🇮🇹 Italy are World Champions

Italy's third World Cup triumph was built on the extraordinary form of Paolo Rossi, who had only returned from a match-fixing ban weeks before the tournament. Rossi's hat-trick against Brazil in the group stage was iconic; he scored again in the final to open the scoring. Marco Tardelli added a second with one of football's most celebrated goal celebrations — running with arms outstretched, screaming with raw joy. Altobelli made it 3–0 before Breitner's late consolation. Italy were deserving winners — a team of steel and late magic, built on the legendary defensive system of catenaccio.