51. Did You Know?: For a certain age-group 7 July 1974 remains the blackest day of our – till then - short and uneventful lives. There had been much great football played during the tenth World Cup, held in West Germany during a rain-soaked four weeks that summer, even if England had failed to qualify. .jpg)
But nothing else compared to the free-flowing totaalvoetbal of the Netherlands and their playmaker, Johan Cruyff. The Dutch team was built around the superb Ajax and Feyenoord club sides of the era, coach Rinus Michels fashioning a team - and a system - that attacked in number, made intelligent use of space and dazzled opponents with individual skill. Over six group games Cruyff - aided by his team mates Johan Neeskens, Johnny Rep, Wim van Hanegem, Rob Rensenbrink, Arie Haan et al - ran riot, playing football that thrilled the watching world. The way in which they annihilated reigning champions Brazil in their last second round match (effectively a semi-final) suggested the final would be a mere formality. Not only that but as the broadcaster Danny Kelly has said 'in 1974 Holland was the only place where the 1960s was still going on!' The team looked like a bunch rock stars recently escaped from some smoky Amsterdam hash-bar. .jpg)
Even their hardest defender Ruud Krol, it was noted, wore love-beads around his neck. If ever the term 'sexy football' applied to anyone, it was to the Dutch in the summer of 1974. Against them were the hosts, the current European champions. West Germany had been less impressive through the group stages, particularly when losing to neighbours East Germany. There were stories of factions in the camp and many were mystified by coach Helmet Schön's reluctance to find a place for the talented but temperamental Günter Netzer in midfield. They were a hard-working team, with obvious ability and with the world's best libero centre-back, Franz Beckenbauer and its most lethal striker, Gerd Müller. But, the Germans, despite having their own resident Maoist nutter in their ranks – afro-hairstyled hippie Communist Paul Breitner - were still the uncool ying to Dutch rebel yang. 
Most people outside Germany confidently expected the Dutch to win. As a nation, the Netherlands had strong feelings about their German neighbours, an enmity that dated back to their occupation during World War II. Memories were still raw for many, not least Wim van Hanegem. 'Eighty per cent of my family died [in the war]. The Germans were good players but arrogant.' The Dutch kicked-off and with just sixty second gone, after a complex slowly-built move that involved thirty four passes, Cruyff raced into the West German penalty area and was brought down by Uli Hoeness. Neeskens scored from the ensuing spot kick, the first German player to touch the ball in the match being goalkeeper Sepp Maier when he picked it out of the net. For the next twenty minutes, the Dutch strolled around in complete control. But, as van Hanegem noted, half the team seemed more interested in making the Germans look silly than in actually winning the game. .jpg)
'We played great but we forgot to score the second goal,' Johnny Rep would regretfully add. In the twenty sixth minute Bernd Hölzenbein moved past Wim Jansen and dramatically fell (for which read blatantly dived) in the Dutch area. The English referee Jack Taylor bought it and awarded the Germans a penalty. Breitner equalised. Just before half-time, Müller latched onto a pass by Rainer Bonhof and scored from close range past Jan Jongbloed. The second half was one of most one-sided in football history as the Dutch laid siege to the German goal with wave after wave of attacks. But Maier, Beckenbauer and co. held firm and, at the final whistle West Germany were world champions for the second time. At every tournament since 1974 it's been the same. The Dutch briefly tease us and get our hopes up. They thrill us and delight us with their brand of flair and genius. And then, every single time, (except for the European Championships in 1988, admittedly) they let us - and often themselves - down. As recently as Euro 2008, for two games they played like the spirit of '74 was amid them. And then, they were beaten by Russia. The Dutch seemed to make us a promise in 1974. They said to every unhealthy ten year old 'be brilliant, be expressive, be fabulous, be yourself … and you'll win.' 
They lied! David Winner, author of the book Brilliant Orange: The Neurotic Genius of Dutch Football devotes an entire chapter to 1974 – Football Is Not War – in which he, like everyone, remains unable to explain just how The Best Team In The World managed not to win the ultimate prize. As Ruud Krol reflects 'Sometimes, in football, the best team just doesn't win.' There would be another World Cup run four years later (without Cruyff - and van Hanegem - but with most of the squad of 1974), another final and, perhaps inevitably, another controversial defeat - this time to Argentina. On Dutch TV, commentator Herman Kuiphof gave an agonised response to West Germany's victory: 'Zijn we er toch nog ingetuind' (loosely translated as 'they have tricked us again' and usually taken as yet another reference to events of thirty years earlier). The Dutch were further enraged by an article published on the eve of the final in the German tabloid Bild Zeitung headlined Cruyff, Sekt, nackte Mädchen und ein kühles Bad ('Cruyff, Champagne, Naked Girls and a Swimming Pool'). It claimed that four - unnamed - Dutch players held a nocturnal party with some local Mädchen at their Hiltrup hotel on the night before the Brazil game. .jpg)
It is yet to be established whether any of the story was true – the paper claimed to have photos but none have ever been published - however, it clearly upset the Dutch players. In the 2002 BBC programme Match of the World Cup, Rep and Krol both strongly denied that any such incident had taken place but squad member Rene van de Kerkof appeared to suggest that some sort of party had taken place with at least some of the Dutch players involved. It is alleged that Cruyff spent most of the night before the final on the phone to his wife Danny, promising her that the article was a lie. Auke Kok, in his book 1974: We Were The Best, references several witnesses who saw Cruyff in a heated conversation on the phone next to the registration desk, while the archived hotel bill shows hefty charges to support the theory. This, claims Cruyff's brother, Hennie, is why he 'played like a dishrag' the next day.
52. Did You Know?:
The British nations were invited to take part in the 1950 World Cup, having rejoined FIFA four years earlier after seventeen years of self-imposed exile. It was decided - in a very generous gesture by FIFA - to use the 1949-1950 British Home Championships as one qualifying group, with whoever finished first and second qualifying. England finished first and Scotland second, but the Scots, rather typically, took the huff and withdrew as they were not British Champions. And then, we wonder why the rest of the world hates us and enjoys seeing us get beat.
53. Did You Know?: The first substitute to be used in a World Cup qualifying match was Germany's Horst Eckel who replaced by Richard Gottinger in their game against The Saar on 11 October 1953.
54. Did You Know?: Some commentators argue that Hungary - or at least its goalkeeper - allowed Italy to win the 1938 World Cup, as a measure to save the lives of the Italian team, which had reportedly received telegrams from Benito Mussolini prior to the match stating the team must 'Vincere o morire!' (roughly translated as 'Win or die').
The Hungarian keeper, Antal Szabó, later expressed his relief at his side's defeat. Referring to Mussolini's pre-match urgings, Szabó quipped 'I may have let in four goals, but at least I saved their lives.' Actually, this isn't necessarily the case. 'Win or die' was a typical slogan of encouragement from fascist era, meaning, effectively 'Victory or bust!' in modern parlance. The fascist regimes broadly held sporting heroes and champions in very high regard, often using them in their propaganda machine, so an act like the one suggested by Szabó was not very likely even if Italy had lost. Due to World War II, the World Cup would not be held for another twelve years. As a result, Italy were the reigning world champions for a record sixteen years, from 1934 to 1950. The Italian Vice-President of FIFA, Ottorino Barassi, hid the Jules Rimet trophy in a shoe-box under his bed throughout the war and thus saved it from falling into the hands of occupying troops.
55. Did You Know?: The fastest goal scored in a World Cup qualifying match was by Davide Gualtieri of San Marino after just nine seconds in a game against Graham Taylor's England in 1993. England went on to win 7-1 but failed to qualify for the finals the next year. Did we not like that.
56. Did You Know?: A 'group of death' in a multi-stage tournament is a preliminary group which is unusually competitive, because the number of strong competitors in the group is greater than the number of qualifying places available for the next phase of the tournament.
After the draw for most World Cup tournaments have been made, debates often arise about which of the preliminary groups will be The Group Of Death. The term is often derided by fans as a journalistic cliché or oversimplification. It was actually coined (as the Spanish 'grupo de la muerte') by Mexican journalists for Group Three of the 1970 World Cup. This featured reigning champions England, favourites and eventual champions Brazil, 1962 runners-up Czechoslovakia and Romania. It was popularised after the draw for the 1986 FIFA World Cup when Uruguay manager Omar Borrás used it to describe Group E, which included his team, West Germany, Denmark, Scotland. The label was widely repeated by the English-language media. In the event, Scotland was the only team not to qualify. 
Uruguay themselves were criticised for persistent cynical dirty play in their decisive match with Scotland; Borrás was suspended for retorting, 'The Group of Death? Yes, there was a murderer on the field today. The referee.' Also in 1986, World Cup Group F (England, Poland, Portugal, Morocco), in which just two goals were scored in the first four games combined, was dubbed by the local media as The Group of Sleep. Mind you, they all woke up again pretty damn sharpish when Gary Lineker scored his hat-trick against the Poles. Oh yes.
57. Did You Know?: The first player to score four goals in a World Cup qualifier was the Republic of Ireland's Paddy Moore who scored four in his country's 4-4 draw with Belgium in Dublin in 1934.
58. Did You Know?: Joint hosts South Korea's legion of fans both inside and outside their World Cup matches were a joy to behold in 2002 and their progress to the semi-finals was generally welcomed by many neutrals. However, it has to be said, they were the beneficiaries of some extremely dubious refereeing decisions in both the second round and the quarter-finals.
First Italy striker Christian Vieri had a perfectly good goal ruled out for offside as the Azzurri were ultimately conquered 2-1 by an Ahn Jung-Hwan golden goal in extra-time. Reaction in Italy was not pleasant, with supporters protesting that the referee had 'stolen the game' and Perugia president Luciano Gaucci threatening to sack Ahn (see left) for having the temerity to score the winner against the national side of the country where he earned his living. An even more blatant refereeing error favoured the Koreans against Spain in the quarter-final. Joaquin crossed for Fernando Morientes to head home, only for Egyptian official, Gamal Ghandour, to rule that the ball had crossed the touchline before Joaquin centred it. Subsequent replays suggested the ball was in play by about a foot.
59. Did You Know?:
Germany's Lothar Matthäus holds the record for the most appearances in World Cup final stages – twenty five. Next comes the Azzurri's Paulo Maldini with twenty three, followed by that filthy little cheat Maradonna, Poland's Wladislav Zmuda and Uwe Seeler with twenty one. Matthäus, along with Mexico's goalkeeper Antonio Carbajal are the only players to have appeared in the final stages of five World Cups.
