The 1970 Mexico World Cup

Brazil Shines Again

The Brazilian team, led by Pelé, delivered the most beautiful display in football history and secured the Jules Rimet trophy.

After the violence of the previous two World Cups, the 1970 tournament was a dazzling spectacle from start to finish, filling the entire planet with joy. This World Cup saw the debut of red cards, but remarkably, no players were sent off despite some rough play.

Participating Teams (16):

Germany
Belgium
Bulgaria
Czechoslovakia
England
Italy
Romania
Sweden
USSR
Brazil
El Salvador
Mexico
Peru
Uruguay
Israel
Morocco

From the group stage, there were iconic matchups like England vs. Brazil and, in the semifinals, Germany vs. England, Brazil vs. Uruguay, and the final between Brazil and Italy.

Italy and Germany played what has been called the greatest semifinal of all time, with adrenaline running high every second. Beckenbauer played brilliantly despite an arm injury, which he kept strapped. Italy opened the scoring with Boninsegna, but Schnellinger equalized at the end of regular time, forcing extra time. Muller gave Germany a 2-1 lead, but Burguich equalized at 2-2. Riva then made it 3-2 for Italy, but Muller scored again to tie at 3-3. Finally, Italy's "Golden Boy" Gianni Rivera scored the decisive 4-3 goal, eliminating Germany. The English press stated that football this beautiful should be forbidden.

The final was held on June 21 between Brazil and Italy. Pelé opened the scoring with a header, but Boninsegna equalized with what would be Italy’s only goal. In the second half, Brazil scored two more goals, and finally, a brilliant team effort led to the fourth goal, with all 11 players involved. Brazil won the championship with a 4-1 victory.

Key Players: