World champion from 1966
England’s football icon Sir Bobby Charlton is dead
Manchester United mourns the loss of its football legend Sir Bobby Charlton
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Bobby Charlton, one of England’s greatest football icons, died early this morning at the age of 86. He celebrated his greatest successes with the national team and his club Manchester United.
The English football icon Sir Bobby Charlton is dead. The 1966 world champion, revered as a national hero, died at the age of 86, the PA news agency reported on Saturday, citing his family. A statement on behalf of the Charlton family said: “It is with great sadness that we share the news that Sir Bobby passed away peacefully in the early hours of Saturday morning. He was surrounded by his family.”
The long-time Manchester United professional suffered from dementia in 2020. Charlton was an idol of his generation – in 1966 he won the World Cup with the Three Lions on home soil with a 4-2 win against Germany. In Manchester he was one of the key players in the so-called “Busby Babes”, the legendary United team that won numerous titles, including the 1968 European Cup.
Bobby Charlton ‘will have footballing immortality’
“A truly wonderful footballer and truly lovely man,” wrote English legend Gary Lineker about Charlton via X, formerly Twitter. “He may no longer be with us, but he will have footballing immortality.” His former club also paid tribute to Charlton. “Sir Bobby was a hero to millions, not just in Manchester or the United Kingdom, but wherever football is played in the world,” Manchester United wrote. “He was admired as much for his sportsmanship and integrity as for his outstanding footballing abilities. Sir Bobby will always be remembered as one of the game’s greats.”
Charlton’s career and life were also shaped by the plane disaster in Munich. In February 1958, Manchester United were on their way home from a European Cup game in Belgrade. After a stopover in Munich, the plane had starting problems in bad weather. “We didn’t even take off,” Charlton recalled decades later, visibly moved. “We crashed into a house and I think a few other obstacles. It was just a nightmare.” 23 people died in the accident, Charlton was one of 21 survivors.
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