1970 World Cup memories

Remembering the 50th anniversary of this conquest is also remembering and honoring Mexico for the unrestricted support received. Few times in the history of football so many fans strongly
supported a foreign team as in the 1970 World Cup. A relatively short history compared to the 10,000 years of history of the Mexican peoples, but which still thrills fans today.

Mexico was chosen to host the 9th edition of the World Cup on October 8, 1964, when it received 52 votes against 36 from Argentina (seven abstentions).

Until then, the country had hosted four mega sporting events: two editions of the Central American and Caribbean Games (1926 and 1954), Pan American Games (1955) and the II Pan American Football Championship (1956).
Along with the 1970 World Cup, the 1968 Olympic Games and the 1971 women's Mundialito, Mexicans became experts in these mega events.

1955 Pan American Games

The second edition of the Pan American Games took place between March 12 and 26 and was attended by 2,583 athletes representing 22 countries in 17 sports. One and a half million tickets were distributed, ensuring a full house at all events.

The Mexican public was highly praised for their friendly behavior, applauding all athletes, regardless of nationality.

The University Stadium belongs to the Autonomous University of Mexico (UNAM). Inaugurated in 1952, it was the main headquarters of the Pan, receiving 100 thousand spectators at the opening ceremony.

1956 Pan American Championship

The second edition of this championship was organized in 1956 by Mexico. The participants were Argentina, Brazil, Chile, Costa Rica, Peru, and the hosts. The competition was played on the "all-against-all" system in a single round and was held at the Universitário Stadium in Mexico City.

Brazil, represented by the selection of athletes from the state of Rio Grande do Sul, was the champion. In fact, two-time champion, since it had won the first edition four years earlier.

1968 Olympic Games

Mexico was the first Latin American country, and second in the Americas, to host the Olympic Games. In this edition, 5,530 athletes participated, representing 122 countries, in 20 sports.

For the first time, the mark of 100 delegations was surpassed. It was also the debut of doping control and the beginning of the mandatory gender confirmation for women.

Thanks to the rarer air of altitude in Mexico City, 68 world records and 301 Olympic records were broken.

Mexican Enriqueta Basilio was the first woman to light the Olympic pyre.

In the cities, images of the Olympic games.

Politically, the world was in agitation. China was experiencing the “Cultural Revolution”. The Vietnam War was beginning to lose support from American society. Students went to the streets, first in Paris, then in the rest of the world. The Prague Spring was crushed by Soviet tanks. In this environment, the Olympic Games went through the Massacre of Tlatelolco ten days before the opening of the Games. Also, the emblematic anti-racist protest made by athletes Tommie Smith and John Carlos, from the United States, during the ceremony of giving medals in Athletics .

II Women's Football World Championship in 1971

After the 1970 World Cup, Mexico organized the second Women's International Championship in August 1971. In the opening game, 80,000 Mexicans went to the Azteca Stadium to see the home team beat Argentina 3X1. In the final, 110,000 people witnessed Denmark's victory over Mexico 3-0.

Mexico created a tradition in the planning and organization of mega-events, which continued throughout the 20th century: VII Pan American Games (1975), X Universíade (1979), III Men's U-20 World Cup (1983), XIII World Cup Men's World (1986), XVI Central American and Caribbean Games (1990) and the IV Confederations Cup (1999).

Thus, it was not surprising that Guadalajara received the Brazilian team festively. In fact, the Brazilian delegation was the first to land in Mexico, on May 2, a month before the premiere.

One of the factors that helped bring Mexicans and Brazilians closer together was enmity with the English. It started in 1964 when the World Cup was chosen, when the British voted against Mexico. The situation worsened in the 1966 World Cup, after a 2-0 victory over Mexico, both goals in flagrant impediment.
And it got worse when it was discovered that the English brought all the water and food from home so as not to have to consume anything mexican product.

Asked about the food of the Brazilian team, ambassador João Batista Pinheiro replied: “What is good for Mexicans, is good for Brazilians”.

The reception by the Mexicans

The Mexicans adopted the Brazilian team as their own. This act, strange at first, is explained by the admiration for the football played and the friendly attitude that the players had there.

