About this episode

The episode explores the intersection of football and dictatorship during the World Cup, focusing on Argentina's dark history and key moments in the sport.

What happens when a World Cup final is played a few hundred metres from a torture centre? How does a newly independent nation humiliate the champions of Europe — and still get knocked out by a fix in plain sight? And when a boy from the slums of Buenos Aires beat England with his fist, was it the cruellest cheat in football — or perfect revenge? Afua and Peter follow the World Cup through its darkest decade — Argentina's generals roaring at finals while prisoners vanish next door, Algeria's reckoning with Europe, and a kid called Maradona turning a single match into a settling of old scores. Join Legacy Plus for bonus episodes, early access, Q&A's, fewer adverts and more. legacy.supportingcast.fm [0:00] A torture centre, a stadium, and the cheers that drowned out the screams [4:20] The general who seized power two years before kick-off [6:12] The final played within earshot of the 'death flights' [13:50] An African side wins a World Cup match for the very first time [15:40] Argentina need six goals against Peru — and somehow get them [17:38] The Dutch players who refused to shake a dictator's hand [20:35] Algeria stun West Germany, then watch Europe close ranks [29:29] The…

People in this episode

Hosts: Afua, Peter

Topics covered

• World Cup
• dictatorship
• football history
• Argentina
• Algeria
• Maradona
• political context in sports

Keywords

• World Cup
• Argentina
• dictatorship
• Maradona
• football
• Algeria
• politics
• history
• sports
• Europe

Mentioned in this episode

Places: Argentina, Algeria, Europe, Buenos Aires, Peru, West Germany

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