1966 to 2026 – my 60 years of FIFA Soccer World Cups – PART 1

May 30, 2026 Sports

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By Colin E. H. Croft – Former Guyana, Lancashire CCC & W.I. International Cricketer

Kaieteur Sports – Time for the highly anticipated FIFA World Cup 2026 USA-CAN-MEX.  Four long years of waiting, anticipation and severe political maneuverings are over.  Expect the unexpected!

1966 was a massive year for me.  That September, after Guyana’s Independence on 26 May, which I joyfully celebrated at the midnight raising of “The Golden Arrowhead” at the Mahaica Hospital Main Gate, I started at Central High School; ‘a real country boy come to town.’ 

Five years at CHS; 1966 to 1971; contributed considerably to me playing in Guyana’s Under19 and Senior Cricket Teams, then for West Indies Test and ODI teams.  That period also taught me very much about people’s duplicity and the seriously venomous realities of life!

I had passed Common Entrance Examinations, for Golden Grove Secondary School,  but,  unrelentingly, Old Sylvia had shouted: “Over meh dead body.  Yuh ain’t going to school deh.  Yuh goin’ to Central like yuh sister Gloria.”   1960 to 1965; Gloria had set seriously lofty standards in her brilliant, scholastically productive years at CHS.

Somehow, Old Sylvia found the required tuition fees; US / GUY $36 per term; US / GUY $40 for books per year; got uniforms for US / GUY $100 per year; and train and bus passes for US / GUY $75 per year.  Each outlay was more than her then monthly wage, for me to attend CHS!

“Sou-Sou”, (Box Hands), were always the main financial keys to success for every poor parent willing to sacrifice everything for off-springs.  Luckily, due to my involvements at CHS; School Prefect, scholastic, cricket, soccer, athletics, table tennis, theatre; CHS’ then Principal, late JRS “Rudy” Luck, allowed me full scholarships for 1970 and 1971.

Awareness of FIFA World Cup Histories

The FIFA World Cup was first played in 1930, with inaugural tournament hosts Uruguay winning that initial tournament.  Hosts Italy won in 1934, then repeated, in France, in 1938.  After World War II (1939 – 1945), the next tournament was in 1950.  Uruguay again won, upsetting hosts and tournament favorites Brazil in that Final.

West Germany first won when Switzerland hosted FIFA World Cup 1954, while Brazil first won in 1958, hosted by Sweden.  Brazil repeated, in Chile, for FIFA World Cup 1962.  By then, as a nine year old, listening to Edgar’s 15-inch television-sized Philips dry-cell battery radio, I had become aware of this massive world football tournament.

But it was in 1966, and especially in 1970, that I became entranced by the mastery, skills, even trickeries of “the beautiful game.”  South American Spanish and Portuguese radio stations and Sports Illustrated magazines educated me so much on the wiles of real football.

1966, 1970, 1974 & 1978 FIFA World Cups – Four of the Best Winning Teams Ever

Canvas anyone still alive who attended FIFA World Cup 1966 Final; Wembley Stadium, London, England, the hosts playing West Germany.  Some will emphasize that West Germany were robbed.  They lost 4 – 2; caustic game events still being debated elsewhere.

England’s FIFA World Cup 1966 Final XI still roll off our tongues; Legends in our English-speaking world:  Gordon Banks (GK), George Cohen, Ray Wilson, Nobby Stiles, Jack Charlton, Bobby Moore (Captain), Alan Ball, Martin Peters, Bobby Charlton, Geoff Hurst, Roger Hunt.

By 1970, I had acquired enough Spanish Language skills at CHS to be dangerous, so I listened to all games in FIFA World Cup 1970, in Mexico, with their maddening commentators.  I probably understood 25% of what was being said but it was very exciting.  Some of the soccer moves from 1970’s tournament are still being attempted by players now!

FIFA World Cup 1970’s best game was Brazil v Peru in one Quarter Final; a South American feast.  Incredibly, there were 49 shots towards goal; Brazil 27, Peru 22; all team guns firing.

Brazil’s inter-changeable lineup, including Pele, Carlos Alberto (Captain), Jairzinho, Rivelino and Tostao, were evenly matched, kick for kick, tackle for tackle, by Peru’s speedy, machine-like Teofilo Cubillas, Hector Chumpitaz (Captain), Alberto Gallardo, Hugo Sotil and Perico Leon.  Brazil had to play exceptionally well to win 4 – 2.

 

Brazil beat tough Uruguay 3 – 1 in one Semi-Final; another South American show-down; with the tournament’s best goal-keeper, Ladislao Mazurkiewicz, starring for Uruguay.  Semi-Final No. 2; a seriously volatile European encounter; pitted West Germany, looking for revenge after 1966, v Italy, brimming with skill.  It ended 4 – 3 to Italy, after extra time.  Brilliant game!

