JUNE 22 1986

Two of football's most famous World Cup goals were scored in a five minute spell on this day in 1986, when Maradona showed the World both sides of his personality in the World Cup quarter-final in Mexico City. Maradona claimed his first goal which was helped by the "hand of God", whereas the English Press saw it as "the hand of the Devil" as post-Falklands relations were a little "gritty" at the time. Just to rub it in, Maradona then skipped past five England players, scoring one of the greatest goal ever seen. Video Below!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Da_CDPRG2j0 and more fun......

In the 1974 World Cup, the first rounds of qualifying were from Groups of four. Zaire was the first black African nation to qualify for the tournament and had lost 0-2 to Scotland in their group on June 14th and then 0-9 to Yugoslavia on June 18th. Their final group game was against holders, Brazil on June 22nd!! Zaire defender, Mwepu Llunga, got a little excited in this memorable match (for him!) when waiting for a Brazilian free-kick and this happened...see below!

http://whoateallthepies.tv/videos/213108/rip-mwepu-ilunga-zaire-1974-world-cup-sides-maverick-free-kick-vigilante-passes-away-aged-66.html

Brazil, having drawn with Yugoslavia 0-0 and Scotland 0-0, needed to beat Zaire by 3 clear goals to qualify and Brazil scored after 12 minutes, surprisingly their first of the tournament having drawn 0-0 with Yugoslavia and 0-0 with Scotland. Indeed, Brazil did win 3-0 in Gelsenkirchen. Goals from Jairzinho, then Rivelino gave them hope and with 11 minutes to go a speculative shot from Valdormio seemed to be covered by the keeper, who jersey was obviously slippy and the ball squirted into the net. 

Brazil then did get through the next qualification, in Group A, beating East Germany and Argentina 2-1, but lost to Cruyff's Holland 0-2. 

In Group B West Germany qualified with three wins against Poland, Sweden and Yugoslavia and beat Holland in the Final 2-1. Brazil lost the Third Place play off 1-0 to Poland in front of 79,000 at the Olympic Stadium, Munich. 

West Germany beat Holland 2-1 in the Final, played at the Olympic Stadium, Munich. A crowd of nearly 78,000 saw this live and reputedly, a 1000 million viewed it on TV. England's Jack Taylor was the referee, who awarded Holland a penalty after less than a minute without a German player touching the ball!!! when Cruyff was brought down by Hoeness. Neeskens scored, the first successful penalty in a World Cup Final! There was second penalty awarded to the Germans  after 25 minutes, following a poor tackle by Jansen on Holzenbein. Breitner scored. It was, the German centre-forward, Gerhard Muller's last international match.

Wolfgang Overath added the Winners' medal to his collection of a Runners-up medal and a Third Place medal! The only man to have collected all three!