Berlin: Mazzola, Pele, Garrincha, Charlton, Beckenbauer, Kempes, Rossi — all had been unquestionable World Cup stars, but never in the history of the tournament has one single player been such a determining factor as Diego Armando Maradona in Mexico 86.

The No.10 gave the ultimate football performance, at times sublime, at times wicked, at times crafty, which won Argentina its second title.

Mexico's distinction

The organisation of the tournament had been granted to Mexico, which profited from the withdrawal of Colombia and thus became in 1986 the first country to organise a second World Cup.

In 1974 the FIFA had allocated the 1986 World Cup to Colombia, but the high demands of football's ruling body forced the South American country to withdraw in 1983 because ``the world should be helping Colombia and not the other way around.''

FIFA then wanted to take the tournament to the United States, which would have been a paradise for the sponsors, but South American protests and the threat of a schism in the organisation brought about a consensus. Mexico was politically midway on the road from the one to the other and had an adequate infrastructure, which tilted the balance in its favour.

Mexico still had to fight with the same problems as the first time it hosted the competition in 1970: games played under the suffocating noon heat as a result of television company demands, great distances and altitude differences between venues. In addition, Mexico was shaken by a massive earthquake in 1985. However, the country overcame these difficulties and the organisation turned out to be exemplary.

Few surprises

The qualifying stage for the 13th World Cup again beat all records; with 121 countries registering and surprises again were few. In South America, Colombia failed to qualify, in Asia, Iraq qualified in spite of playing a single game in its home country due to the war with Iran. In Europe, Holland was again absent as were Austria and Czechoslovakia.

The competition was held between May 31 and June 29 in 12 locations. Morocco became the first African country to get past the initial round. The competition proceeded at first with no clear favourite, but it soon emerged that Maradona would be the player to watch in the tournament.

Omitted

The Argentine star had been omitted for the World Cup in 1978 when he was 18 years old by Cesar Luis Menotti. He made his World Cup debut in Spain in 1982 but was unable to make much of an impression.

By 1986 he was at his peak. The Naples star played a perfect competition from beginning to end, confident, in control, in perfect physical health, with vision, intelligence and, most of all, matchless ability. All these qualities came together in the legendary quarterfinal victory over England (2-1) in the Aztec Stadium in Mexico City in the first match since the two countries fought over the Falklands.

The two goals

Maradona scored two goals and both are considered to be among the most famous in World Cup history — but for different reasons. In scoring the first, he made use of the ``rules'' he learned in the street. He scored using his hand (the ``hand of God,'' as he described it) to push a ball past England goalkeeper Peter Shilton. Such was the craftiness, that neither the referee nor the linesman saw what millions of television viewers subsequently witnessed from all angles in the replay.

In comparison the second was a consummate exhibition of skill, speed and control. He gathered up the ball in his own half, beat several rivals, and scored the goal that every player dreams of, a goal regarded by many as the best ever scored at a World Cup.

Argentina played the final against West Germany in front of a capacity 115,000 crowd in the Aztec Stadium. The play was not brilliant but there were emotional moments galore. Argentina was 2-0 up but the Germans managed to restore parity. Then Maradona emerged to give the pass — and the subsequent goal — to Jorge Burruchaga.

England player Gary Lineker was the top-scorer with six goals, against the five by Maradona. But the ``Pibe de Oro'' (golden boy) took the title and the glory and Argentina celebrated its second World Cup title, three years after returning to democracy and with none of the dark controversies of the first title. — DPA

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