THE LOWDOWN — THE FULL HISTORY
THE PREMISE
A vertical teaser for our full film on every World Cup semi-final. The final is the party; the semi-final is the murder. Ninety-six years, forty semi-finals.
THE NIGHTS
Twin 6-1 massacres in Montevideo in 1930. No semi-finals at all in 1950. A 17-year-old Pelé's hat-trick in 1958. Italy 4-3 West Germany at the Azteca in 1970, the game of the century. Seville 1982, Schumacher's challenge on Battiston and the first World Cup penalty shootout. Maradona's two solo goals past Belgium in 1986. Pearce and Waddle's misses and Gazza's tears in 1990. Baggio carrying Italy past Bulgaria in 1994. Ballack booked out of the 2002 final he had just created. the 7-1 in Belo Horizonte in 2014.
THE NEXT CHAPTER
Two more semi-finals in 2026: Yamal, Mbappé, Kane and Messi.
MORE FROM WORLD CUP 2026
THE TERRACES — DISCUSSION
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