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My Mexico 1986 memories of Maradona, the Azteca and a commentary faux pas | David Pleat
The Guardian Sport 1 day ago

My Mexico 1986 memories of Maradona, the Azteca and a commentary faux pas | David Pleat

Quick Summary

Working at the 1986 World Cup match was unforgettable thanks to the most controversial goal in history and then the best I have seen live When I took my first television work with ITV at the 1986 World Cup in Mexico, I never imagined I would attend a game that would be an iconic “I was there” day. England against Argentina at the Azteca Stadium in front of 114,000 people featured, thanks to Diego Maradona, first the most controversial goal in World Cup history, then the best I have seen live. The match was unforgettable and even the buildup sticks in the memory. The traffic in Mexico City was bumper to bumper, it took ages to travel short distances and if you were unlucky you would meet one of the corrupt local policemen who would challenge the driver and expect small recompense. Continue reading...

Category
Sports
Published
Friday, July 3, 2026 at 6:00 PM
Publisher
The Guardian Sport

Continue Reading on The Guardian Sport

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Mbappé spot-on to take France past stubborn Paraguay into World Cup quarter-finals
Mbappé spot-on to take France past stubborn Paraguay into World Cup quarter-finals

On this occasion, France kept the champagne football on ice. Which was probably just as well, given the temperature. As Philadelphia broiled in an independence day heatwave, the World Cup favourites were forced to drop a gear or two but still had too much for a Paraguay team that set out for a fight but were ultimately no more than a nuisance. In the annals of France-Paraguay encounters this was more France 98 than Sweden 58, where Just Fontaine embellished his World Cup legend with a hat-trick. Les Bleu s ’ modern-day goal machine, Kylian Mbappé, had to make do with just the one, a penalty, to draw him level again with Lionel Messi in the golden boot race, but one behind the great man in terms of the all-time goalscoring record. Continue reading...

The Guardian Sport 1 hour ago