Mexico ’70: the tournament of superlatives
The best of all time
The best team of all time, starring the greatest player of all time, contesting the best ever World Cup final, sealing a (then) record third title with the best goal ever scored in a final, in a tournament widely considered as the best World Cup of all time.
Mexico 1970 is a synonym for superlatives. Five decades on it represents an enduring benchmark. What made that tournament so great? It had a beautiful story to tell.
Mexico: High altitude, High octane
Mexico ’70 was always going to be special. After hosting the Olympics in 1968, Mexico became the first World Cup host outside of Europe or South America. Adding to the geographic novelty was the altitude factor. All venues were at least 5500ft above sea-level. While the heat and acclimatization were factors, there was plenty of action. The average of 2.97 goals per game scored at Mexico ’70 has not been bettered since. The tournament served up many memorable moments in the lead up to its brilliant finale.
The highlight of the group stages was the classic that pitted the defensive organization of reigning world champions England against the attacking riches of Brazil. While Jairzinho rifling in from Pele’s exquisite pass was the decisive moment, three other incidents provided enduring memories: Gordon Banks’ impossible ‘Save of the Century’ from Pele’s header, Bobby Moore’s ‘perfect’ tackle on Jairzinho, and the England captain exchanging shirts and Pele. These capture the essence of football in a way words can never convey.
Right at the start of the World Cup, Peru suffered a devastating earthquake claiming nearly 70000 lives. La Blanquirroja bravely put that tragedy behind them to finish second in their group and set up an entertaining quarterfinal clash with Brazil. While Peru’s run would end here, Cubillas, had who scored in all of Peru’s games, would finish as the tournament’s third highest goal-scorer and win the Best Young Player award.
West Germany would avenge their defeat in the 1966 final by beating England en-route to a semi-final with Italy in what would be billed as the ‘Game of the Century’. Finishing 4–3 to the Italians, the game was remarkable for late drama, that saw 6 of its 7 goals scored in injury and extra time. Courtesy of a brace here, Gerd Muller would win the Golden Boot. The day however would belong to ‘Golden Boy’ Gianni Rivera, whose strike would Italy to the final.
Pele, Selecao, and the Final
Emerging from shadows
The shadow of 1966 had hung heavily on A Selecao. Being defending champions and favourites, a sense of entitlement had seemed to grip them. Preparations were flawed and there was an over-reliance on their previous World Cup winners to get them through. Brazil used 20 players out of a squad of 22. Among their most used XI, were four ageing double-World Cup winners — all over 32 years old. Brazil were also surprised by the physical “power football” of European sides and unprepared for it. Their campaign ended in the group stages.
The abominable fouls meted out to Pele also hindered Brazil. While his goal got them past Bulgaria, the kicking he received ruled him out of the defeat to a rampant Hungary. The worst was reserved for Pele’s return against Portugal. Fouled disgustingly and repeatedly, he literally hobbled with a strapped leg for most of the match (substitutions had not been introduced then). Disillusioned by this lack of sportsmanship and scarred by the experience, Pele promised to never play in another World Cup.
Fortunately for football, Pele reconsidered his decision. Though a number of factors influenced it, the biggest motivation was, in his own words, a determination to play a full World Cup again:
“I wanted to put to rest once and for all, the idea that I couldn’t enter a World Cup series without getting hurt”.
Brazil were also determined to make amends for fracasso of 1966. Under the newly appointed Joao Saldanha, they qualified for Mexico with a perfect record. Pele and Tostao were forming a fearsome partnership with Jairzinho, Gerson, Rivelino and captain Carlos Alberto (appointed specifically for his leadership skills) further accentuating A Selecao’s credentials. Saldanha’s eccentricities and feuds however were also on the rise. Three months before the World Cup, and coinciding with a loss in a warm-up game, he was sacked and replaced by Mario Zagallo. Despite being only 39, his experience as a double-World Cup winning player, and calm temperament (in contrast to Saldanha) made him the ideal final ingredient for ensuring that Brazil continued their perfect record in Mexico, becoming the only team in history win all their qualifiers and World Cup finals games.
