In 1986, Colombia had been chosen to host the World Cup but was unable to due to economic reasons, forcing them to resign in 1982. So, the venue was switched to Mexico, despite strong efforts by Holland and the United States to have the competition on home soil. Twenty-four teams in total took part in the World Cup, and because all of them had experienced players, the selecting committee had a tough time choosing the best squads.

Fifty-two matches were planned at different stadiums in Mexico, and the 1986 World Cup kicked off to a massive crowd. Soccer had grown in popularity, and expectations were high for the qualifying teams. The attendance at the games was 2,393,331 in total and the average attendance per match was 46,025.

The competition’s format was different from the 1982 World Cup. Twenty-four teams qualified and were divided into six groups of four (A-F). After many matches – some easy wins, others tight until the final seconds, the quarter-finals began, with the two top teams and the four best finishers of each in the knockout round, with 16 teams in total.

The quarter-final match between Argentina and England went down in history for Diego Maradona's two goals: the first was scored illegally, but the referee did not see the foul and the goal was deemed valid. After the game, Maradona claimed the goal was scored "A bit with the head of Maradona and another bit with the hand of God,” so from then on it was known as the "The Hand of God" goal.

Morocco became the first African team to survive in the quarter-finals, winning the first round 3-1 over Portugal. However, their success was short-lived as they then succumbed to West Germany. The four teams that would go on to the World Cup semi-finals were France, Argentina, West Germany and Belgium.

West Germany beat France 2-0, and for the second World Cup in a row the West Germans were headed to the finals. In the other semi-final, Maradona struck twice in the second half as Argentina beat Belgium 2–0. Belgium went on to lose the third-place match to France 2–4.

West Germany and Argentina went on to the World Cup finals, and it looked like Argentina was going to take the trophy until West Germany made an amazing comeback. But with seven minutes left in the game, Maradona passed the ball to Jorge Burruchaga, who scored the winning goal for Argentina and won them the game of 3-2.

The Adidas Golden Ball was given to Diego Maradona for his star performance. And the Golden Shoe Award was given to Gary Lineker of England. The FIFA Fair Play award was given to Brazil. Following the 1986 World Cup, around 30 million people in Argentina partied in the streets, celebrating the country's second World Cup win, eight years after their first trophy.