Editing Stanley Matthews (section)

===England international career===
After playing for [[English Schools' Football Association|England Schoolboys]], playing in a trial at [[Roker Park]] in front of the England selectors, and representing [[The Football League]], Matthews was given his [[England national football team|England]] debut at [[Ninian Park]] in 1934.<ref>{{harvnb|Matthews|2000|p=55}}</ref> Matthews scored the third goal as England beat [[Wales national football team|the Welsh]] 4–0.<ref>{{harvnb|Matthews|2000|p=56}}</ref> His second game would be the infamous [[Battle of Highbury]], where he set up [[Eric Brook]] for the first goal of a 3–2 win over world champions [[Italy national football team|Italy]].<ref>{{harvnb|Matthews|2000|p=66}}</ref> The Italians turned the match into a "bloodbath", and it ended up as the most violent match that Matthews would ever be involved in.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.ufwc.co.uk/2007/01/ufwc-classic-england-vs-italy-1934/|title=England vs Italy 1934|work=ufwc.co.uk|access-date=11 August 2011|archive-date=19 November 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211119163501/https://www.ufwc.co.uk/2007/01/ufwc-classic-england-vs-italy-1934/|url-status=live}}</ref>

His third cap came in a 3–0 over [[Germany national football team|Germany]] at [[White Hart Lane]] on 4 December 1935, after [[Ralph Birkett]] was unable to play due to injury; Matthews was outplayed by his opposite number [[Reinhold Münzenberg]] in both attack and defence.<ref>{{harvnb|Matthews|2000|p=77}}</ref> Matthews was jeered by England supporters and condemned by the press.<ref>{{harvnb|Matthews|2000|p=80}}</ref>

He would have to wait until 17 April 1937 for another chance in an England shirt, when he was selected to play in front of 149,000 spectators against the [[England–Scotland football rivalry|auld enemy]] at [[Scotland national football team|Scotland]]'s [[Hampden Park]].<ref>{{harvnb|Matthews|2000|p=92}}</ref> He was physically sick before the match, as he would be before any big game.<ref>{{harvnb|Matthews|2000|p=93}}</ref> The "Hampden Roar" a big factor; the Scots won 3–1 despite a good English performance.<ref>{{harvnb|Matthews|2000|p=97}}</ref> After another game against Wales, Matthews scored a hat-trick in a 5–4 win against [[Czechoslovakia national football team|Czechoslovakia]].<ref>{{harvnb|Matthews|2000|p=107}}</ref>

In 1938 he played eight games for England, starting with defeat to a Scotland team containing a young [[Bill Shankly]].<ref>{{harvnb|Matthews|2000|p=114}}</ref> He then travelled to Berlin for another encounter with Münzenberg, where pre-match he witnessed first hand the foreboding devotion the people showed the [[Führer]] when his motorcade drove past a café the England team were dining in.<ref>{{harvnb|Matthews|2000|p=117}}</ref> The game became infamous as [[The Football Association|The FA]], themselves under instruction from the British government, informed the England team that they had to perform the [[Nazi salute]] as part of the strategy of [[appeasement]].<ref>{{harvnb|Matthews|2000|p=118}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/magazine/3128202.stm|title=Football, fascism and England's Nazi salute|last=Duffy|first=Jonathan|date=22 September 2003|work=BBC News|access-date=7 September 2011|archive-date=19 November 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211119163453/http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/magazine/3128202.stm|url-status=live}}</ref> England won 6–3 with Matthews himself getting on the scoreboard having got the better of Münzenberg this time.<ref>{{harvnb|Matthews|2000|p=123}}</ref> The next game was a shock 2–1 defeat to [[Switzerland national football team|Switzerland]],<ref>{{harvnb|Matthews|2000|p=127}}</ref> which in turn was followed by a 4–2 win over [[France national football team|France]] in Paris.<ref>{{harvnb|Matthews|2000|p=129}}</ref> Following the conclusion of this summer tour of the continent, Matthews scored in a 4–2 defeat to Wales in [[Cardiff]], and then played in England's 3–0 win over a [[Europe XI]] at [[Arsenal Stadium|Highbury]], their 4–0 win over [[Norway national football team|Norway]] in [[Newcastle upon Tyne|Newcastle]], and their 7–0 win over [[Ireland national football team (1882–1950)|Ireland]] at [[Old Trafford]].<ref>{{harvnb|Matthews|2000|pp=132–36}}</ref>