With the components in place, the next step was preparation.
Heat and high altitude were always going to be factors in Mexico. 1966 had taught Brazil that against European opposition, technique alone would not be enough. They had to supplement their traditional emphasis with physical fitness and conditioning. Great attention was paid to physical preparation. An ex-army captain was appointed to oversee this, who even spent time at NASA studying Apollo astronaut routines to ensure the best training was designed. No detail was spared. To avoid collars becoming heavy with sweat, round neck jerseys were designed. A few days before heading to Mexico, their chef had even started to cook with Mexican oils.
As Carlos Alberto would later confirm:
The team had all-round preparation, physically, technically and mentally. We went to Mexico in the perfect condition to win the World Cup.
The march towards destiny
In the opener against Czechoslovakia, Brazil’s fragile defence was exposed early as the Europeans went ahead. Rivelino’s free-kick restored parity before half-time. Growing in confidence, Brazil took the lead through Pele’s 59th minute strike with Jairzinho’s brace sealing the tie. Jairzinho would go on to become the only player ever to score in every game at a World Cup. His tally of 7 goals remains the highest ever to be denied the Golden Boot, which Gerd Muller won courtesy of his 10-goal haul.
The match against England was an absorbing game of many highlights and near-misses from both sides. Receiving a lofted cross from Tostao near the penalty spot, Pele laid a controlled pass for Jairzinho to score in similar fashion to Carlos Alberto’s strike in the Final. With two wins, progression from the ‘Group of Death’ was assured. Romania were despatched next, the highlight being Tostao’s backheel pass from a corner for Pele to score.
Brazil’s formula of their ‘front-five’ combining to outscore the opposition was apparent, and working. They were imperious in the quarterfinal against Peru. Tostao in particular. After Rivelino had opened the scoring, he combined with Tostao in a breathtaking corner move. Tostao made a short pass to Rivelino who curled a through ball behind the Peruvian defender for Tostao to run into the penalty box, and score with an improbable angle. After half-time Tostao tapped in from a Pele assist to give Brazil a decisive 3–1 advantage. Jairzinho sealed a 4–2 victory that typified A Selecao’s style, strengths and approach.
The semi-final against Uruguay invoked (unpleasant) memories of the Maracanzo. When the tough-tackling Uruguayans took the lead after a poor Brazilian clearance, the anti-climax of 1950 was rearing its ugly spectre. Clodoaldo’s powerful volley in from a perfectly weighted Tostao cross restored parity for Brazil before half-time. After an emotional pep-talk by Zagallo at half-time, Brazil emerged revitalized with Pele showcasing his repertoire in various ways. Jairzinho’s strong run from a Tostao pass, covering 73 metres in 11 seconds, gave Brazil the lead in the 76th minute. Felix’s incredible save late in the game preserved Brazil’s breathing space till Rivelino’s 90th minute goal, from a Pele assist, confirmed their ticket to the Estadio Azteca.
“I told myself before the game, he’s made of skin and bones just like everyone else — but I was wrong.” — Italian defender Tarcisio Burgnich on Pele
The High Noon
The finalists kicking-off in the mid-day Mexican sun contrasted perfectly. Italy were infused in the tradition of catenaccio. Their defensive, counter-attacking and calculated approach contrasted starkly with Brazil’s free-flowing and attacking futebol arte. Brazil had reached the Final with a perfect record. Italy’s progress through the group stages with two 0–0 draws and a 1–0 win had typified their cynical yet effective approach. High scoring knockout victories over Mexico (4–1) and West Germany (4–3) however had shown that they could also be stirred into action if needed.
The challenge was even. The bar was high. Brazil had to overcome the tournament’s best defence while Italy had to contain the world’s most formidable attacking quartet, which included the world’s greatest player.
