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What was the greatest World Cup?

Written by The Football History Boys on November 12, 2022

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Ardiles and Villa: Footballing émigrés | @RichEvansWriter

Military events in the South Atlantic – even at a distance of 8000 miles – had a profound impact on a celebrated pair of international footballers in the 1980s. @RichEvansWriter takes up the story: Ossie Ardiles & Ricardo Villa at Tottenham Hotspur When one thinks of footballers and war, images of khaki-clad figures of yesteryear tend to spring to mind – the kind of ‘moustached archaic faces’ that Philip Larkin details in his poem MCMXIV. However, footballers do not have to be participants to be affected by conflict. Indeed, as with any civilians, they may well be unwitting victims with no stake in political events beyond their control. In certain instances, football risks turning into an extension of the battleground – where players, subject to barbarous words and threats, become targets of abuse. Such was the case in 1982 with Ricardo Villa and Ossie Ardiles – then both of Tottenham Hotspur – whose fates (at least in the short term) were determined by events unfolding on the o

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In a recent poll on our Twitter feed, we asked our followers, "Which World Cup shall we write about next?" - the response was unanimous - the 1978 World Cup in Argentina. Admittedly, before starting this blog, this tournament was probably the one we knew least about - perhaps due to the general negativity which surrounds it. The second World Cup in succession without English involvement, Scotland would be the sole British representative. Taking place in Argentina, the South American nation had seen a ruthless military coup just two years before. As the opening game approached, the 1978 World Cup was to be about far more than just football. Taking place during the Cold War, the tournament's preparations were overshadowed by the removal of President Isabel Peron by the right-wing Argentine military. Supported by the US, the 'junta' would ruthlessly imprison and even kill thousands of left-wing activists which were seen as a threat to the new government. Global

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Following the immense changes to football in the 1950s, the subsequent decade was sure to reap the benefits of alterations to style, tactics and appreciation. The 1960s is when the game went truly global, of course towards the latter half of the previous ten years the European Cup had been introduced by UEFA, only to be completely dominated by Real Madrid, winning the tournament 5 times in a row. However, as we will see the 1960s brought a wider change in world culture and a social revolution effecting even football, a sport which often sees itself as exempt from global issues. Firstly we are to look at British football. English sport at least had been dramatically and even brutally forced to rethink its entire ethos after the 1950s which had highlighted a long-term outdated nature to tactics and methods of play. We at the Football History Boys have not been short on explaining this - the 6-3 drubbing by Hungary in 1953 and embarrassing early World Cup exits in 1950 and 1958

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The trials and tribulations of golden goal are well documented in football histories, and although not favoured at the time, the concept has seen a wealth of nostalgic sentiment in recent years. Its short-lived successor, ‘silver goal’, however, has seen nothing of the sort. Only in existence for a year, the innovation by UEFA was designed to ‘encourage positive football’ and ‘produce a sensible and fairer ending to a game’. Used just once in a major international competition, the result of the experiment was a confusing, complicated and calamitous exercise of which football was quick to distance itself from. Silver goal was effectively designed to limit extra-time to 15 minutes. If a deciding goal was scored in the first period, or if a team was ahead at the break, then the game would end at half-time in extra-time. Unlike, golden goal 's sudden death approach, this would theoretically gave losing sides at least an opportunity to comeback after falling behind. Furthermore, it pr

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Despite an excellent performance which helped to lift the nation out of the doldrums of football hooliganism and the Hillsborough disaster, Italia 90 and the semi-final defeat to West Germany on penalties is undoubtedly England’s most painful ever moment. Beyond that, however, the defeat to West Germany in the 1970 World Cup quarter-final arguably holds as much heartbreak as the more recent defeat to Croatia at the 2018 World Cup. The story goes that Sir Alf foolishly subbed off Bobby Charlton when leading 2-0, only for England to lose all structure and confidence, letting their lead slip to 2-2 and then going on to lose in extra time. At the time, supporters were quick to blame Banksy’s 'dicky tummy' as Peter Bonetti dropped a series of clangers. England, as Bobby Moore said to Pelé after the group stage defeat to Brazil, wouldn’t “see you in the final”. Were England truly capable of reaching the final in 1970, or did they just fall short in the León heat against a star-studd

Football By Decade: 1950s

Over the past ten months I have made no secret of my admiration for football in the 1950s. We have written pieces on the 1950, 1954 and 1958 World Cups as well as biographies on Ferenc Puskas and the appointment of Bill Shankly at Liverpool in 1959. Following the Second World War, football like the rest of the world was in disarray, however the 1950s would bring with it a global regeneration of the game and the way it was played. In England, West Germany, Italy and elsewhere the 50s would change the face of football forever. English football perhaps underwent the largest reorganization in the decade, after being widely renowned as the "masters of football" before World War II, despite never appearing at a World Cup finals prior to 1950. The Football League however did remain the leading example in the domestic game with its 4 divisions of professional football. No team dominated the early 1950s with Spurs, Manchester United, Arsenal and Wolves sharing the spoils. Also in

Football By Decade: 1980s

It has been a long time since I last added to the "Football By Decade" series, with University commitments and then the brilliant 2014 World Cup taking over my blogging schedule. However, following the wonderful array of talent and competition in Brazil it is time to look into yet another decade of intrigue and inspiration. After the 1970s had brought some of the greatest players, teams and matches to the forefront of football debate, the 1980s would further promote a host of talent to the centre of the global footballing stage. Despite this, the decade would also be one of the most pivotal for the wrong reasons with a number of tragedies befalling the sport, questioning whether it truly was the 'beautiful game'. We are almost at the end of our journey through the twentieth-century in terms of football history, from the British pre-War sporting dominance to the 1970s - a decade which many believe was football's last truly great era. In my opinion this statement

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