1978 FIFA World Cup
| 1978 FIFA World Cup | |
| Argentina '78 | |
| Tournament details | |
| Host country |  Argentina |
| Teams | 16 (from 5 confederations) |
| Venue(s) | 6 (in 5 host cities) |
| Final positions | |
Champions  |
Argentina (1st title) |
Runners-up  |
 Netherlands |
Third place  |
 Brazil |
| Fourth place |  Italy |
| Tournament statistics | |
| Matches played | 38 |
| Goals scored | 102 (2.68 per match) |
| Attendance | 1,546,151 (40,688 per match) |
| Top scorer(s) | Mario Kempes (6 goals) |
The 1978 FIFA World Cup, the 11th staging of the World Cup, was held in Argentina between 1 June and 25 June. Argentina was chosen as hosts by FIFA in July 1966. The 1978 World Cup was won by Argentina who beat the Netherlands 3-1 after extra time in the final. This win was the first World Cup title for Argentina who became the fifth team (after Uruguay, Italy, England, and West Germany), to be both hosts and world champions.
Contents |
Qualification
England failed to qualify for the second World Cup in succession, losing out to Italy. European champions Czechoslovakia, Uruguay, Yugoslavia, and the Soviet Union also failed to make it through the qualifying tournament. Newcomers to the finals were Iran and Tunisia, while France, Spain and Hungary were back for the first time since 1966.
Summary
First Round
The format of the competition stayed the same as in 1974: 16 teams qualified, divided into four groups of four. The top two teams in each group would advance to the second round, where they would be split into two groups of four. The winners of each group would play each other in the final, and the second place finishers in the third place match.
A controversial fact surrounding the 1978 World Cup was that Argentina had suffered a military coup only two years before the cup. Because of this, some countries, most notably the Netherlands, considered publicly whether they should participate in the cup. Despite this, all teams eventually participated without restrictions. Allegations that Dutch star Johan Cruijff refused to participate because of political convictions were refuted by him 30 years later[1]. Controversy surrounded the host, Argentina, as all of their games in the first round kicked off at night, giving Argentina the advantage of knowing where they stood in the group. This issue would arise again in Spain 1982, which prompted FIFA to change the rules so that the final two group games in subsequent World Cups would be played simultaneously.
The first round produced several surprises. Poland won Group 2 ahead of world champions West Germany, after holding the Germans to a goalless draw and then beating Tunisia and Mexico. The Germans played out a second goalless draw against Tunisia, and only redeemed themselves with a 6-0 thrashing of Mexico. Although they failed to qualify for the second round, Tunisia made history by beating Mexico 3-1. It was the first time that any African team had won a match at the World Cup finals.
Peru pushed the Netherlands into second place in Group 4, where Scotland missed out on goal difference for the second successive tournament. Teofilo Cubillas was outstanding for Peru, scoring twice against Scotland in Peru's 3-1 win and hitting a hat-trick in their 4-1 victory over Iran. Rob Rensenbrink of the Netherlands also scored three times against Iran, scoring all the goals as the Dutch won 3-0. Scotland drew with Iran 1-1 and the only highlight of their campaign was a 3-2 victory over the Netherlands in their final group game which was not enough to prevent elimination. Iran, the reigning Asian champions, went out of the tournament winless.
The biggest surprise of all came in Group 3, where Austria finished ahead of Brazil. The Austrians beat Spain and Sweden, while Brazil were held to draws by the same two teams. The draw with Sweden was especially controversial, due to the referee ending the game just as Zico headed the ball into the back of the net, a goal that would have won the game for Brazil. Brazil needed to beat Austria in their final group game to be sure of progressing to the second round, and managed a 1-0 win thanks to a goal from Roberto Dinamite. Brazil and Austria thus finished with the same number of points and the same goal difference, but Austria won the group by virtue of having scored more goals.
Group 1 had the strongest line-up of teams in the first round, featuring Italy, the host Argentina, France and Hungary. The two places in the second round were claimed before the final round of games, with Italy and Argentina both beating France and Hungary. The Italy-Argentina game decided who topped the group, and a goal from Roberto Bettega midway through the second half was enough to give that honour to Italy. It also forced Argentina to move out of Buenos Aires and play in Rosario.
