A Brief History of the World Cup
Ticker-Tape Parade
What a sight this was for the players, their supporters and TV viewers around the world. The 1978 final was held in Argentina and won by the host team, which had been under incredible pressure to do well, especially as the military junta and guerrillas had agreed to a truce. Argentina also benefited from the curious decision by FIFA to not start the crucial games at the same time, meaning the team knew what it had to do before kickoff. The final, against Holland, was somewhat spoiled in the beginning by Argentine gamesmanship — the team made its opponent wait six minutes before finally taking the field. Holland lost by an extra-time score of 3-1, with Argentine striker Mario Kempes notching a pair of goals. A losing finalist itself in 1930, Argentina had finally won a World Cup.