The Fifa World Cup in 1970 was arguably the dawn of modern football. Photo: AFP
The 1970 showpiece event held in Mexico was arguably the dawn of modern football.
Fifa introduced yellow and red cards, alongside the use of substitutes. Although aggressive defensive play remained, gone were the days of unvetted rough play, with a strict interpretation of the rules applied. It ensured a more attacking mindset from teams, and a tournament where not one player was sent off.
Adidas designed and introduced the now-iconic 32-panel black and white Telstar ball as the official World Cup ball, which was easier to follow on TVs of the day. It was named after the satellite — which had a similar appearance — that was the first active communication array capable of sending live TV signals, telephone calls and faxes through space.
That advancement ensured that the 1970 edition was seen by more countries and people than ever before, with some even receiving colour broadcasts.