60. Did You Know?: The first World Cup match to be played at an indoor arena was between the USA and Switzerland at the Pontiac Silverdome in Detroit on 18 June 1994.
61. Did You Know?:
Conspiracy 58 was a Swedish TV, if you will, mockumentary from 2002 which claimed that the 1958 World Cup in Sweden didn't really take place at all, but had been staged as a television and radio event organised by American and Swedish Television, the CIA and FIFA as part of a Cold War strategy. A sort of football version of Capricorn One, if you like. It claimed that Sweden did not have the economic or technical resources to promote such an event. The main reason for the Americans' involvement, according to the theory, was to know if propaganda in television had any influence on viewers and if such methods could be used as political weapons. 
Despite the subsequent revelation that the film, itself, had been a hoax, many people still believed it to be true. It took several days until the Swedish press actually announced it was all made up by the producers. The aim of the movie, according to the director Johan Löfstedt, was to illustrate how historical denial (and, in particular Holocaust denial) works and to highlight the importance of source criticism when getting information from the media.
62. Did You Know?: Brazil's Valdemar de Brito became the first player to miss a penalty in the World Cup finals in 1934.
63. Did You Know?: Poor old Italy. It took them thirty six years to do it, but in 2006 they finally completed a full-hand of humiliating World Cup defeats by both Korean teams. If South Korea erupted with their famous - if controversial - victory over the Azzurri in Soeul in 2006 (see above), then the scene was a little more surreal in 1966 when almost eighteen thousand punters crammed into Middlesbrough's Ayresome Park to watch Italy supposedly make short work of North Korea.
Heading into the 1966 finals as Asia's sole representative just over a decade after a war that had devastated and divided their country, North Korea were one thousand-to-one outsiders to win the World Cup, despite the proud boast of their specially composed World Cup anthem that proclaimed 'We can beat everyone, even the strongest team.' North Korea had qualified by beating a scratch Australian side in a play-off, after many other Asian and African countries had withdrawn in protest that only one team from the two continents would be granted a place in the finals. Getting entry into the UK itself proved to be a considerable challenge for the North Koreans. Lacking formal diplomatic relations with Great Britain since the Korean War, the Foreign Office got all bureaucratic and took their time granting the Koreans entry clearance, only relenting when it was agreed that their national anthem would not be played before games. The British Post Office even had to redesign a planned commemorative stamp and remove the North Korean flag after the Foreign Office objected to the design. The Koreans entered the tournament as something of an enigma to the British press. The Times' World Cup preview rather patronisingly noted 'the North Koreans, offering a string of names that have the sound of waterfalls, remain for the moment a mysterious, unknown quantity.' The paper's correspondent expected Italy and Russia to waltz through the group, which also included Chile. 
What happened over the next ninety minutes has gone down in World Cup folklore. Italy went into the game knowing that, unless Chile hammered the USSR the following day at Roker Park, a draw would be enough for them to qualify for the second round. Italy were openly confident about making progress and dominated the early stages of the game, when Perani could have scored twice. On the second occasion, his close-range volley produced a stunning save from Lee Chan-Myung. But Italy lost Giacomo Bulgarelli after half an hour when he aggravated a knee injury and, because there were no substitutes in those days, were forced to play the rest of the match with only ten men. It proved crucial. Just over ten minutes after Bulgarelli went off, Pak Doo-Ik wrote himself into the history books. The ball was headed towards the Italian area, where Pak collected it before hitting the ball across Albertosi along the ground. Middlesbrough had already taken the Koreans to their hearts - as Brian Glanville noted in his wonderful script for the official FIFA film of the tournament, Goal!, 'the locals called the Koreans "us."' 
The Times added that 'rarely have supporters taken a team to their hearts as the football followers of Middlesborough have taken these whimsical Orientals.' And, again with the patronisation, matey. After the goal North Korea grew in confidence and could have scored two or three more in the second half. Improbably, the Italians were going home and North Korea were in the World Cup quarter finals. A reported three thousand fans from Middlesborough followed North Korea across the country to Liverpool for their quarter-final match-up against the legendary Portuguese team. The Koreans raced into a remarkable 3-0 lead after thirty minutes, only to be pegged back by Eusebio's genius and some naive defending of their own, Portugal eventually winning 5-3. What happened to the North Korean team once they returned home was as shrouded in mystery as the team had been on their arrival in England. 
The 2002 BBC documentary, The Game of Their Lives, attempted to answer this question, dispelling rumours which had circulated for decades that the team had all been sent to labour camps for allegedly womanising in Middlesborough. Nothing, it turns out, could be further from the truth and, back in North Korea, Pak and his mates are - rightly - regarded as national heroes. Italy's defeat cost the coach, Edmondo Fabbri, his job, while three players - Francesco Janich, Marino Perani and Paolo Barison - never played for the national team again. The team were smuggled back into the country on a flight to Rome airport which landed in the middle of the night. They were still met by a mob of tomato-hurling fans.
64. Did You Know?: In Brazil's match against Czechoslovakia in Guadalajara in 1970, Pelé gave Brazil a 2–1 lead after superbly controlling Gerson's long pass with his chest.
Brazil eventually won 4-1 - another of their goals being one of Rivalino's banana-shot free-kick specials. But the game is still probably best remembered not for any of the goals but, rather for an outrageous piece of opportunism. Pelé audaciously attempting to lob the Czech keeper, Ivo Viktor (left), from five yards inside his own half, and only narrowly missing the goal.
65. Did You Know?:
Most games without a win in the World Cup finals – Bulgaria 1962-1994 (drew six, lost eleven). When Hristo Stoichkov finally led them to a 4-0 hiding of Greece in Chicago in June 1994, they promptly went bonkers, following it up with further wins against Argentina, Mexico and - very satisfyingly - the Germans before losing, unluckily, to the Italians in the semi final. Typical - you wait thirty two years for a Bulgarian performance and then four turn up at once...
66. Did You Know?: The most matches by a player as substitute in the same finals was six, by Poland's Leslaw Cmikiewicz in the 1974 tournament.
67. Did You Know?: The 2006 Group F match between Croatia and Australia on 22 June was one of the most controversial in World Cup history. In the first ten minutes English referee Graham Poll did not, seemingly, see a tough tackle in the box by Josip Šimunic as a foul. He then turned-down another penalty claim by Australia when Tomas appeared to handle the ball. After having already sent off two players, Poll then failed to send off Šimunic for a second yellow card late in the match.
Eventually, Poll did send him off for what turned out to be a third yellow for dissent right on the final whistle. Confused? Not as confused as Mr Poll, it would seem. He subsequently stated that he had erred in his initial booking of Šimunic, marking his card with the correct number (three) but in the wrong column; effectively noting it against Australia's Craig Moore. The game ended 2-2, putting Australia through to the next round. Sepp Blatter later commented that 'had Australia lost the game and gone out of the World Cup, they would have had grounds to request a replay.' Poll's assistant also failed to spot that the second Australian goal by Harry Kewell was scored from an offside position. 
Within half-an-hour of the game ending, UK bookmakers Coral were offering odds of ten-to-one against on Poll ever refereeing another match at the tournament. In his previous game, Saudi Arabia v Ukraine, Poll had already been the centre of controversy when he accidentally deflected the ball into the path of the Ukrainian Maksym Kalynychenko. The midfielder crossed the ball in front of the goal but, perhaps fortunately, Andriy Shevchenko missed a sitter. The Saudis, needless to say, where not in the least bit amused. Poll officially retired from international tournament football on 29 June. And there was rejoicing pretty much everywhere.
68. Did You Know?: The 1994 final between Brazil and Italy was the first one to be decided on penalties. Pony-tailed Roberto Baggio's miss (added to earlier ones by Franco Baresi and Daniele Massaro) meant that Brazil were champions for the fourth time.
69. Did You Know?: The Portuguese team were making their first appearance in a World Cup in twenty year in 1986. After a questionable decision by the Portuguese FA concerning their flight to Mexico (it was decided that instead of flying directly to Mexico City, the team should pass through Frankfurt and Dallas), on arrival it was clear to the players that their federation cared more about altitude training whilst neglecting other aspects. The hotel was often crowded with reporters, the training pitch was sloped and rutted and local amateur teams were invited for preparation matches. Presented as a peaceful city, Saltillo proved to be anything but. As the city was close to the Texas border many players wanted to use their days off to shop there.
A local organisation delegate offered to go to the US and purchase the goods for the Portuguese, but, after helping himself with the money, he never returned. A game that was staged against a team composed of locals ended in farcical fashion when Diamantino Miranda conducted a TV interview during the match which he was, technically, supposed to be playing in. Chile were willing to play a friendly, but the fee they asked was not met by the Portuguese federation. Rumours that the players were 'jumping the fence' broke in Portugal, which led to much agitation and their wives flooding the telephone lines. By then, the authority of Amândio de Carvalho, vice-president of the federation was undermined, and president Silva Resende refused to leave Mexico City. The players threatened strike action unless their appearance money was increased, beginning a war of press releases between them and the federation. On 25 May the players dropped the bomb, refusing to play in a preparation match and any further matches - including the World Cup itself - unless the situation was sorted. 
The protest backfired, as in Portugal no one (particularly the fans) backed the players' stance and the international press tagged the incident as 'ridiculous.' After drawing back on some demands (and working around others, like wearing their training equipment inside out so that they don't display any brands), Portugal played their opening game against a desperately poor England, beating the odds and winning with a goal by Carlos Manuel. Paolo Futre, expected to be the revelation of the World Cup did not play due to team manager José Augusto Torres wanting to keep a balance between clubs in the starting eleven, and calling Futre 'the secret weapon.' The players pretty much refused to train between the England and Poland games. When they were finally persuaded to do so, disaster struck. Goalkeeper Manuel Bento broke his leg during a practice match ending his career. The much celebrated English victory was followed by a defeat against Poland. This left a last game against Morocco, Portugal knew that a draw would qualify both teams, but the game ended on a humiliating 3-1 defeat.
70. Did You Know?: The first Asian country to appear in World Cup finals was the Dutch East Indies (now Indonesia) in 1938.
71. Did You Know?: Mexico is known for its passionate fans, but in 1970, when the country hosted the World Cup finals, many Mexicans seemed to go completely off-it. One fine example: After Mexico beat Belgium 1-0, Augusto Mariaga, the warden of a maximum-security prison, ran around the compound, reportedly shooting his pistol in the air and shouting, 'Viva Mexico!' Then, delirious with joy, he unlocked every cell and freed one hundred and forty two dangerous criminals.
