One Man Can Make a Difference - Part 1: Argentina at the 1986 World Cup

One Man Can Make a Difference - Part 1: Argentina at the 1986 World Cup

From World Cup Rambling by Matthew Okot

May 2, 2026 · 1h 21m · Season 6 · Episode 3

About this episode

The episode discusses Argentina's journey leading up to the 1986 World Cup, focusing on the changes under manager Carlos Bilardo and the challenges faced by Diego Maradona.

With the 40th anniversary of Argentina’s iconic World Cup triumph at Mexico 86 approaching, we have a two-part episode dedicate to that subject. In part 1, we look at how Argentina rebuilt under new manager Carlos Bilardo, who was determined to make a clean break with the Menotti era by sweeping away most of the Spain 82 squad, implementing a new formation, and appointing a new captain – Diego Maradona. It wouldn’t all be plain sailing as Maradona battled illness and injury. Bilardo struggled for results and Argentina made a meal of qualifying for Mexico 86, leaving the press and public sceptical about their chances of World Cup glory. With the tournament approaching, the tensions between the ancien regime (represented by Daniel Passarella) and the new regime (represented by Maradona) threatened to derail the campaign before it had even started. The Argentinian National Anthem is from https://nationalanthems.info/ ‘Por Una Cabeza’ is from https://www.classicals.de/gardel-por-una-cabeza All other music is from the YouTube Audio Library X @MatthewOkot @WorldCupRamble Subscribe to World Cup Rambling on your podcast platform.

People in this episode

Host: Matthew Okot

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Places: Argentina, Mexico

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