Pedro Pasculli was part of the Argentina side that lifted the FIFA World Cup at Mexico 1986
The striker shared a room with Maradona at that tournament
Shares his thoughts on that success and assesses Argentina's title defence chances
Argentina got their hands on their second FIFA World Cup™ in 1986, edging West Germany 3-2 in the final. Part of that victorious squad was Pedro Pasculli, best known at club level for spells at Argentinos Juniors and Lecce and a player who made several telling contributions throughout the tournament.
Pasculli bagged the decisive goal against Uruguay in the last 16, a win thrust Argentina into a quarter-final showdown against England, where Maradona produced two of the most famous goals in history.
Speaking to FIFA, Pasculli lifted the lid on that World Cup triumph and Maradona’s impact, as well as sharing his views on the upcoming , where Argentina will be vying to defend their title.
Diego was incredibly important to us. He was a team-mate full of character and had plenty of fight in him. Everyone respected him both on and off the pitch. He always spoke his mind no matter what. Even back then, we were in awe of his greatness. He was down to earth and never made a song and dance about who he was, or about the fact he often made the difference.
I was lucky enough to share a room with him at that World Cup. I was on the bench against England, and to be honest, we didn’t even realise he’d handled it, as Shilton was so tall, especially with his arms up. And Diego was even shorter than me! I’ll never know how he managed to jump like that!
We had no idea it was handball at the time. I think all his goals were sublime, but the ‘Goal of the Century’, which started in his own half, was something else. For most players, it would have been nigh on impossible, because he had to keep looking at his feet, the ball, and the opposition. Still to this day, I don’t know how Diego managed to run 60 metres with the ball at his feet, with the English players trying to bring him down and ultimately failing.
My goal there was key, as it gave us that extra impetus and momentum to go on and win the World Cup. That match was a representation of real football, it was in our blood, especially because Uruguay were strong favourites to go all the way.
I’m not even dignifying that with an answer (laughs)! Messi is out of this world, he’s the best of all time. But Diego is football. He had it all: charisma, personality, and I never once heard him have a go at a team-mate. He was a real team player. You can’t compare him to Messi.
They’ve got a good balance of experience and youth. Argentina could be among the favourites to win the World Cup. It won’t be easy, that’s for sure, but I think they’re one of the teams capable of going all the way.
It’s always been incredible. The 1986 World Cup was superb, but unfortunately the year before, Mexico suffered a devastating earthquake that rocked the country and led to widespread problems. From a footballing point of view, it was an amazing atmosphere.
Bilardo built a special team, and we were like one big family. We certainly had our fair share of problems, but we sorted them out among ourselves in the dressing room. The coach also came under scrutiny and received a lot of criticism, but he said, ‘We’re going to win the World Cup’, and we did just that. And then, of course, along comes Maradona, the captain and a truly extraordinary man.
Sources: FIFA Official
