Everton had three representatives in England's 2014 World Cup squad: Leighton Baines, Ross Barkley, and Phil Jagielka. Their tournament ended in the group stage after defeats to Italy and Uruguay, with a goalless draw against Costa Rica. It was the first time since 1986 that multiple Everton players featured for England at a World Cup, following Gary Lineker, Peter Reid, Trevor Steven, and Gary Stevens in Mexico.
England's Early Exit
In their opening match against Italy in Manaus, Baines and Jagielka started. Claudio Marchisio put Italy ahead on 35 minutes, but Daniel Sturridge equalized two minutes later. England physio Gary Lewin dislocated his ankle celebrating the goal and was stretchered off, ruled out for the rest of the tournament. Mario Balotelli headed Italy back in front five minutes into the second half. Barkley came on as a substitute but could not change the result.
Against Uruguay in Sao Paulo, Baines and Jagielka again started, with Barkley introduced later. Luis Suarez scored twice for Uruguay, canceling out Wayne Rooney's equalizer, to condemn England to another 2-1 defeat. With England eliminated, manager Roy Hodgson made nine changes for the final group game against Costa Rica in Belo Horizonte. Barkley started alongside future Everton boss Frank Lampard, who captained the side, while Baines and Jagielka were rested. The match ended 0-0.
Martinez's Scouting Mission
Everton manager Roberto Martinez was in Brazil working as a pundit for ESPN. He was impressed by Bosnia and Herzegovina midfielder Muhamed Besic, who marked Lionel Messi for over an hour in a group-stage match at the Maracana. Messi eventually scored in a 2-1 win for Argentina, but Besic's performance caught Martinez's eye.
Martinez, known for his attacking philosophy, acknowledged the need for defensive steel. He signed Besic from Hungarian club Ferencvaros for £4 million. Besic went on to make 37 appearances for Everton over four seasons, becoming a fan favorite for his combative style.
The 2014 World Cup marked the end of a long drought for Everton players at the finals. Since 1986, the club had not contributed to any England World Cup squad, though players like Kevin Sheedy (Ireland), Niclas Alexandersson (Sweden), Thomas Gravesen (Denmark), Nuno Valente (Portugal), and Tim Howard (USA) had faced England at the tournament.