On 15 April 1939, he returned to a muddy Hampden Park with England to claim a 2–1 victory in front of 142,000 rain-soaked supporters; he set up [[Tommy Lawton]] for the winner with seconds to spare.<ref>{{harvnb|Matthews|2000|p=145}}</ref> That summer was the last time England would tour Europe before [[Adolf Hitler|Hitler]]'s Nazis were defeated. The first game was against Italy, who gave the English a warm reception despite [[Benito Mussolini]]'s breast-beating and the bad blood of five years previous.<ref>{{harvnb|Matthews|2000|p=148}}</ref> Again the World Champions, the Italians managed to salvage a 2–2 draw at the [[San Siro]] after scoring with a clear handball; this time Matthews left the field with a chipped hip bone for his efforts.<ref>{{harvnb|Matthews|2000|p=153}}</ref> The next game was a 2–1 loss to [[Yugoslavia national football team|Yugoslavia]], with Matthews and [[Captain (association football)|captain]] [[Eddie Hapgood]] passengers in the game after picking up early injuries; this injury forced him to sit out the following encounter with [[Romania national football team|Romania]].<ref>{{harvnb|Matthews|2000|p=158}}</ref>

Following the [[World War II|war]], his return for England came against Scotland on 12 April 1947 at [[Wembley Stadium (1923)|Wembley]], in a match which finished as a 1–1 draw.<ref>{{harvnb|Matthews|2000|p=244}}</ref> In the summer he took part in England's tour of Switzerland and [[Portugal national football team|Portugal]]. Following a surprise defeat to the Swiss, England cantered to a 10–0 win over the Portuguese, with Matthews scoring the 10th.<ref>{{harvnb|Matthews|2000|p=268}}</ref> In September, he put in one of his finest performances in an England shirt as he set up all of England's five goals in a 5–2 victory over [[Belgium national football team|Belgium]].<ref name="Matthews 2000 295">{{harvnb|Matthews|2000|p=295}}</ref>

In April 1948, he once again travelled with England to Hampden Park, helping his country to a 2–0 victory. However, after the match, he was the subject of an FA inquiry after he claimed tea and scones on his expenses (at the cost of sixpence).<ref name="Matthews 2000 295"/> Regardless of this treatment by the FA, the next month he helped England record a 4–0 victory over Italy in [[Turin]].<ref>{{harvnb|Matthews|2000|p=309}}</ref> Folklore said that he beat [[Alberto Eliani]] only to have the audacity to then pull a comb from his [[Kit (association football)|shorts]] pocket and comb his hair; the reality was that he used his hand to wipe his sweating brow in the beating Italian sun.<ref>{{harvnb|Matthews|2000|p=311}}</ref> However, the legend would follow him around the world in later life, and spectators in the crowd were convinced that they had witnessed it.<ref>{{harvnb|Matthews|2000|p=313}}</ref> Later in the year, he played in a goalless draw with [[Denmark national football team|Denmark]], a 6–2 win over [[Northern Ireland national football team|Northern Ireland]], a 1–0 win over [[Wales national football team|Wales]], and a 6–0 triumph over Switzerland.<ref>{{harvnb|Matthews|2000|pp=320–21}}</ref>

Manager [[Walter Winterbottom]] began to look for a more defensive winger, and so used Matthews just once in 1949 – a 3–1 defeat to Scotland in the [[British Home Championship]].<ref>{{harvnb|Matthews|2000|p=322}}</ref> Only after impressing in an FA tour of Canada was he named as a last-minute inclusion in the England squad for the [[1950 FIFA World Cup]] in Brazil.<ref>{{harvnb|Matthews|2000|p=332}}</ref> He did not play in the win over [[Chile national football team|Chile]] or in the [[United States v England (1950 FIFA World Cup)|infamous defeat]] to the [[United States men's national soccer team|United States]], but played just once, in the 1–0 defeat to [[Spain men's national football team|Spain]] at the [[Maracanã Stadium]].<ref>{{harvnb|Matthews|2000|p=323}}</ref> The preparation was not ideal as the FA did not take the competition seriously, and the hotel had "unpalatable" food and no training facilities.<ref>{{harvnb|Matthews|2000|p=334}}</ref>

After playing only in two further games, a 4–4 draw with a Europe XI and a 3–1 win over Northern Ireland, he found himself back on the international scene following his heroics in the [[1953 FA Cup final]].<ref>{{harvnb|Matthews|2000|pp=440–41}}</ref> He was selected to play [[Hungary national football team|Hungary]]'s [[Golden Team]] on 25 November 1953, in a 6–3 defeat that became known as the "[[Match of the Century (1953 England v Hungary football match)|Match of the Century]]".<ref name="page 443-47">{{harvnb|Matthews|2000|pp=443–47}}</ref> He blamed the FA and the selectors for the heavy loss, though he had great admiration for the Hungarians, particularly [[Ferenc Puskás]].<ref name="page 443-47"/>

