World Cup Trivia

Kevin Keegan's World Cup Curse

Despite being one of England's greatest players and winning the Ballon d'Or in both 1978 and 1979, Kevin Keegan barely featured in World Cup history.

1974 & 1978

During the absolute peak of his career, England failed to qualify for both tournaments, denying Keegan the chance to appear on football's biggest stage.

1982 – Spain

England finally qualified and Keegan arrived as captain. However, a serious back injury caused by sciatica ruled him out of almost the entire tournament.

The Only 27 Minutes

On 5 July 1982, Keegan came on as a substitute in the 64th minute against Spain. England needed a victory to reach the semi-finals, but the match finished 0-0.

Late in the game, Keegan missed a famous headed chance that could have changed England's World Cup history.

Those 27 minutes against Spain proved to be the only World Cup football Kevin Keegan ever played — and they were also the final minutes of his England career.