When Mexico hosted the thirteenth World Cup in 1986, they became the first nation to do so twice. The tournament was initially given to Colombia, but they withdrew because of internal political and economic wrangles, so the Mexicans stepped into the breach. Even then the venue could have been switched once again after a massive earthquake devastated Mexico City just eight months before kick off. Around 10,000 people died in the catastrophe but the city's stadiums, including the monumental 115,000 capacity Estadio Azteca, were untouched. The country quickly got back on it's feet to stage one of the most memorable tournaments of the modern era, forever remembered for two goals, and one man.
FIFA changed the format of the competition once again to increase the pack to 24 teams - six groups of four with the top two plus the three best third place teams qualifying for a last 16 knockout. Three teams made their World Cup debuts, Denmark, Canada and Iraq - qualifying despite Saddam Hussein's nation being embroiled in the Iran-Iraq war.
The early influence of commercial television networks was evident, with many of the games kicking off in the searing midday heat to ensure maximum viewing figures. As a result, some of the matches dropped in pace and excitement, yet two sides who acclimatised impressively during the group stages came from the balmier climes of northern Europe.
New boys Denmark, with Michael Laudrup and Preben Elkjaer, and the Soviet Union with a strong Dynamo Kiev continegent both topped their respective groups and banged in nine goals in the process. The stylish Danes led by the mecurial Laudrup won all three matches and sliced apart a talented Uruguay side in a 6-1 demolition with Elkjaer scoring three. Unfortunately their open and expansive brand proved their downfall in the last 16 as Spain hit them for five and sent them packing.
Similarly short and sweet were the Soviets. Valeriy Lobanonskyi's team played a quick, counter-attacking game with direct dribblers like Oleg Blokhin and Igor Belanov. They smashed six past Hungary, comfortably beat Canada and drew with the French - a game noted for a spectacular Vassili Rats goal - but then came off on the wrong end of a seven goal thriller with Belgium in the next phase.
As usual the Germans and Italians made heavy weather of their groups but inched through. Spain and Brazil qualified together whilst France's ageing '82 side also made it to the knockouts. With the big guns all progressing, the plot was just unravelling, yet the biggest story of Mexico 86 was already well under way.
Diego Armando Maradona was the worlds most expensive - and arguably best - footballer. A billing he matched from the very beginning of Argentina's campaign. El Diego was electric. At the peak of his form and fitness, the little maestro seemed hell-bent on rectifying the indignity of his last World Cup appearance, against Brazil in '82 when he was sent-off and reduced to tears as his country were eliminated. In the first group game Maradona tortured South Korea setting up all the goals in a 3-0 win, he scored in the draw with Italy and tee'd up another goal in the win over Bulgaria. On the whole, this was no great Argentinian side, but Maradona's exploits elevated their threat.
In the second round Maradona was hacked to within an inch of his life by the ruthless Uruguayans, but his men marched on to a tantalising Quarter Final with England, whom, up until this point had arrived with high expectations, made a mess of the group before producing a few stirring performances to re-ignite national hysteria. Sound familiar? In the first two group matches England failed to score in a defeat to Portugal and a draw with Morocco. To make things worse for Bobby Robson, skipper Bryan Robson had gone home injured and Ray Wilkins was suspended. England had to beat Poland in Monterrey to go through, so Gary Lineker's hat-trick was very welcome indeed. Lineker hit another two in a 3-0 win over Paraguay to set up the quarter with the Argies. The gunsmoke had only just settled in the Falklands and there was still onfield bitterness since Antonio Rattin and co disgraced Wembley in '66. This meeting did little to appease hostilities.
We all know what happened next...the bitter-sweet assasination by a man dubbed 'half devil, half angel' by French newspaper L'equipe the following day. By now Maradona was writing his own scripts and immortalised himself into football legend with THOSE two goals, four minutes apart at the start of the second half. The first may not actually have been from the hand of God but the second was definately from the feet of some kind of footballing entity. Since voted the 'Goal of the Century' by FIFA, Maradona picked the ball up inside his own half, evaded the giant spider which had took residence on the Azteca pitch that summer, and in an eleven second burst of cartoon like speed, danced past a precession of stricken challengers, rounded Peter Shilton and slotted in one of the most instantly recogniseable goals ever to be scored. Lineker reduced the deficit and the Three Lions pressed with John Barnes missing late on, but it was another case of nearly for England. Maradona was not to be upstaged.