72. Did You Know?:
When Senegal caused a major - and, by major, we mean brigadier-general - upset by defeating the reinging champions France in the opening game of the 2002 World Cup, every single memeber of the Senegal side actually played for a French league club. Whereas, only three of the fourteen French players to feature (Djibril Cissé, Frank Leboeuf and Christophe Dugarry) did. Indeed, some writers in the French press described Senegal as 'the real France.'
73. Did You Know?: The Morocco v Norway game in the 1998 World Cup was a horrible one to watch.
Not so much, the actual match itself (that was a 2-2 draw and was quite entertaining in its own way) but rather for ITV's coverage and Ron Atkinson's insistence on describing Morocco's playmaker, Mustapha Hadji as 'The Boy Hadji' every single time he touched the ball. After he'd said it about three times you just wanted somebody to give you a gun. A dreadful pun by studio pundit Terry Venables at the games climax concerning the scorers of Norway's two goals ('Eggen, Chippo!') didn't help, either.
74. Did You Know?: Austria scored a last minute goal in all three of their 1998 World Cup group matches.
First Toni Polster (see left) and then Ivica Vastic grabbed injury time equalisers for the Austrians against Cameroon and Chile, respectively. Tragically, an Andreas Herzog penalty in the last minute of their final match against Italy wasn't much use to them as they were already 2-0 down at the time (Roberto Baggio having scored the second just a moment earlier) and, so, were eliminated.
75. Did You Know?:The smallest nation - in terms of population - to reach World Cup quarter finals is Northern Ireland, in 1958.
76. Did You Know?: Scotland got the fright of their lives when they played against New Zealand in 1982. Three-nil up at half-time thanks to goals from Kenny Dalglish and two from John Wark, the Scots were then hit twice in ten second half minutes by the southern hemisphere amateurs.
Two naturalised Englishmen, former Preston apprentice Steve Sumner and Steve Woodin, who had once played three games for Tranmere, has every Scot thinking - miserably - about Iran in 1978 all over again. Then, with ten minutes left, their worries were eased by one of the strangest World Cup goals ever. And the daft thing is, they meant it. A free kick was awarded for handball just outside the New Zealand penalty area. Graeme Souness and Frank Gray stood over the ball and then appeared to run into each other as they prepared to take the kick. The New Zealand wall momentarily relaxed and, as they did, John Robertson (see right), hovering just behind his team mates took a pace forward and casually flicked the ball over the wall and into Frank van Hattum's goal. Every time you watch the goal, it looks utterly comical. But, hell, it worked.
77. Did You Know?:
Argentina's stylish but tetchy captain Antonio Rattín became the first player to be sent off in a senior international match at Wembley after getting his marching orders in the 1966 quarter final against England. Rattín at first refused to leave the field and eventually had to be escorted away by several burly London policemen. Though, rumours that he subsequently suffered injuries obtained whilst 'falling down the stairs' at Paddington Green nick cannot be confirmed at this time. It was reported in the Argentine media that the - highly officious - German referee, Rudolf Kreitlein, said that he had sent off Rattín because he 'didn't like how he had looked at him.' Fair enough, I guess. 
Good a reason as any. British newspapers, meanwhile, cited the official as having given his reason as 'violence of the tongue', even though the referee spoke no Spanish and Rattin no German. After the match, England's manager Alf Ramsey refused to allow his players to swap shirts with the Argentines and later described the South Americans as having 'played like animals' in a TV interview with the BBC. Which, of course, also went down well in Buenos Aires.
78. Did You Know?: The 1986 World Cup quarter-final between France and Brazil was one to get the taste buds flowing - the recently crowned champions of Europe against the everlasting champions of fantasy football. After cruelly falling to Italy four years eariler at the same stage, Socrates, Junior and Falcao were back. The iconic Zico was there too, but was confined to the bench for this match as he was not fully fit.
Indeed, many saw that as Brazil's main problem - their first choice midfield quartet had an average age of thirty two. France, with their own sublime midfield pairing of Michel Platini and Alain Giresse, were also looking for revenge after that crushing defeat on penalties to West Germany four years earlier. The match began as the stifling heat of a Mexican mid-afternoon. For all Brazil's flair and guile, the pure joie-de-vivre of France's midfield began to tell until Careca, impatient with his lack of service, gathered the ball and laid a quick flick with the outside of his boot to Socrates (see right), who was through on goal, only to be denied by Joel Bats' heroics. 
Full-back Josimar then fed Muller who exchanged passes with Junior to slip in Careca for the opening goal. Back came the French, Dominique Rocheteau - preferred by Henri Michel to Jean-Pierre Papin for his experience - probing intelligently. A rare errant pass by Platini caught the French out, leaving Tigana out of position. Socrates put in Careca again, he rounded Maxime Bossis and pulled the ball across the face of goal for Muller. Bats was beaten, but this time the post came to his, and France's, rescue. With half-time approaching, France opened up Brazil's left flank - something of an Achilles heel for the South Americans. Amoros fed Giresse and on to Rocheteau. His cross found Yannick Stopyra who collided with a Brazilian defender and the ball rolled kindly to Platini at the back post. 1-1. And end-to-end second half included the dramatic introduction of Zico, clearly still only half-fit. With his first touch, he put Branco through only to be hauled down by Bats. Romanian referee Ioan Igna pointed to the spot. Zico (see left), on the pitch for less than a minute, took the penalty but Bats saved it. Both sides had chances in extra time. Platini's perfect through ball sent substitute Bruno Bellone, away and clear. 
Oscar, in the Brazilian goal raced from his box clearly pushing the substitue with no attempt to play the ball. Unbelieavly, the referee waved play on and was persued down the pitch by an irate Platini issuing a string of Gallic curses. Thus, penalties. Bats saved from Socrates. Stopyra scored. Alemao scored. Amoros scored. Zico scored. Bellone hit the post, the ball came out, struck Oscar on the back of the head and went in. The Brazilians protested, but Igna allowed the goal to stand. Branco scored. Platini, for once showing a touch of human frailty, blazed over the bar. Julio Cesar hit the post. Did no one want to finish this game? Finally, Luis Fernandez won the tie for France in the most dramatic fashion. The nightmare of Seville had been laid to rest. For Brazil, it was their first ever defeat on penalties in a major competition.
80. Did You Know?: There was generally considered to be a lot of historical significance in the game between South Korea and the USA in 2002.
The match said much about the way in which football had spread its influence into regions which had, just a few years earlier seemed as though they would never succumb to its wily charms. Chiefly, however, it was because the last time America had faced anybody from that neck of the woods, they were down in their bunker, painting their face with camouflage, listening to Jimi Hendrix and screaming 'Charlie's out on the wire.' The horror.
81. Did You Know?:
The 1962 World Cup, in Chile, was the last one which could not be televised live in Europe, because it predated the arrival of the Telstar telecommunications satellite and the start of live transmissions from America to Europe by just a few weeks. In the UK, the BBC broadcast live radio commentaries and film recordings of matches on television two days later. By 1966, the advances in global telecommunications meant that BBC coverage of the finals would available to the world at the flick of a switch.
82. Did You Know?: It's easy to get all stereotypical about Italian football and bandy terms about without knowing if they're even remotely accurate to the situation (Catenaccio, for one).
There isn't, actually, a proper English translation for Catenaccio – it doesn't mean 'padlock' as often suggested, it's closer to 'door-bolt.' In actual fact, a lot of what we consider to be 'typical Italian' play isn't anything of the sort; it's a style which was made popular by Helenio Herrera's Internazionale in the 1960s and then carried on by a few national team managers like Giovanni Trappatoni and Cesare Maldini. The teams produced by, for example, Enzo Bearzot, Arrigo Sacchi or, indeed, Marcello Lippi, have about as much to do with the days of Facchetti, Burgnich, Scirea, Cabrini, Gentile and Benetti as Sven's England had in common with Tom Finney and Stanley Matthews. Another world, another sky. 
Having said all that you do get the feeling that, even in the most enlightened of systems, there's still something in the Italian mentality that screams 'what are you doing? We're 1-0 up and there's only seventy five minutes left … Let's just put the wall up, eh?' Or, you know, the Italian equivalent. Something a bit like 'Siamo un obiettivo a zero in su e ci sono soltanto settanta cinque minuti da andare. Semplicemente mettiamo la parete in su. Come fa quel suono?'
83. Did You Know?: The first so-called 'golden' goal scored in a World Cup finals match was by France's Laurent Blanc in the one hundred and thirteenth minute of their Second Round match against Paraquay in 1998. The scowl on Paraguay's eccentric keeper, and captain, José Luis Chilavert's face was a sight to see, dear blog reader, and I mean a sight to see.
84. Did You Know?:
Northern Ireland's players were originally ordered not to play two 1958 World Cup finals matches against Czechoslovakia and West Germany as they were to be held on successive Sundays. The Northern Irish FA reminded their players that it was against Irish law at that time to play the matches on 'the Holy day.' The players protested and the FA scrapped the rules at the last minute. The Irish famously went on to win the first match (where Danny Blanchflower memorably commented 'we like to equalise before the other team have scored') and drew the second thus reaching the quarter-finals.
85. Did You Know?:
Rubbish moments of World Cup TV analysis, number two: 'If [Ecuador] want to get more crosses in that may help them get into the game, basically.' Jeez, with cunning tactical nouse like that, you've got to wonder why The Toon didn't sweep all before them when Ruud Gullit was manager up here.
86. Did You Know?:
The number of minutes played in the World Cup finals by some celebrated England international footballers are, as follows: Ninety (Jackie Milburn 1950; Terry Paine 1966; Ian Callaghan 1966; Alan Clarke 1970), eighty eight (Jeff Astle, 1970), seventy seven (Tony Woodcock, 1982), forty nine (Norman Hunter, 1970), forty (Peter Osgood, 1970), twenty six (Kevin Keegan, seen right missing that sitter in 1982; Trevor Brooking, 1982) and eleven (Robert Lee, 1998). It's also worth remembering that Neil Webb, probably the least celebrated England player of all time, managed nineteen minutes in 1990. No justice.
87. Did You Know?: Who says football is boring? The first-ever nil-nil draw at a World Cup finals wasn't until 1958. It was between, somewhat inevitably, England and, perhaps more surprisingly, Brazil.
