It all starts with co-hosts Mexico taking on South Africa at the famous Azteca (now known as the Estadio Banorte) in Mexico City on Thursday, 11 June (8pm UK).
Co-hosted by USA and Canada, this will be the 23rd edition of the FIFA World Cup, the inaugural tournament held back in 1930.
As we build up to the summer’s football fest, we take a look at the Spurs players to feature on the greatest stage of all…
Spurs at the World Cup | 1950
The first Spurs player to feature in the World Cup finals while on our books as a professional will be forever, indelibly linked to England’s greatest triumph – Sir Alf Ramsey.
Indeed, four all-time Spurs legends were named in the England squad for Brazil in 1950 after clinching the 1949/50 Second Division title – Ramsey, ‘Mr Tottenham’ Bill Nicholson, Bill’s assistant, Eddie Baily and goalkeeping great, Ted Ditchburn.
Ramsey won his first England cap as a Spurs man against Italy in November, 1949 - ironically at White Hart Lane, in front of over 70,000 fans - and became our first player to feature in the tournament in England’s opening Group Two game against Chile at the famous Maracana Stadium in Rio de Janeiro. Aged 30, he played his part in a promising start by the Three Lions, who won 2-0 thanks to goals from Stan Mortensen and Wilf Mannion.
That was as good as it got though. England’s second game against the minnows from the USA has gone down in football folklore as one of the biggest World Cup surprises of all time, as the Americans won 1-0 in Belo Horizonte, with Ramsey in the line-up. Years later, during a TV interview, Ramsey was asked by the late Brian Moore, ‘did you play when the USA beat England in the 1950 World Cup?’ - to which Alf replied, ‘I was the only one who did!’
In the final group game against Spain, Ramsey was joined by Baily in the England team, but they suffered another 1-0 defeat and with only the group winners progressing, it meant a disappointing early exit.
As we all know, Ramsey would return to the World Cup as a hero – 16 years later he guided England to their greatest moment, lifting the trophy on home soil in 1966.