Pele outjumped his marker (Burgnich) to open the scoring with an all-time classic header from Rivelino’s high cross. Pele’s celebrations, raising his hand while being lifted by Jairzinho, is an enduring image of Mexico, and even features on a stamp. Intercepting a recklessly casual backheel from Clodoaldo in the Brazilian half, Boninsegna equalized for Italy towards the end of the first half, ensuring the teams went to half-time with the scores level. Midway through the second half, Gerson, Brazil’s highly regarded playmaker put Brazil ahead with a riveting shot. Five minutes later, his long-range cross found Pele near the six-yard box, who headed the ball down for Jairzinho to score, and secure both his perfect record and the tie for A Selecao.
The best though was saved for last. Snuffing an Italian advance and building from their own penalty box, Tostao, Brito, Pele, Clodoaldo and Gerson exchanged passes before the ball arrived back to Clodoaldo, who dodged four Italian players in quick succession before finding Rivelino who released Jairzinho down the wing. Cutting in, Jairzinho passed to Pele, who was positioned just outside the Italian penalty box, near the centre. Pele held the ball and rolled an almost no-look, telepathic wide pass for the on-rushing Carlos Alberto, who struck the ball into the bottom right corner of the goal with unstoppable force. Teamwork, dribbling, passing, power and precision. The goal had everything. In terms of architecture and the actors, it was fitting and symbolic. The ‘culprit’ had redeemed himself for his earlier indiscretion. The top scorer provided the pre-assist for the greatest player in the world to set up his captain for the final flourish.
“Success is no accident. It’s hard work, perseverance, learning, studying, sacrifice, and most of all, love of what you’re doing or learning to do” — Pele
Champions
The ghosts of 1950 and 1966 were vanquished in exhilarating fashion. Brazil were World Champions for a (then) record third time, and as stipulated by Jules Rimet, could keep his namesake trophy forever. Pele had played an entire World Cup and his all-round performance put his status as the greatest player of all time beyond doubt.
Determination, preparation, tactics, execution: Brazil had all the attributes of a champion side. Motivated by the fracasso they had a strong cause, strong team spirit and a collective determination to win the World Cup, and give the ‘seniors’ of the team a fitting farewell. They were prepared, tactically and physically, to match their opponents. Notably, they found a way to organize their electrifying talent into a coherent and flexible framework.
Zagallo had inherited a talented and functioning squad. His task then was mainly to maximize performance through tactics and teamwork. Zagallo’s tactical tweaks were instrumental to Brazil’s success. He found a way to flex his tactical setup to accommodate the best players — and vice-versa. Rivelino, a substitute under Saldanha was given a first-team berth; he would be a revelation at the World Cup. Similarly, Piazza, a natural midfielder was deployed in central defence to use his skills for build-up play. Then, there were opponent specific tweaks which focussed specifically on drawing man-markers out of position to create spaces for players who would hold the key to unlocking a specific game.
Zagallo’s democratic approach was a cornerstone for teamwork. The trio of senior influential players, Pele, Gerson and Carlos Alberto, called cobras, were leaders and intermediaries who would discuss tactics and team issues with Zagallo. The understanding this system built meant that players could make the right decisions on the field. In contrast to the rigid systems of their opponents, Zagallo’s tactical flexibility meant that players had the license to roam around and could improvise. These two capabilities would combine to pivotal effect, particularly when it mattered most (in the semi-final and final).
A cohesive unit with tactical awareness and creative license: A Selecao were set up perfectly. Pele then added the X-factor.
Pele’s vision, intelligence, versatility, athleticism and technique had already made him the biggest superstar in football. His humility meant that he arrived with no airs. Through insight and improvisation, he propelled A Selecao in ways that have now acquired cult status. The exquisite dummy to beat the Uruguayan keeper showcased Pele’s astute understanding of gameplay situations and opponents. His long-range attempt in that game was even more typical. Having studied the Uruguayans, Pele was ready to pounce when their keeper made a short clearance, volleying the ball on to goal from 40 yards. While both moves did not result in goals, their psychological impact was invaluable in this tight encounter. The audacious half-way line lob against Czechoslovakia was another example. Pele’s research, subtlety, ability to stretch boundaries and determination to win were now palpably obvious.
