The 1970 World Cup: Brazil's Masterpiece in Mexico

The 1970 World Cup: a brief history

The 1970 World Cup was the ninth edition of the FIFA tournament, held in Mexico between 31 May and 21 June 1970. Brazil beat Italy 4-1 in the final at the Estadio Azteca in Mexico City on 21 June 1970 to win the country''s third World Cup, becoming the first nation to win the trophy three times and permanently retaining the original Jules Rimet trophy. The tournament has often been described as the high-water mark of attacking football, and the Brazilian side that won it, Pelé, Tostão, Rivellino, Gerson, Jairzinho and Carlos Alberto, is regarded by most football historians as the greatest single squad in the tournament''s history.

The host context and the heat

FIFA awarded the 1970 World Cup to Mexico in 1964. The decision rotated the tournament back to the Americas after the European-hosted 1962 (Chile, in fact South America) and 1966 (England) editions, and was the first World Cup held in CONCACAF territory. The tournament was played at high altitude (the Estadio Azteca sits at 2,240m) and in midday heat, with kick-off times scheduled to suit European television rather than player welfare. Several matches were played in temperatures over 30 degrees Celsius.

The 1970 finals were the first to be broadcast in colour television, the first to use the now-standard yellow and red cards (introduced in response to the Argentina-England 1966 incident), and the first to permit substitutions during a match. Two substitutions were allowed per side; the rule has been adjusted multiple times since.

The Brazilian squad

Brazil arrived in Mexico having only just qualified through CONMEBOL. Coach João Saldanha had been dismissed in March 1970 over reported clashes with the federation and the squad selection; Mário Zagallo, the 1958 and 1962 World Cup-winning forward, took over with three months to prepare. The squad selection, five attacking number 10s on the pitch simultaneously, with Pelé, Tostão, Rivellino and Gerson all comfortable in the playmaker role, was widely regarded as too unbalanced before the tournament started.

Captain Carlos Alberto anchored the back four. Goalkeeper Félix played behind a defensive trio of Brito, Wilson Piazza and Everaldo. Clodoaldo and Gerson held the central midfield. Tostão led the line, with Pelé and Rivellino playing slightly deeper and Jairzinho cutting in from the right.

The group stage and the Banks save

Brazil were drawn in Group 3 with England, Romania and Czechoslovakia. The opening match against Czechoslovakia produced a 4-1 win, with Pelé scoring twice. The second match against England at the Estadio Jalisco in Guadalajara on 7 June 1970 produced one of the most celebrated single moments in football history.

Pelé connected with a Jairzinho cross at the far post and powered a downward header towards the bottom corner. England goalkeeper Gordon Banks, having moved to the wrong side of the goal, dived backwards and somehow scooped the ball over the bar with his right hand. Pelé reportedly shouted "Goal!" before the ball was deflected. The "Banks save" has been replayed in countless retrospectives and is widely regarded as the greatest goalkeeping save in World Cup history. Brazil won 1-0 through a Jairzinho goal in the second half. The third match against Romania ended in a 3-2 Brazilian win.

Other notable group-stage results: West Germany beat Bulgaria 5-2 with Gerd Müller scoring a hat-trick, the first of three consecutive World Cup hat-tricks Müller would score on his way to the Golden Boot. Italy laboured through a low-scoring group with a single 1-0 win over Sweden. Mexico topped Group 1 with a 4-0 win over El Salvador.

The Game of the Century

The semi-final between Italy and West Germany at the Estadio Azteca on 17 June 1970 has been known ever since as the "Game of the Century" (Partita del Secolo). The match ended 1-1 after 90 minutes (Roberto Boninsegna for Italy, Karl-Heinz Schnellinger for West Germany in stoppage time). Extra time produced five further goals: Müller for West Germany, Tarcisio Burgnich and Luigi Riva for Italy, Müller again, then Gianni Rivera scoring the winner in the 111th minute. Italy won 4-3 after one of the most attacking 30 minutes of football the tournament has ever produced.

