Pelé’s third, Baggio’s miss and the ‘Hand of God’: Iconic World Cups in Mexico and the US
From Pelé’s third title to Maradona’s legendary double and Baggio’s agonising penalty miss, tournaments hosted in Mexico and the US have left us with some of the most memorable moments in World Cup history. Here’s a throwback to the 1970, 1986 and 1994 editions.
Issued on: 23/05/2026 - 12:01
7 min Reading time Share By: Benjamin DODMAN / Stéphanie TROUILLARD
Football’s biggest tournament is back on North American soil this summer, 32 years after Italy’s Roberto Baggio sent the ball flying over the crossbar in the final, tragic act of one of the most iconic World Cups to date.
Before the US hosted the world of “soccer” in 1994, neighbouring Mexico had become the first country in the world to organise two World Cups, first in 1970 and again in 1986, when it stepped in for Colombia.
As the two countries team up with Canada for an unprecedented three-host World Cup, running from June 11 to July 19, we look back at some of the highlights of the first three tournaments held on the continent.
1970: Pelé strikes back
The first tournament held in North America is still regarded by many as the finest yet, won by a legendary Brazil team boasting the likes of Gerson, Rivelino, Tostao, Jairzinho and, of course, Pelé. The latter – already a two-time champion – was making his comeback to the Selecao, after injury had forced him out of the 1966 World Cup.
Brazil faced their toughest test in the group stage when they took on defending champions England in a clash of titans that saw Gordon Banks famously deny Pelé with one of the greatest saves in history, before Jairzinho sealed a hard-fought 1-0 win in the searing heat of Guadalajara.
Many had put their money on the two sides meeting again in the final. But Franz Beckenbauer’s West Germany, who faced the Three Lions in the quarterfinals, had other plans.
England looked to be in command when coach Alf Ramsey decided to rest Bobby Charlton with his side 2-0 up and only 20 minutes left in the game. But the Mannschaft came roaring back against the ageing English squad, prevailing 3-2 in overtime to set up a semi-final showdown with Italy – who had earlier ended home favourites Mexico’s dream run to the knockout stages.
Dubbed the “Game of the Century”, the Italy-West Germany clash had it all: goals galore, refereeing blunders and Beckenbauer fighting on with his dislocated arm in a sling before 100,000 delirious fans at the Estadio Azteca. Despite the German captain’s sacrifice, it was the Azzurri who prevailed this time in a thrilling five-goal overtime, with Gigi Riva’s 111th-minute strike sealing a 4-3 win for Italy.
Days later, in the final, the Azzurri held their ground in a tight first half before the mighty Brazilians romped to a 4-1 victory. The sublime passing game that led to Carlos Alberto’s final goal summed up the virtuosity of the 1970 Selecao. And Pelé became the first player to lift the World Cup for the third time after 1958 and 1962 – a feat unmatched to this day.
1986: The ‘Hand of God’
“Thank you God for football and for Maradona!” It’s a cry of joy many have heard before, watching replays of Argentina’s quarterfinal victory over England at the 1986 World Cup, with the legendary live commentary of Uruguayan journalist Victor Hugo Morales.
The stage is once again the Estadio Azteca, and El pibe de oro (the golden boy) has just scored his second, memorable goal. “Cosmic kite, what planet are you from that you can leave so many Englishmen in your wake?” the commentator rambles on, sobbing with joy at a feat celebrated across Argentina – and much of Latin America – as revenge for the Falklands War in 1982.
Maradona’s glorious run past England’s hapless defenders is the stuff of legend, second only in fame to the goal he scored minutes earlier with his hand, the “hand of God”, as he coined it. It has come to define both the tournament and its star player – the brilliance and the trickery, the prodigy and the myth.
The second World Cup on Mexican soil produced plenty of other memorable moments, starting with Morocco’s famous run to the knockout stages – the first for an African team. It saw the Lions of the Atlas top their group, ahead of England, before losing out to West Germany in a narrow 1-0 defeat.
Maradona aside, it was Michel Platini’s France who delivered the match of the tournament, edging out the likes of Socrates, Zico and Careca on penalties in a legendary quarterfinal. Both sides sported an unusual number of players in their 30s, and the Guadalajara heat took its toll on the French, who went on to lose 2-0 against West Germany in the semis – four years after their traumatic defeat at the same stage and against the very same opponents in Seville.
Maradona did not score in the final, which saw the Germans once again claw their way back from a 2-0 deficit in the second half. But he did provide the through pass that set up Burruchaga’s 3-2 winner in the 84th minute, carrying the Albiceleste to their second World Cup title.
1994: Baggio’s agonising miss
World Cups are not always best remembered for their winners. For all but fans of Italy, the defining image of the 2006 final is likely to be Zidane headbutting Materazzi – rather than Cannavaro lifting the trophy. The same could be said of the 1994 final at the Rose Bowl in Pasadena, which many neutrals remember as the scene of the most famous penalty miss in World Cup history.
The choice of venue that year was a strategic bet for FIFA, which hoped to establish soccer as a permanent fixture in the home of American football. Although heavyweights like England, France and Uruguay were absent, there was still an abundance of stars to sell the game to American audiences, including the likes of Romario, Dennis Bergkamp, Thomas Brolin, Gheorghe Hagi, Jürgen Klinsmann and Hristo Stoichkov.
Maradona also joined the party, though his fairytale comeback for Argentina was cut short in the group stage after he tested positive for a banned drug – just days after scoring a wondergoal against Greece – and was promptly banished from the tournament. A more sinister tragedy struck days later when Colombian captain Andrés Escobar was gunned down on his return to Medellin, after scoring an own goal while playing the US hosts.
On the pitches, however, there were plenty of compelling sights, including the five goals Russia’s Oleg Salenko scored in a single game against Cameroon – a record that still stands. The home side also earned their stripes, narrowly losing 1-0 to the future champions in what Brazil captain Carlos Dunga later called “probably the hardest game” the Selecao played in the entire tournament.
In truth, the Brazilians had a lot of hard games, relying on a sturdy defence and the attacking flair of Romario and Bebeto to overcome Bergkamp’s flying Dutch (3-2) and surprise package Sweden (1-0) enroute to the final, where Italy lay in wait.
The Azzurri had also laboured their way to Pasadena, with Baggio scoring five of their six goals in the knockout round as they battled past Nigeria, Spain and then Bulgaria – each time winning by a single goal, just like Brazil. Neither side was able to score in the final, with the tournament’s two best defences pushing the contest to the first penalty shootout in the history of World Cup finals.
Romario duly scored his penalty and would go on to be named player of the tournament. But Baggio’s miss is the one everyone remembers.
Italy were already in a tight spot when the “Divin Codino” (Divine Ponytail) walked up to take his fateful penalty, having carried the Azzurri to the final with his guile and genius. Both Baresi and Massaro had missed, meaning Brazil could still have won with their last kick even if Baggio scored. But his shot into the sky has come to embody Italy’s defeat – and with it the sheer injustice of the game.
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