88. Did You Know?:
Oceania was not only the last region to have a team play in the World Cup finals (Australia in 1974), but it has also been the least successful continental zone in World Cup history, with no team ever progressing to the second round until Australia managed it in 2006 - ironically in the first tournament in which they'd not qualified through the Oceania group but through the Asian group instead. Africa has had two teams make the quarter-finals (Cameroon 1990, Senegal 2002) and North America and Asia have both seen teams progress as far as the semis (USA 1930 and Korea Republic 2002).
89. Did You Know?: The fastest substitution of player in a World Cup qualifying match was Ju Chon Byong of North Korea in the first minute of a game against Japan in 1980.
90. Did You Know?: There was a huge blow for England before their quarter final match against West Germany at Leon in 1970. Goalkeeper Gordon Banks, in stunning form - as his save from Pele in the group match against Brazil had shown - had to withdraw on the morning of the match because of a stomach upset. Montezumah's revenge had never been harsher or more cruel, robbing England of the best goalkeeper in the world in a match where they would really need him.
His replacement, to be fair, was Chelsea's Peter The Cat Bonetti, a fine keeper as any Chelsea fan of a certain age will tell you, and one who, in just about any other era, would have won far more than the seven caps he got in five years as Banksie's understudy. However, he hadn't played a full competitive match since the FA Cup final six weeks earlier. Nevertheless, England were well in command for nearly seventy minutes thanks to goals from Alan Mullery and Martin Peters in typically stifling conditions. Mullery's in particular was a cracker, and you don't need to be an expert lip-reader to spot his triumphant shout of 'Fekkin yes!!!' as he runs back to the centre circle. Franz Beckenbauer, shackled for most of the game marking Bobby Charlton, pulled the West Germans back into the tie with a shot that somehow squirmed under Bonetti's body. 
Sir Alf Ramsey was, at the time preparing a substition; he wanted to bring off Charlton, who was - so the theory went - being saved for a semi-final that ultimately never came England's way. How many times over subsequent years Ramsey must have replayed that moment in his mind. He decided to go ahead with the substitution, bringing off a clearly frustrated Charlton who felt he was still full of running and replacing him with Colin Bell. Now Beckenbauer had no reason to hang back. The German's own substitute, Jurgen Grabowski, started to run rings round the exhausted Terry Cooper and Ramsey decided to make a second substitution, sending on Norman Hunter in place of Peters in the hope that old Bites Yer Legs could stiffen the defence. 
With Charlton and Peters gone, it meant England had lost their two most composed flair players and, suddenly, they were looking disjointed and reaping a German whirlwind. Still, it took a freak deflection off the back of Uwe Seeler's head, sending the ball in an looping arc over the wrong-footed Bonetti, to take the game into extra-time just as in the 1966 World Cup final. But this time, it was the Germans who came out on top. Geoff Hurst had a goal disallowed and then Gerd Muller rammed in the winner after Grabowski had crossed for Heenes Loehr to head the ball into 'Der Bomber's' path just out of Brian Labone's reach. 
David Coleman's commentary on the goal for the BBC consists, essentially, of fifteen seconds of stunned silence. England's reign as World Champions was over, as was the great international career of Bobby Charlton after a record one hundred and six caps. As Terry Collier would note a couple of years later in Whatever Happened To The Likely Lads? he, like most of the country, watched these horrifying events whilst 'sitting on the sideboard, wrapped in a Union Jack singing Rule Britannia.' It was, truly, the Twilight of the Gods.
91. Did You Know?:
It is often alleged that India who qualified for the 1950 World Cup finals refused to participate because FIFA told the players they would have to wear boots rather than play barefoot. However, many commentators now suggest that this much quoted 'fact' may, actually, be an urban myth and that the real reason India didn't go to Brazil was, simply, financial.
92. Did You Know?: Brazil's Rivaldo was fined over five grand for feigning injury during their 2002 match with Turkey - but, subsequently, claimed that he had no regrets. The Barcelona star was widely criticised for his actions in a clash which saw Hakan Unsal dismissed by the Korean referee Yung Joo Kim near the end of Brazil's 2-1 victory.
A disciplinary committee examined video evidence of the incident and found Rivaldo guilty of simulation. Rivaldo had admitted that he had fooled the referee by dramatically falling to the ground clutching his face after Unsal kicked the ball at his leg while he was waiting to take a corner in the closing moments of the match in one of the most shocking bits of overacting seen since Dynasty finished. 'It's regrettable that a world-class player such as Rivaldo has resorted to this type of subterfuge,' noted FIFA's disciplinary chief Marcel Mathier. 'We want to demonstrate that this type of simulation cannot be accepted and cannot go unpunished.' You might have a lot less of it, Marcel, if you'd given him a ten match ban instead of a piffling little fine.
93. Did You Know?: Wales don't have much of a World Cup record - a sole appearance in a final tournament in 1958, albeit one that saw them reach the quarter final. However, the name of one Welshman lit up the 1978 World Cup. For all the wrong reasons, sadly. Against Sweden in the group stages of the 1978 World Cup, Brazil's Zico thought he had scored the winning goal right at the death. However, Welsh referee Clive The Whistle Thomas had other ideas.
An officious pompous berk who was hated the length and breadth of English league football, Thomas was a whistle-happy, pernickety individual who always appeared to think that crowds had paid good money to watch him and not the players. It was the World Cup Brazil craved more than most, hosted by their most hated of neighbours, Argentina. Brazil entered the finals with a team deemed as favourites for the competition with young Zico making his first of three appearances in the tournament. With seconds remaining of the group match against Sweden with the game heading for a 1-1 draw, a corner was headed in by Zico only for Mr Thomas to blow the final whistle a literal nanosecond before the ball entered the net. The sight of Thomas swanning off the pitch waving his arms about dramatically and pointing to his watch to silence any Brazilian protests is one that few watching the events on TV will ever forget. It was the last World Cup match Thomas ever officiated in. But, least we forget, he already had form. Two years earlier at the European Championship in Yugoslavia, Thomas was the referee of the semi-final between Czechoslovakia and the Netherlands. In the extra time he failed to notice a very obvious foul by Antonín Panenka on Johan Cruyff, after which the Czechs broke away and Zdenek Nehoda scored. The Dutch were furious, Wim van Hanegem memorably getting a right lip-on and refusing to kick-off following the goal, eventually receiving a red card himself for his trouble. In a 2008 documentary by the Dutch TV show Andere Tijden Sport, Thomas finally admitted that he made a mistake. And, for God's sake don't get Everton fans onto the subject of why Thomas disallowed Bryan Hamilton's effort in the 1977 FA Cup semi with Liverpool or you'll be here all day!
94. Did You Know?: Not a single member of the Argentina squads at the 1966 or 1978 World Cups came from the country's Estudiantes de La Plata club, and only one, Néstor Togneri, featuried in the 1974 squad, despite his club beating Manchester United in the 1968 Intercontinental Cup.
I only mention this because it gives yer actual Keith Telly Topping the great opportunity to talk about 'Estudiantes (Striped Shirt, Black Panties)' by Frank Sidebottom. Sample lyrics: 'Jackie Charlton is close to his brother/Nigel Clough is closer to his dad than his mother/Hoddle and Waddle live with their uncles and aunties/Estudiantes (striped shirts, black panties).' Rock style.
95. Did You Know?: Haiti scarcely deserved to be at the 1974 World Cup finals. Under the terrifying regime of their notorious dictator, Papa Doc Jean Claude Duvalier, they had played their final qualifying match at home, beating Trinidad and Tobago, who had no less than four goals disallowed.
In West Germany, Haiti's fine display in their first match against Italy - taking the lead and, ultimately losing 3-1 - was subsequently overshadowed when defender Ernst Jean-Joseph became the first player in World Cup history to fail a random dope test. Jean-Joseph was hauled into his training camp, held against his will for several hours and beaten up by his own team officials. Terrified, he telephoned two neutral officials who attempted to intervene on his behalf. Amazingly they, themselves, were subsequently reprimanded by FIFA for interfering in matters that were 'none of their cornern,' as Jean-Joseph was smuggled out of the country and flown home to Haiti to face the music.
96. Did You Know?: The most unbeaten consecutive World Cup finals matches played by one country is thirteen by Brazil from June 1958 (when they beat Austria) until July 1966 (when the lost to Hungary at Goodison Park).
97. Did You Know?: The Adidas Telstar was the official match ball of the 1970 World Cup in Mexico.
The similar Telstar Durlast was the official ball of the 1974 World Cup. It was painted with black and white panels so it was more visible on black-and-white television. The name Telstar was taken from one of the first communications satellites, which was roughly spherical and dotted with solar panels. It was the first World Cup ball to use the truncated icosahedron for its design, consisting of twelve black pentagonal and twenty white hexagonal panels, which later became the regular design of all footballs. Now considered a design classic, although most footballs in use today look very different, depictions of footballs in drawings such as comic books and cartoons, are usually still made with the Telstar look, testifying to its enduring appeal. It was probably inspired by the inflatable balloons used by the NASA for spacecraft landing on splashdown in the 1960's.
98. Did You Know?: When Eric Cantona infamously called Didier Deschamps 'the water carrier,' everybody in France (and many people in England for that matter) thought this was a disgraceful and ugly slur by a sour and bitter man with far too high an opinion of his own talents.
Everybody in Italy thought he was being complimentary. They love their mediano, do the Azzurri. In the world of Calcio you simply can't have a team without one. Benetti, Trapattoni, Furino, Gentile. Someone who will do all of the hard work, the nasty work, the running, the kicking. Someone who can be the lungs for the poncy-but-awesome abatinos in front of them. That's why so many people admire Rino Gattuso. Because it's piss-easy to love Totti.
99. Did You Know?: Australia are the virtually perpetual holders of the single most pointless continental football championship in the world, The Oceania Cup. Sample score from the 1996 competition: Tahiti 0, Australia 11 … And that was the final!
100. Did You Know?: The Vatican City are one of only eight fully-recognised sovereign states whose national team is not a FIFA member. The others are Monaco, Tuvalu, Kiribati, Micronesia, Nauru, the Marshall Islands and Palau.
Nevertheless the Vatican City has played two - officially recognised - games against international opposition, both ending in goalless draws. Which, of course, means that they have a one hundred per cent record of avoiding defeat. The first game was against San Marino in 1994 and the second against Monaco in 2002. The Vatican City recently played a match against a Swiss club side, SV Vollmond, on a small field just outside of the Vatican and, with the help of The Lord, won 5-1. The Vatican City squad consists largely of members of the Swiss Guards (the voluntary military force who traditionally act as the Pope's personal bodyguards and are, frankly, rock hard) plus some members of the Papal council and museum guards. Although, it should be noted that the Pontiff himself is a more than decent right-winger. Or, is that just a dodgy rumour?
