The challenges of heat and elevation loomed large during the 1970 World Cup in Mexico. It was unlike any tournament before, prompting Bulgarian officials to relocate their squad to the Pirin Mountains in an attempt to acclimatize to the high altitude. However, the climate there proved to be much colder than anticipated, which complicated their preparation, leaving them unprepared for the sweltering conditions they would face in Mexico.
Ultimately, Bulgaria’s strategy fell short, culminating in losses for their first two matches in the tournament and an exit by the time they managed a draw against Morocco. Comparatively, it’s likely that the preparations for the upcoming World Cup will be significantly more advanced than those undertaken 56 years ago. During that era, many teams believed that training at high altitudes was the key to success in cities like Mexico City, Monterrey, and Guadalajara. Countries like Israel sought altitude training in Ethiopia and Colorado, while Uruguay opted for Quito and Bogotá. Meanwhile, Mexico itself organized an extensive five-month training camp, featuring 13 international friendlies in just four months before facing Scottish club Dundee United.
England, the reigning world champions at the time, took their concerns seriously regarding the conditions in Mexico. Their team physician, Neil Phillips, pursued knowledge about heat, altitude, and tropical illnesses, suggesting that players consume salt tablets as a precaution. He also enlisted Dr. Griffith Pugh, a physiologist with experience from Edmund Hillary’s Everest expedition, to assist with their preparation. However, some of the decisions made were questionable at best.
Head coach Alf Ramsey, despite his coaching prowess, exhibited a deep-seated distrust of foreign cultures. Having been part of the England team that suffered an embarrassing loss to the USA in 1950, he harbored a lasting aversion to the food he experienced in Brazil. A subsequent trip to Brazil in 1964, along with another tour of Latin America in 1969, only intensified his apprehensions. In a bid to ensure safety, he decided to import their own transportation, food, and water. This decision provoked irritation among Mexican officials, who were already displeased with Ramsey’s previous insensitive comments. In response, they declared a foot-and-mouth disease outbreak in the UK and seized all frozen meat at the docks, incinerating it, which left the England squad with only Findus fish fingers and pre-packaged meals.
Preparations commenced with three weeks spent in Mexico City, where daily life was strictly organized. Ramsey would monitor the players as they sunbathed by the pool, timing their sun exposure with a stopwatch and signaling them when it was time to flip. Following this, they traveled to Bogotá and Quito for altitude-friendly matches. It was during a stopover in Colombia that captain Bobby Moore was apprehended, accused of theft after being suspected of stealing a bracelet from a jewelry store in the hotel lobby. He was placed under house arrest for several days at the residence of Alfonso Senior, a high-ranking member of the Colombian football federation. After intense diplomatic negotiations, Moore eventually made it to Mexico in time for England’s opening match, which they won 1-0 against Romania, and he was later cleared of all charges.
The most thorough preparations came from Brazil. Late in 1969, João Saldanha, the coach responsible for their qualification, had discussions with army officers Cláudio Coutinho and Lamartine Da Costa at a churrascaria at the foot of Sugarloaf Mountain. They explored effective strategies for readying the players for the physical demands ahead. Coutinho would later take charge of Brazil and the LA Aztecs before tragically dying in a diving accident in 1981. Da Costa, an expert in biometeorology, taught at the Pontificia Universidade Católica do Rio de Janeiro. Both had attended the Mexico Olympics in 1968 and were eager to apply scientific principles to their training regimen.
The perception of Brazilian football as instinctive and carefree, with players casually transitioning from beach life to tournament glory, has always been misleading. The era of Brazilian dominance, where they secured three World Cups in four tournaments from 1958 to 1970, relied heavily on meticulous preparation. In the lead-up to the 1970 competition, the squad spent 100 days at military facilities, where every detail was monitored with obsessive attention: custom-fitted uniforms designed to minimize sweat accumulation were provided. There were discussions about employing a NASA training regimen, though it ultimately boiled down to the Cooper test, which assessed stamina by measuring distance covered in 12 minutes. They arrived in Mexico City a full 32 days before facing Czechoslovakia in their first match. This strategy proved effective, as 12 of Brazil’s 19 goals during the tournament were scored in the second half. They not only outplayed their rivals but also outlasted them.
As we look ahead to the 2026 World Cup, there’s a valuable lesson to be gleaned. While preparation may not be everything—especially given the unpredictable nature of the sport—having a solid game plan that considers environmental factors can provide a significant advantage. Football is inherently random, with outcomes often determined on the day of the match, but teams that start from a higher baseline of readiness increase their chances of success. Living on ready meals from Findus has never served as a reliable foundation for World Cup triumph.
On this day …
Cameroon’s lead-up to the 1990 World Cup in Italy was marked by chaos. Their coach, the Russian Valery Nepomnyashchy, had arrived two years prior to oversee youth development, but was unexpectedly elevated to the senior team position. Language barriers and player dissatisfaction compounded the situation, as the team exited the 1990 Cup of Nations in the group stage. After relocating from Bordeaux to Yugoslavia for a training camp, they faced further setbacks when their equipment and training balls failed to arrive. Notably, midfielder Grégoire M’Bida was sent home for missing the bus, while veteran striker Roger Milla, who had stepped back from the game, was called upon at the behest of President Paul Biya.
Before the tournament’s opening match against Argentina on June 8, 1990, goalkeeper Joseph-Antoine Bell gave an interview stating a 3-0 loss to the reigning champions would be an acceptable outcome. This led to his replacement by Thomas N’Kono, who was drafted in so late that his wife missed the match, having gone shopping in Milan believing her husband would be on the bench. In a stunning turn of events, Cameroon managed to defeat Argentina 1-0 despite having two players sent off. This marked a historic moment, as no sub-Saharan African team had ever won a match at the World Cup before; Cameroon advanced to the quarter-finals that year.
- This excerpt is from Soccer Desk: World Cup edition, a newsletter that will be published regularly during the tournament. Subscribe for free here.
This excerpt is from Soccer Desk: World Cup edition, a newsletter that will be published regularly during the tournament. Subscribe for free here.
