Fully two hours before the start of this eagerly awaited clash, 70,000 people were packed into the National Stadium, Santiago to see their favourites take on the mighty England.

As anticipated, Chile began well as their crowd got behind them but there was little punch in their attack. England, on the other hand, were dangerous on the break, although the blank scoresheet at half-time reflected a poorish game.

Chile had Rojas injured before the interval and he did not reappear immediately when the game restarted. He had still not appeared when, in the 48th minute, Tommy Taylor opened his England scoring account to give his team the lead.

Rojas then came back on the field but after 68 minutes, England increased their lead with a goal by Nat Lofthouse. Chile came back and, with 12 minutes to go, Rojas completed an eventful match for him by pulling a goal back. His shot took a deflection of Alf Ramsey leaving Gil Merrick helpless.

There were no more real scares for England before the end and they were able to celebrate a good victory.
   

Tommy Taylor's first goal for England in the forty-eighth minute was a freak. His intended cross was turned into the net by Chilean goalkeeper Livingstone-Eves, who was the son of a Scot. Nat Lofthouse scored the second decisive goal after one of a dozen thrusting runs by Finney, and three minutes later he headed another Finney cross against the bar. The Chileans scored their only goal seven minutes from the end when a Rojas shot was deflected wide of the diving Gil Merrick.
  

An unchanged England team played with great determination in the match at Santiago a week later, and, after opening in fine style, took command in the second half. The most important feature of the game was the success of the new left wing of Taylor and Berry. They combined well, switching positions frequently, and balanced the artistry of the right flank with drive and penetration. It was Taylor who opened the score, just after the interval, lobbing in a chipped pass from Broadis. Twenty minutes later, Finney drew two men to him and then sent Broadis away down the wing. His centre was hooked first time into the net by Lofthouse.
A few minutes later a typical Lofthouse-Finney move ended in the centre-forward shaking the crossbar with his header. But on the whole Farias gave Lofthouse little room. Eight minutes from the end a shot by Diaz which Merrick had well covered struck a Chilean player and soared over the goalkeeper's head into the net. This was the signal for a Chilean rally that sent the spectators into a high fever of excitement until the final whistle proclaimed England winners.