FIFA World Cup 1986 was a memorable tournament, creating some of the most iconic moments in football history. Held in Mexico, the tournament was the 13th edition of the World Cup held from 31 May to 29 June 1986. Colombia had been originally chosen to host the competition by FIFA but, largely due to economic reasons, was not able to do so, and resigned in 1982. Mexico was selected as the new host in May 1983, and became the first country to host the World Cup more than once, after previously hosting in 1970.
The format of the competition changed from 1982. The final pair of matches in each group started at the same time and the second round was played on a knock-out basis rather than groups. The 24 teams qualified were divided into 6 groups of 4. The top two teams and the four best third-place finishers from the six groups advanced to the knockout round of 16 teams.
Mexico as host nation was granted automatic qualification, with the remaining 23 teams participated in the 1982 World Cup, including 14 European teams, 4 South American teams, 1 North American team, 2 African teams and 2 Asian Teams. Canada, Iraq and Denmark made their first appearance in World Cup.
The 1986 FIFA World Cup was won by Argentina, who beat West Germany 3-2 in the final. Diego Maradona scored two of the goals for Argentina, including the iconic “Hand of God” goal.
Group stage matches began on May 31, 1986, with the tournament's opening match being held between Bulgaria and Italy. The group stage matches were played in various Mexican cities such as Mexico City, Monterrey, Guadalajara, Puebla and Toluca. The group stage saw some notable matches, such as the classic France-Soviet Union match, which ended in a 1-1 draw.
The knockout stage began on June 15, 1986, with the Round of 16 matches. The quarter-finals took place on June 22, 1986, followed by the semi-finals on July 4, 1986.
The tournament culminated in the final match on July 29, 1986, in Estadio Azteca, where Argentina beat West Germany 3-2, wining World Cup for the 2nd time. The final match was one of the most exciting in World Cup history, and was watched by over 114000 people in the Stadium.
The 1986 FIFA World Cup was an iconic tournament, and created some of the most memorable moments in World Cup history. The tournament saw the appearance of the Mexican wave, a spectator phenomenon which was popularized worldwide after featuring in 1986 World Cup.