.jpg)
But nothing else compared to the free-flowing totaalvoetbal of the Netherlands and their playmaker, Johan Cruyff. The Dutch team was built around the superb Ajax and Feyenoord club sides of the era, coach Rinus Michels fashioning a team - and a system - that attacked in number, made intelligent use of space and dazzled opponents with individual skill. Over six group games Cruyff - aided by his team mates Johan Neeskens, Johnny Rep, Wim van Hanegem, Rob Rensenbrink, Arie Haan et al - ran riot, playing football that thrilled the watching world. The way in which they annihilated reigning champions Brazil in their last second round match (effectively a semi-final) suggested the final would be a mere formality. Not only that but as the broadcaster Danny Kelly has said 'in 1974 Holland was the only place where the 1960s was still going on!' The team looked like a bunch rock stars recently escaped from some smoky Amsterdam hash-bar. .jpg)
Even their hardest defender Ruud Krol, it was noted, wore love-beads around his neck. If ever the term 'sexy football' applied to anyone, it was to the Dutch in the summer of 1974. Against them were the hosts, the current European champions. West Germany had been less impressive through the group stages, particularly when losing to neighbours East Germany. There were stories of factions in the camp and many were mystified by coach Helmet Schön's reluctance to find a place for the talented but temperamental Günter Netzer in midfield. They were a hard-working team, with obvious ability and with the world's best libero centre-back, Franz Beckenbauer and its most lethal striker, Gerd Müller. But, the Germans, despite having their own resident Maoist nutter in their ranks – afro-hairstyled hippie Communist Paul Breitner - were still the uncool ying to Dutch rebel yang. 
Most people outside Germany confidently expected the Dutch to win. As a nation, the Netherlands had strong feelings about their German neighbours, an enmity that dated back to their occupation during World War II. Memories were still raw for many, not least Wim van Hanegem. 'Eighty per cent of my family died [in the war]. The Germans were good players but arrogant.' The Dutch kicked-off and with just sixty second gone, after a complex slowly-built move that involved thirty four passes, Cruyff raced into the West German penalty area and was brought down by Uli Hoeness. Neeskens scored from the ensuing spot kick, the first German player to touch the ball in the match being goalkeeper Sepp Maier when he picked it out of the net. For the next twenty minutes, the Dutch strolled around in complete control. But, as van Hanegem noted, half the team seemed more interested in making the Germans look silly than in actually winning the game. .jpg)
'We played great but we forgot to score the second goal,' Johnny Rep would regretfully add. In the twenty sixth minute Bernd Hölzenbein moved past Wim Jansen and dramatically fell (for which read blatantly dived) in the Dutch area. The English referee Jack Taylor bought it and awarded the Germans a penalty. Breitner equalised. Just before half-time, Müller latched onto a pass by Rainer Bonhof and scored from close range past Jan Jongbloed. The second half was one of most one-sided in football history as the Dutch laid siege to the German goal with wave after wave of attacks. But Maier, Beckenbauer and co. held firm and, at the final whistle West Germany were world champions for the second time. At every tournament since 1974 it's been the same. The Dutch briefly tease us and get our hopes up. They thrill us and delight us with their brand of flair and genius. And then, every single time, (except for the European Championships in 1988, admittedly) they let us - and often themselves - down. As recently as Euro 2008, for two games they played like the spirit of '74 was amid them. And then, they were beaten by Russia. The Dutch seemed to make us a promise in 1974. They said to every unhealthy ten year old 'be brilliant, be expressive, be fabulous, be yourself … and you'll win.' 
They lied! David Winner, author of the book Brilliant Orange: The Neurotic Genius of Dutch Football devotes an entire chapter to 1974 – Football Is Not War – in which he, like everyone, remains unable to explain just how The Best Team In The World managed not to win the ultimate prize. As Ruud Krol reflects 'Sometimes, in football, the best team just doesn't win.' There would be another World Cup run four years later (without Cruyff - and van Hanegem - but with most of the squad of 1974), another final and, perhaps inevitably, another controversial defeat - this time to Argentina. On Dutch TV, commentator Herman Kuiphof gave an agonised response to West Germany's victory: 'Zijn we er toch nog ingetuind' (loosely translated as 'they have tricked us again' and usually taken as yet another reference to events of thirty years earlier). The Dutch were further enraged by an article published on the eve of the final in the German tabloid Bild Zeitung headlined Cruyff, Sekt, nackte Mädchen und ein kühles Bad ('Cruyff, Champagne, Naked Girls and a Swimming Pool'). It claimed that four - unnamed - Dutch players held a nocturnal party with some local Mädchen at their Hiltrup hotel on the night before the Brazil game. .jpg)
It is yet to be established whether any of the story was true – the paper claimed to have photos but none have ever been published - however, it clearly upset the Dutch players. In the 2002 BBC programme Match of the World Cup, Rep and Krol both strongly denied that any such incident had taken place but squad member Rene van de Kerkof appeared to suggest that some sort of party had taken place with at least some of the Dutch players involved. It is alleged that Cruyff spent most of the night before the final on the phone to his wife Danny, promising her that the article was a lie. Auke Kok, in his book 1974: We Were The Best, references several witnesses who saw Cruyff in a heated conversation on the phone next to the registration desk, while the archived hotel bill shows hefty charges to support the theory. This, claims Cruyff's brother, Hennie, is why he 'played like a dishrag' the next day.52. Did You Know?:
The British nations were invited to take part in the 1950 World Cup, having rejoined FIFA four years earlier after seventeen years of self-imposed exile. It was decided - in a very generous gesture by FIFA - to use the 1949-1950 British Home Championships as one qualifying group, with whoever finished first and second qualifying. England finished first and Scotland second, but the Scots, rather typically, took the huff and withdrew as they were not British Champions. And then, we wonder why the rest of the world hates us and enjoys seeing us get beat.53. Did You Know?: The first substitute to be used in a World Cup qualifying match was Germany's Horst Eckel who replaced by Richard Gottinger in their game against The Saar on 11 October 1953.
54. Did You Know?: Some commentators argue that Hungary - or at least its goalkeeper - allowed Italy to win the 1938 World Cup, as a measure to save the lives of the Italian team, which had reportedly received telegrams from Benito Mussolini prior to the match stating the team must 'Vincere o morire!' (roughly translated as 'Win or die').
The Hungarian keeper, Antal Szabó, later expressed his relief at his side's defeat. Referring to Mussolini's pre-match urgings, Szabó quipped 'I may have let in four goals, but at least I saved their lives.' Actually, this isn't necessarily the case. 'Win or die' was a typical slogan of encouragement from fascist era, meaning, effectively 'Victory or bust!' in modern parlance. The fascist regimes broadly held sporting heroes and champions in very high regard, often using them in their propaganda machine, so an act like the one suggested by Szabó was not very likely even if Italy had lost. Due to World War II, the World Cup would not be held for another twelve years. As a result, Italy were the reigning world champions for a record sixteen years, from 1934 to 1950. The Italian Vice-President of FIFA, Ottorino Barassi, hid the Jules Rimet trophy in a shoe-box under his bed throughout the war and thus saved it from falling into the hands of occupying troops.55. Did You Know?: The fastest goal scored in a World Cup qualifying match was by Davide Gualtieri of San Marino after just nine seconds in a game against Graham Taylor's England in 1993. England went on to win 7-1 but failed to qualify for the finals the next year. Did we not like that.
56. Did You Know?: A 'group of death' in a multi-stage tournament is a preliminary group which is unusually competitive, because the number of strong competitors in the group is greater than the number of qualifying places available for the next phase of the tournament.
After the draw for most World Cup tournaments have been made, debates often arise about which of the preliminary groups will be The Group Of Death. The term is often derided by fans as a journalistic cliché or oversimplification. It was actually coined (as the Spanish 'grupo de la muerte') by Mexican journalists for Group Three of the 1970 World Cup. This featured reigning champions England, favourites and eventual champions Brazil, 1962 runners-up Czechoslovakia and Romania. It was popularised after the draw for the 1986 FIFA World Cup when Uruguay manager Omar Borrás used it to describe Group E, which included his team, West Germany, Denmark, Scotland. The label was widely repeated by the English-language media. In the event, Scotland was the only team not to qualify. 
Uruguay themselves were criticised for persistent cynical dirty play in their decisive match with Scotland; Borrás was suspended for retorting, 'The Group of Death? Yes, there was a murderer on the field today. The referee.' Also in 1986, World Cup Group F (England, Poland, Portugal, Morocco), in which just two goals were scored in the first four games combined, was dubbed by the local media as The Group of Sleep. Mind you, they all woke up again pretty damn sharpish when Gary Lineker scored his hat-trick against the Poles. Oh yes.57. Did You Know?: The first player to score four goals in a World Cup qualifier was the Republic of Ireland's Paddy Moore who scored four in his country's 4-4 draw with Belgium in Dublin in 1934.
58. Did You Know?: Joint hosts South Korea's legion of fans both inside and outside their World Cup matches were a joy to behold in 2002 and their progress to the semi-finals was generally welcomed by many neutrals. However, it has to be said, they were the beneficiaries of some extremely dubious refereeing decisions in both the second round and the quarter-finals.
First Italy striker Christian Vieri had a perfectly good goal ruled out for offside as the Azzurri were ultimately conquered 2-1 by an Ahn Jung-Hwan golden goal in extra-time. Reaction in Italy was not pleasant, with supporters protesting that the referee had 'stolen the game' and Perugia president Luciano Gaucci threatening to sack Ahn (see left) for having the temerity to score the winner against the national side of the country where he earned his living. An even more blatant refereeing error favoured the Koreans against Spain in the quarter-final. Joaquin crossed for Fernando Morientes to head home, only for Egyptian official, Gamal Ghandour, to rule that the ball had crossed the touchline before Joaquin centred it. Subsequent replays suggested the ball was in play by about a foot.59. Did You Know?:
Germany's Lothar Matthäus holds the record for the most appearances in World Cup final stages – twenty five. Next comes the Azzurri's Paulo Maldini with twenty three, followed by that filthy little cheat Maradonna, Poland's Wladislav Zmuda and Uwe Seeler with twenty one. Matthäus, along with Mexico's goalkeeper Antonio Carbajal are the only players to have appeared in the final stages of five World Cups.60. Did You Know?: The first World Cup match to be played at an indoor arena was between the USA and Switzerland at the Pontiac Silverdome in Detroit on 18 June 1994.
