World Cup 1970 was one of the most remarkable tournaments in the history of football. Held in Mexico, it was the first tournament to be held outside Europe and South America. It was also the first time that teams from five confederations participated. The tournament was won by Brazil, who defeated Italy 4-1 in the final. This was the third time that Brazil had won the tournament, and the team included the legendary Pelé. The Brazilian team was considered to be one of the greatest ever assembled, and the tournament itself was an exciting one with some memorable matches.
Mexico as host nation and England as defending World Cup champions, were granted automatic qualification, with the remaining 14 teams participated in the 1970 World Cup, including 8 European teams, 3 South American teams, 1 North American team & single representative from Asia as well as from Africa.
The tournament began with a group stage. Each group consisted of four teams and the top two teams from each group qualified for the knockout stages. The group stage saw some exciting matches.
Soviet Union, Italy, Brazil and West Germany topped their groups, with Mexico, Uruguay, England and Peru coming in second place. The knock-out stage of the 1970 World Cup began on the 19th of June, in the quarter-finals, Brazil beat Peru 4-2, Italy beat Mexico 4-1, England beat West Germany 3-2, and Uruguay beat the Soviet Union 1-0.
The semi-finals saw Brazil beat Uruguay 3-1, and Italy beat England 4-3 in what was an epic encounter.
The final was played between Brazil and Italy on the 21st of June, at the Azteca Stadium in Mexico City. The match saw Brazil dominate the game, and come out 4-1 winners.
The 1970 FIFA World Cup was a truly memorable event, filled with epic matches, memorable moments and unforgettable stories. The knock-out stage in particular was full of drama, as some of the world’s best teams battled it out for the ultimate prize in international football.