Talk:1978 FIFA World Cup

Wiki Education Foundation-supported course assignment
This article was the subject of a Wiki Education Foundation-supported course assignment, between 10 September 2018 and 10 December 2018. Further details are available on the course page. Student editor(s): Bgd4.

Above undated message substituted from Template:Dashboard.wikiedu.org assignment by PrimeBOT (talk) 13:01, 16 January 2022 (UTC)

Second round contoversy
I'm thinking about adding a paragraph concerning the controversy surrounding Argentina's victory over Peru by 6-0. As many know, Argentina needed to win with a difference of at least 5 goals in their last match against Peru to qualify for the finals and Peru's goalkeeper Quiroga was actually born in Argentina before changing his citizenship to Peru. However, since this is highly controversial, I wish to debate if it should or should not be included. --Vertigo200 01:35, 10 May 2005 (UTC)

It definitely should be included. --Dryazan 01:37, 10 May 2005 (UTC)


 * just stopped by to know more on the Peru story and later developments, like Fifa investigating, but couldn`t find anything here. So will look else, but if this article still has active editors they might consider including it since it is relevant these days Magafuzula (talk) 14:10, 24 April 2013 (UTC)

It should be taken in consideration too that strategically Peru looks as an ally Argentine and has rivalry wit Brazil. I mean more than a personal question on Quiraga's origins, it was a common feeling among Peruvians. —Preceding unsigned comment added by 86.88.17.136 (talk) 14:39, 3 August 2008 (UTC)

Ok, I've put that fact. There are more facts I could put (for example, how the argentinians travelled 618 Km compared to 4659 Km the brazilians or the contreversy surrounding the military coup that happend 2 years earlier), but I really want to discuss there before putting them on (I, a brasilian, may be biased and maybe someone else should write them).--Vertigo200 03:12, 11 May 2005 (UTC)

There should be something in about another controversy: the military dictatorship at that time. Or the controversy around the referee's decision to have the plaster removed from a Dutch player's arm following complaints by the Argentinian side.

On the controversy around the military government in Argentine: it seems that ten countries (from 106) decided not to participate in the games. Something important to mention is the situation of human rights in argentine. It is a matter of a regimen using systematic violence against opposition which counts into tens of thousands of murdered, detained, missing, tortured or exiled. An over view of the situation in 1978 can be found at http://unglued.org/timeline/index.php?year=1978  —Preceding unsigned comment added by 86.88.17.136 (talk) 15:03, 3 August 2008 (UTC)

Here is some info to back up the controversy-- http://sports.yahoo.com/soccer/news?slug=ro-rogers_argentina_peru_fixing_scandal_world_cup_021012 Jesusmariajalisco (talk) 17:59, 11 February 2012 (UTC)


 * Hi, im from argentina and this controversy is not proved but is highly popular in our culture we know about it at least it should be mentioned. In fact, most of us only consider the worldcup won by maradona....: ). — Preceding unsigned comment added by Necromancer23 (talk • contribs) 14:28, 4 November 2011 (UTC) <!--Autosigned by SineBot


 * Mention of the boycott should be made. Can a reliable source be provided? Were any of the countries that boycotted potential winners? --Walter Görlitz (talk) 14:51, 4 November 2011 (UTC)

and although there were admission by Quiroga, nothing could be proved What does this mean or imply? Because this has no source. --MicroX (talk) 03:56, 2 July 2010 (UTC)

The change today
I have removed 2 points from Scotland as these were deducted as a result of the Willy Johnston scandal. He was sent home for consuming an illegal substance. The points were deducted in or about December 1978 by FIFA. I remember this at the time and have the table with Scotland on 1 point in print in 1982 World Cup Soccer Book.

This line was added today and needs to be copyedited -

>> '' and due to had new football instalations the event was to Mexico. ''

What is meant here - that Mexico had football stadia because of the 1968 Olympics, or that Argentina lacked them ? Tintin Talk 04:16, 1 January 2006 (UTC)

Since for some reason unknown to me I can not edit the first paragraph of either the original or the discussion page, I'll put it down here: According to exstensive research by renowned journalist David Yallop, who interviewed many involved, several Peru players admitted to him to have been offered bribes, while the nation itself was given thirty-five thousand tons of wheat and fifty million dollar in credit by the Argentine junta. Also, to Vertigo200's post about the distance travelled by both teams: in Brazil '50, the Brazillian team played all their matches bar one in Rio, whilst the rest of the teams were sent all through the country. This kind of home advantage was commonplace in the 'olden days'.
 * Thank you, I changed that line a little. Please see whether it is okay. Tintin Talk 04:28, 2 January 2006 (UTC)

Requested move
Football World Cup 1978 → 1978 FIFA World Cup – following the consensus of naming the World Cup articles as FIFA World Cup in Wikipedia, and consistency of naming the major international football tournaments.

