Hope he kept the royalties
REO have some great tunes, bubblegum but brilliant
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Tournament debutants Algeria beat reigning European champions West Germany 2-1 on the opening day. The Germans & Austrians would later fix the outcome of their final group game, to ensure they both progressed to the next round at the expense of Algeria. This game was dubbed the “Disgrace of Gijón”.
Hungary defeated El Salvador 10–1, equalling the largest margin of victory recorded in the finals.
Newcomers Cameroon held both Poland and Italy to draws, and were denied a place in the next round on the basis of having scored fewer goals than Italy.
When Alain Giresse scored to put France 4-1 up against Kuwait, the goal was vehemently contested by the Kuwait team, who had stopped play after hearing a piercing whistle from the stands, which they thought had come from the Soviet referee Stupar. The president of the Kuwait FA rushed onto the pitch to remonstrate with the referee. Stupar reversed his initial decision and disallowed the goal to the fury of the French.
Northern Ireland topped a group containing Spain and Yugoslavia.
England were eliminated without losing a match or a shoot-out.
Not alone was French defender Patrick Battiston knocked unconscious and relieved of two teeth after a horror challenge by West Germany keeper Harald Schumacher during the semi final, he also lost the ability to blink in unison.
Italy became the first team to advance from the first round without winning a game, drawing all three of their matches.
Italy’s 40-year-old captain-goalkeeper Dino Zoff became the oldest player to win the World Cup.
Adidas’s ‘Tango España’ was the official football of the tournament. It had improved water resistant qualities through its rubberized seams. These proved to be not very durable and resulted in the ball having to be changed several times during some games. This ball was the last genuine leather ball to be used in the World Cup.
1982 was the first World Cup in which teams from all six continental confederations participated in the finals, something that did not happen again until 2006.
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It was without a doubt the best World Cup of all time.
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I would tend to agree. Of the tournaments I’ve either watched back or lived through, it has the most shock value in terms of upsets, matched with quality teams at the peak of their powers - Brazil, France, Italy, West Germany. There were so many strong teams in that World Cup.
Honorable mentions to Mexico ‘70 & ‘86, USA ‘94, France ‘98 and Germany ‘06.
Italia ‘90, South Africa ‘10 and ‘Brazil ‘14 for the bin.
I think battiston never played again, and suffered lifelong injuries. That kraut cunt only got a yellow. I’ve despised the Germans ever since.
Played into 1990s
Battiston played on for years, for France as well
Don’t think a free kick was even given.
Almost sure he played in 84 final
After the 1990s I meant.
Here it is for anybody that has never seen it
Spain might have been the best venue for a World Cup too, best European venue anyway, most specifically the now demolished Sarria stadium in Barcelona, an utter cauldron. But Mexico would have strong claims.
Sure that was years after the kick (1982). Played away for another decade
Battison actually died that day. He was replaced by an actor.
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Worked for Paul McCartney anyway.
He was like the blue Peter dog.
He still actually suffers due to his broken vertebrae.
And Morrissey
And Saddam Hussein.
Apologies to the memory of the late President Hussein for mentioning him in the same post as Morrissey.
I’ll never forget dancing round the room to strains of ‘panic on the streets of Baghdad’ as a teenager.
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