions Brazil in the quarter finals.
And that’s where the excitement ended.
Although Greaves and England battled bravely, Garrincha inspired the Brazilians to a 3-1 victory in one of the tournament’s defining matches.
But the match also entered football folklore thanks to one of the World Cup’s most famous moments, when Greaves attempted to catch a dog that had run onto the pitch during play – an incident he later joked made him “Garrincha’s dog-catcher” in Brazil.
Greaves got down on all fours to catch the errant pooch a minute into play.
Following the game – fought in Chile’s Estadio Sausalito – the dog, who Greaves later revealed relieved himself when he picked it up – was adopted by the star Brazilian winger.
In a later interview Jimmy Greaves recalled: “I got down on my hands and knees, being a dog lover anyway, and called the dog over. It got a massive cheer and I picked the dog up and cuddled him and as I cuddled him he peed all down my shirt. And you never changed strips in those days, you just had the one shirt, so I had to play in this shirt.”
Garrincha who scored two goals in the clash, went on to name his adopted pet “Bi” (short for bicampeonato, celebrating Brazil’s second consecutive World Cup title).
The cap was given to its current owner, who had worked with Greaves in ad campaigns in the early ‘80s.
Recruited to advertise a bank, the adman who described Greaves as “a charming and down-to-earth gentleman who was a delight to work with” asked the footballer for pieces of his sporting memorabilia for window displays.
The striker obliged and, when the campaign ended, Greaves presented the campaign manager with Brazilian cap.
This cap not only has one of the most delightful stories in footballing history attached to it, itboasts a tremendous provenance having been given directly to the current owner by the great man himself.
After retiring from football Greaves reinvented himself on television with the most notable of his punditry being on the ITV show Saint and Greavsie, a double act with former Liverpool player Ian St John.
The show saw a whole new generation fall in love with him for his affable charm and football insights.
In 1962, just as today, England believed success on the world stage was within their reach.
Let’s hope this cap serves as a lucky talisman for one fan meaning we once again lift the trophy at the MetLife Stadium in New York on July 19.
The cap has a guide price of £3,000-£5,000 when it goes under the hammer at Hansons Auctioneers’ sale at its Etwall saleroom on June 18.
Auction Details
Auction: Derby June Three-Day Antiques & Collectors Auction: including Pre World Cup Football Sporting Items
Auction date: 18th – 22nd June 2026 | 10am
Location: Hansons’ Derbyshire Saleroom
Auction contact: [email protected]
Catalogue/bidding: www.hansonslive.co.uk | www.the-saleroom.com
