Lookalikes: Andres Iniesta and Diego Maradona Tackling Unemployment

In Mexico City in 1986, Argentina faced Belgium in the World Cup semi final.

How many Belgians does it take to tackle a genius?

Belgium had scraped through by beating the Soviets 4-3 in extra time and then Spain on penalties.

Before that, they had ended in an extraordinarily easy four team group, but finished only third.

Their only win was against Iraq who lost all their games.

But in those days, 24 countries made the finals.

To narrow them down to 16, some of the third placed teams also progressed from the group stages.

Belgium squeezed through having garnered more points in Group B (from Iraq and Paraguay) than Northern Ireland who had contended with Brazil and Spain in Group C, as well as Hungary who had played the Soviet Union and France in Group D.

So after the Soviets and Spain had been negotiated after extra time in each knock out round, the minnows from the Lowlands found themselves in the World Cup semi final against the World Champions Argentina, masterminded by the great Diego Maradona at the prime of his career.

The midfield general mesmerised the Belgians and scored both goals in front of 114,500 at the Estadio Azteca despite the attentions of his marker Frankie Vercauteren.

Actually marker would be an understatement, as the picture above may suggest. Vercauteren recruited a few friends with Michel Renquin, Eric Gerets, Philippe Desmet and quite a few others also marking Maradona.

What brought about this sudden bout of nostalgia?

A reader in Portland sent us a photo from the Italy v Spain game in Gdansk this week. The match finished 1-1 with Italy performing far better than many had anticipated.

Andres Iniesta is in possession for Spain. He is being watched by Thiago Motta. And Christian Maggio, Claudio Marchisio, Leonardo Bonucci and Giorgio Chiellini.