AND THE WINNER IS…

We’ve crunched the numbers (using a calculator) and, following a long and unnecessarily complicated draw procedure, Fourfourtwo is proud to present the final standings of the World Cup of World Cups...

The World Cup, as you will have just read, has had many different formats – from 1950’s final-less incarnation to the baffling three-way secondary group stage of 1982. To keep things simple, The World Cup of World Cups is a straight knockout event, with the 12 tournaments boasting the best goals-per-game ratio getting a bye to the next round. And what a tense competition it was!

In Mexico 1970, FFT is confident we have found a more than worthy winner – incredible teams, incredible players, incredible games and incredible final.

As the first World Cup to be broadcast in colour – and with colour photography also more prevalent than four years earlier – there’s a wealth of great imagery associated with the 1970 tournament, something which has helped cement the finals’ place in the global consciousness almost as much as Pele et al. It was also the first time that the right to host the tournament had been wrenched from the traditional powerhouses of Europe and South America, and the first time that Africa was guaranteed a team in the event – two big steps in the game’s quest for domination. Last but by no means least, Mexico 1970 was the first of three World Cups in which England were knocked out by the Germans.

You won’t need reminding that 1990 and 2010 were the others, suggesting the smart money is on the same thing happening again at North Korea 2030...