Manchester United and England legend, Munich air disaster survivor, World Cup winner and one of the greatest players in the history of the game.
Sir Robert "Bobby" Charlton was born on 11 October 1937 in Ashington, a coal-mining town in Northumberland, the son of a miner. His mother, Cissie, came from the footballing Milburn family — his uncle was Newcastle United legend Jackie Milburn — and football ran deep on both sides of a working-class household that produced two World Cup winners: Bobby's older brother, Jack Charlton, also starred for England's victorious 1966 side while playing for Leeds United. Charlton joined Manchester United at 15 and made his first-team debut in 1956, quickly becoming one of the "Busby Babes" — the brilliant young side built by manager Matt Busby that won the league title in 1957. On 6 February 1958, disaster struck: the plane carrying United's squad home from a European Cup tie in Belgrade crashed on take-off in Munich, killing 23 people, including eight of Charlton's teammates. Charlton, then just 20, was found still strapped into his seat 40 yards from the wreckage and survived with a head injury. Charlton returned to football within weeks, helping a shattered United side reach the FA Cup final that same year, and went on to become the emotional heart of the club's rebuilding under Busby. He captained United to the 1968 European Cup, scoring twice in the final against Benfica to become the first English club to win the trophy — a triumph laden with significance given the tragedy a decade earlier. Between his club career and international duty, he was capped for England in four World Cups (1958, 1962, 1966, 1970) and was England's most-capped player at his retirement from international football. Charlton's finest hour with England came in 1966, when he was instrumental in the nation's only World Cup triumph, played entirely on home soil — a achievement that also brought him the Ballon d'Or that same year, one of only nine men to have won the World Cup, European Cup, and Ballon d'Or. Renowned for his ferocious long-range shooting and immaculate sportsmanship — he was cautioned only twice in his entire career — Charlton later became a Manchester United director and one of the sport's most respected ambassadors. He was knighted in 1994 and died on 21 October 2023, aged 86, as the last but one surviving member of England's 1966 World Cup-winning team.
England's 1966 World Cup triumph and long-range shooting
He survived the Munich air disaster in 1958 that killed 23 people including eight of his Manchester United teammates, and went on to become one of football's all-time greats.
Did You Know?How They Played
Deep-lying forward with powerful shooting and creative passing
Lasting Impact
Manchester United and England legend, survived Munich air disaster
Career Honours
- World Cup 1966
- European Cup 1968
- League Championship 3x
- Ballon d'Or 1966
| Club | Period | Apps | Goals |
|---|---|---|---|
| Manchester United | 1956–1973 | 606 | 199 |
| Preston North End | 1974–1975 | 38 | 8 |
| Waterford | 1976–1976 | 3 | 1 |
| Newcastle KB United | 1978–1978 | 1 | 0 |
| Perth Azzurri | 1980–1980 | 3 | 2 |
| Blacktown City | 1980–1980 | 1 | 1 |
 England | — | 106 | 49 |