The Football World Cup Winners of 1982

teams

Qualification tournaments are held to thin out the field before the final tournament.

difficulties

In the early World Cup tournaments, South American teams were limited by war and intercontinental travel difficulties.

South American

Few South American teams wanted to travel to Europe for the 1934 and 1938 tournaments, and Brazil was the only South American team to compete in both tournaments.

Olympic medals

South America has rarely won any Olympic medals. In fact, only two cities in South America have ever bid for the Olympics. However, the South American focus on football.

Spain

Having made it to every World Cup since 1978, Spain are no strangers to the tournament.

They have reached the final twice, but failed to progress past the group stage on three other occasions. Spain has only finished higher than fourth in one World Cup, in 1950, and in 2010. A few of their most memorable World Cup performances include their 2010 and 2014 campaigns, when they reached the quarter-finals and won the tournament.

continent

This is because the continent has many talented players and the sport is growing in popularity among South Americans.

cancelled

World War II caused the competitions to be cancelled in 1942 and 1946. These teams are often known for their energetic atmosphere.

face notorious

Spain has drawn a tough group, where they will face notorious rivals Germany, Japan, and Costa Rica.

playoff

They will also face the winner of the intercontinental playoff. Both teams are capable of advancing to the knockout round.

Spain's group

Spain’s group contains a few young players who could provide a spark to the team. Carles Puyol and Gonzalo Garay both have international experience, while the Barcelona trio of Pedri, Gavi, and Ferran Torres have been impressing on the international stage.

competition

Spain made their World Cup debut in 1934, and they dominated the competition. There were 16 teams in total and the tournament was played in a knockout format. Spain beat Brazil 3-1 in the first round, and Italy in the quarterfinals. In the first game, Luis Regueiro scored the opening goal for Spain, but Italy hit back just before halftime. The two teams could not separate themselves at the time.

chances

The final was a tight affair in which both teams had chances to win, but the final result was a 1-0 victory for Spain.

Andres Iniesta

Spain’s final goal was scored by Andres Iniesta after a Cesc Fabregas cross. Now, Germany is a world football superpower.

England

During the 1962 World Cup in Mexico

During the 1962 World Cup in Mexico, England was one of the underdogs, but that didn’t stop them from winning the competition. After losing the group stage to Uruguay, England beat Portugal and Argentina, and then beat West Germany in the final. Geoff Hurst, Bobby Charlton, and Gordon Banks are still among the greatest players to represent England in international football.

Germany

The match ended in extra time when the Dutch were reduced to 10 men after Dutch midfielder John Heitinga was sent off for a second yellow card.