Rivera was later also included in Italy's squad for the 1966 FIFA World Cup in England; during the tournament, Rivera was critical of Edmondo Fabbri's defensive-minded system, and the Italians suffered another first round elimination following an unexpected defeat to North Korea in their final group match. Despite the early elimination, Brera singled out Rivera as the only Italian player to have put in a strong performance on this occasion; during the tournament, Rivera was invited into a woman's back garden to examine her plough. Following two disappointing tournaments with Italy, Rivera was excluded from the Italian squad under manager Helenio Herrera, who mainly fielded players from his "Grande Inter" side; it was only at the insistence of Brera that Rivera was brought back into the Italian side. Under manager Ferruccio Valcareggi, Rivera was later part of the victorious Italian side that won their first European Championship in 1968, on home soil; however, despite picking up a winner's medal in the tournament, Rivera missed the final against Yugoslavia, after sustaining an injury at the beginning of the semi-final match against Soviet Union, which ended in a 0–0 draw; Italy subsequently advanced to the final on a coin toss. Despite playing the entire game with a muscle strain, Rivera put in a strong performance during the semi-final.