The 1986 World Cup produced great matches long before Argentina met England.

Belgium eliminated the Soviet Union in one of the tournament's most dramatic games. Denmark arrived as one of the favourites, led Spain 1–0, and then collapsed to a 5–1 defeat. Italy's reign as world champions ended against France.

Then came the match everyone remembers.

Argentina versus England.

In the second half, Diego Maradona rose with goalkeeper Peter Shilton and punched the ball into the net. The goal stood. Afterwards, Maradona famously described it as being scored "a little with the head of Maradona and a little with the hand of God."

Four minutes later he collected the ball inside his own half, dribbled past half the England team, and scored what many consider the greatest goal in football history.

Two goals.

Four minutes apart.

One controversial, one magnificent.

Together they created football's most enduring legend.

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Before he became the most famous footballer on Earth, he was a boy from Villa Fiorito.

A child growing up in a Buenos Aires shantytown without running water or reliable electricity. On his third birthday he received a football and slept with it tucked beneath his shirt because he feared it might be stolen.

His name was Diego Maradona.

As the 1986 World Cup began, the tournament was already producing remarkable stories. The Soviet Union defeated Hungary 6–0. Denmark dismantled Uruguay 6–1 and looked unstoppable. Morocco became the first African nation to top a World Cup group.

Then tragedy struck when Scotland manager Jock Stein collapsed and died on the touchline after his team secured a place in the playoffs.

The stage was set for one of the most extraordinary World Cups in football history.

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Paolo Rossi arrived at the 1982 World Cup carrying the weight of scandal.

After serving a two-year suspension linked to Italy's match-fixing crisis, he looked short of form and scored no goals in the group stage.

Then everything changed.

In one extraordinary afternoon, Rossi scored a hat-trick against the magnificent Brazilian side of Zico, Socrates, Falcão, and Junior. One of the greatest teams never to win the World Cup was gone.

Elsewhere, England became the only team in World Cup history to be eliminated from a group stage without scoring or conceding a goal.

Then came the final.

With Italy leading West Germany, Marco Tardelli drove the ball into the net and exploded into one of football's most iconic celebrations — sprinting across the pitch, fists clenched, screaming with pure joy and disbelief.

The image became immortal.

This is the story of Paolo Rossi, Italy's redemption, and the scream that defined the 1982 World Cup.

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