Second round
In the all-European Group A, the Netherlands got off to a flying start by thrashing Austria 5-1, Johnny Rep scoring two of their goals. In a rematch of the 1974 final, the Dutch then drew 2-2 with West Germany, who had previously shared a goalless game with Italy. The Italians beat Austria 1-0, and so the Netherlands faced Italy in their last group game knowing that the winners would reach the final. Erny Brandts scored an 18th-minute own goal to put Italy ahead at half-time, but he made up for his mistake by scoring at the right end in the fifth minute of the second half. Arie Haan got the winner for the Dutch with 15 minutes remaining, and the Netherlands had reached their second successive World Cup Final. West Germany were surprisingly beaten by Austria 2-3 which marked their end as World Champions.
Group B was essentially a battle between Argentina and Brazil, and it was resolved in controversial circumstances. In the first round of group games, Brazil beat Peru 3-0 while Argentina saw off Poland 2-0. Brazil and Argentina then played out a tense and violent goalless draw, so both teams went into the last round of matches with three points. Argentina had an advantage that their match against Peru kicked off several hours after Brazil's match with Poland. Brazil won their match 3-1, so Argentina could know that they had to beat Peru by four clear goals to go through to the final. Argentina managed it with what some saw as a suspicious degree of ease. Trailing 2-0 at half-time, Peru simply collapsed in the second half, and Argentina eventually won 6-0. Brazil spread dark rumours suggesting that Peru might have been somehow illicitly induced not to try too hard (especially because the Peruvian goalkeeper, Ramón Quiroga, was born in Argentina); but nothing could be proved, and Argentina met the Netherlands in the final. Brazil, denied a final place by Argentina's 6-0 win over Peru, took third place from an enterprising Italy side and were dubbed "moral champions" by coach Cláudio Coutinho, because they did not win the tournament, but did not lose a single match either.
Final
The final, Argentina vs Netherlands, was also controversial, as the Dutch accused the Argentines of using stalling tactics to delay the match. The host team came out late and questioned the legality of a plaster cast on René van de Kerkhof's wrist, which the Dutch claimed allowed tension to build in front of a hostile Buenos Aires crowd. The Netherlands refused to attend the post-match ceremonies after the match ended.[2] Argentina won the final 3-1 after extra time, with two goals from Mario Kempes, who was also the tournament's top scorer with six goals. The Netherlands lost their second World Cup final in a row, both times to the host nation, after losing to West Germany in 1974.
Mascot
The official mascot of this World Cup was Gauchito, a boy wearing an Argentina strip. His hat (with the words ARGENTINA '78), neckerchief and whip are typical of gauchos.
Venues
| Buenos Aires | Buenos Aires | Cordoba | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Estadio Monumental | Estadio José Amalfitani | Estadio Chateau Carreras | |
| Capacity: 76,000 | Capacity: 49,540 | Capacity: 46,083 | |
 |
 |
 |
|
| Mar del Plata | Rosario | Mendoza | |
| Estadio José María Minella | Estadio Gigante de Arroyito | Estadio Ciudad de Mendoza | |
| Capacity: 43,542 | Capacity: 41,654 | Capacity: 34,875 | |
 |
 |
 |
Match officials
|
|
Squads
For a list of all squads that appeared in the final tournament, see 1978 FIFA World Cup squads.
Results
First round
All times local (UTC-3)
Group 1
| Team | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Italy |
3 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 6 | 2 | +4 | 6 |
| Argentina |
3 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 4 | 3 | +1 | 4 |
 France |
3 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 5 | 5 | 0 | 2 |
 Hungary |
3 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 3 | 8 | -5 | 0 |
| 2 June 1978 13:45 |
