World Cup

The World Cup was a football tournament in which various nations across Earth participated. The winner of the tournament received the Jules Rimet Trophey. (PROSE: The Rag and Bone Man's Story)

In the 1962 quarterfinals, England lost to Brazil in Chile. (PROSE: The Rag and Bone Man's Story)

During the 1966 World Cup's final match between England and Germany, Joseph Galloway, who possessed the Blessing Star, watched the match, and the jewel started to respond to his fervent wish for England's victory over Germany. As he watched the final, the First Doctor, fresh from his victory over WOTAN (TV: The War Machines) found him. The Time Lord had been tracking down the Star so as to tie up loose ends from his last visit to England. To his dismay, he found the Star too late. By then, the Star had started to overload, taking in not just the rag and bones man's wishes, but those of people all over England. The Star allowed England to make a very close shot into the German goal, but no more. It exploded, overwhelmed by the hopes of an entire nation. England went on to win, but without any further help from the Star. (PROSE: The Rag and Bone Man's Story)

On 11 July 1982, Italy beat West Germany in the World Cup final with a score of three to one. Much to Charley Pollard's disdain, the Eighth Doctor enthused over the victory, and briefly joined in the public celebrations in the Italian village of Ferrara. Unbeknownst to the revellers, however, Ferrara (and the world beyond) was being invaded by the Threllips. As part of the subterfuge to end the invasion, the Doctor convinced the Threllip that the jubilation in Ferrara was actually a sign of an illness called "World Cup Fever", to which the Threllips were also susceptible. (AUDIO: Living Legend)

In 2050, the New Wembly Space Stadium had what appeared to be the England 2010 World Cup team playing. The Eleventh Doctor saw from the match programme that the England team was borrowed from the past by the Chronos Corporation. With a team of computerised robots playing in opposition the Doctor investigated as the eleven players from the England squad walked onto the pitch. Behind the scenes the Doctor used his psychic paper to pass himself and Amy off as laundry service to gain access to the England changing room. The Doctor soon recognised a perception field generator with a big on / off lever. Without hesitation the Doctor turned it off and the players on the pitch were revealed to be multi-tentacled purple alien players. With an angry crowd outside in the stadium the Doctor and Amy made a sharp exit with the Doctor explaining he knew the England team were imposters when he spotted one of them had a tentacle and revealed the outcome of the World Cup to Amy. (COMIC: Foul Play)

Behind the scenes

• The airing date of The Lodger, in which the Doctor played football, was two days into the FIFA World Cup 2010. As the episode finished, the first England/USA match started on ITV.