Last update 13 October, 2022 por Alberto Llopis

Mexico 1986 It was the World Cup Maradona. It was also that of Platini, Zico, Butragueño, Gary Lineker, brightly top scorer. Rummenigge also, the Laudrup, even Pfaff, but above all it was one of the best world championships in history.

Mexico 1986, the Maradona World Cup

En él, a man led his team to the top of football for the second time in its history. En él, God he dressed player and stunned the world with the greatest skills, with the greatest of virtues, with technical, with talent by flag. Maradona did magic in Mexico 86 in a month of June that elevated him to the Olympus of footballers.

The World Cup that was going to be held in Colombia but ended in Mexico

It was Mexico to begin hosting a tournament in which participated 24 selections and that was scheduled to be played in Colombia. Sin embargo, economic difficulties, trademark pressures and a tremendous demand from FIFA that included 12 Stadiums with a minimum capacity of 40.000 People for the first phase, 4 Stadiums with a minimum capacity of 60.000 persons for the second phase, 2 Stadiums with a minimum capacity of 80.000 people for the opening game and for the final, a communication tower installation, made Mexico finally take the cat to the water.

And it is that Colombia rejected the organization for the aforementioned but also because the members of FIFA demanded that the hotel rates be in 1986 at a reduced price for them in addition to demanding that the issuance of a decree be created that would legalize the free circulation of international currencies in the country, robust limousine fleet managers available to the entity, a network of trains that would communicate to all sites, airports with capacity for landing jet aircraft type at all locations and a network of roads that allow easy movement of the fans. Casi nada.

All this led the South American country to resign and the award went to the Aztecs who sixteen years earlier, en 1970, had organized an edition full of emotions in which it was the World Cup of Pelé and his Brazil of 70.

Mexico 86 left some of the most serious referee errors

The first phase of the tournament just left surprises. Large selections met and perhaps the highlight was Brazil's victory over Spain in a match where Michel scored a phantom goal that did not rise to the marker or the great performance of Denmark Laudrup, first in a group in which he beat Germany (which went second with a single victory) and Uruguay thrashed by 6-1.

Sin duda, as often happen in this kind of dating, the best wine from eighths. The Danish "red dynamite" that had astonished locals and strangers was beaten mercilessly by Spain in a spectacular afternoon by Emilio Butragueño, author of four goals in Quetaro that served to put the Spaniards in quarters, as did the other great powers, except for Italy, comfortably beaten by France 2-0.

Quarter-final that would yield some of the most memorable moments in the history of the World Cup. Spain fell on penalties to Belgium after having been better. Eloy Olalla failure sentenced a selection which again was unable to overcome the barrier of rooms. At the same penalties had to resort Germany beat Mexico, brilliant hostess with Hugo Sánchez on stage as the most visible head.

Of course the two best games were other. One the France-Brazil. A hymn to football, como no, it was also resolved in the lottery of penalty kicks. A batch for history for the failures of Platinum, Socrates and the famous goal of Bellone, granted after giving the ball on the post and then the body of the keeper Gallic. Ultimately triumph suffered for France put it this way stand for the second time in semifinals.

England-Argentina, Maradona's goal match and ‘Hand of God’

What the other party deserves location aside. It was the party of parties. Preceded by a war between the two countries, Argentina and Britain fought the Azteca Stadium in an unforgettable memory. Ineradicable because that day dressed Maradona God to score a first goal with his hand and because that same day, the same "cosmic kite" starred the best move of football history. A torn over 50 meters starting in his own half which allowed him to circumvent half England team and score one of the most beautiful so many who recall that served to put the Argentinians in semifinals.

The semifinals were not certainly the most remembered. Argentina and Germany won without large doses of football to Belgium (two goals from Maradona) and France for 2-0 and they sealed a very interesting end.

Maradona's Argentina, the champion in Mexico

final match would end with 3-2 favorable to Argentina with players like Tata Brown to the epic, facing a Germany commanded by big names like The rooms, Matthew, Brehme or Schumacher. impressive cast of players again were overwhelmed by an alien. It was Maradona, the man who made of Mexico 86 a party of Argentina and was said that he was only able to win the World Cup. And all of this, despite having Bilardo on the bench and Valdano and Burruchaga on the lawn.