Italy |
2 – 1 | France |
Estadio José Maria Minella, Mar del Plata Attendance: 38,100 Referee: Nicolae Rainea (Romania) |
Rossi  29'Zaccarelli 54' |
(Report) | Lacombe 1' |
| 2 June 1978 19:15 |
Argentina |
2 – 1 | Hungary |
Estadio Monumental, Buenos Aires Attendance: 71,615 Referee: Antonio Garrido (Portugal) |
| Luque 14' Bertoni 83' |
(Report) | Csapó 9' |
| 6 June 1978 13:45 |
Italy |
3 – 1 | Hungary |
Estadio José Maria Minella, Mar del Plata Attendance: 26,533 Referee: Ramon Barreto (Uruguay) |
| Rossi 34' Bettega 35'Benetti 61' |
(Report) | A. Tóth 81' (pen.) |
| 6 June 1978 19:15 |
Argentina |
2 – 1 | France |
Estadio Monumental, Buenos Aires Attendance: 71,666 Referee: Jean Dubach (Switzerland) |
| Passarella 45' (pen.) Luque 73' |
(Report) | Platini 60' |
| 10 June 1978 14:30[3] |
France |
3 – 1 | Hungary |
Estadio José Maria Minella, Mar del Plata Attendance: 23,127 Referee: Arnaldo Cézar Coelho (Brazil) |
| Lopez 23' Berdoll 38'Rocheteau 42' |
(Report) | Zombori 41' |
| 10 June 1978 19:15 |
Argentina |
0 – 1 | Italy |
Estadio Monumental, Buenos Aires Attendance: 71,712 Referee: Abraham Klein (Israel) |
| (Report) | Bettega 67' |
Group 2
| Team | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 Poland |
3 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 4 | 1 | +3 | 5 |
 West Germany |
3 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 6 | 0 | +6 | 4 |
 Tunisia |
3 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 3 | 2 | +1 | 3 |
 Mexico |
3 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 2 | 12 | -10 | 0 |
| 1 June 1978 15:00 |
West Germany |
0 – 0 | Poland |
Estadio Monumental, Buenos Aires Attendance: 67,579 Referee: Angel Norberto Coerezza (Argentina) |
| (Report) |
| 2 June 1978 16:45 |
Tunisia |
3 – 1 | Mexico |
Estadio Gigante de Arroyito, Rosario Attendance: 17,396 Referee: John Gordon (Scotland) |
| Kaabi 55' Ghommidh 80'Dhouib 86' |
(Report) | Vázquez Ayala 45' (pen.) |
| 6 June 1978 16:45 |
West Germany |
6 – 0 | Mexico |
Estadio Chateau Carreras, Córdoba Attendance: 35,258 Referee: Farouk Bouzo (Syria) |
| D. Müller 14' H. Müller 29'Rummenigge 38' 71'Flohe 44' 89' |
(Report) |
| 6 June 1978 16:45 |
Poland |
1 – 0 | Tunisia |
Estadio Gigante de Arroyito, Rosario Attendance: 9,624 Referee: Angel Franco Martínez (Spain) |
| Lato 42' |
(Report) |
| 10 June 1978 16:45 |
West Germany |
0 – 0 | Tunisia |
Estadio Olímpico Chateau Carreras, Córdoba Attendance: 30,667 Referee: César Guerrero Orosco (Peru) |
| (Report) |
| 10 June 1978 16:45 |
Poland |
3 – 1 | Mexico |
Estadio Gigante de Arroyito, Rosario Attendance: 22,651 Referee: Jaffar Namdar (Iran) |
| Boniek 42' 83' Deyna 56' |
(Report) | Rangel 51' |
Group 3
| Team | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 Austria |
3 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 3 | 2 | +1 | 4 |
| Brazil |
3 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 1 | +1 | 4 |
 Spain |
3 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 3 |
 Sweden |
3 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 3 | -2 | 1 |
| 3 June 1978 13:45 |
Austria |
2 – 1 | Spain |
Estadio José Amalfitani, Buenos Aires Attendance: 40,841 Referee: Károly Palotai (Hungary) |
| Schachner 10' Krankl 79' |
(Report) | Dani 21' |
| 3 June 1978 13:45 |
Brazil |
1 – 1 | Sweden |
Estadio José Maria Minella, Mar del Plata Attendance: 32,569 Referee: Clive Thomas (Wales) |
| Reinaldo 45' |
(Report) | Sjöberg 37' |
| 7 June 1978 13:45 |
Austria |
1 – 0 | Sweden |
Estadio José Amalfitani, Buenos Aires Attendance: 41,424 Referee: Charles Corver (Netherlands) |
| Krankl 44' (pen.) |
(Report) |
| 7 June 1978 13:45 |
Brazil |
0 – 0 | Spain |
Estadio José Maria Minella, Mar del Plata Attendance: 34,771 Referee: Sergio Gonella (Italy) |
| (Report) |
| 11 June 1978 13:45 |
Spain |
1 – 0 | Sweden |
Estadio José Amalfitani, Buenos Aires Attendance: 46,765 Referee: Ferdinand Biwersi (West Germany) |
| Asensi 75' |
(Report) |
| 11 June 1978 13:45 |
Brazil |
1 – 0 | Austria |
