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75 unusual facts about 1978 FIFA World Cup


Adrie van Kraay

Adrianus Ambrosius Cornelis van Kraaij (born August 1, 1953 in Eindhoven, Noord-Brabant), commonly known as Adrie van Kraay, is a retired football central defender from the Netherlands, who represented his native country at the 1978 FIFA World Cup in Argentina, wearing the number four jersey.

Alfredo Quesada

Alfredo Quesada Farías (born 22 September 1949) is a Peruvian football midfielder who played for Peru in the 1978 FIFA World Cup.

Ally's Tartan Army

Ally's Tartan Army was a novelty record released by Scottish comedian Andy Cameron on the Klub Records (KRL) label to mark the Scottish football team's qualification for the 1978 World Cup in Argentina.

Antonio Biosca

He appeared in 219 La Liga games over the course of ten seasons (eight goals), with Betis, and represented Spain at the 1978 World Cup.

Antônio Dias dos Santos

For the Brazil national football team he played 26 international matches and scored 3 goals from April 1976 to October 1979, without scoring goals, and participated at 1978 FIFA World Cup.

Behtash Fariba

He played for the Iran national football team and was a participant at the 1978 FIFA World Cup, where he was substituted in Iran's last match against Peru.

Bernd Franke

It was just days ahead of the 1978 FIFA World Cup when Franke finally started to fall prey to injuries, failing to report for first-team fixtures due to injuries in the remaining years of his career from time to time.

Even more tragic for Franke was an injury he sustained in May 1978 in a meaningless friendly of the 1978 FIFA World Cup squad, for which he had been called up, against a local amateur selection in Frankfurt.

Bruno Pezzey

He made his debut for Austria in June 1975 against Czechoslovakia and was a participant at the 1978 FIFA World Cup and 1982 FIFA World Cup.

Carlos Roberto Gallo

He played in 37 matches for the Brazilian team, between June 1980 and June 1993, and was selected for the 1978, 1982 and 1986 FIFA World Cup tournaments, and played in the latter.

Cristóbal Ortega

He also played for Mexico's national team, including playing in the World Cups of 1978 and 1986 - he earned 14 caps in his international career.

Daniel Killer

Daniel Pedro Killer (born 21 December 1949 in Rosario) is a retired Argentine football defender who was part of the Argentina squad that won the 1978 FIFA World Cup.

Daniel Ruiz

Dani represented his country in both the 1978 FIFA World Cup and UEFA Euro 1980, respectively scoring against Austria and England (1–2 defeats and group stage exit in both cases).

David Arnoldo Cabrera

Cabrera represented his country during the qualifiers for the 1978 FIFA World Cup in Argentina.

Dick Schoenaker

Dirk "Dick" Hendricus Schoenaker (born November 30, 1952 in Ede, Gelderland) is a retired football midfielder from the Netherlands, who represented his native country at the 1978 FIFA World Cup in Argentina, wearing the number three jersey.

Dieter Burdenski

He was taken with the squad to Argentina to be a benchwarmer at the 1978 FIFA World Cup, playing three times in the 1980 UEFA European Championship qualifiers (but missing out on making the 1980 UEFA European Championship squad of the West Germans), and was doing the same job on the substitution bench at the 1984 UEFA European Championship.

Dominique Bathenay

He was a member of the French squad that competed at the 1978 FIFA World Cup.

Erich Obermayer

He made his debut for Austria in an April 1975 European Championship qualification match against Hungary and was a participant at the 1978 FIFA World Cup, where he scored a goal in a match against the Netherlands, and 1982 FIFA World Cup where he skippered the team.

Erwin Fuchsbichler

Erwin Fuchsbichler (born 27 March 1952) is an Austrian football goalkeeper who played for Austria in the 1978 FIFA World Cup.

Francisco Javier Uría

Uría earned 14 caps for the Spanish national team during seven years, and participated in the 1978 FIFA World Cup and UEFA Euro 1980.

Francisco Vital

As a Porto player, Vital appeared once for Portugal, playing 45 minutes in a 4–0 home win against Cyprus for the 1978 FIFA World Cup qualifiers, and scoring the third.

François Bracci

Playing for Olympique de Marseille (1971–1979), he was a member of the French squad that competed at the 1978 FIFA World Cup.

Gerardo Lugo Gómez

Gerardo Lugo Gómez (born 13 March 1955) is a Mexican football midfielder who played for Mexico in the 1978 FIFA World Cup.

Günther Happich

Günther Happich (28 January 1952 – 16 October 1995) was an Austrian football midfielder who played for Austria in the 1978 FIFA World Cup.

Harald Konopka

Konopka's career for West Germany was a brief one, lasting for only two matches, but earned him a participation in the 1978 FIFA World Cup.

