The 1990 World Cup: Italia 90, Cameroon and Brehme's Penalty

The 1990 World Cup: a brief history

The 1990 World Cup was the fourteenth edition of the FIFA tournament, held in Italy between 8 June and 8 July 1990. West Germany beat Argentina 1-0 in the final at the Stadio Olimpico in Rome on 8 July 1990, with Andreas Brehme converting an 85th-minute penalty after Pedro Monzón''s 65th-minute foul on Rudi Völler. The tournament has been remembered for three storylines: Cameroon''s unprecedented run to the quarter-finals, the lowest-scoring final in World Cup history before 1990 (and the lowest goals-per-game average of any World Cup at 2.21), and a series of high-emotion knockout-stage moments, the Pavarotti theme, England''s Paul Gascoigne''s tears, and the closing image of Maradona crying after the final.

The Italia 90 atmosphere

FIFA awarded the 1990 World Cup to Italy in 1984. The decision came alongside the awards of the 1986 (Mexico, after Colombia withdrew) and 1994 (United States) tournaments. Italy''s bid had been the only one received and the country''s footballing infrastructure was substantially upgraded for the tournament; the Stadio delle Alpi in Turin and the Stadio San Nicola in Bari were both newly constructed.

The tournament theme song, "Un''estate italiana" by Edoardo Bennato and Gianna Nannini, became one of the most-celebrated single pieces of tournament music. The opening ceremony featured Luciano Pavarotti, José Carreras and Plácido Domingo performing together for the first time as the "Three Tenors". Pavarotti''s rendition of "Nessun Dorma" from Puccini''s opera Turandot was used by the BBC as the theme for its tournament coverage and produced a top-three single in the UK charts.

The opening match: Cameroon 1-0 Argentina

The opening match of the tournament, played at the Stadio Giuseppe Meazza in Milan on 8 June 1990, has been celebrated as one of the great single results in football history. Cameroon, in their second World Cup, were drawn against reigning champions Argentina. The Indomitable Lions had two players sent off (André Kana-Biyik and Benjamin Massing) but won 1-0 through a François Omam-Biyik header in the 67th minute. The result, coupled with Cameroon''s subsequent group-stage wins over Romania and the Soviet Union, sent the side into the round of 16 as group winners.

Cameroon''s round of 16 against Colombia produced a 2-1 extra-time win, with 38-year-old substitute Roger Milla scoring twice. The first of his two goals included a famous slip past Colombian goalkeeper René Higuita who had advanced 30 yards from his goal; Milla rounded the goalkeeper before slotting into an empty net. Milla''s celebration, the corner-flag-clutching wiggle, was repeated four times across the tournament and has been the most-replayed individual celebration of the early 1990s. Cameroon lost 3-2 to England in the quarter-final, becoming the first African nation to reach the World Cup quarter-finals.

England''s semi-final and Gazza''s tears

England, coached by Bobby Robson, reached the semi-finals for the first time since 1966. The squad included Peter Shilton (the goalkeeper from 1986), Stuart Pearce, Mark Wright, Des Walker, Paul Gascoigne, Bryan Robson, Peter Beardsley, Gary Lineker (the 1986 Golden Boot winner) and Chris Waddle. The team beat Egypt 1-0 in the closing group game, Belgium 1-0 in the round of 16 (David Platt scoring an extra-time half-volley winner), and Cameroon 3-2 after extra time in the quarter-final.

The semi-final against West Germany at the Stadio delle Alpi in Turin on 4 July 1990 ended 1-1 after extra time. Andreas Brehme opened the scoring in the 60th minute via a deflected free-kick. Gary Lineker equalised in the 80th minute. The match went to penalties, the second penalty shootout in World Cup history. Stuart Pearce''s third penalty was saved by Bodo Illgner. Chris Waddle''s fourth penalty was struck over the bar. West Germany won 4-3.

Paul Gascoigne, who had been booked earlier in the match, meaning he would have missed the final if England had reached it, broke down in tears during extra time. The image of "Gazza''s tears", broadcast on BBC television that night, has been credited with reigniting English football''s mainstream popularity through the early 1990s and contributing to the cultural conditions that produced the Premier League.

