How England wanted to buy a Dynamo Moscow player

Anna Popova

May 27 2026

Leonid Dorensky / TASS

In Fall 1945, Dynamo Moscow became the first Soviet football team to play a series of friendly matches against foreign clubs. And not just anywhere, but in the birthplace of the sport!

Sputnik

Around 90,000 people attended the first match, against Chelsea! Fans looked for any opportunity to see the game: they strapped themselves to lampposts with belts and sat on rooftops armed with binoculars. The game ended in a 3-3 draw. Spectators, thrilled by what they saw after the match, ran onto the field and carried the Soviet players off it.

Sputnik

They were particularly impressed by striker Vsevolod Bobrov: the CDKA Moscow (now CSKA) player and top scorer in the Soviet championship was included in the Dynamo roster just a day before the tour. Commentator Vadim Sinyavsky recalled that, after the match, London newspaper reporters vied with each other to inquire about the player's price. He didn't immediately understand what they were talking about and decided to clarify. And, to his surprise, he realized they were asking him about a transfer to another team.

"Can you sell him, Bobrov?"

"Bobrov? But, he's a human being. He's not for sale!"

"But, he's a footballer."

"Yes, but he's a Soviet footballer. A Soviet footballer isn't for sale for money."