Iconic England shirt worn by World Cup hero and Fulham legend to be auctioned

A historic football shirt worn by England’s 1966 World Cup legend George Cohen is set to go under the hammer at auction this June. 

The red Bukta No.2 shirt is estimated to sell for between £2,000-3,000 at Graham Budd Auctions’ Sporting Memorabilia Four-Day Sale.

Worn by Mr Cohen during his second international appearance for England in a 1964 friendly against Portugal, the shirt will be offered as Lot 792 in the auction, with bidding concluding on June 4. 

The match, held at Lisbon’s Estadio Nacional on 17 May 1964, commemorated the 50th anniversary of the Portuguese Football Association and saw England triumph 4–3.

The shirt was correctly identified as part of the 1964 tour thanks to research by David Convery, Head of Sporting Memorabilia at Graham Budd Auctions. 

Mr Convery, who previously worked on the original 2004 Christie’s auction where the shirt was first sold as part of FIFA’s 100-Year Anniversary celebrations, verified its provenance. 

Impressively, the original lot tag from that Christie’s sale remains attached.

The 1964 tour was remembered by Mr Cohen in his autobiography as physically punishing. 

Following intense fixtures in Lisbon, Dublin, and New York, the England squad travelled to Rio de Janeiro with minimal rest. 

Mr Cohen, who fell ill during the Brazil match, played on despite his condition due to the era’s lack of substitutions. 

Revered as one of England’s greatest-ever right-backs, Mr Cohen passed away in December 2022, aged 83.

A one-club man, he made 459 appearances for Fulham between 1956 and 1969. 

Internationally, he earned 37 caps and was a key figure in England’s 1966 World Cup-winning squad, playing every minute of the tournament.

Though he never scored for England, the player’s legacy was cemented in 2000 when he was awarded an MBE alongside fellow 1966 teammates Alan Ball, Ray Wilson, Nobby Stiles, and Roger Hunt.

This upcoming auction offers collectors and fans a rare opportunity to own a tangible piece of English footballing history.

To view the lot, visit: https://bidlive.grahambuddauctions.co.uk/auctions/9290/srgrah10098/lot-details/736aa989-217b-452c-9783-b2de013ea110

Pictured top: George Cohen (left) after the 1966 World Cup win (Picture: Supplied by Graham Budd Auctions’)