He did not play in England's [[Hungary 7–1 England (1954 association football friendly)|7–1 defeat]] to Hungary in [[Budapest]] in May 1954. However, he was in the squad for the [[1954 FIFA World Cup]] in Switzerland. Matthews helped England to a 4–4 draw with [[Belgium national football team|Belgium]],<ref name="page 450-53">{{harvnb|Matthews|2000|pp=450–53}}</ref> though was left out of a win over Switzerland before he returned to the first XI as England crashed out of the competition with a 4–2 defeat to [[Uruguay national football team|Uruguay]] at the [[St. Jakob Stadium]] after mistakes from goalkeeper [[Gil Merrick]].<ref name="page 450-53"/> His third match of the year was a 2–0 win over Northern Ireland at [[Windsor Park]] in the [[1954–55 British Home Championship]], though on the pitch he did not gel well with [[Don Revie]].<ref>{{harvnb|Matthews|2000|p=457}}</ref> Matthews then put in a superb performance in a 2–0 win over the Welsh before he helped England to record a 3–1 victory over World Champions West Germany, though only three of the Germans used at Wembley had been in the first XI in the [[1954 FIFA World Cup final|World Cup final]].<ref>{{harvnb|Matthews|2000|p=458}}</ref>

England beat Scotland 7–2 in April 1955, and this time, Matthews linked up much better with Revie and 40-year-old Matthews was largely credited for the outstanding margin of victory.<ref>{{harvnb|Matthews|2000|p=463}}</ref> In this game, [[Duncan Edwards]] was making his England debut; when Matthews made his, Edwards had not even been born. Matthews went on England's unsuccessful tour of the continent in 1955, as the selectors erratic choices helped to ensure a 1–0 defeat to France, a 1–1 draw with [[Spain men's national football team|Spain]], and a 3–1 defeat to [[Portugal national football team|Portugal]].<ref>{{harvnb|Matthews|2000|p=466}}</ref> Left out against Denmark, he was back in the team in October for a 1–1 draw with Wales.<ref>{{harvnb|Matthews|2000|p=469}}</ref>

Having been awarded the inaugural [[Ballon d'Or]] in [[1956 Ballon d'Or|1956]],<ref>{{Cite web |date=7 March 2023 |title=How Stanley Matthews Won The First Ever Ballon d'Or Award {{!}} Football Stories |url=http://footballstories.co.uk/stanley-matthews-ballon-dor/ |access-date=11 March 2023 |language=en-US}}</ref> that May he was recalled to the England front line for an encounter against [[Brazil national football team|Brazil]] in a crowded Wembley in what was the first [[Exhibition game|friendly]] match played by both teams.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://bleacherreport.com/articles/287620-brazil-vs-england-the-history |title=Brazil Vs. England: The History |publisher=Bleacher report |access-date=18 April 2021 |archive-date=19 November 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211119163458/https://bleacherreport.com/articles/287620-brazil-vs-england-the-history |url-status=live }}</ref> England won the match 4–2, though the Brazilians would later become world champions in [[1958 FIFA World Cup final|1958]].<ref>{{harvnb|Matthews|2000|p=475}}</ref> He then refused to take part in that summer's European tour, having already committed himself to his second summer of coaching in South Africa.<ref>{{harvnb|Matthews|2000|p=476}}</ref> In his next international game, against Northern Ireland on 6 October 1956, aged 41 years and 248 days, he became the oldest England player ever to score an international goal.<ref name=Gillatt/>

He played three of England's four [[1958 FIFA World Cup qualification (UEFA – Group 1)|qualification]] games for the [[1958 FIFA World Cup]]: a 5–1 victory over the [[Republic of Ireland national football team|Republic of Ireland]], and the 5–2 and 4–1 wins over Denmark. On 15 May 1957, Matthews became the [[England national football team records and statistics|oldest player ever to represent England]], when at 42 years and 104 days old he turned out for the victory over the Danes in [[Copenhagen]].<ref name="Gillatt"/> Despite calls by the press for him to be included in the 1958 World Cup squad, this time the selectors did not bow to the pressure.<ref>{{harvnb|Matthews|2000|p=479}}</ref> Yet after 23 years, nobody would ever enjoy a longer career with the England team.

He was the subject of ''[[This Is Your Life (British TV series)|This Is Your Life]]'' in 1956 when he was surprised by [[Eamonn Andrews]] at the BBC Television Theatre.{{Citation needed|date=September 2021}}

He was one of many signatories in a letter to ''The Times'' on 17 July 1958 opposing "the policy of apartheid" in international sport and defending "the principle of racial equality which is embodied in the Declaration of the Olympic Games".{{sfn|Brown|Hogsbjerg|2020|p=16}}