The teenager who wowed the world in 1958 was now the complete footballer. 12 years later, his role in Carlos Alberto’s iconic goal brought things full circle. Involved in the build-up from deep in Brazil’s own half, Pele was also at hand to provide the final pass. As rehearsed during training, Pele measured the pass so it could be hit without his captain breaking stride. Pele’s awareness, teamwork and all-round quality was spectacularly evident. For those wanting quantifiable metrics, Brazil’s 19 goals were the second highest total for a World Cup winning side. Pele was involved in over half of them (4 goals, 6 assists).
New dimensions
Anchored both ends by Pele, Mexico 1970 represented the crescendo for Brazil’s golden run from 1958. It was the zenith of an era. Mexico however had one more ace up its sleeve. The innovations introduced in this World Cup were far reaching and laid the foundation of the modern era.
Colour transmission and TV
Mexico was the first World Cup to be broadcast in colour and to be beamed via satellite. Since colour TV sets were still not prevalent at the time, the impact at the time could’ve been minimal. Over time however, it was phenomenal — much like the moon landing a year earlier (1969) being proverbially a ‘small step for man but giant leap for mankind’.
Mexico 1970’s biggest contribution to football is that it captured the greatest footballer of all time, the greatest (national) team of all time and their iconic canary yellow jerseys and blue shorts, in all its technicolour glory.
TV was always going to be a core revenue model for FIFA. Such was the attention given to TV audiences that the new Telstar ball was debuted at Mexico, whose 32 black and white panels were designed for optimum visibility on TV screens.
Color transmission, Telstar, Brazil and Pele. Mexico ’70 provided the biggest and best advertisement for what a World Cup could offer.
African qualifiers
This was the first tournament which guaranteed the Africa a place in the finals. Previously, it had a 0.5 qualifying slot, requiring a play-off against a European or Asian side. An African boycott of the 1966 World Cup resulted in this change. Following Africa’s lead, in 1974, Asia would be also guaranteed a slot, and over time both would be expanded.
In 2026, Oceania will have a slot guaranteeing representation from all federations. While there’s always a debate on expanding a World Cup to 48 teams, having each federation represented is an important step; whose origins can trace back to Mexico ‘70.
Red & Yellow Cards
The card system, was designed by a former referee to mimic the traffic lights: red for dismissals and yellow for cautions. It was simple, clear, and being visual, transcended language barriers. This was a far-reaching innovation, later adopted by other sports as well.
Substitutions
Mexico was also the first World Cup to allow substitutions, allowing teams to counter the impact of on-field injuries while adding tactical flexibility.
Licensing
Mexico’s ’70 influence on football, both on and off the field, was complete. As if having a premonition of how great it would turn out to be, Panini had partnered with FIFA to produce collectible stickers to ‘generate interest’ in the tournament. This was a wild success and set the foundation for the future revenue stream of collectible licensed products. The experience of collecting these stickers, from cornflakes boxes or wherever else, remains an item of irreplaceable nostalgia. Another road leading to Mexico.
What makes a tournament beautiful?
A super successful team determined to make amends for its failure. The protagonist, scarred by a related past, wanting to prove himself at the highest level again. Mexico: a new location, a last chance. The ghosts. The preparation. The super-powers (countered by an Achilles heel). Momentary suspense!, and then, the crowning glory. A perpetual prize. An everlasting legacy.
Mexico ’70 had all the elements of a fairy-tale. To use a more age-relevant metaphor, it was the Apollo 11 of football. It set the ultimate benchmark and spawned new directions for the game. It represented the pinnacle for the current era and provided a springboard for the future.
Mexico ’70 showcased the best, at their best. It was the beautiful tournament with a beautiful story. It left a legacy that won’t be matched; and indeed, a legacy that we don’t want to ever be matched, because it embodied perfection so elegantly.
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