World Cup’s revisited: Belgium at Mexico 1970 | OneFootball

With less than a month to go until the World Cup kicks off in North America, we are revisiting a handful of tournaments featuring both Belgium and the Netherlands. To start, we are returning to 1970, the first time that Mexico hosted the tournament. For the Belgian Red Devils, this was their fourth appearance at the tournament.

Qualification for the 1970 tournament in Mexico ended a run of three straight tournaments without an appearance for the Belgian Red Devils. During the qualification for the tournament, Belgium were drawn in a group with Yugoslavia, Spain and Finland. Anderlecht striker Johannes Devrindt led the side in terms of goals, smashing in six goals as the side qualified top of the group. The side only lost once, which came in their final group game against Yugoslavia in Skopje.

Belgium were led by the legendary head coach Raymond Goethals, who would go on to win a number of league titles for Standard Liege and Anderlecht in later years. Captaining the side was another legend of Belgian football in Paul Van Himst. Van Himst spent the majority of his career with Anderlecht, where he is considered one of, if not the, greatest player in the clubs history.

Despite boasting some talented players from the likes of Anderlecht, Standard Liege and Club Brugge, the Belgians did not enjoy their time in Mexico. They were drawn into a group with the hosts alongside the Soviet Union and debutants El Salvador. Things did get off to a good start however. Wilfried van Moer netted a brace and Club Brugge legend Raoul Lambert scored from the penalty spot as Belgium secured three points against El Salvador in Mexico City. Remarkably, this was Belgium’s first victory at a World Cup.

The joy of finally grabbing a win would quickly disappear. Just three days later, the side were thumped by the Soviet Union. Gavril Kachalin’s side led 1-0 at the break thanks to a goal from Anatoliy Byshovets. By the hour mark, the game was over, with the Soviet Union 3-0 up. Vitaliy Khmelnytskyi added a fourth before Lambert got his second goal of the World Cup as a late Belgian consolation.

The side still had a chance to progress to the next round, but in their way stood hosts Mexico. The Mexicans had drawn with the Soviet Union in their opening game before a 4-0 victory over El Salvador. In front of a raucous home crowd at the Azteca, it was the hosts who snuck through with a well taken penalty from Gustavo Pena. Belgium ended up finishing third, but had at least grabbed a first World Cup win.

Despite the group stage exit, the national team stuck with Goethals until 1976, with the club failing to qualify for the next two tournaments. Sadly, for some of those talented players in the 1970 squad, they would not get to enjoy another World Cup. After missing out on the tournaments in West Germany and Argentina, the side made their return in 1982.

However, it was four years later, back in Mexico for the 1986 tournament, that Belgium would finally make their mark on a World Cup.

GBeNeFN | Ben Jackson