Discuss here: Wikipedia talk:WikiProject Football/Competitions. --Pkchan 10:39, 4 March 2006 (UTC)


 * Moved per consensus. --Pkchan 13:05, 10 March 2006 (UTC)

Moving picture
I copy-edited the article and have removed the tag. I have also copied the qualifiying countries picture to the qualifying countries page, as this page does not ahve a picture and I think this picture is very appropriate. JenLouise 23:35, 24 July 2006 (UTC)

Ally's Tartan Army
This above song was a big hit for Andy Cameron in the UK, as it was about England going to the Argentina World Cup. Should it be mentioned here (even if only as a "See Also")? 68.146.41.232 22:36, 12 September 2007 (UTC)
 * It was about Scotland going to Argentina. ♦Tangerines♦ · Talk 22:52, 12 September 2007 (UTC)

Seeded teams
To 208.5.149.160

Why is that info inaccurate? It's a FIFA document, not some original research. Please provide some proof. Thanks. Edgar (talk) 06:25, 17 December 2007 (UTC)

Johan Cruijff
Cruijff's coment should be removed, because it was not related to the militar: Cruyff revealed why it did not play World-wide the 78 194.249.173.91 (talk) 11:32, 15 April 2008 (UTC)

Moral Champions
In the "Second Group Round" section it says (as of 23 June 2008):

quote 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. unquote

I think this is a tad parochial. Many teams have and will exit the world cup without losing a single match, they can't all be moral victors. Okay, in this case it was unusual that a team made it to third place without losing a match but with a second group round (unlike these days) that was always a possibility. I would suggest:

Brazil, denied a final place by Argentina's 6-0 win over Peru, took third place from an enterprising Italy side.

Rbakker99 (talk) 07:56, 23 June 2008 (UTC)

The 1978 FIFA World Cup theme
The theme of the event that was played to the end of the opening ceremony at Buenos Aires´ Estadio Monumental was composed by Ennio Morricone []--Nekkus2010 (talk) 02:38, 22 October 2008 (UTC)
 * I've rephrased it so the scores are mentioned chronologically. Magidin (talk) 20:04, 26 June 2010 (UTC)

Strange phrasing about West Germany
Discussing Group 2, the article states: "The Germans played out a second goalless draw against Tunisia, and only redeemed themselves with a 6–0 thrashing of Mexico." The Germans first played Poland, then Mexico, and only then did they play Tunisia. The phrasing suggests that the Germans tied with Poland and Tunisia 0-0, and then went on to redeem themselves by beating Mexico 6-0, which creates a false impression. Rather, they tied Poland, then thrashed Mexico, and then tied Tunisia. Shouldn't this be rephrased somehow? Magidin (talk) 23:33, 25 June 2010 (UTC)

Uganda?
Uganda play the 1978 World Cup??? Is Iran!--Daniel Dalence (talk) 20:53, 8 July 2010 (UTC)

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2 Controversy sections
Why are there two different sections of the article entitled "Controversy"? Wouldn't it make more sense to consolidate them into one? Tad Lincoln (talk) 03:56, 13 August 2012 (UTC)


 * Well, the world cup being held in a country run by a genocidal dictatorship is a controversy in itself.
 * But the second section, the Perú match is somewhat of its own controversy, as it's a football anomaly that may not have had a precedent in the world cup history for all of its intervening factors. Petruza (talk) 14:14, 16 July 2023 (UTC)

Should the country the Neanderthals are from be directly mentioned in the lead section? MahHdz01 (talk) 04:05, 15 February 2022 (UTC)


 * Seriously? Petruza (talk) 14:12, 16 July 2023 (UTC)

Argentina first world cup win in 1973
Maradona 103.138.190.161 (talk) 07:17, 10 April 2023 (UTC)


 * There was no world cup in 1973. Petruza (talk) 14:10, 16 July 2023 (UTC)

Controversy section
It says here that "...Argentina, as all of their games in the first round kicked off at night, giving the Argentines the advantage...", but if you look at the second group stage, Argentina also played all its matches at 7:15pm well after the other match had ended. Specially the last match of the second group, against Peru. This is mentioned elsewhere, but not in the Controversy section, where I think it belongs. Petruza (talk) 14:07, 16 July 2023 (UTC)

Screen times
Several of these matches have been taped, and the goals often came at different times according to the screen clock than the ones indicated in the article. Could the screen clock be inaccurate? What's the source of the scoring times posted in the article? Are they official ones, or could they be corrected? Uttrediay (talk) 20:50, 23 July 2023 (UTC)

Wiki Education assignment: History of Argentina, Brazil, and Chile
— Assignment last updated by Nativeteacher (talk) 14:56, 14 March 2024 (UTC)