1970’s Final:  Brazil, smoothly, like a Mercedes or Ferrari cruising Formula 1 Circuit Interlagos, beat Italy 4 – 1.  The best soccer team the world has ever seen were irresistible.  Brazil’s 1970 FIFA World Cup team is still the best ever to any world football tournament.

Goal No. 4 in FIFA World Cup 1970 Final is an all-time classic, still played everywhere and considered to be one of the greatest goals ever scored in World Cup history.   Seven Brazilian out-fielders touched the ball in the build-up, before Pele casually passed for Carlos Alberto to smash the ball pass helpless Italian goal-keeper Enrico Albertosi.  Magnificent fluency!

Brazil’s 1970 FIFA World Cup Team will live in our memories forever.  Felix (GK), Marco Antonio (sometimes Everaldo), Brito, Piazza, Carlos Alberto (Captain), Clodoaldo, Gerson, Rivelino, Jairzinho, Tostao and Pele.

Brazil’s Manager, Mario Zagallo, became the first person to win FIFA World Cups as a player – 1958 and 1962 – then win as a Manager too in 1970.

More history came from FIFA World Cup 1970 as Brazil permanently kept the Jules Rimet Trophy; “Victory”; as they had won it three times; 1958, 1962 and 1970.  Later, it was stolen!

Also historically, attendances for the last three games of FIFA World Cup 1970, all at Mexico City’s Estadio Azteca, will never be individually surpassed.  In one Semi-Final; Italy (4) v West Germany (3); 102,444 attended.  In the 3^rd place play-off; West Germany (1) v Uruguay (0); 104, 402 attended.  For the Final; Brazil (4) v Italy (1); a world record 107, 412 attended.

FIFA World Cup 1974:  West Germany, playing at home, were the team to beat.  After Mexico 1970, 1974’s tournament had much to live up to.  It did not disappoint. My footballing hero, “Der Kaiser”, Franz Beckenbauer, versatile player extraordinaire, had, by then, become West Germany’s Captain.  A new trophy – “FIFA World Cup Trophy” – was awarded from 1974 too.

1974’s tournament included the first Caribbean / CONCACAF team.  Haiti, qualifying at home, very controversially beat Trinidad & Tobago; 2 – 1.  T&T had actually scored four still inexplicably disallowed goals.  To this very day, many tears and blunt swears come from T&T!

Poland’s Grzegorz Lato scored the most goals in 1974; seven.  West Germany’s Gerd Muller, who scored his 14^th World Cup goal in 1974’s Final – West Germany (2), Netherlands (1) – was World Cups’ highest scorer to that time.  Fans favorites, the colorful Dutch – “Oranjegekte” – had very slick Johann Cruyff voted “The Best Player of FIFA World Cup 1974.”

West Germany’s 1974 World Cup Winners became Legends and Team Managers too.    Sepp Maier (GK), Franz Beckenbauer (Captain), Berti Vogts, Hans-Georg Schwarzenbeck, Paul Breitner, Rainer Bonhof, Wolfgang Overath, Uli Hoenes, Jurgen Grabowski, Bernd Holzenbein, Gerd Muller.  1974 was West Germany’s 2^nd FIFA World Cup win, after 1954.

1978 FIFA World Cup, hosted and won by Argentina, was a big treat for me.  I was then playing TCCB / ECB county cricket for Lancashire CCC.  I saw every game on television due to time differences.  Television commentary for 1978’s tournament, up to now, is still the best that I have ever heard, in any sport, with natural crackling noises by telephones lines and satellite.

Rumors abounded that Argentina’s players had been threatened with personal disposal, by ruling political honchos, if they had not won 1978 FIFA World Cup.    Johann Cryuff did not travel to play for the Netherlands, due to the political undercurrents in Argentina.  There were serious suggestions of match fixings and other shenanigans at FIFA World Cup 1978 ARG.

“Super-man” Mario Kempes, Ubaldo Fillol (GK), Jose Olguin, Daniel Bertoni, wonderfully named, mercurial Alberto Tarantini, who played like a demented tarantula, Daniel Passarella (Captain), Rene Houseman (sometimes Alberto Ortiz), Ricardo Villa, Luis Galvan, Osvaldo Ardilles (sometimes Omar Larossa), Amerigo Gallego and Leopoldo Luque.  Argentina certainly played like their very lives depended on winning 1978 FIFA World Cup.

1978’s losing Finalists; Argentia 3, Netherlands 1; were again the Netherlands.  The Dutch “Total Football” has since been cultivated world-wide.  Unfortunately, the Netherlands also acquired; still have; that moniker of being the “best team that never won the FIFA World Cup.”  Maybe 2026 would be their year and tournament!

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• Colin Croft, FIFA, FIFA Soccer World Cups, World Cup Histories

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