Bro, sit down, 'cause I'm about to drop a bombshell! On June 11th, the World Cup kicks off, and no, bro, Romania ain't there. Last time we made it to the World Cup was in '98, when we reached the Round of 16. Since then, nothing. I'm watching Brian, who's playing FIFA on his console, and I'm like: 'Dude, do you even know what it means to see Romania at the World Cup?' He has no clue, bro. But let's get back to those who made history.
In 1986, the World Cup returned to Mexico, the thirteenth edition, from May 31 to June 29. Mexico was the first country to host the tournament twice - and for real, they did it with style. 24 teams participated, from five confederations: 14 from Europe, four from South America, two from North and Central America, two from Africa, and two from Asia. Three teams came for the first time: Canada, Denmark, and Iraq. Maybe it would've been cool to see our boys too, but hey, they didn't make it through qualifiers.
Romania ended up in European Group 3, with England, Northern Ireland, Finland, and Turkey. We finished third, with nine points. Meaning we were better than Finland and Turkey, but not good enough. And just like that, we stayed home, while England and Northern Ireland went to the World Cup. When I think that Gică Hagi was in his prime... but that's how it is, bro.
The tournament was played on 12 stadiums in nine cities: from Azteca and Olimpico Universitario in Mexico City, to Jalisco in Guadalajara, Tecnologico in Monterrey, and others. And the format changed: out of 24 teams, 16 advanced - the top two from each group plus the four best third-placed teams. The groups were drawn: in Group A, Italy, Bulgaria, Argentina, and South Korea; in B, Mexico, Paraguay, Belgium, and Iraq; in C, USSR, France, Hungary, and Canada; in D, Brazil, Spain, Northern Ireland, and Algeria; in E, Denmark, West Germany, Scotland, and Uruguay; in F, Morocco, England, Poland, and Portugal. Oh man, what groups! I still remember the excitement.
But the big star was, no joke, Diego Armando Maradona. That guy was a phenomenon, bro. In the quarterfinals, Argentina faced England at the Azteca Stadium. And there, Maradona did what he did: he scored a goal with his hand, which he called the 'Hand of God'. Then, in the same match, he received the ball 60 meters from Peter Shilton's goal and dribbled half of the England team, scoring the second goal, the decisive one. I myself, when I saw the replays, was left speechless. Man, madness! How can you do something like that? I've watched those plays dozens of times on YouTube, and I still can't believe it.
In the semifinals, Argentina beat Belgium 2-0, both goals by Maradona. The other semifinal: West Germany defeated France 2-0, with goals from Brehme and Völler. The third-place match: France beat Belgium 4-2 after extra time, taking the bronze. And the grand final, on June 29, at the Azteca, in front of 114,600 spectators. Argentina led 2-0 through Brown and Valdano, but the Germans equalized through Rummenigge and Völler. And then, in the 83rd minute, Burruchaga scored the winning goal, from Maradona's pass. 3-2 for Argentina, their second World Cup. When I saw the final, I jumped off the couch with joy - it was like I was on the pitch myself, bro!
The tournament saw 132 goals in 52 matches, an average of 2.54 per match - the lowest until then. The top scorer was England's Gary Lineker, with six goals. Maradona received the Golden Ball for best player. Eight players saw a red card. In the team standings, Argentina was first with 14 goals, followed by USSR, France, and Belgium with 12 each.
Man, what times! Now, at the 2026 World Cup, Romania is again not there. I'm going to explain to Brian what real football means, not just on a console. Maybe we'll get a qualification in a lifetime, 'cause hey, we live with hope.