Heinrich Strasser

Heinrich Strasser (born 26 October 1948) is an Austrian football defender who played for Austria in the 1978 FIFA World Cup.

Hubert Baumgartner

He earned one cap for the Austrian national team in 1978, and was a squad member at the 1978 FIFA World Cup.

Hugo Gatti

He was a starter during many friendlies prior to the 1978 World Cup under coach Cesar Menotti, but Gatti was left out of the finals squad in favour of Ubaldo Fillol.

Hugo Hovenkamp

Hovenkamp was forced to withdraw from the 1978 World Cup squad due to injury, but as the deadline for calling up replacement players had passed, the Netherlands were unable to replace him.

Hugo René Rodríguez

Hugo René Rodríguez Corona (born 14 March 1959) is a Mexican football forward who played for Mexico in the 1978 FIFA World Cup.

Isidoro San José

His debut came on 30 November 1977 in a 1978 FIFA World Cup qualifier in Belgrade against Yugoslavia, and he was also picked for the final stages in Argentina, playing all three matches in an eventual group stage exit (one win, one loss and one draw).

Javier Cárdenas

Javier Cárdenas Martínez (born 8 December 1952) is a Mexican football midfielder who played for Mexico in the 1978 FIFA World Cup.

Javier Urruticoechea

Urruti played five times for Spain in a two-year span, and was a member of the Spanish squads for the 1978, 1982 and 1986 FIFA World Cups, also being picked for UEFA Euro 1980.

Jean-Paul Bertrand-Demanes

Jean-Paul Bertrand-Demanes (born 13 May 1952 in Casablanca, Morocco) is a former football goalkeeper from France, who earned eleven international caps for the French national team during the 1970s and was part of the French team in the 1978 FIFA World Cup.

João Batista Nunes

Due to an injury, he was not selected to play the 1978 FIFA World Cup which made him miserable.

João Justino Amaral dos Santos

He was capped 41 times by the Brazil national football team, from August 1975 to June 1980, and with them he won the Bicentennial Tournament in 1976 and participated in 7 games at the 1978 FIFA World Cup.

Johan Neeskens

As a player, he was an important member of the Dutch national team that finished as runners-up in the 1974 and 1978 FIFA World Cups.

Jorge Mendonça

With Brazilian team he played 6 official games without scoring any goals (he was Zico reserve in 1978 FIFA World Cup).

José Pilar Reyes

José Pilar Reyes Requenes (born 12 October 1955) is a Mexican football goalkeeper who played for Mexico in the 1978 FIFA World Cup.

José Rodrigues Neto

For the Brazil national football team he got 11 international caps from July 1972 to June 1978, he didn't score any goals, and played four matches in the 1978 FIFA World Cup.

Juan Manuel Asensi

He was picked for the squads at the 1978 World Cup and UEFA Euro 1980 – his last international was played in the latter competition, also against Belgium (and also 1–2 defeat) – and also competed at the 1968 Summer Olympics.

Julio Aparicio

In 1977 he took part in the qualifying campaign for the 1978 FIFA World Cup playing in a 5-0 victory over Bolivia 5-0.

Julio Cardeñosa

His debut came on 30 November 1977, in a 1978 FIFA World Cup qualifier against Yugoslavia, in a decisive 1–0 away win (90 minutes played).

He represented Spain in one World Cup and one European Championship.

Lamine Ben Aziza

Lamine Ben Aziza (born 10 November 1952) is a Tunisian football goalkeeper who played for Tunisia in the 1978 FIFA World Cup.

Leopoldo Luque

With Argentina he was 1978 World Champion, scoring four goals in the tournament, including a spectacular long distance volley against France during the first round.

Manuel Nájera

Manuel Nájera Siller (born 20 December 1952) is a Mexican football defender who played for Mexico in the 1978 FIFA World Cup.

Mario Medina

Mario Medina Rojas (born 2 September 1952) is a Mexican football forward who played for Mexico in the 1978 FIFA World Cup.

Mário Moinhos

He made his debut on 24 April 1975 in a 2–0 friendly win in Paris with France, and appeared for the last time on 16 October 1976 in a 0–2 home loss against Poland, at the beginning of the 1978 FIFA World Cup qualifiers.

Marius Trésor

For the French national team, Trésor played in the World Cup in 1978 and 1982.

Miguel Ángel González

He also earned 18 caps for the Spanish national team, and was in the squad for the 1978 and 1982 FIFA World Cups.

Miguel Oviedo

Miguel Ángel Oviedo (born 12 October 1950 in Córdoba) is a former Argentine football midfielder who was part of the Argentina squad that won the 1978 FIFA World Cup.

Mohamed Ben Mouza

Mohamed Ben Moussa (born 5 April 1954) is a Tunisian football forward who played for Tunisia in the 1978 FIFA World Cup.

