George Cohen Bio, Age, Children, Wife, Parents, Net Worth
Robert Clark
Updated on January 04, 2026
George Reginald Cohen MBE was a right-back in English professional football. He spent his entire professional career at Fulham, winning the 1966 World Cup with England. He was inducted into the English Football Hall of Fame and was the uncle of rugby world champion Ben Cohen.
Born in Kensington, West London in 1939, George Cohen joined the local club Fulham whose stadium was about 1.6 km (1 mile) from his home. He played every minute of England’s winning campaign at home ground. As a right-back, he made 37 appearances for the national team.
George Cohen has made 459 appearances for Fulham and for England he has won 37 of caps. He was a 1966 world cup champion for the England international team. The World Cup hero George Cohen, who was vice-captain of the 1966 winning team, died at the age of 83, leaving Bobby Charlton and Jeff Hearst as the only Alf Ramsey’s starting line-up survivors.
George Cohen Biography
George Reginald Cohen MBE born 22 October 1939 was an English professional footballer who played as a right-back. He spent his entire professional career at Fulham, winning the 1966 World Cup with England. He was inducted into the English Football Hall of Fame and was the uncle of rugby world champion Ben Cohen.
George Cohen joined Fulham as a professional in 1956 and remained there until injury forced him to retire 13 years later in March 1969. Fulham was relegated to the second division the season before retiring as a player and did not return to the top flight for 33 years. He made 459 appearances for the club, finishing his career with a tally surpassed by just five other players in Fulham history. As a fullback, he has scored six of the league goals for Fulham.
After retiring, George Cohen coached Fulham’s youth team and England’s under-23 team for a period of time. He also briefly managed Tonbridge outside the league and in 1974-75 he led Kent to victory in the Senior Cup. George Cohen additionally bears the difference of being the best Fulham participant to have received a World Cup winner’s medal at the same time as the Cottagers.
George Cohen was offered an award of the MBE in 2000, in conjunction with 4 teammates from 1966 after a marketing campaign from sections of the media who have been amazed that the quintet had by no means been formally regarded for his component in England’s success. The others have been Ball, Wilson, Nobby Stiles, and Roger Hunt.
In October 2016, a statue of George Cohen was unveiled at Craven Cottage via way of means of membership chairman Shahid Khan to commemorate their former participant and mark the fiftieth anniversary of the England World Cup win. Cohen attended the ceremony. Hammersmith & Fulham Council introduced that it changed into making the previous footballer a freeman of the borough.
In a documentary on Channel four to discover the best England XI, George Cohen was given the right-returned spot via way of means of the public, beforehand of Phil Neal and Gary Neville. He changed into one of all 4 veterans of the 1966 group to make it. His attacking motive has been deemed as an encouragement for current-day full-backs as well.
George Cohen Early Life
George Cohen was born in Cassidy Road, Fulham, West London, shortly after the outbreak of World War II. He joined the local football club from Fulham Central Secondary School where he served as head boy. The school is now Fulhamcross Academy.
George Cohen’s main characteristics were speed and strength, and in March 1957 he made his senior debut at the age of 17 in a 2–1 loss to Liverpool. He played for the Cottagers from 1956 to 1969, scoring six goals. Only five other players have played more than Cohen’s 459 games for the club. George Cohen would have played more games had his career not been cut short by a serious knee injury that forced him to retire at age 29.
For England in 1966, he was an integral part of Ramsey’s tactical build, although his attacking prowess made him a threat on the wing. His cross to Charlton yielded the decisive goal to help England beat Portugal in the semi-finals. A Channel 4 documentary named Cohen as England’s all-time best right-back, ahead of Gary Neville and Phil Neal.
George Cohen Family Background
George Cohen was the second child of Harry and his Irish-born mother Catherine. His surname was inherited from his Jewish great-grandfather. George was raised in the Church of England.
His parents died when he was young, his father had lung cancer, his mother was run over by a truck, and his younger brother Peter fathered rugby world champion, Ben.
George Cohen Family Origin
George Cohen had a Jewish grandfather and an Irish mother hence that makes him someone of both Jewish and Irish origin/descent.
George Cohen Education
The educational level of the veteran football star George Reginald Cohen isn’t known but we know he was once a student of Fulham Central Secondary School and he began his football career there at the age of 16.
George Cohen Career
George Reginald Cohen in March 1957 made his senior debut at the age of 17 in a 2–1 loss to Liverpool. He played for the Cottagers from 1956 to 1969, scoring six goals. Only five other players have played more than Cohen’s 459 games for the club.
George Cohen joined Fulham as a professional in 1956 and remained there until injury forced him to retire 13 years later in March 1969. Fulham was relegated to the second division the season before retiring as a player and did not return to the top flight for 33 years. He made 459 appearances for the club, finishing his career with a tally surpassed by just five other players in Fulham history. As a fullback, he has scored six of the league goals for Fulham.
For England in 1966, he was an integral part of Ramsey’s tactical build, although his attacking prowess made him a threat on the wing. His cross to Charlton yielded the decisive goal to help England beat Portugal in the semi-finals.
After retiring, George Cohen coached Fulham’s youth team and England’s under-23 team for a period of time. He also briefly managed Tonbridge outside the league and in 1974-75 he led Kent to victory in the Senior Cup.
George Cohen parents
There isn’t much known about the parents of George Cohen but we know his mother Catherine is of Irish descent as she was born there. She was a warehouse manager at the local Lot Road power station, and his father, Lewis (known as Harry) Cohen, was a gas repairman. Cohen did not consider himself part of the faith, even though his paternal side was Jewish and he was part of a family of Ukrainian descent.
A strong woman like George Cohen’s mother had the greatest impact on his life. It was she who supported his desire to become a professional football player as soon as he left school. His father, on the other hand, insisted she should learn the trade before getting into the idea of the game.
George Cohen Siblings
George Cohen appears to have only one brother Peter Cohen who happens to be the father of his nephew Ben Cohen the rugby world champion. He lost his brother in a tragic accident in the 2000s and that means their children are left to keep their family name since he’s also dead now.
George Cohen Time With Fulham
George Cohen spent his entire professional career at Fulham. George Cohen has made 459 appearances for Fulham and for England he has won 37 caps. He was a 1966 world cup champion for the England international team.
George Cohen joined Fulham as a professional in 1956 and remained there until injury forced him to retire. He finished his career with a tally surpassed by just five other players in Fulham history. As a fullback, he has scored six of the league goals for Fulham.
George Cohen Road To Fame
George Cohen rose to fame after he won just one major honor during a career as one of England’s best-ever defenders and now he’s also famous for being the uncle of Ben Cohen who has also made a name for himself.
George Cohen Wife
He married his wife Daphne in 1962. They had two sons. It appears there is no further information about his wife and sons Anthony and Andrew as they seem to be living their life in their own space and don’t need any media interference.
George Cohen Net Worth
George Cohen died today 23 December 2022 and was estimated to be worth $5 million which he earned from his early career as a footballer and a coach when he retired at the age of 29 due to a serious knee injury.
There isn’t any information about venturing into any business after retiring at such a young age but we believe he might have done other things that brought him enough money and contributed to his net worth at the time of his death.