Estadio José Maria Minella, Mar del Plata Attendance: 35,221 Referee: Robert Wurtz (France) |
| Roberto Dinamite 40' |
(Report) |
Group 4
| Team | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 Peru |
3 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 7 | 2 | +5 | 5 |
| Netherlands |
3 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 5 | 3 | +2 | 3 |
 Scotland |
3 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 5 | 6 | -1 | 3 |
 Iran |
3 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 2 | 8 | -6 | 1 |
| 3 June 1978 16:45 |
Peru |
3 – 1 | Scotland |
Estadio Chateau Carreras, Córdoba Attendance: 37,927 Referee: Ulf Eriksson (Sweden) |
| Cueto 43' Cubillas 70' 76' |
(Report) | Jordan 19' |
| 3 June 1978 16:45 |
Netherlands |
3 – 0 | Iran |
Estadio Ciudad de Mendoza, Mendoza Attendance: 33,431 Referee: González Archundía (Mexico) |
| Rensenbrink 40' (pen.) 62' 78' (pen.) |
(Report) |
| 7 June 1978 16:45 |
Scotland |
1 – 1 | Iran |
Estadio Chateau Carreras, Córdoba Attendance: 7,938 Referee: Youssou N'Diaye (Senegal) |
| Eskandarian 43' (o.g.) |
(Report) | Danaeifard 60' |
| 7 June 1978 16:45 |
Netherlands |
0 – 0 | Peru |
Estadio Ciudad de Mendoza, Mendoza Attendance: 28,125 Referee: Adolf Prokop (East Germany) |
| (Report) |
| 11 June 1978 16:45 |
Peru |
4 – 1 | Iran |
Estadio Chateau Carreras, Córdoba Attendance: 21,262 Referee: Alojzy Jarguz (Poland) |
| Velásquez 2' Cubillas 36' (pen.) 39' (pen.) 79' |
(Report) | Rowshan 41' |
| 11 June 1978 16:45 |
Scotland |
3 – 2 | Netherlands |
Estadio Ciudad de Mendoza, Mendoza Attendance: 35,130 Referee: Erich Linemayr (Austria) |
| Dalglish 44' Gemmill 46' (pen.) 68' |
(Report) | Rensenbrink 34' (pen.) Rep 71' |
Second round
Group A
| Team | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Netherlands |
3 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 9 | 4 | +5 | 5 |
| Italy |
3 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 3 |
| West Germany |
3 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 4 | 5 | -1 | 2 |
| Austria |
3 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 4 | 8 | -4 | 2 |
| 14 June 1978 13:45 |
Austria |
1 – 5 | Netherlands |
Estadio Chateau Carreras, Córdoba Attendance: 25,050 Referee: John Gordon (Scotland) |
| Obermayer 80' |
(Report) | Brandts 6' Rensenbrink 35' (pen.)Rep 36' 53'W. van de Kerkhof 82' |
| 14 June 1978 13:45 |
Italy |
0 – 0 | West Germany |
Estadio Monumental, Buenos Aires Attendance: 67,547 Referee: Dušan Maksimović (Yugoslavia) |
| (Report) |
| 18 June 1978 16:45 |
Netherlands |
2 – 2 | West Germany |
Estadio Chateau Carreras, Córdoba Attendance: 40,750 Referee: Ramón Barreto (Uruguay) |
| Haan 27' R. van de Kerkhof 82' |
(Report) | Abramczik 3' D. Müller 70' |
| 18 June 1978 16:45 |
Italy |
1 – 0 | Austria |
Estadio Monumental, Buenos Aires Attendance: 66,695 Referee: Francis Rion (Belgium) |
| Rossi 13' |
(Report) |
| 21 June 1978 13:45 |
Austria |
3 – 2 | West Germany |
Estadio Chateau Carreras, Córdoba Attendance: 38,318 Referee: Abraham Klein (Israel) |
| Vogts 59' (o.g.) Krankl 66' 88' |
(Report) | Rummenigge 19' Hölzenbein 67' |
| 21 June 1978 13:45 |
Italy |
1 – 2 | Netherlands |
Estadio Monumental, Buenos Aires Attendance: 67,433 Referee: Angel Franco Martínez (Spain) |
| Brandts 19' (o.g.) |
(Report) | Brandts 49' Haan 76' |
Group B
| Team | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Argentina |
3 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 8 | 0 | +8 | 5 |
| Brazil |
3 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 6 | 1 | +5 | 5 |
| Poland |
3 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 5 | -3 | 2 |
| Peru |
3 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 10 | -10 | 0 |
| 14 June 1978 16:45 |
Peru |
0 – 3 | Brazil |
Estadio Ciudad de Mendoza, Mendoza Attendance: 31,278 Referee: Nicolae Rainea (Romania) |
| (Report) | Dirceu 15' 27' Zico 72' (pen.) |
| 14 June 1978 19:15 |
Argentina |
2 – 0 | Poland |
Estadio Gigante de Arroyito, Rosario Attendance: 37,091 Referee: Ulf Eriksson (Sweden) |