Mohamed Ben Rehaiem

Mohamed Ben Rehaiem; known as Hamadi Agrebi, (born 20 March 1951) was a Tunisian football midfielder who played for Tunisia in the 1978 FIFA World Cup.

Mokhtar Naili

He played in all three of Tunisia's matches at the 1978 FIFA World Cup.

Octávio Machado

Machado's last international was against Poland on 29 October 1977 in the 1978 FIFA World Cup qualifying campaign, a 1–1 draw.

Ohman Chehaibi

Ohman Chehaibi (born 23 December 1954) is a Tunisian football forward who played for Tunisia in the 1978 FIFA World Cup.

Patrice Rio

Playing for FC Nantes (1970–1984) he was a member of the French squad that competed at the 1978 FIFA World Cup.

Pedro Soto

Pedro Soto Moreno (born 22 October 1952) is a Mexican football goalkeeper who played for Mexico in the 1978 FIFA World Cup.

Pirri

Pirri played 41 times and scored 16 goals for Spain between 1966 and 1978, and was in the Spanish squads for the 1966 and 1978 World Cups.

Quini

With a total of 35 caps and eight goals, he participated in two FIFA World Cups, 1978 and 1982, as well as UEFA Euro 1980; in all those competitions combined, he could only find the net once (Euro '80), and Spain suffered a 1–2 loss to Belgium.

Raúl Isiordia

Raúl Isiordia Ayón (born 22 December 1952) is a Mexican football forward who played for Mexico in the 1978 FIFA World Cup.

Raymond Keruzoré

'Kéru' was in contention for the French squad for the 1978 FIFA World Cup in Argentina, but did not make the final squad.

René Houseman

His greatest achievement in football was being a member of the 1978 FIFA World Cup winning team (he came on as a substitute after 75 minutes in the World Cup Final and scored once in the infamous match against Peru).

Rigoberto Cisneros

Rigoberto Cisneros Dueñas (born 15 August 1953) is a Mexican football defender who played for Mexico in the 1978 FIFA World Cup.

Robert Sara

He made his debut for Austria in a 3-2 win over England at Wembley in October 1965 and played in the 1978 FIFA World Cup finals.

Roberto Rivelino

Rivellino also played in the 1974 and 1978 FIFA World Cups, though with less success (fourth and third places respectively).

Roland Hattenberger

He made his debut for Austria in a June 1972 World Cup qualification match against Sweden and was a participant at the 1978 and 1982 World Cups.

Rubén Cano

His debut occurred on 16 April 1977 in a 1978 FIFA World Cup qualifier against Romania (0–1 loss in Bucharest).

Rudolf Kargus

That was the last cap (of three) Kargus won in his career, although he was one of three goalkeepers in the West German squad for the 1978 FIFA World Cup.

Rui Rodrigues

Rodrigues' last appearance was on 16 October 1976 against Poland, in a 0–2 home defeat for the 1978 FIFA World Cup qualification campaign.

Sándor Gujdár

He played for Szegedi EOL, Honvéd, Aris Saloniki, and the Hungary national football team - where he earned 25 caps - including two appearances at the 1978 FIFA World Cup Finals in Argentina.

Sepp Maier

Four years later at the World Cup in Argentina, slightly past his peak but still formidable, Maier delivered a strong performance but could not prevent his side's failing to advance past the second round.

Stuart Kennedy

He was selected in the Scotland squad for the 1978 World Cup, where he played in the games against Peru and The Netherlands.

Tobias Linderoth

He is the son of football coach Anders Linderoth, a former Swedish international who played in the 1978 FIFA World Cup in Argentina, and Tobias was born in France during Anders' spell at Marseille.


Alberto Tarantini

Alberto Tarantini (born 3 December 1955, in Ezeiza) is an Argentine former football player and a 1978 FIFA World Cup champion.

América Televisión

While the station carried both the 1970 and 1978 World Cups, in which the Peruvian national team was highly competitive, and the station added a news program in Quechua in the early 1970s (before its revival as an official language of the country), a major change came about when the military government of the time expropriated 51% of the shares in the station.

Football in Argentina

The Argentine national team is one of the eight to have won the football World Cup, having done so in 1978 and 1986, and also being runner-up in 1930 and 1990.

Put 'Em Under Pressure

The title was a catchphrase of then manager Jack Charlton, whose soundbites were sampled for the verse; the chorus was a combination of the familiar football chant "Olé Olé Olé" and a reworking of "Ally's Tartan Army" (which was itself set to the tune of "God Save Ireland"), the unofficial theme tune for Scotland in the 1978 FIFA World Cup, and for 13 weeks the song was at number one in the Irish Singles Chart.

Ramón Quiroga

Quiroga is perhaps best remembered for his appearance at the 1978 FIFA World Cup in a match against Poland, when he ran all the way to the opposition half and fouled Grzegorz Lato, receiving a yellow card in the process.