The challenges posed by heat and high altitude loomed large for teams during the 1970 World Cup held in Mexico. Anticipating these difficulties, the Bulgarian team relocated south of Sofia to acclimatize to the elevated conditions. This decision, although well-intentioned, backfired when it became clear that the cool temperatures of the Pirin Mountains were far from the warm weather typical of Mexico. To mimic the effects of playing in extreme heat, they limited the players’ water intake, aiming to condition them for dehydration.
Unfortunately, this strategy proved ineffective. Bulgaria suffered losses in their first two matches, and by the time they managed a draw against Morocco, they were already out of the tournament. It’s reasonable to expect that preparations for the upcoming World Cup will be significantly more advanced than those from 56 years ago. Many teams back then believed that altitude training was the ideal way to prepare for matches in cities like Mexico City, Monterrey, and Guadalajara. For instance, Israel trained in Ethiopia and Colorado, while Uruguay chose Quito and Bogotá. The host nation, Mexico, conducted an extensive five-month training camp that included 13 international friendlies before facing Dundee United from Scotland.
The reigning champions, England, were particularly anxious about what awaited them in Mexico. Their team doctor, Neil Phillips, undertook a course focusing on heat, altitude, and tropical diseases, recommending salt tablets for the players. Furthermore, he enlisted Dr. Griffith Pugh, a physiologist who had previously participated in Edmund Hillary’s Everest expedition. However, some of their measures were somewhat misguided.
Manager Alf Ramsey, despite his coaching expertise, exhibited deep-seated xenophobia. This fear stemmed from his past experience as a player in the England team that infamously lost to the USA in 1950, where he was haunted by the memory of the greasy Brazilian cuisine. Visits to Brazil in 1964 and a tour of Latin America in 1969 only intensified his suspicions. Consequently, he decided that England would bring their own bus, food, and water. This decision infuriated the Mexican authorities, who were already irked by Ramsey’s series of undiplomatic remarks. As a result, citing a foot-and-mouth disease outbreak in the UK, they confiscated all frozen meat at the docks and incinerated it, forcing the English team to rely on Findus fish fingers and ready-made meals.
In preparation for the tournament, the team spent three weeks in Mexico City, where their regimen was incredibly strict. Ramsey would time players sunbathing by the pool with a stopwatch, signaling them to turn over every 20 minutes with a whistle. After this, England traveled to Bogotá and Quito for altitude friendlies. Their journey took a chaotic turn when, during a layover in Colombia, captain Bobby Moore was arrested for allegedly stealing a bracelet from a jewelry store in the hotel lobby. He was detained under house arrest for several days at the residence of Alfonso Senior, a high-ranking official from the Colombian football federation. Following intense diplomatic negotiations, Moore made it to Mexico just in time for England’s opening match, a narrow 1-0 victory over Romania, and was ultimately cleared of all charges.
Among all teams, Brazil exemplified the most comprehensive preparation. In late 1969, coach João Saldanha convened with two army officers, Cláudio Coutinho and Lamartine Da Costa, at a churrascaria at the base of Sugarloaf Mountain to strategize on how to best prepare the players for the upcoming physical demands. Coutinho would later take on the role of coach for Brazil and the LA Aztecs; tragically, he passed away in a diving accident in 1981. Da Costa, an expert in biometeorology and a professor at the Pontificia Universidade Católica do Rio de Janeiro, had attended the 1968 Mexico Olympics and was eager to apply scientific insights to the team’s training.
The stereotype of Brazilian football as a carefree, beachside pastime is a myth. Their golden era, marked by three World Cup victories between 1958 and 1970, was underpinned by thorough preparation. Before the 1970 tournament, players underwent a rigorous 100-day training at military facilities, with every detail meticulously monitored. Their kits were custom-fitted, designed to minimize sweat accumulation. There was speculation about implementing a NASA training program, which seemingly only involved using the Cooper test for fitness assessment, determining how far players could run in 12 minutes. Arriving in Mexico City 32 days prior to their first match against Czechoslovakia proved beneficial, as 12 of Brazil’s 19 goals in the tournament were scored in the second half. They not only outplayed their opponents but also outlasted them.
This gives insight as we look ahead to 2026. While preparation may not be the sole factor for success, and the constraints of domestic schedules mean no team will have the luxury of sequestered training for months, understanding the conditions and having a strategic game plan will undoubtedly provide an advantage. Football is often unpredictable, with outcomes frequently settled on match day, but entering with a solid foundation enhances a team’s chances. Relying on Findus ready meals has never been a winning strategy for clinching a World Cup.
On this Day …
Cameroon’s preparations for the 1990 World Cup in Italy were anything but organized. Their coach, Russian Valery Nepomnyashchy, had initially arrived two years prior to oversee youth development and was later appointed the senior team’s head coach. His limited French proficiency didn’t endear him to the players, and they were eliminated in the group stage of the 1990 Cup of Nations. Upon relocating from Bordeaux to Yugoslavia for a pre-tournament training camp, they discovered that their equipment and balls had not arrived. In a series of misfortunes, attacking midfielder Grégoire M’Bida was sent home for missing the bus, and veteran forward Roger Milla, who had been semi-retired, was called back at the behest of President Paul Biya.
Before their opening match against Argentina on June 8, 1990, goalkeeper Joseph-Antoine Bell gave an interview stating that a 3-0 loss to the reigning champions would be acceptable. Consequently, he was benched, and Thomas N’Kono was brought in as a last-minute replacement—so late that his wife missed the game, mistakenly believing he would be on the bench. In a surprising turn of events, Cameroon, despite two red cards, secured a 1-0 victory. This was a historic moment, as no sub-Saharan African team had ever won a World Cup match before; Cameroon advanced to the quarter-finals that year.
- This excerpt is taken from Soccer Desk: World Cup edition, which will be published regularly during the tournament. Subscribe for free here.
This excerpt is taken from Soccer Desk: World Cup edition, which will be published regularly during the tournament. Subscribe for free here.
