1986 FIFA World Cup
Colombia was originally chosen as hosts by FIFA in June 1974. Bogotá, Medellín, Cali, Pereira and Bucaramanga were intended as the host cities. Days before the 1978 FIFA World Cup's opening match, FIFA allowed an expansion to 24 teams for the 1982 World Cup in Spain. This change made hosting more challenging for Colombia. Colombian president Julio César Turbay Ayala initially opposed holding the tournament but reluctantly granted permission in October 1980. The next Colombian president, Belisario Betancur, declared on the 5th of November 1982 that they could not afford to host under FIFA's terms. Mexico, United States and Canada submitted bids on the 11th of March 1983. A five-person special FIFA committee announced on the 31st of March it would only consider Mexico's bid. They claimed the United States and Canada had deviated from criteria. Exco members refused to visit Canadian and American stadium sites. On the 20th of May, the committee announced Mexico as the replacement hosts despite Havelange stating the US and Canada had better presentations. Henry Kissinger remarked after the bidding process that soccer politics reminded him of Middle Eastern politics.
Eleven cities hosted the tournament with a total of twelve stadia used. Two stadiums were located in Mexico City. The Azteca Stadium in Mexico City was the largest venue used for the tournament. It hosted nine matches including the final. Mexico City hosted 13 total matches. The hot, humid and rainy summer weather varied across locations. Monterrey sat at 2,000 feet above sea level while Toluca reached over 7,000 feet. Guadalajara stood at approximately 7,400 feet. All stadia except Monterrey were located in central Mexico. Players faced difficult conditions running around these high-altitude venues. The higher the city, the less intense the heat became. Mexico City served as the location for opening and final matches. Weather there was not as hot as other cities used during this World Cup. Group A played at the Olimpico and in Puebla. Group B matches occurred only at the Azteca and in Toluca. Group C games took place in León and Irapuato. Group D fixtures happened exclusively in Guadalajara. Group E matches were held in Querétaro and Nezahualcoyotl. Group F played in the northern city of Monterrey.
Three teams qualified for the World Cup for the first time: Canada, Denmark and Iraq. Iraq played all their home matches on neutral ground because of the Iran, Iraq War. South Korea qualified for the first time since 1954. Paraguay returned after missing the tournament since 1958. Portugal made their first appearance since 1966. Morocco appeared for the first time since 1970. Bulgaria and Uruguay both returned after last appearing in 1974. The 24 teams qualified for the final tournament included representatives from AFC, CAF, CONCACAF, CONMEBOL and UEFA regions. OFC had no qualified teams. Canada and Mexico competed in the CONCACAF region. Denmark and Scotland represented Europe alongside defending champions Italy. Argentina entered as a CONMEBOL participant. The qualification process involved multiple rounds across different continents. Some nations like Northern Ireland and Poland also secured spots through regional competitions. The tournament featured diverse geographic representation with teams from Africa, Asia, Europe, North America and South America participating in the competition.
The quarter-final between Argentina and England at the Azteca featured two very different goals by Diego Maradona in the second half. The first goal was scored illegally when he punched the ball into the goal past England goalkeeper Peter Shilton. The referee did not see the handball and the goal was given as valid. After the game, Maradona claimed the goal was scored 'A bit with the head of Maradona and another bit with the hand of God'. It became known as the Hand of God goal. For his second goal, voted Goal of the Century in 2002 on the FIFA website, Maradona dribbled half the length of the field past five English players before scoring. With 9 minutes to go, Lineker got on the end of one cross and scored. Then almost repeated the dose six minutes later but was just unable to reach the ball thanks to a timely block by Olarticoechea. The final score was 2, 1 to Argentina. In Argentina, the game was seen as revenge for the Falklands War. Maradona scored five goals during the tournament and created another five for his teammates. He received the Golden Ball award as the best player of the tournament.
The format of the competition changed from 1982. The final pair of matches in each group started at the same time. The second round was played on a knockout basis rather than groups. The 24 teams qualified were divided into six groups of four labeled A through F. The top two teams and the four best third-place finishers from the six groups advanced to the knockout round of 16 teams. Group A only played at the Olimpico and in Puebla except for the Bulgaria-Italy opening tournament match which was played in the Azteca. Group B matches occurred exclusively at the Azteca and in Toluca. Group C games took place in León and Irapuato. Group D fixtures happened in Guadalajara including the Guadalajara area town of Zapopan. Group E matches were held in Querétaro and Nezahualcoyotl. Group F played in Monterrey including San Nicolas de los Garza. All venues listed hosted knockout round matches except those in Nezahualcoyotl, Irapuato, Zapopan, Toluca and the Estadio Tecnologico in Monterrey. Belgium beat the Soviet Union 4, 3 despite a hat-trick by Igor Belanov.
The tournament saw the appearance of the Mexican wave, a spectator phenomenon popularised worldwide after featuring during the competition. The official mascot of the 1986 World Cup was Pique, a jalapeño pepper with a moustache and Colimote sombrero. Its name comes from picante, a Spanish word meaning spicy, and was also a pun on the PK abbreviation of penalty kick. The character caused controversy within Mexico for its ethnic stereotypes. The official match ball was the Azteca manufactured by Adidas. It was the first fully synthetic FIFA World Cup ball. The elaborately decorated design was inspired by the hosting nation's native Aztec architecture and murals. Eight players received red cards during the tournament including Frank Arnesen and Ray Wilkins. Gary Lineker won the Golden Boot as the leading scorer with six goals. Maradona scored five goals and created another five for his teammates. Argentina beat West Germany 3, 2 in the final at Mexico City's Estadio Azteca. Total attendance reached 2,394,031 with an average per match of 46,039. Eight years later, 30 million people in Argentina celebrated in the streets after the final victory.
Continue Browsing
Common questions
Why did Colombia lose the 1986 FIFA World Cup hosting rights to Mexico?
Colombia lost the hosting rights because President Belisario Betancur declared on the 5th of November 1982 that they could not afford to host under FIFA's terms. A special FIFA committee announced on the 31st of March 1983 it would only consider Mexico's bid after claiming the United States and Canada had deviated from criteria.
Which cities hosted matches during the 1986 FIFA World Cup in Mexico?
Eleven cities hosted the tournament with a total of twelve stadia used including Mexico City, Monterrey, Toluca, Guadalajara, León, Irapuato, Querétaro, Nezahualcoyotl, Puebla, Zapopan, San Nicolas de los Garza, and the Estadio Tecnologico in Monterrey. All stadia except Monterrey were located in central Mexico while Group F played exclusively in the northern city of Monterrey.
Who won the Golden Ball award at the 1986 FIFA World Cup?
Diego Maradona received the Golden Ball award as the best player of the tournament for scoring five goals and creating another five for his teammates. He scored two famous goals against England in the quarter-final known as the Hand of God goal and the Goal of the Century.
What was the official mascot of the 1986 FIFA World Cup called?
The official mascot of the 1986 FIFA World Cup was Pique, a jalapeño pepper with a moustache and Colimote sombrero. Its name comes from picante, a Spanish word meaning spicy, and was also a pun on the PK abbreviation of penalty kick.
How many teams qualified for the final tournament of the 1986 FIFA World Cup?
Twenty-four teams qualified for the final tournament including representatives from AFC, CAF, CONCACAF, CONMEBOL and UEFA regions. Three teams qualified for the World Cup for the first time: Canada, Denmark and Iraq.