Current sectionSportsThe 1970 FIFA World Cup in Mexico: The giants of the football world paired off against 'the representatives of a small country that's fighting for its life and also wants to kick the ball,' Haaretz reported ahead of the kickoffShare to FacebookShare to XArticle printing is available to subscribers onlyPrint in a simple, ad-free formatSubscribeComments: Zen reading is available to subscribers onlyAd-free and in a comfortable reading formatSubscribeOfer Aderet06:53 PM • June 18 2026 IDT"Good luck, guys," was the headline of the Haaretz sports page in early June 1970. "Israel is in the world finals for the first time," was written above it. The editorial also devoted several lines to the World Cup in Mexico. Loading...Click the alert icon to follow topics:Israeli athletesIsrael sportFIFAHistoryCommentsLoading...In the NewsIn the News: Israel-Iran Live UpdatesU.S.-Iran DealIsrael ElectionsGaza Cease-fireJD VancePayoneerHaQuizHaaretz PodcastIsrael Is Conducting a Systematic Campaign of Ethnic Cleansing in the West BankVance Slams Smotrich, Ben-Gvir: You Can't Kill Your Way Out of Every ProblemAmerican Psychological Association at Center of Federal Antisemitism ProbeRoger Waters: 'My Songs Are About Truth, Love. Israel's the Opposite'Former NSO Founder and ex-Austrian Leader Raise Millions for New Security FirmRemembering and rebuilding two years laterICYMIHumiliated by Trump on the Iran Front, Netanyahu May Set the Middle East Ablaze'Once-in-a-lifetime Discovery': 1,700-year-old Roman Busts Found in IsraelTrump and Netanyahu Hurtling Toward a Rupture That Could Shock U.S.-Israel TiesWhy Does the Jewish State Keep Deporting Diaspora Jews?Fork Found in Kitchen: Israelis Have Discovered the OccupationThe Fake Gaza Charity Linked to the Anti-left Disinformation Campaign in France