One win away from finally being crowned world champions, West Germany, European champions and the most consistent World Cup performers over two decades, arrive at 7 July 1974. Standing in their way, they find the Netherlands and the man everyone expects to succeed Pelé as the world’s number one player, …
Read More »12 W/C recalls—1974 (Pt 2): Not even sentimental favourites Brazil could stop the Dutch
As the business end of 1974 World Cup loomed, for the sentimentalists, the field of title contenders still included Brazil. But for most, it had thinned to three: The Netherlands, hosts West Germany and upstarts Poland. And like in a good shoot-’em-up western, the main characters were all nervously eyeing …
Read More »12 W/C recalls: 1974 when Total Football almost ruled the roost; sum of the parts
“Penalty! Holland have a penalty! And we are still in the opening minute of this long-awaited World Cup final!” In many ways, the amazing 10th Fifa World Cup in 1974 bore an uncanny resemblance to its 1954 counterpart. In Germany like in Switzerland, Fifa played the second round as a …
Read More »Early Bird: Ranking the best: Champions League or World Cup? Maradona, Messi or Pelé?
“World Cup isn’t relevant anymore,” a 30-year-old sports editor colleague told me a few years ago. “[Uefa] Champions League is the most important event in football; it’s what everybody wants to see—where all the top players are.” That’s Bobby, pronouncing, now that the Qatar 2022 groups have been more or …
Read More »World Cup memory lane with Fazeer, Kelvin and Nakhid
What does the FIFA World Cup mean to you? Wired868 asked some of our more illustrious football readers to share their memories of the greatest single sporting event on the planet. And we would like you to do the same. There are three basic questions and, each week, we will take …
Read More »World Cup memory lane with Skeene, Nakhid and Sherwood
What does the FIFA World Cup mean to you? Wired868 asked some of our more illustrious football readers to share their memories of the greatest single sporting event on the planet. And we would like you to do the same. There are three basic questions and, each week, we will take …
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