The rest of the quarters proved to be a let-down. In stifling heat, hight tension and low intensity meant the games were drab affairs, all settled by penalties. Only four goals were scored in a combined total of over six hours of morose football, as Brazil, West Germany and Belgium advanced after shoot-out's against France, Mexico and Spain respectively.
The Semi's pitted Maradona's Argentina against the previously unfancied Belgians, and France against West Germany - appearing in an incredible seventh semi-final in the last nine tournaments. The machine like Germans containing a host of household 80's names - Schumacher, Briegel, Brehme, Mattheus, Magathe, Rummenigge, Littbarski, Voeller - were too strong for France, and goals from Brehme and Voeller put them into yet another Final. Belgium, with a young Enzo Scifo pulling the strings had only progressed courtesy of the third place ruling, yet gathered momentum in the knock-out stages, beating the Soviet Union and Spain. However, their soiree was abruptly cut short by Argentina, or more to the point, that man Diego.
It's a measure of the man's brilliance during this tournament that he replicated a 'once in a lifetime goal', in his very next match, just three days later. Having already put his side 1-0 up, Maradona scored another quite incredible solo goal. It may have lacked the emotive impact and subsequent recognition of his England strike, but in terms of technique and quality, his second goal to kill off Belgium was just as good, if not better. Picking the ball up about 30 yards from goal, the initial threat to Jean-Marie Pfaff between the posts seemed limited. All of a sudden Maradona burst forward, slaloming through four defenders all in close proximity before firing past Pfaff. Maradona was unstoppable.
This was not a fact that Franz Beckenbauer overlooked when preparing his side to face Argentina in the Final. The Germans had been typically unspectacular in getting this far, but with a combination of an organised defence and the ability to nick goals, they remained the masters at Vorsprung durch technik-ing results. Beckenbauer decided to use his best player - Lothar Mattheus - to shadow Maradona and nulify his potency, but the move backfired. The Germans struggled to get into the match with their Libero trailing Maradona, and as a result the Argentines took control even with the influence of number 10 limited. Jose Luis Brown nodded in a first half free-kick to put them one up and Jorge Valdano made it two shortly after half-time. West Germany released the shackles to try to salvage the game. After 74 minutes Rummenigge stabbed home a loose ball from a corner and just six minutes later Voeller did the same to gain parity.
In the jubilation of the comeback the Germans lost their composure and shape, forgetting to revert back to plan A and shackle Maradona. Just three minutes after the equaliser he found himself in time and space in the middle of the park to thread a killer through ball for Jorge Burruchaga to run free and score the winner.
Never before, since or ever will one World Cup be dominated by one player. In terms of presence and performance, the little man from Villa Fiorito was a colossus, solely carrying the hopes of a team and a nation. Maradona turned a global showpiece into a personal stage, offering a unique, live insight into a chapter of the turbulent life of one of the most intriguing individuals ever to play the game. Other tournaments may boast more memorable matches and moments, but Mexico 86 was the finest hour of a true genius and should be remembered, embraced and cherished as such.
The topic of who is the greatest player of all time is as fervent as it is futile. No right or wrong answer, just plenty of opinion and conjecture. Maradona's supporters inevitably point to the achievement of propelling an ordinary Angentinian team into World champions as proof El Diego was indeed the greatest. Instead of fighting his corner, let me leave you with this; Less than twelve months after leading Argentina to the title, he repeated the feat with Napoli, inspiring them to their first ever Scudetto - also winning the Coppa Italia that season. Another year on and Napoli's first European trophy was attained in the form of the UEFA Cup, the year after that, another Scudetto.
In the space of four years, Maradona transformed the fortunes of two seperate teams, succeeding against adversity. In Serbian director Emir Kusturica's biopic 'Maradona', which premiered at the 2008 Cannes film festival, Maradona reflected on this time of unparalleled success before admitting he was hooked on cocaine throught the whole period.
"Imagine the player I could have been?" he posed to Kusturica.
A tragically beautiful thought.
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