Italy 4-3 West Germany: The Game of the Century, 1970 World Cup
A plaque outside the Azteca still calls this the Partido del Siglo, the Game of the Century. Five goals were scored in extra time of a World Cup semi-final played in the Mexico City heat and altitude.
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Match facts
| Competition | FIFA World Cup semi-final |
|---|---|
| Date | 17 June 1970 |
| Venue | Estadio Azteca, Mexico City |
| Result | Italy 4-3 West Germany (after extra time) |
The story of the match
Roberto Boninsegna gave Italy an early lead, and Italy defended it for most of the game. In stoppage time Karl-Heinz Schnellinger, who played his club football in Italy for Milan, equalised to force extra time.
What followed was chaos. Gerd Müller put West Germany ahead, Tarcisio Burgnich and Gigi Riva turned it round for Italy, and Müller made it 3-3. Straight from the restart Italy went down the other end and Gianni Rivera scored the winner. Franz Beckenbauer played the end of the game with a dislocated shoulder strapped to his body because West Germany had used their substitutes.
Key moments to watch for
- Boninsegna’s early goal
- Schnellinger’s stoppage-time equaliser
- Five goals in extra time
- Rivera’s winner straight from the kick-off
- Beckenbauer playing on with his arm in a sling
Why it’s one of the greatest football matches ever
For drama and the sheer number of twists, very few World Cup games have come close. Italy were so exhausted that they lost the final 4-1 to Pelé’s Brazil four days later.
More classic football matches
- Argentina 2-1 England: Maradona’s Goal of the Century, 1986 World Cup
- Germany 1-0 Argentina: Götze Wins the 2014 World Cup Final
- France 4-3 Argentina: Mbappé’s Breakthrough, 2018 World Cup
See all 40 on our list of the greatest matches ever, or catch up on this season on the latest highlights page.
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