In the voice of journalists, it is possible to extract from reports how the experience of living this World Cup impacted Mexicans.

"Brazil plays the football that Mexico aims to play one day and that it never achieved: if I don't win, I bet on Brazil because it is my close cousin, a very dear cousin whom I trust to be champion and win all the powers of the world."

Héctor Huerta, ESPN sports commentator for BBC Mundo, on Brazil's 4X1 victory over Czechoslovakia.

"The admiration continues, many people admire Brazilian team here and will continue to admire it. Happens that any team would like to win from Brazil and in Mexico is no different, so you will give 110%, 120% to win. Winning against a team like Brazil, Argentina, teams of tradition, always brings more respect to Mexico, it is very important. "

Zinha (Antonio Naelson Matías) in interview for UOL website. He is a Brazilian naturalized Mexican who played in the 2006 World Cup for Mexico.

“All the brazilian games were full of joy and good football. That's what fascinated the Mexican people. After the games in Brazil, there were big parties with samba, "batucada" and mariachis. There were only two or three Brazilians, the rest were Mexicans. They sang “Fio Maravilha and País Tropical”*.

Raul "Willy" Gomez, former striker for the Mexican national team. Veja Magazine, Oct. 12 2011.

*A famous brazilian song about a soccer player.

"Brazilians do not owe us. There is nothing to be thankful for. After all, we are the ones who are recognized for the spectacle they offered to our audience in Mexico."

Raúl Cárdenas, coach of the Mexican national team in 1970. O Estado de S. Paulo, 30 sep. 1970.

"All the superlatives are insufficient, the cries of admiration seem to be murmurs, the warmest praise barely reflects everything that happened in Mexico and for the Mexican fans, the resounding triumph and the undeniable victory of Brazil.
In turn, the Brazilian team maintained an exemplary behavior throughout the tournament, on and off the pitch. They knew how to strengthen the bonds of friendship that must exist between all the peoples of the world and in that fraternal and humble attitude, only compatible with true spiritual maturity, perhaps it is the real reason for their victories. "

Victor Latapi, Mexican journalist. El Informador, June 22 1970.

"At just nine years old, the little fan switched the radio for the images transmitted on TV. In the quarterfinals, the dream of being champion for the first time was undone, after Italy defeated Mexico by 4X1.
The desire to know Brazil increased even more after the Brazilians won the third championship just over the Italian team, and the face in tears at the boy's defeat returned to smile. Pelé, Rivelino and Jairzinho were frequent names in Ismael's conversations with friends. (...) "The Brazilian way won me over in a unique way, I am grateful for everything".

Gustavo Godinho, on the Mexican artist Ismael Torrano, for A Tribuna de Minas, 02 July. 2018.

"(...) Also in 1970, one of his sons, Edson Carlos Arantes Villagrán do Nascimento Salinas Pelé, was born. Actually, a joke by the actor, who can't help himself and makes jokes all the time. He didn't go that far. But, in fact, he paid tribute to two of his sons with names of Brazilian players: Edson, in reference to Pelé, and Paulo Cézar, a tribute to Paulo César Caju ".

Reporting by Thiago Quintella, about Carlos Villagrán, "Kiko", from the popular TV show Chaves, for the website Globo Esporte, June 18. 2013.

“I was born on February 1, 1970, my father was a very, very big fan of football and lived in Guadalajara, where the Brazilian team won the 1970 World Cup.
When he saw Brazil on television, which had many great names, he loved how Rivelino played. My father loved that team and Rivelino. He liked it so much that he went to the Civil Registry to change my name. He first registered me as Raymond, who disappeared after going to the Registry.
And I am very proud to have that name and to see a match between Brazil and Mexico, as it involves a lot of history for me. ”

Rivelino De La Luz Sotelo, Mexican supporter. Fox Sports (Mexico), 02 Jul. 2018.

"When the employee at the Posto Oxxo convenience store realized that I was Brazilian, he showed me his identity, with his birth date: Jairzinho Ventura Filho de González - June 17, 1970. Tribute that his father, in love with football, made to Jairzinho, the 'Hurricane' of that Cup ".

Journalist Chico Maia's account on his blog, Oct 23 of 2011.