Bobby Charlton, the Manchester United great who played a starring role in England’s 1966 World Cup victory, has died at the age of 86, the Premier League club said on Saturday.
Charlton is widely considered as one of the greatest soccer players of all time.
“The club’s heartfelt sympathies are with his wife Lady Norma, his daughters and grandchildren, and all who loved him,” Manchester United said in a statement.
The club described him as a “hero to millions, not just in Manchester, or the United Kingdom, but wherever football is played around the world.”
“He was admired as much for his sportsmanship and integrity as he was for his outstanding qualities as a footballer; Sir Bobby will always be remembered as a giant of the game,” the statement added.
Charlton died peacefully in the early hours of Saturday surrounded by his family, according to a statement from his family, per the English Football Association.
“His family would like to pass on their thanks to everyone who has contributed to his care and for the many people who have loved and supported him. We would request that the family’s privacy be respected at this time,” the statement read.
Predominately an attacking midfielder, Charlton made 758 appearances for Manchester United, scoring 249 goals over his 17 years at the club and winning three league titles, the FA Cup and the European Cup – now known as the Champions League.
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He also won 106 caps for England, scoring 49 goals – an England scoring record which stood for 45 years until Wayne Rooney broke it in 2015 – and played a key role in England’s World Cup victory on home soil, the only time the country has won men’s soccer’s biggest prize, scoring three times in the tournament.
Charlton is considered as one of England’s greatest players and as one of the finest of his era, alongside Pelé, Eusébio, Bobby Moore, Garrincha and Franz Beckenbauer. He won the Ballon d’Or in 1966 because of his excellence at that year’s World Cup.
Manchester United’s statement continued: “His unparalleled record of achievement, character and service will be forever etched in the history of Manchester United and English football; and his legacy will live on through the life-changing work of the Sir Bobby Charlton Foundation.”
After his retirement, Charlton served as Manchester United’s director for 39 years.
Charlton’s older brother, Jack, who had played alongside him in England’s World Cup-winning side, died in 2020.
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