Controversial 1978 World Cup Match Analysis

In 1978, Brazil were knocked out of the World Cup without losing a single game and to this day, nobody has been able to prove how.

Argentina, 1978.

The host nation is run by a military dictatorship, a regime making thousands of its own people disappear,

and it desperately needs to win this World Cup to look clean to the watching world.

One team stands between Argentina and the final, Brazil.

They go into the last group game level on points, but Brazil play earlier that day and they win, going top.

Now the maths is brutally simple.

To reach the final ahead of Brazil, Argentina must beat Peru by four clear goals.

Four goals.

Against a Peru side that had conceded only six in the entire tournament.

And Peru's goalkeeper that night?

Ramon Quiroga, born in Argentina.

Then, minutes before kickoff, the door to Peru's dressing room opens.

In walks the dictator himself, Jorge Videla.

And beside him, Henry Kissinger.

He reads the Peru players a message.

Then the game starts.

Peru hit the post twice.

And then, they fall apart.

Two nil at the break, then three, four, five.

Argentina wins six nil and march to the trophy.

Brazil, unbeaten all tournament, fly home calling themselves the moral champions.

And then, the details start to surface.

In the days before the match, Argentina had shipped 35,000 tons of grain to Peru.

Its central bank quietly released around 50 million dollars in frozen Peruvian funds.

Years later, a Peruvian senator claimed the real price was darker still.

Thirteen political prisoners, handed back to be silenced.

But here's the catch.

Peru's captain swore it was never fixed.

No investigation ever proved a thing.

And a tired, broken team really can collapse.

So you decide.

The dirtiest fix in World Cup history?

Or just a beaten team that fell apart on the worst possible night?

Brazil never lost a game.

And they still went home.

Tell me what you think really happened.