The other semi-final: Argentina vs Italy

The other semi-final, between host Italy and reigning champions Argentina, was played at the Stadio San Paolo in Naples on 3 July 1990, the home stadium of Diego Maradona, who was the captain of the visiting Argentine side. Maradona had spent six years at Napoli winning two Serie A titles and a UEFA Cup, and the local support was reportedly divided through the match.

"Toto" Schillaci, the Italian forward who had emerged through the tournament, opened the scoring in the 17th minute. Claudio Caniggia equalised in the 67th minute. The match went to extra time and to penalties; Argentina won 4-3. Roberto Donadoni''s and Aldo Serena''s saved penalties cost Italy. Argentina reached the final.

The final and Maradona''s tears

The final, played at the Stadio Olimpico in Rome on 8 July 1990 in front of 73,603 spectators, ended in a 1-0 West German win. The match has been described as one of the lowest-quality World Cup finals on record. Argentina were missing four key players through suspension and injury, and the team played with a deeply defensive shape from the outset. Two Argentine players were sent off, Pedro Monzón in the 65th minute (the first player to be sent off in a World Cup final, for a foul on Jürgen Klinsmann) and Gustavo Dezotti in the 87th minute.

Andreas Brehme''s 85th-minute penalty, awarded after Roberto Sensini''s contested challenge on Rudi Völler, settled the match. Brehme converted into the bottom corner past goalkeeper Sergio Goycochea. The 1-0 result ended Argentina''s reign as champions and gave West Germany their third World Cup.

The closing image of Maradona crying as he received his runner-up medal, and reportedly refusing to shake FIFA president João Havelange''s hand, has been the lasting visual of the tournament''s final night. He had been substantially hampered through the tournament by an ankle injury that has been the subject of decades of subsequent discussion.

Lasting figures

"Toto" Schillaci, the Italian forward, won the 1990 Golden Boot with six goals across the tournament. He had not previously appeared for the senior Italian national team and emerged as a substitute against Austria in the opening group game. His celebrated goal-scoring run took Italy to the third-place playoff (which Italy won 2-1 over England). He died in September 2024 at age 59.

Roger Milla, the Cameroonian forward, is regarded as one of the great African footballers in history. His 1990 tournament, at age 38, produced four goals and the corner-flag-wiggle celebration that has been imitated in countless subsequent African footballing moments. He returned to the Cameroonian national team for the 1994 World Cup at age 42, scoring against Russia and becoming the oldest goalscorer in World Cup history.

Franz Beckenbauer, coaching the West German side, became the second man to win the World Cup as both player and coach (after Mário Zagallo). The closing scenes of the final, with Beckenbauer walking alone across the Stadio Olimpico pitch, have been replayed in countless retrospectives.

West Germany's reunification symbolism

The 1990 tournament took place as West Germany and East Germany were reunifying after 40 years of division. The West German victory carried symbolic weight beyond football: it represented the reunified German state's first international tournament since 1974 and was seen by many as a validation of German unity and strength. The decision to field a unified German team (rather than separate East and West teams) was controversial among East German players and supporters, many of whom regarded it as a loss of identity.

Lothar Matthäus and the goalkeeper Andreas Brehme

West Germany's midfield command, orchestrated by captain Lothar Matthäus, demonstrated the tactical sophistication that the nation had developed through the 1970s and 1980s. Matthäus would go on to win the Ballon d'Or in 1990, making him one of only two midfielders to achieve that honour. The match-winning goal in the final was scored by Andreas Brehme from a penalty, following a controversial handball decision that has been debated for decades.

Cameroon's breakthrough and African football arrival

Cameroon's quarter-final performance (losing 3-2 to England) represented the strongest showing by an African nation in the tournament to that point. The Cameroon squad, featuring aging squad members Roger Milla (already in his late 30s) and others, demonstrated that African football was becoming competitive at the highest level. Milla's celebration (bumping the corner flag) became iconic, and Cameroon's performance encouraged subsequent African nations to pursue World Cup qualification with greater ambition.

Reading on

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