The 1978 FIFA World Cup was the 11th staging of the World Cup, the world championship for men’s national association football teams. This was held in Wast Argentina between 1 and 25 June (25 days).
London, England. Mexico and Argentina, along with two other nations, were selected for the bidding process to host the FIFA World Cup. On July 6, 1966, Argentina was chosen as the host nation. Argentina is a large country located in South America and is the eighth-largest country in the world. Football, commonly known as soccer, is the most popular sport in the country.
The 1978 FIFA World Cup was won by Argentina, who defeated the Netherlands 3–1 after extra time. A total of 16 teams qualified for this tournament, the last World Cup to feature this original format of 16 teams. Mario Kempes was the standout player of the tournament.
In 1972, eight locations were preselected for a competition, with six chosen for the finals alongside La Plata and Tucumán. However, the “one-of-a-kind stadium” that La Plata, known as the city of diagonals, promised to build was abandoned due to internal bidding issues by 1974. Ultimately, the Estadio Ciudad de La Plata was completed in 2003.
1978 FIFA World Cup, Argentina
Table of Contents
In this tournament 16 teams (from 5 confederations) qualify and select in 6 venues and 5 host cities. The opening game between holders West Germany and Poland on 1st June Top scorer of the world cup was Mario Kempes with 6 goals. Antonio Cabrini was selected as the best young Player. Argentina football teams have won the Fair-play award.
Qualification Team for FIFA World 1978
- Africa- 1 teams
- Asia- 1 Teams
- Europe- 10 Teams
- North America, Central America, and the Caribbean- 1 Teams
- South America- 3 Team
1978 FIFA World Cup Quick facts
It was the last World Cup of FIFA when 16 teams qualified in the tournament(the next World Cup will be conducted in Spain and 24 teams participate in the tournament).
Argentina was the fifth team who win the World Cup (after Uruguay, Italy, England and West Germany).
Gauchito was the official Mascot. A boy wearing Argentina’s kit. his hat (with the words ARGENTINA ’78), neckerchief and whip are typical of gauchos.
- Champions– Argentina
- Runners-up– Netherlands
- Third place- Brazil
- Fourth place- Italy
| FIFA CUP 1978 | |
|---|---|
| Teams | 16 (from 5 confederations) |
| Total Match dates | 1–25 June (25 days) |
| Match Played | 38 |
| Venues | 6 (5 Host cities) |
| Automatically qualified | Argentina (host) and West Germany (the defending champion) |
Qualification and Awards Of World Cup
| Participating countries | 16 |
| Goals scored | 102 |
| Groups | 4 groups of 4 teams |
| Official Mascots | Gauchito |
| Best young player | Antonio Cabrini (Italian) |
| Adidas Golden Boot | Mario Kempes (Argentina) – 6 goals |
Official Mascot
Gauchito was the official mascot of the 1978 FIFA World Cup. He was a boy dressed as a traditional Argentine gaucho, representing an emblematic and legendary character deeply embedded in Argentine identity.
1974 FIFA World Cup ball
World Cup 1978 Stadiums
| City | Stadiums |
|---|---|
| Buenos Aires | Estadio Monumental Estadio Jose Amalfitani |
| Cordoba | Estadio Cordoba |
| Mar del Plata | Estadio José María Minella |
| Rosario | Estadio Gigante de Arroyito |
| Mendoza | Estadio Ciudad de Mendoza |