61. Did You Know?:
Conspiracy 58 was a Swedish TV, if you will, mockumentary from 2002 which claimed that the 1958 World Cup in Sweden didn't really take place at all, but had been staged as a television and radio event organised by American and Swedish Television, the CIA and FIFA as part of a Cold War strategy. A sort of football version of Capricorn One, if you like. It claimed that Sweden did not have the economic or technical resources to promote such an event. The main reason for the Americans' involvement, according to the theory, was to know if propaganda in television had any influence on viewers and if such methods could be used as political weapons. 
Despite the subsequent revelation that the film, itself, had been a hoax, many people still believed it to be true. It took several days until the Swedish press actually announced it was all made up by the producers. The aim of the movie, according to the director Johan Löfstedt, was to illustrate how historical denial (and, in particular Holocaust denial) works and to highlight the importance of source criticism when getting information from the media.62. Did You Know?: Brazil's Valdemar de Brito became the first player to miss a penalty in the World Cup finals in 1934.
63. Did You Know?: Poor old Italy. It took them thirty six years to do it, but in 2006 they finally completed a full-hand of humiliating World Cup defeats by both Korean teams. If South Korea erupted with their famous - if controversial - victory over the Azzurri in Soeul in 2006 (see above), then the scene was a little more surreal in 1966 when almost eighteen thousand punters crammed into Middlesbrough's Ayresome Park to watch Italy supposedly make short work of North Korea.
Heading into the 1966 finals as Asia's sole representative just over a decade after a war that had devastated and divided their country, North Korea were one thousand-to-one outsiders to win the World Cup, despite the proud boast of their specially composed World Cup anthem that proclaimed 'We can beat everyone, even the strongest team.' North Korea had qualified by beating a scratch Australian side in a play-off, after many other Asian and African countries had withdrawn in protest that only one team from the two continents would be granted a place in the finals. Getting entry into the UK itself proved to be a considerable challenge for the North Koreans. Lacking formal diplomatic relations with Great Britain since the Korean War, the Foreign Office got all bureaucratic and took their time granting the Koreans entry clearance, only relenting when it was agreed that their national anthem would not be played before games. The British Post Office even had to redesign a planned commemorative stamp and remove the North Korean flag after the Foreign Office objected to the design. The Koreans entered the tournament as something of an enigma to the British press. The Times' World Cup preview rather patronisingly noted 'the North Koreans, offering a string of names that have the sound of waterfalls, remain for the moment a mysterious, unknown quantity.' The paper's correspondent expected Italy and Russia to waltz through the group, which also included Chile. 
What happened over the next ninety minutes has gone down in World Cup folklore. Italy went into the game knowing that, unless Chile hammered the USSR the following day at Roker Park, a draw would be enough for them to qualify for the second round. Italy were openly confident about making progress and dominated the early stages of the game, when Perani could have scored twice. On the second occasion, his close-range volley produced a stunning save from Lee Chan-Myung. But Italy lost Giacomo Bulgarelli after half an hour when he aggravated a knee injury and, because there were no substitutes in those days, were forced to play the rest of the match with only ten men. It proved crucial. Just over ten minutes after Bulgarelli went off, Pak Doo-Ik wrote himself into the history books. The ball was headed towards the Italian area, where Pak collected it before hitting the ball across Albertosi along the ground. Middlesbrough had already taken the Koreans to their hearts - as Brian Glanville noted in his wonderful script for the official FIFA film of the tournament, Goal!, 'the locals called the Koreans "us."' 
The Times added that 'rarely have supporters taken a team to their hearts as the football followers of Middlesborough have taken these whimsical Orientals.' And, again with the patronisation, matey. After the goal North Korea grew in confidence and could have scored two or three more in the second half. Improbably, the Italians were going home and North Korea were in the World Cup quarter finals. A reported three thousand fans from Middlesborough followed North Korea across the country to Liverpool for their quarter-final match-up against the legendary Portuguese team. The Koreans raced into a remarkable 3-0 lead after thirty minutes, only to be pegged back by Eusebio's genius and some naive defending of their own, Portugal eventually winning 5-3. What happened to the North Korean team once they returned home was as shrouded in mystery as the team had been on their arrival in England. 
The 2002 BBC documentary, The Game of Their Lives, attempted to answer this question, dispelling rumours which had circulated for decades that the team had all been sent to labour camps for allegedly womanising in Middlesborough. Nothing, it turns out, could be further from the truth and, back in North Korea, Pak and his mates are - rightly - regarded as national heroes. Italy's defeat cost the coach, Edmondo Fabbri, his job, while three players - Francesco Janich, Marino Perani and Paolo Barison - never played for the national team again. The team were smuggled back into the country on a flight to Rome airport which landed in the middle of the night. They were still met by a mob of tomato-hurling fans.64. Did You Know?: In Brazil's match against Czechoslovakia in Guadalajara in 1970, Pelé gave Brazil a 2–1 lead after superbly controlling Gerson's long pass with his chest.
Brazil eventually won 4-1 - another of their goals being one of Rivalino's banana-shot free-kick specials. But the game is still probably best remembered not for any of the goals but, rather for an outrageous piece of opportunism. Pelé audaciously attempting to lob the Czech keeper, Ivo Viktor (left), from five yards inside his own half, and only narrowly missing the goal.65. Did You Know?:
Most games without a win in the World Cup finals – Bulgaria 1962-1994 (drew six, lost eleven). When Hristo Stoichkov finally led them to a 4-0 hiding of Greece in Chicago in June 1994, they promptly went bonkers, following it up with further wins against Argentina, Mexico and - very satisfyingly - the Germans before losing, unluckily, to the Italians in the semi final. Typical - you wait thirty two years for a Bulgarian performance and then four turn up at once...66. Did You Know?: The most matches by a player as substitute in the same finals was six, by Poland's Leslaw Cmikiewicz in the 1974 tournament.
67. Did You Know?: The 2006 Group F match between Croatia and Australia on 22 June was one of the most controversial in World Cup history. In the first ten minutes English referee Graham Poll did not, seemingly, see a tough tackle in the box by Josip Šimunic as a foul. He then turned-down another penalty claim by Australia when Tomas appeared to handle the ball. After having already sent off two players, Poll then failed to send off Šimunic for a second yellow card late in the match.
Eventually, Poll did send him off for what turned out to be a third yellow for dissent right on the final whistle. Confused? Not as confused as Mr Poll, it would seem. He subsequently stated that he had erred in his initial booking of Šimunic, marking his card with the correct number (three) but in the wrong column; effectively noting it against Australia's Craig Moore. The game ended 2-2, putting Australia through to the next round. Sepp Blatter later commented that 'had Australia lost the game and gone out of the World Cup, they would have had grounds to request a replay.' Poll's assistant also failed to spot that the second Australian goal by Harry Kewell was scored from an offside position. 
Within half-an-hour of the game ending, UK bookmakers Coral were offering odds of ten-to-one against on Poll ever refereeing another match at the tournament. In his previous game, Saudi Arabia v Ukraine, Poll had already been the centre of controversy when he accidentally deflected the ball into the path of the Ukrainian Maksym Kalynychenko. The midfielder crossed the ball in front of the goal but, perhaps fortunately, Andriy Shevchenko missed a sitter. The Saudis, needless to say, where not in the least bit amused. Poll officially retired from international tournament football on 29 June. And there was rejoicing pretty much everywhere.68. Did You Know?: The 1994 final between Brazil and Italy was the first one to be decided on penalties. Pony-tailed Roberto Baggio's miss (added to earlier ones by Franco Baresi and Daniele Massaro) meant that Brazil were champions for the fourth time.
69. Did You Know?: The Portuguese team were making their first appearance in a World Cup in twenty year in 1986. After a questionable decision by the Portuguese FA concerning their flight to Mexico (it was decided that instead of flying directly to Mexico City, the team should pass through Frankfurt and Dallas), on arrival it was clear to the players that their federation cared more about altitude training whilst neglecting other aspects. The hotel was often crowded with reporters, the training pitch was sloped and rutted and local amateur teams were invited for preparation matches. Presented as a peaceful city, Saltillo proved to be anything but. As the city was close to the Texas border many players wanted to use their days off to shop there.
A local organisation delegate offered to go to the US and purchase the goods for the Portuguese, but, after helping himself with the money, he never returned. A game that was staged against a team composed of locals ended in farcical fashion when Diamantino Miranda conducted a TV interview during the match which he was, technically, supposed to be playing in. Chile were willing to play a friendly, but the fee they asked was not met by the Portuguese federation. Rumours that the players were 'jumping the fence' broke in Portugal, which led to much agitation and their wives flooding the telephone lines. By then, the authority of Amândio de Carvalho, vice-president of the federation was undermined, and president Silva Resende refused to leave Mexico City. The players threatened strike action unless their appearance money was increased, beginning a war of press releases between them and the federation. On 25 May the players dropped the bomb, refusing to play in a preparation match and any further matches - including the World Cup itself - unless the situation was sorted. 
The protest backfired, as in Portugal no one (particularly the fans) backed the players' stance and the international press tagged the incident as 'ridiculous.' After drawing back on some demands (and working around others, like wearing their training equipment inside out so that they don't display any brands), Portugal played their opening game against a desperately poor England, beating the odds and winning with a goal by Carlos Manuel. Paolo Futre, expected to be the revelation of the World Cup did not play due to team manager José Augusto Torres wanting to keep a balance between clubs in the starting eleven, and calling Futre 'the secret weapon.' The players pretty much refused to train between the England and Poland games. When they were finally persuaded to do so, disaster struck. Goalkeeper Manuel Bento broke his leg during a practice match ending his career. The much celebrated English victory was followed by a defeat against Poland. This left a last game against Morocco, Portugal knew that a draw would qualify both teams, but the game ended on a humiliating 3-1 defeat.70. Did You Know?: The first Asian country to appear in World Cup finals was the Dutch East Indies (now Indonesia) in 1938.
71. Did You Know?: Mexico is known for its passionate fans, but in 1970, when the country hosted the World Cup finals, many Mexicans seemed to go completely off-it. One fine example: After Mexico beat Belgium 1-0, Augusto Mariaga, the warden of a maximum-security prison, ran around the compound, reportedly shooting his pistol in the air and shouting, 'Viva Mexico!' Then, delirious with joy, he unlocked every cell and freed one hundred and forty two dangerous criminals.
