Above, a page from the Panini sticker catalogue for the 1986 World Cup in Mexico, "the greatest World Cup of them all." The whole thing is found at Football Spotter, including pages on the participating cities and venues. (The legendary Mexican striker Hugo Sanchez is seen here.) The catalogue offers a fascinating snapshot of a moment in history when the haircuts were as different as the geopolitical map.
* Update: Javier Aguirre, the current Mexico coach, is lurking in those stickers, too.
Oh, and, below are the Panini pages for Argentina's '86 squad, featuring of course the incomprobable Diego Maradona. In 1986, in a match against England at the Estadio Azteca in Mexico City, Maradona entered the plane of demigods when he made two of the most dazzling goals in football history, "The Hand of God" and "The Goal of the Century."
Watch "The Goal of the Century" here. The announcer ends up weeping uncontrollably and almost speaking in tongues. Argentina and England had been at war only four years earlier.
On Sunday, Mexico faces off against in Argentina in the first knock-out round of the World Cup 2010. Argentina has one of the best teams on the field in South Africa, and Maradona happens to be the national coach now. Mexico came in with its highest expectations in years, but -- after a win, a draw, and a loss in the first round -- prospects against Argentina are grim.
To come out on top in this one, Aguirre and El Tri will need help from San Judas, la Virgen de Guadalupe, la Santa Muerte, annnd Huitzilopochtli and Tezcatlipoca. We'll see ...
* Thanks, Josh!