Having been awarded the inaugural Ballon d'Or in 1956, that May he was recalled to the England front line for an encounter against Brazil in a crowded Wembley in what was the first friendly match played by both teams.[126] England won the match 4–2, though the Brazilians would later become world champions in 1958.[127] 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.[128] 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.[4]