72. Did You Know?:
When Senegal caused a major - and, by major, we mean brigadier-general - upset by defeating the reinging champions France in the opening game of the 2002 World Cup, every single memeber of the Senegal side actually played for a French league club. Whereas, only three of the fourteen French players to feature (Djibril Cissé, Frank Leboeuf and Christophe Dugarry) did. Indeed, some writers in the French press described Senegal as 'the real France.'73. Did You Know?: The Morocco v Norway game in the 1998 World Cup was a horrible one to watch.
Not so much, the actual match itself (that was a 2-2 draw and was quite entertaining in its own way) but rather for ITV's coverage and Ron Atkinson's insistence on describing Morocco's playmaker, Mustapha Hadji as 'The Boy Hadji' every single time he touched the ball. After he'd said it about three times you just wanted somebody to give you a gun. A dreadful pun by studio pundit Terry Venables at the games climax concerning the scorers of Norway's two goals ('Eggen, Chippo!') didn't help, either.74. Did You Know?: Austria scored a last minute goal in all three of their 1998 World Cup group matches.
First Toni Polster (see left) and then Ivica Vastic grabbed injury time equalisers for the Austrians against Cameroon and Chile, respectively. Tragically, an Andreas Herzog penalty in the last minute of their final match against Italy wasn't much use to them as they were already 2-0 down at the time (Roberto Baggio having scored the second just a moment earlier) and, so, were eliminated.75. Did You Know?:The smallest nation - in terms of population - to reach World Cup quarter finals is Northern Ireland, in 1958.
76. Did You Know?: Scotland got the fright of their lives when they played against New Zealand in 1982. Three-nil up at half-time thanks to goals from Kenny Dalglish and two from John Wark, the Scots were then hit twice in ten second half minutes by the southern hemisphere amateurs.
Two naturalised Englishmen, former Preston apprentice Steve Sumner and Steve Woodin, who had once played three games for Tranmere, has every Scot thinking - miserably - about Iran in 1978 all over again. Then, with ten minutes left, their worries were eased by one of the strangest World Cup goals ever. And the daft thing is, they meant it. A free kick was awarded for handball just outside the New Zealand penalty area. Graeme Souness and Frank Gray stood over the ball and then appeared to run into each other as they prepared to take the kick. The New Zealand wall momentarily relaxed and, as they did, John Robertson (see right), hovering just behind his team mates took a pace forward and casually flicked the ball over the wall and into Frank van Hattum's goal. Every time you watch the goal, it looks utterly comical. But, hell, it worked.77. Did You Know?:
Argentina's stylish but tetchy captain Antonio Rattín became the first player to be sent off in a senior international match at Wembley after getting his marching orders in the 1966 quarter final against England. Rattín at first refused to leave the field and eventually had to be escorted away by several burly London policemen. Though, rumours that he subsequently suffered injuries obtained whilst 'falling down the stairs' at Paddington Green nick cannot be confirmed at this time. It was reported in the Argentine media that the - highly officious - German referee, Rudolf Kreitlein, said that he had sent off Rattín because he 'didn't like how he had looked at him.' Fair enough, I guess. 
Good a reason as any. British newspapers, meanwhile, cited the official as having given his reason as 'violence of the tongue', even though the referee spoke no Spanish and Rattin no German. After the match, England's manager Alf Ramsey refused to allow his players to swap shirts with the Argentines and later described the South Americans as having 'played like animals' in a TV interview with the BBC. Which, of course, also went down well in Buenos Aires.78. Did You Know?: The 1986 World Cup quarter-final between France and Brazil was one to get the taste buds flowing - the recently crowned champions of Europe against the everlasting champions of fantasy football. After cruelly falling to Italy four years eariler at the same stage, Socrates, Junior and Falcao were back. The iconic Zico was there too, but was confined to the bench for this match as he was not fully fit.
Indeed, many saw that as Brazil's main problem - their first choice midfield quartet had an average age of thirty two. France, with their own sublime midfield pairing of Michel Platini and Alain Giresse, were also looking for revenge after that crushing defeat on penalties to West Germany four years earlier. The match began as the stifling heat of a Mexican mid-afternoon. For all Brazil's flair and guile, the pure joie-de-vivre of France's midfield began to tell until Careca, impatient with his lack of service, gathered the ball and laid a quick flick with the outside of his boot to Socrates (see right), who was through on goal, only to be denied by Joel Bats' heroics. 
Full-back Josimar then fed Muller who exchanged passes with Junior to slip in Careca for the opening goal. Back came the French, Dominique Rocheteau - preferred by Henri Michel to Jean-Pierre Papin for his experience - probing intelligently. A rare errant pass by Platini caught the French out, leaving Tigana out of position. Socrates put in Careca again, he rounded Maxime Bossis and pulled the ball across the face of goal for Muller. Bats was beaten, but this time the post came to his, and France's, rescue. With half-time approaching, France opened up Brazil's left flank - something of an Achilles heel for the South Americans. Amoros fed Giresse and on to Rocheteau. His cross found Yannick Stopyra who collided with a Brazilian defender and the ball rolled kindly to Platini at the back post. 1-1. And end-to-end second half included the dramatic introduction of Zico, clearly still only half-fit. With his first touch, he put Branco through only to be hauled down by Bats. Romanian referee Ioan Igna pointed to the spot. Zico (see left), on the pitch for less than a minute, took the penalty but Bats saved it. Both sides had chances in extra time. Platini's perfect through ball sent substitute Bruno Bellone, away and clear. 
Oscar, in the Brazilian goal raced from his box clearly pushing the substitue with no attempt to play the ball. Unbelieavly, the referee waved play on and was persued down the pitch by an irate Platini issuing a string of Gallic curses. Thus, penalties. Bats saved from Socrates. Stopyra scored. Alemao scored. Amoros scored. Zico scored. Bellone hit the post, the ball came out, struck Oscar on the back of the head and went in. The Brazilians protested, but Igna allowed the goal to stand. Branco scored. Platini, for once showing a touch of human frailty, blazed over the bar. Julio Cesar hit the post. Did no one want to finish this game? Finally, Luis Fernandez won the tie for France in the most dramatic fashion. The nightmare of Seville had been laid to rest. For Brazil, it was their first ever defeat on penalties in a major competition.80. Did You Know?: There was generally considered to be a lot of historical significance in the game between South Korea and the USA in 2002.
The match said much about the way in which football had spread its influence into regions which had, just a few years earlier seemed as though they would never succumb to its wily charms. Chiefly, however, it was because the last time America had faced anybody from that neck of the woods, they were down in their bunker, painting their face with camouflage, listening to Jimi Hendrix and screaming 'Charlie's out on the wire.' The horror.81. Did You Know?:
The 1962 World Cup, in Chile, was the last one which could not be televised live in Europe, because it predated the arrival of the Telstar telecommunications satellite and the start of live transmissions from America to Europe by just a few weeks. In the UK, the BBC broadcast live radio commentaries and film recordings of matches on television two days later. By 1966, the advances in global telecommunications meant that BBC coverage of the finals would available to the world at the flick of a switch.82. Did You Know?: It's easy to get all stereotypical about Italian football and bandy terms about without knowing if they're even remotely accurate to the situation (Catenaccio, for one).
There isn't, actually, a proper English translation for Catenaccio – it doesn't mean 'padlock' as often suggested, it's closer to 'door-bolt.' In actual fact, a lot of what we consider to be 'typical Italian' play isn't anything of the sort; it's a style which was made popular by Helenio Herrera's Internazionale in the 1960s and then carried on by a few national team managers like Giovanni Trappatoni and Cesare Maldini. The teams produced by, for example, Enzo Bearzot, Arrigo Sacchi or, indeed, Marcello Lippi, have about as much to do with the days of Facchetti, Burgnich, Scirea, Cabrini, Gentile and Benetti as Sven's England had in common with Tom Finney and Stanley Matthews. Another world, another sky. 
Having said all that you do get the feeling that, even in the most enlightened of systems, there's still something in the Italian mentality that screams 'what are you doing? We're 1-0 up and there's only seventy five minutes left … Let's just put the wall up, eh?' Or, you know, the Italian equivalent. Something a bit like 'Siamo un obiettivo a zero in su e ci sono soltanto settanta cinque minuti da andare. Semplicemente mettiamo la parete in su. Come fa quel suono?'83. Did You Know?: The first so-called 'golden' goal scored in a World Cup finals match was by France's Laurent Blanc in the one hundred and thirteenth minute of their Second Round match against Paraquay in 1998. The scowl on Paraguay's eccentric keeper, and captain, José Luis Chilavert's face was a sight to see, dear blog reader, and I mean a sight to see.
84. Did You Know?:
Northern Ireland's players were originally ordered not to play two 1958 World Cup finals matches against Czechoslovakia and West Germany as they were to be held on successive Sundays. The Northern Irish FA reminded their players that it was against Irish law at that time to play the matches on 'the Holy day.' The players protested and the FA scrapped the rules at the last minute. The Irish famously went on to win the first match (where Danny Blanchflower memorably commented 'we like to equalise before the other team have scored') and drew the second thus reaching the quarter-finals.85. Did You Know?:
Rubbish moments of World Cup TV analysis, number two: 'If [Ecuador] want to get more crosses in that may help them get into the game, basically.' Jeez, with cunning tactical nouse like that, you've got to wonder why The Toon didn't sweep all before them when Ruud Gullit was manager up here.86. Did You Know?:
The number of minutes played in the World Cup finals by some celebrated England international footballers are, as follows: Ninety (Jackie Milburn 1950; Terry Paine 1966; Ian Callaghan 1966; Alan Clarke 1970), eighty eight (Jeff Astle, 1970), seventy seven (Tony Woodcock, 1982), forty nine (Norman Hunter, 1970), forty (Peter Osgood, 1970), twenty six (Kevin Keegan, seen right missing that sitter in 1982; Trevor Brooking, 1982) and eleven (Robert Lee, 1998). It's also worth remembering that Neil Webb, probably the least celebrated England player of all time, managed nineteen minutes in 1990. No justice.87. Did You Know?: Who says football is boring? The first-ever nil-nil draw at a World Cup finals wasn't until 1958. It was between, somewhat inevitably, England and, perhaps more surprisingly, Brazil.
88. Did You Know?:
Oceania was not only the last region to have a team play in the World Cup finals (Australia in 1974), but it has also been the least successful continental zone in World Cup history, with no team ever progressing to the second round until Australia managed it in 2006 - ironically in the first tournament in which they'd not qualified through the Oceania group but through the Asian group instead. Africa has had two teams make the quarter-finals (Cameroon 1990, Senegal 2002) and North America and Asia have both seen teams progress as far as the semis (USA 1930 and Korea Republic 2002).89. Did You Know?: The fastest substitution of player in a World Cup qualifying match was Ju Chon Byong of North Korea in the first minute of a game against Japan in 1980.
