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Bobby Charlton, an England World Cup winner and one of Manchester United\u2019s greatest players, died on Saturday at the age of 86.<\/p>\n
Charlton was a key figure in England\u2019s 1966 World Cup-winning team, playing alongside his brother Jack, and he made 758 appearances for United, scoring 249 goals.<\/p>\n
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Tributes have flowed in for the soccer great.<\/span>Credit: <\/span> <\/cite><\/p>\n \u201cManchester United are in mourning following the passing of Sir Bobby Charlton, one of the greatest and most beloved players in the history of our club,\u201d the Premier League club said in a statement.<\/p>\n Charlton spent 17 years at Old Trafford and was part of the \u201cBusby Babes\u201d team that was decimated by the 1958 Munich air crash. He won the European Cup and three English league titles as well as the FA Cup with the club.<\/p>\n The announcement of his death led to a flood of tributes from across the sporting world.<\/p>\n \u201cToday is not just a sad day for Manchester United & England, it\u2019s a sad day for football and everything that Sir Bobby represented,\u201d said former United and England midfielder David Beckham.<\/p>\n Wayne Rooney of Manchester United is presented a trophy by Sir Bobby Charlton to mark his 500th game for Manchester United in 2015.<\/span>Credit: <\/span> <\/cite><\/p>\n Regarded as possessing one of the hardest shots of his generation and a player whose style bridged eras, Charlton earned 106 caps for England and scored 49 goals.<\/p>\n After his retirement, he served as an ambassador for United and English football and was widely respected across the globe.<\/p>\n Charlton\u2019s appearances in the stands at Old Trafford had become less frequent after he was diagnosed with dementia in 2020.<\/p>\n A picture of late English soccer legend Bobby Charlton was displayed on a giant screen during the English Premier League soccer match between Chelsea and Arsenal at Stamford Bridge stadium in London on Saturday.<\/span>Credit: <\/span> <\/cite><\/p>\n Sir Bobby Charlton. <\/span>Credit: <\/span> <\/cite><\/p>\n His family said he \u201cpassed peacefully in the early hours of Saturday morning\u201d.<\/p>\n While Charlton\u2019s passing will be felt across the game, nowhere will it hit home more than at Manchester United — the club where a stand at Old Trafford is named in his honour.<\/p>\n Charlton was 20 when he survived the Munich air crash in 1958 and a decade later he scored twice as United beat Benfica to win the European Cup for the first time.<\/p>\n Charlton, along with his teammates George Best and Denis Law, helped United become one of the most popular clubs in the world.<\/p>\n \u201cHe was admired as much for his sportsmanship and integrity as he was for his outstanding qualities as a footballer; Sir Bobby will always be remembered as a giant of the game,\u201d the club said in a statement.<\/p>\n \u201cHis unparalleled record of achievement, character and service will be forever etched in the history of Manchester United and English football.\u201d<\/p>\n Charlton scored twice for England in the World Cup semi-final win over Portugal in 1966 and was instrumental in the 4-2 victory over West Germany in the final where Geoff Hurst scored a hat-trick.<\/p>\n Hurst, the only surviving member of Alf Ramsey\u2019s World Cup-winning side, led the tributes to his former teammate.<\/p>\n \u201cVery sad news today. One of the true Greats Sir Bobby Charlton has passed away,\u201d Hurst wrote on X.<\/p>\n \u201cWe will never forget him and nor will all of football. A great colleague and friend, he will be sorely missed by all of the country beyond sport alone.\u201d<\/p>\n Beckham, whose glittering Manchester United career began after attending a Bobby Charlton Soccer School as a young boy, described Charlton as a national hero.<\/p>\n \u201cA true gentleman, family man and truly a national hero\u2026 Today isn\u2019t just a sad day for Manchester United and England it\u2019s a sad day for football and everything that Sir Bobby represented,\u201d Beckham said.<\/p>\n Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola described Charlton as a \u201cbig legend\u201d.<\/p>\n \u201cA huge loss for his family and for the Manchester United family and for English football, European football. We have the Premier League that we have because of these type of people.\u201d<\/p>\n United were in action later on Saturday at Sheffield United when the players will wear black armbands and observe a minute\u2019s silence. A book of condolence will be open for fans at Old Trafford on Sunday.<\/p>\n<\/p>\n
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