| Kempes 16' 72' |
(Report) |
| 18 June 1978 13:45 |
Peru |
0 – 1 | Poland |
Estadio Ciudad de Mendoza, Mendoza Attendance: 35,288 Referee: Pat Partridge (England) |
| (Report) | Szarmach 64' |
| 18 June 1978 19:15 |
Argentina |
0 – 0 | Brazil |
Estadio Gigante de Arroyito, Rosario Attendance: 37,326 Referee: Károly Palotai (Hungary) |
| (Report) |
| 21 June 1978 16:45 |
Poland |
1 – 3 | Brazil |
Estadio Ciudad de Mendoza, Mendoza Attendance: 39,586 Referee: Juan Silvagno Cavanna (Chile) |
| Lato 45' |
(Report) | Nelinho 13' Roberto Dinamite 58' 63' |
| 21 June 1978 19:15 |
Argentina |
6 – 0 | Peru |
Estadio Gigante de Arroyito, Rosario Attendance: 37,315 Referee: Robert Wurtz (France) |
| Kempes 21' 49' Tarantini 43'Luque 50' 72'Houseman 67' |
(Report) |
Third place match
| 24 June 1978 15:00 |
Brazil |
2 – 1 | Italy |
Estadio Monumental, Buenos Aires Attendance: 69,659 Referee: Abraham Klein (Israel) |
| Nelinho 64' Dirceu 71' |
(Report) | Causio 38' |
Final
| 25 June 1978 15:00 |
Netherlands |
1 – 3 (a.e.t.) | Argentina |
Estadio Monumental, Buenos Aires Attendance: 71,483 Referee: Sergio Gonella (Italy) |
| Nanninga 82' |
(Report) | Kempes 37' 104' Bertoni 115' |
Winner
| 1978 FIFA World Cup Winners |
|---|
Argentina First title |
Awards
| FIFA Fair Play Trophy: |
|---|
| Argentina |
Scorers
|
|
|
Other facts
- Argentina was a candidate to host the 1970 World Cup, but since Mexico City was hosting the 1968 Summer Olympics and had constructed new football stadia, it went to Mexico.
- The Netherlands's Rob Rensenbrink's goal against Scotland was the 1000th goal of World Cup history.
- Scotland's Willie Johnston was expelled from the World Cup after he was found to have taken a banned stimulant during the opening game against Peru.
- At the final minutes of the Brazil vs Sweden match, the Brazilians were awarded a corner kick that resulted in a goal (which would have given Brazil a 2-1 victory). However, the goal was not awarded, because the referee Clive Thomas had whistled the end of the game as the ball was being kicked into the area. The Brazilian players were not happy with the decision, but the final result remained a 1-1 draw.
Firsts
- Tunisia was the first African team to win a match in World Cup finals, beating Mexico 3-1.
- This edition was the first appearance of Coca-Cola in the FIFA World Cup as a sponsor.
- For the 1978 World Cup, FIFA introduced the penalty shootout as a means of determining the winner in knockout stages should the match end on a draw after 120 minutes. The method, however, was not put in practice as both the third-place match and the final were decided before 120 minutes. The first World Cup to feature a penalty shootout was the 1982 World Cup, in the semifinal match between France and West Germany.
Notes
- ↑ "Kidnappers made Cruyff miss World Cup", guardian.co.uk (16 April 2008). Retrieved on 20 June 2008.
- ↑ CNN/SI - World Cup France '98 - The Netherlands pay back controversial loss to Argentina - Saturday 4 July 1998 03:33 PM
- ↑ Original kick-off scheduled for 13:45. Match delayed by 45 minutes due to both teams wearing identical kits (red, white & blue). The French eventually donned the kits of the local team Club Atlético Kimberley.
External links
- 1978 FIFA World Cup on FIFA.com
- Details at RSSSF
- History of the World Cup-1978
- Planet World Cup - Argentina 1978
|
1978 FIFA World Cup stages
|
||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
1978 FIFA World Cup finalists
|
||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
Uruguay 1930 | Italy 1934 | France 1938 | Brazil 1950 | Switzerland 1954 | Sweden 1958 | Chile 1962 | England 1966 | Mexico 1970 | West Germany 1974 | Argentina 1978 | Spain 1982 | Mexico 1986 | Italy 1990 | United States 1994 | France 1998 | Korea/Japan 2002 | Germany 2006 | South Africa 2010 | Brazil 2014 | 2018 |
||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
International football
|
||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
||||||||||||||||||||||||||