90. Did You Know?: There was a huge blow for England before their quarter final match against West Germany at Leon in 1970. Goalkeeper Gordon Banks, in stunning form - as his save from Pele in the group match against Brazil had shown - had to withdraw on the morning of the match because of a stomach upset. Montezumah's revenge had never been harsher or more cruel, robbing England of the best goalkeeper in the world in a match where they would really need him.
His replacement, to be fair, was Chelsea's Peter The Cat Bonetti, a fine keeper as any Chelsea fan of a certain age will tell you, and one who, in just about any other era, would have won far more than the seven caps he got in five years as Banksie's understudy. However, he hadn't played a full competitive match since the FA Cup final six weeks earlier. Nevertheless, England were well in command for nearly seventy minutes thanks to goals from Alan Mullery and Martin Peters in typically stifling conditions. Mullery's in particular was a cracker, and you don't need to be an expert lip-reader to spot his triumphant shout of 'Fekkin yes!!!' as he runs back to the centre circle. Franz Beckenbauer, shackled for most of the game marking Bobby Charlton, pulled the West Germans back into the tie with a shot that somehow squirmed under Bonetti's body. 
Sir Alf Ramsey was, at the time preparing a substition; he wanted to bring off Charlton, who was - so the theory went - being saved for a semi-final that ultimately never came England's way. How many times over subsequent years Ramsey must have replayed that moment in his mind. He decided to go ahead with the substitution, bringing off a clearly frustrated Charlton who felt he was still full of running and replacing him with Colin Bell. Now Beckenbauer had no reason to hang back. The German's own substitute, Jurgen Grabowski, started to run rings round the exhausted Terry Cooper and Ramsey decided to make a second substitution, sending on Norman Hunter in place of Peters in the hope that old Bites Yer Legs could stiffen the defence. 
With Charlton and Peters gone, it meant England had lost their two most composed flair players and, suddenly, they were looking disjointed and reaping a German whirlwind. Still, it took a freak deflection off the back of Uwe Seeler's head, sending the ball in an looping arc over the wrong-footed Bonetti, to take the game into extra-time just as in the 1966 World Cup final. But this time, it was the Germans who came out on top. Geoff Hurst had a goal disallowed and then Gerd Muller rammed in the winner after Grabowski had crossed for Heenes Loehr to head the ball into 'Der Bomber's' path just out of Brian Labone's reach. 
David Coleman's commentary on the goal for the BBC consists, essentially, of fifteen seconds of stunned silence. England's reign as World Champions was over, as was the great international career of Bobby Charlton after a record one hundred and six caps. As Terry Collier would note a couple of years later in Whatever Happened To The Likely Lads? he, like most of the country, watched these horrifying events whilst 'sitting on the sideboard, wrapped in a Union Jack singing Rule Britannia.' It was, truly, the Twilight of the Gods.91. Did You Know?:
It is often alleged that India who qualified for the 1950 World Cup finals refused to participate because FIFA told the players they would have to wear boots rather than play barefoot. However, many commentators now suggest that this much quoted 'fact' may, actually, be an urban myth and that the real reason India didn't go to Brazil was, simply, financial.92. Did You Know?: Brazil's Rivaldo was fined over five grand for feigning injury during their 2002 match with Turkey - but, subsequently, claimed that he had no regrets. The Barcelona star was widely criticised for his actions in a clash which saw Hakan Unsal dismissed by the Korean referee Yung Joo Kim near the end of Brazil's 2-1 victory.
A disciplinary committee examined video evidence of the incident and found Rivaldo guilty of simulation. Rivaldo had admitted that he had fooled the referee by dramatically falling to the ground clutching his face after Unsal kicked the ball at his leg while he was waiting to take a corner in the closing moments of the match in one of the most shocking bits of overacting seen since Dynasty finished. 'It's regrettable that a world-class player such as Rivaldo has resorted to this type of subterfuge,' noted FIFA's disciplinary chief Marcel Mathier. 'We want to demonstrate that this type of simulation cannot be accepted and cannot go unpunished.' You might have a lot less of it, Marcel, if you'd given him a ten match ban instead of a piffling little fine.93. Did You Know?: Wales don't have much of a World Cup record - a sole appearance in a final tournament in 1958, albeit one that saw them reach the quarter final. However, the name of one Welshman lit up the 1978 World Cup. For all the wrong reasons, sadly. Against Sweden in the group stages of the 1978 World Cup, Brazil's Zico thought he had scored the winning goal right at the death. However, Welsh referee Clive The Whistle Thomas had other ideas.
An officious pompous berk who was hated the length and breadth of English league football, Thomas was a whistle-happy, pernickety individual who always appeared to think that crowds had paid good money to watch him and not the players. It was the World Cup Brazil craved more than most, hosted by their most hated of neighbours, Argentina. Brazil entered the finals with a team deemed as favourites for the competition with young Zico making his first of three appearances in the tournament. With seconds remaining of the group match against Sweden with the game heading for a 1-1 draw, a corner was headed in by Zico only for Mr Thomas to blow the final whistle a literal nanosecond before the ball entered the net. The sight of Thomas swanning off the pitch waving his arms about dramatically and pointing to his watch to silence any Brazilian protests is one that few watching the events on TV will ever forget. It was the last World Cup match Thomas ever officiated in. But, least we forget, he already had form. Two years earlier at the European Championship in Yugoslavia, Thomas was the referee of the semi-final between Czechoslovakia and the Netherlands. In the extra time he failed to notice a very obvious foul by Antonín Panenka on Johan Cruyff, after which the Czechs broke away and Zdenek Nehoda scored. The Dutch were furious, Wim van Hanegem memorably getting a right lip-on and refusing to kick-off following the goal, eventually receiving a red card himself for his trouble. In a 2008 documentary by the Dutch TV show Andere Tijden Sport, Thomas finally admitted that he made a mistake. And, for God's sake don't get Everton fans onto the subject of why Thomas disallowed Bryan Hamilton's effort in the 1977 FA Cup semi with Liverpool or you'll be here all day!94. Did You Know?: Not a single member of the Argentina squads at the 1966 or 1978 World Cups came from the country's Estudiantes de La Plata club, and only one, Néstor Togneri, featuried in the 1974 squad, despite his club beating Manchester United in the 1968 Intercontinental Cup.
I only mention this because it gives yer actual Keith Telly Topping the great opportunity to talk about 'Estudiantes (Striped Shirt, Black Panties)' by Frank Sidebottom. Sample lyrics: 'Jackie Charlton is close to his brother/Nigel Clough is closer to his dad than his mother/Hoddle and Waddle live with their uncles and aunties/Estudiantes (striped shirts, black panties).' Rock style.95. Did You Know?: Haiti scarcely deserved to be at the 1974 World Cup finals. Under the terrifying regime of their notorious dictator, Papa Doc Jean Claude Duvalier, they had played their final qualifying match at home, beating Trinidad and Tobago, who had no less than four goals disallowed.
In West Germany, Haiti's fine display in their first match against Italy - taking the lead and, ultimately losing 3-1 - was subsequently overshadowed when defender Ernst Jean-Joseph became the first player in World Cup history to fail a random dope test. Jean-Joseph was hauled into his training camp, held against his will for several hours and beaten up by his own team officials. Terrified, he telephoned two neutral officials who attempted to intervene on his behalf. Amazingly they, themselves, were subsequently reprimanded by FIFA for interfering in matters that were 'none of their cornern,' as Jean-Joseph was smuggled out of the country and flown home to Haiti to face the music.96. Did You Know?: The most unbeaten consecutive World Cup finals matches played by one country is thirteen by Brazil from June 1958 (when they beat Austria) until July 1966 (when the lost to Hungary at Goodison Park).
97. Did You Know?: The Adidas Telstar was the official match ball of the 1970 World Cup in Mexico.
The similar Telstar Durlast was the official ball of the 1974 World Cup. It was painted with black and white panels so it was more visible on black-and-white television. The name Telstar was taken from one of the first communications satellites, which was roughly spherical and dotted with solar panels. It was the first World Cup ball to use the truncated icosahedron for its design, consisting of twelve black pentagonal and twenty white hexagonal panels, which later became the regular design of all footballs. Now considered a design classic, although most footballs in use today look very different, depictions of footballs in drawings such as comic books and cartoons, are usually still made with the Telstar look, testifying to its enduring appeal. It was probably inspired by the inflatable balloons used by the NASA for spacecraft landing on splashdown in the 1960's.98. Did You Know?: When Eric Cantona infamously called Didier Deschamps 'the water carrier,' everybody in France (and many people in England for that matter) thought this was a disgraceful and ugly slur by a sour and bitter man with far too high an opinion of his own talents.
Everybody in Italy thought he was being complimentary. They love their mediano, do the Azzurri. In the world of Calcio you simply can't have a team without one. Benetti, Trapattoni, Furino, Gentile. Someone who will do all of the hard work, the nasty work, the running, the kicking. Someone who can be the lungs for the poncy-but-awesome abatinos in front of them. That's why so many people admire Rino Gattuso. Because it's piss-easy to love Totti.99. Did You Know?: Australia are the virtually perpetual holders of the single most pointless continental football championship in the world, The Oceania Cup. Sample score from the 1996 competition: Tahiti 0, Australia 11 … And that was the final!
100. Did You Know?: The Vatican City are one of only eight fully-recognised sovereign states whose national team is not a FIFA member. The others are Monaco, Tuvalu, Kiribati, Micronesia, Nauru, the Marshall Islands and Palau.
Nevertheless the Vatican City has played two - officially recognised - games against international opposition, both ending in goalless draws. Which, of course, means that they have a one hundred per cent record of avoiding defeat. The first game was against San Marino in 1994 and the second against Monaco in 2002. The Vatican City recently played a match against a Swiss club side, SV Vollmond, on a small field just outside of the Vatican and, with the help of The Lord, won 5-1. The Vatican City squad consists largely of members of the Swiss Guards (the voluntary military force who traditionally act as the Pope's personal bodyguards and are, frankly, rock hard) plus some members of the Papal council and museum guards. Although, it should be noted that the Pontiff himself is a more than decent right-winger. Or, is that just a dodgy rumour? 
.jpg){kind=link}
.jpg){kind=link}