1970 FIFA World Cup

The 1970 FIFA World Cup was the 9th FIFA World Cup for men's national teams, the quadrennial world football competition. Played in Mexico from May 31 to June 21, it was North America's first World Cup tournament and the first to be played in Europe and South America. Teams from 75 nations from all six inhabited continents joined the race, and in May 1968 its qualification rounds began. Fourteen teams emerged from this phase in the 16-team final tournament to join host nation Mexico and defending champions England. In the final stage El Salvador, Israel and Morocco made their first appearances. Brazil won the tournament, and beat another two-time world champion, Italy, in the Mexico City final 4–1. The victory won Brazil its third World Cup title and allowed them to retain the Jules Rimet Trophy permanently, and in 1974 a new trophy was launched. The winning side, led by Carlos Alberto and featuring players like Pelé, Gérson, Jairzinho, Rivellino, and Tostão, is frequently cited as the World Cup's best team ever. They continued to maintain a flawless record of victories in all six finals games as well as winning all their qualification fixtures. England were the defending champions who were knocked out of the tournament following a 2–3 defeat in the quarter-final to West Germany. Given the altitude and high temperature problems, the finals have consistently produced football assaults that have established an average goals per game record that has not been surpassed by any subsequent World Cup finals since. With the developments of satellite technology, the 1970 Finals attracted a new FIFA World Cup record-breaking viewing audience when games were televised all around the world and, of a few cases, in colour-the first time that that was the case. Contrary to popular opinion, although a limited percentage of spectators worldwide viewed the tournament on colour TV and colour images and photos have since been commonly shared of common tournament depictions, the bulk of people viewing the tournament have done so in black and white. A total of 75 nations have reached the 1970 FIFA World Cup, and 73 have had to qualify. 68 teams ultimately played in the qualification stages due to withdrawn submissions and withdrawals, including eight first time. Automatic qualification was given to Mexico as the host nation and England as defending World Cup winners, with the remaining 14 final places split among the continental confederations. All four of the semi-finalists were past world champions, with the line-up guaranteeing a European-South American finale. In the all-South American game, controversially moved from the capital to Guadalajara's lower altitude, Brazil returned from behind to beat Uruguay 3–1 and won the right to qualify for their fourth World Cup Final. In the final 15 minutes, two Brazilian goals determined a match which had been closely balanced up until that point. The all-European encounter between Italy and West Germany created a match that many considered as one of the best World Cup games ever. Having lead by Roberto Boninsegna's strike from the eighth minute, Italy was caught in injury when Karl-Heinz Schnellinger sweeper scored his only international goal. When the score swung between the two teams, the extra time brought five more goals before Gianni Rivera gave the Azzurri a convincing 4–3 advantage. The match later became known as the "Game of the Century," and today it is commemorated with a memorial at the Estadio Azteca. West Germany managed to beat Uruguay 1–0 in the battle for third place. Brazil opened the scoring in the final when Pelé headed in a Rivellino cross in the 18th minute but after a series of blunders in the Brazilian defence Roberto Boninsegna equalised for Italy. The match remained until the 66th minute when a powerful shot by Gérson regained the lead for the Brazilians.