There have been 21 World Cups in the history of football, but only one that changed the game - Italia 90. The Italian World Cup in 1990 was a tournament like no other. It marked a dramatic swing towards a new world order for FIFA, football associations and fans across the world. It was the beginning of the end for Maradona’s career and it was the first outing for non-football nations like Ireland, the United Arab Emirates and Costa Rica. Italia 90 remains one of the single most watched events in the history of television. It broadened football’s fan base beyond working class men to families and the middle classes, made celebrities of footballers, inspired rule changes on the pitch and pop songs in the charts, and it was a dawning moment for the commercialisation of the game, ushering in an new era of exponential growth that no-one saw coming. Across four weeks of a balmy Mediterranean summer, the dramatic events that unfolded on the pitch were nothing short of an Italian opera. Underdog nations triumphed over world beaters bringing shock and joy to all who watched; titans faltered and unceremoniously crashed out; condemned countries found their way back to redemption; and one team who knew they would never play together again showed a victorious spirit - the likes of which we may never see again.
Cast: Paul Gascoigne
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