The 1986 World Cup went down in history for Diego Maradona and Argentina‘s victory .

However, the very award of the tournament was one of the most controversial incidents in the history of FIFA. 

Initially, the World Cup had been awarded to Colombia in 1974. However, the country gradually found itself facing an economic crisis, political instability, activities by guerrilla groups such as the FARC and the M-19, as well as the rise of the all-powerful drug cartels . At the same time, FIFA increased the number of participating teams from 16 to 24, a move that dramatically increased the demands on stadiums, infrastructure, and telecommunications networks. In 1982, President Belisario Betancourt officially announced that the country was unable to host the tournament, prioritizing social needs over FIFA’s demands. It was the first time a country had returned a World Cup bid. 

The United States, Canada , and Mexico entered the race for succession . Although the two North American bids had more and larger stadiums, a special committee of FIFA decided to consider essentially only Mexico’s bid. In May 1983, the FIFA Executive Committee directly awarded the tournament to Mexico, without a vote by the full congress. The decision sparked strong reactions, with Canada calling it a “farce” and the head of the U.S. bid, former U.S. Secretary of State Henry Kissinger, later stating that the politics of soccer were more difficult than those of the Middle East. 

At the center of the affair was Televisa. The all-powerful Mexican television conglomerate maintained close ties with FIFA President João Havelange, while its executives were actively involved in the organization of the event. The company invested tens of millions of dollars in television facilities and essentially served as the tournament’s main organizer. Many sports historians consider 1986 to be the first World Cup where television influence decisively affected the selection of the host country. 

Even the devastating 8.1-magnitude earthquake in September 1985, which claimed more than 10,000 lives, did not alter the plans. FIFA insisted on holding the tournament, and Televisa stepped in to fill critical technical gaps. Thus, the 1986 World Cup was not just a sporting event. It was the tournament that marked the transition of world soccer into the era of television dominance…

You can read more stories like this in a 640-page, large-format investigation in the book “World Cup Confidential” published by Historical Quest