Brazil at the 1982 FIFA World Cup

The Brazil national football team participated in the 1982 FIFA World Cup, and in doing so maintained their record of being the only team to enter every World Cup Finals.

Brazil played until the Second Group Round, where they were defeated by Italy. This result meant that they finished the tournament in fifth place for the second time in history (1954 was the previous instance). The coach was Telê Santana^[1] and captain Sócrates.^[2]

Qualifying

February 8, 1981, Caracas, Venezuela - Venezuela 0 - 1 Brazil

February 22, 1981, La Paz, Bolivia - Bolivia 1 - 2 Brazil

March 22, 1981, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil - Brazil 3 - 1 Bolivia

March 29, 1981, Goiânia, Brazil - Brazil 5 - 0 Venezuela

Rank	Team	Pts	Pld	W	L	GF	GA	GD
1	Brazil	8	4	4	0	11	2	9
2	Bolivia	2	4	1	3	5	6	-1
3	Venezuela	2	4	1	3	1	9	-8

Brazil qualified.

The Cup

First Group Round

All eyes were on Brazil in Group 6. In Zico, Sócrates, Falcão, Éder and others, the rejuvenated auriverde boasted an offensive firepower that promised a return to the glory days of 1970. The tri-campeão lived up to all expectations in the First Group round, beating an unexpectedly strong Soviet side 2–1 in a very entertaining first match thanks to a 20-metre Éder goal two minutes from time, then Scotland and New Zealand, scoring four goals each time.

Group 6

Team	Pts	Pld	W	D	L	GF	GA	GD
Brazil	6	3	3	0	0	10	2	8
Soviet Union	3	3	1	1	1	6	4	2
Scotland	3	3	1	1	1	8	8	0
New Zealand	0	3	0	0	3	2	12	-10

June 14, 1982
21:15

Brazil	2 - 1	Soviet Union
Sócrates 75' Éder 88'	(Report)	Bal 34'

Estadio Ramón Sánchez Pizjuán, Seville
Ref: Castillo (ESP)
Attendance: 68,000

June 18, 1982
21:15

Brazil	4 - 1	Scotland
Zico 33' Oscar 48' Éder 63' Falcão 87'	(Report)	Narey 18'

Estadio Benito Villamarín, Seville
Ref: Siles (CRC)
Attendance: 47,379

June 23, 1982
21:15

Brazil	4 - 0	New Zealand
Zico 28', 31' Falcão 64' Serginho 70'	(Report)

Estadio Benito Villamarín, Seville
Ref: Matovinović (YUG)
Attendance: 43,000

Second Group Round

It was in Group C, a true "Group of Death" with Brazil, Argentina and Italy, that World Cup history was made. In the opener, the Azzurri prevailed 2–1 over Diego Maradona's side in an ill-tempered game in which Italy defenders Gaetano Scirea and Claudio Gentile proved to be able to stop the Argentinian attack.

Argentina now needed a win over Brazil on the second day, but they were no match. Although the Brazilians had the better of the play, Maradona's Argentina side continued pushing for an equaliser and had a clear penalty denied by the referee^{[citation needed]} . After that, Brazil scored twice, and Maradona was sent off after he kicked a rival in a moment of unsportsmanship.

The third-day match between Brazil and Italy would be a game to remember. Twice Italy went in the lead through Paolo Rossi's goals, and twice Brazil came back. At 2-2, Brazil would have gone through on goal difference, but on 74 minutes, a poor clearance from an Italy corner kick went back to the Brazil six-yard line where Rossi and Francesco Graziani were waiting. Both world-class strikers reflexively aimed at the same shot, Rossi connecting and sending Italy to the semifinals in one of the all-time great games of World Cup history.^[3]