Cover of the "Programa Oficial para el IX Campeonato Mundial de Futbol"

The 1970 Football World Cup was held in Mexico.

Mexico '70 had 16 participating teams, divided in 4 groups:

Group A: Mexico, Belgium, El Salvador, Soviet Union

Group B: Israel, Italy, Sweden, Uruguay

Group C: Brazil, England, Czechoslovakia, Romania

Group D: Germany, Bulgaria, Peru, Morocco

It was won by Brazil, who beat Italy 4-1 in the final.

Brazilian Campaign

Group Stage (Group C - BRA CZE ENG ROM)

Brazil 4 vs 1 Czechoslovakia - 03.06.70 (16.00) Guadalajara, Estadio Jalisco

BRA: Felix - Carlos Alberto (c), Piazza (88 Fontana), Brito, Everaldo - Clodoaldo, Gérson (74 Paulo Cesar Lima), Jairzinho, Tostao - Pelé, Rivelino

CZE: Viktor - Dobiáš, Migas, Horváth (c), Hagara - Hrdlička (46 Kvašňák), Kuna, F.Veselý (75 B.Veselý), Petráš - Adamec, Jokl

0:1 Petráš 12

1:1 Rivelino 24 f (the "patada atomica")

2:1 Pelé 60

3:1 Jairzinho 64

4:1 Jairzinho 83

Brazil 1 vs 0 England - 07.06.70 (12.00) Guadalajara, Estadio Jalisco

BRA: Felix - Carlos Alberto (c), Piazza, Brito, Everaldo - Clodoaldo, Paulo Cesar Lima, Jairzinho, Tostão (68 Roberto) - Pelé, Rivelino

ENG: Banks - Wright, Cooper, Mullery, Labone - Moore (c), Lee (64 Astle), Ball, R.Charlton (64 Bell) - Hurst, Peters

1:0 Jairzinho 60

Brazil 3 vs 2 Romania - 10.06.70 (16.00) Guadalajara, Estadio Jalisco

BRA: Felix - Carlos Alberto (c), Piazza, Brito, Everaldo (56 Marco António) - Clodoaldo (74 Edu), Paulo Cesar Lima, Jairzinho - Tostão, Pelé, Fontana

ROM: Adamache (28 Răducanu) - Sătmăreanu, Lupescu, Dinu, Mocanu - Dumitru, Nunweiller, Dembrovschi, Neagu - Dumitrache (72 G.Tătaru), Lucescu (c)

1:0 Pelé 20 f

2:0 Jairzinho 22

2:1 Dumitrache 33

3:1 Pelé 66

3:2 Dembrovschi 83

Quarterfinals

Brazil 4 vs 2 Peru - 14.06.70 (12.00) Guadalajara, Estadio Jalisco

BRA: Felix - Carlos Alberto (c), Brito, Piazza, Marco António - Clodoaldo, Gerson (67 Paulo Cesar Lima) - Jairzinho (80 Roberto), Tostão, Pelé, Rivelino

PER: Rubinos - Campos, Fernandez, Chumpitaz (c), Fuentes - Mifflin, Challe - Baylón (54 Sotil), León (61 Reyes), Cubillas, Gallardo

1:0 Rivelino 11

2:0 Tostão 18

2:1 Gallardo 28

3:1 Tostão 52

3:2 Cubillas 69

4:2 Jairzinho 76

Semi-finals

Brazil 3 vs 1 Uruguay - 17.06.70 (16.00) Guadalajara, Estadio Jalisco

BRA: Felix - Carlos Alberto (c), Brito, Piazza, Everaldo - Clodoaldo, Gerson, Jairzinho, Tostão - Pelé, Rivelino

URU: Mazurkiewicz - Ubiña, Ancheta, Matosas, Mujica - Maneiro (74 Espárrago), Cortés, Montero-Castillo, Cubilla - Fontes, Morales

0:1 Cubilla 19

1:1 Clodoaldo 45

2:1 Jairzinho 76

3:1 Rivelino 90

Final Match

Brazil 4 vs 1 Italy - 21.06.70 (12.00) Mexico City, Estadio Azteca

BRA: Félix - Carlos Alberto (c), Brito, Piazza, Everaldo - Clodoaldo, Gérson, Jairzinho, Tostão - Pelé, Rivelino.

ITA: Albertosi - Burgnich, Cera, Bertini (75 Juliano) - Rosato, Facchetti (c), Domenghini, de Sisti, Mazzola - Boninsegna (84 Rivera), Riva.

1:0 Pelé 18

1:1 Boninsegna 37

2:1 Gérson 66

3:1 Jairzinho 71

4:1 Carlos Alberto Torres 87

Mario Jorge Lobo Zagallo

Since this was the third win for the Brazilian team (they had already won 1958 and 1962), they were entitled to keep the Jules Rimet trophy. Brazilian coach Mario Zagallo was the first footballer to become World champion as player (1958, 1962) and coach.

Jairzinho and Müller

Brazilian right winger Jairzinho scored at least one goal in each of the six games played by the Brazilian team in the World Cup (in the first game, against Czechoslovakia, he scored two). However, the striker of the tournament was Germany's Gerd Müller, with impressive 10 goals in the competition. Müller incredibly made a hat-trick (three goals) in two consecutive games, against Bulgaria and Peru (Group Stage). But he didn't score in Germany's last game (3rd place match) against Uruguay.

One of the best ever games played in a World Cup

The most memorable match of the tournament, and by many regarded as one of the greatest matches in World Cup history, may have been the Italian 4-3 win after extra time over Germany in the semifinal. Italy led by 1-0 until the 90th minute when Karl-Heinz Schnellinger scored the equaliser during injury time. Then, during extra time, the lead changed from a German 2-1 to an Italian 3-2, when Gerd Müller equalised again before Gianni Rivera scored the winning goal in the 111th minute.