World-championship soccer “España 82” II, 1981

Final: Italy - West Germany 3-1

Italy survived the opening round on goal difference and then went on to win the trophy for a third time after a beautiful Brazilian team had bowed out to them in an astonishing match in the second phase. Italy went on to the final and beat West Germany 3-1. Rossi finished top scorer with six goals.

The tournament was expanded to 24 teams, split into six groups of four with the top two advancing to a second stage in which four groups of three played for semi-final places. It proved a laborious and unwieldy format short on knockout action. But it did mean extra places for regions previously under-represented at the tournament. Africa had two teams for the first time while Asia, Australasian and North America also benefited. For the first time a penalty shootout would settle a tie after 120 minutes, and France became the first team to suffer the trauma of elimination without defeat in its semi-final with West Germany.

Group 1: Poland, Italy, Cameroon, Peru
Group 2: West Germany, Austria, Algeria, Chile
Group 3: Belgium, Argentina, Hungary, El Salvador
Group 4: England, France, Czechoslovakia, Kuwait
Group 5: Northern Ireland, Spain, Yugoslavia, Honduras
Group 6: Brazil, Soviet Union, Scotland, New Zealand

First Day Covers (FDC):

Note: Blanco or airmail envelopes are not shown here but do exist.