The other semi-final, Brazil''s 3-1 win over Uruguay at the Estadio Jalisco, included a Pelé moment of celebrated improvisation: he allowed a long pass to roll past goalkeeper Ladislao Mazurkiewicz, ran around the keeper and shot from a tight angle, hitting the post. The "Pelé dummy" has been replayed in countless retrospectives.

The final

The final, played at the Estadio Azteca on 21 June 1970, ended in a 4-1 Brazilian win. Pelé opened the scoring with a header in the 18th minute. Italy''s Roberto Boninsegna equalised in the 37th minute after a defensive mix-up. Gerson restored Brazil''s lead in the 66th minute with a long-range strike. Jairzinho added the third in the 71st minute, becoming the only player to have scored in every match of a World Cup tournament.

The fourth Brazilian goal in the 86th minute has gone down as one of the most-celebrated single team moves in football history. Tostão won possession deep in his own half. The ball moved through Clodoaldo, Rivellino, Jairzinho, Pelé and finally to Carlos Alberto bursting forward from right-back. Pelé''s pass arrived perfectly into Carlos Alberto''s stride, and the captain''s right-foot finish completed the move. The goal has been replayed countless times and is the closing image of the most-celebrated World Cup-winning side of all time.

Brazil won 4-1, lifting the Jules Rimet trophy. The third trophy meant the country permanently retained the original cup; the trophy was subsequently stolen from a federation display in Rio de Janeiro in 1983 and has never been recovered.

Lasting figures

Pelé, at his third and final World Cup, became the only player to have won three World Cups. He scored four goals across the tournament and was named in the team of the tournament. The 1970 squad''s collective performance is the foundation of his standing as the most-discussed individual figure in football history.

Carlos Alberto''s closing goal in the final has been described as the perfect example of Brazilian "jogo bonito", the beautiful game. He continued to play for Brazil and Brazilian club football until the late 1970s and is regarded as one of the great attacking right-backs in football history.

Mário Zagallo became the first man to win the World Cup as both player and coach (player in 1958 and 1962, coach in 1970). The achievement was equalled by Franz Beckenbauer (player 1974, coach 1990) and Didier Deschamps (player 1998, coach 2018).

Gerd Müller, the West German forward, won the Golden Boot with 10 goals across the tournament. He scored hat-tricks in three consecutive matches in the group and round of 16 stages and is regarded as one of the great World Cup forwards in history.

England's decline and the Charlton brothers

England's performance at the 1970 tournament represented a significant decline from their 1966 World Cup victory. The reigning champions were eliminated in the quarter-finals by West Germany after leading 2-0. Bobby Charlton and the aging English squad (many players were now in their early 30s) could not maintain the consistency that had produced the 1966 trophy. The tournament marked the beginning of a 28-year period in which England would not reach another World Cup final (until Euro 1996).

Brazil's beautiful football and golden generation

Brazil's 1970 squad is widely regarded as one of the greatest international football teams ever assembled. Pelé, at the height of his powers, combined with other outstanding talents: Garrincha (now in the twilight of his career), Gerson, Jairzinho, Rivellino and others. Brazil's attacking football, characterised by fluid movement, technical excellence and an emphasis on individual skill within collective structures, represented the pinnacle of the approach the country had pioneered in the 1950s and 1960s.

Brazil's 3-0 defeat of Italy in the final showcased this beautiful football at its best. The Brazilians moved the ball with precision, created space through constant movement, and finished with clinical efficiency. The match has been celebrated in countless retrospectives as one of the greatest World Cup finals ever played. Pelé's performance (two goals and relentless creative contribution) and the performances of other Brazilian players suggested this was the team that had answered the doubts raised by the 1966 and 1968 failures.

Mexico's Olympic legacy and the altitude factor

The 1970 tournament was held in Mexico, with several matches contested at high altitude. Mexico City's elevation of 2,250 metres created a physiological challenge that European teams in particular struggled to manage. The tournament demonstrated the importance of acclimatisation and physical preparation for World Cup football. Mexico's hosting rights were significant: the country had hosted the 1968 Olympic Games and was asserting its position as a major sporting nation in Latin America.

Reading on

For more on Brazil''s broader World Cup record, see our team-history piece on Brazil at the World Cup. The World Cup history hub covers every tournament from 1930 to 2026.