The final was played on January 10, 1981 in front of 71 250 spectators, no doubt most of them cheering for Uruguay. Brazil was not shaken, but, like their match against Argentina, it was more than pure football – more than fair-play.
Tempers got the upper hand now and then and no wonder. No goals were scored in the first half. Uruguay got the lead in the 50th minute, thanks to Barrios. Brazil fought back, of course, and Socrates equalized from a penalty in the 62nd minute. 10 minutes before the end Uruguay scored again.
Victorino scored his third goal in the tournament and his most important one – it gave Uruguay the victory.
Uruguay was the champions of champions. Captain Rodolfo Rodriguez proudly lifted the Mundialito Cup and then the team joined its fans in the mots of Centenario.
Victory came with a bath for everybody. It was symbolic ending: the holders of most world titles lost to the very first world champions on the stadium built for the first World Cup.
Brazil was unable to beat Uruguay, just like it happened in 1950. This is not the team from the final, but the one beating West Germany 4-1. Above: Leite, Cerezo, Luizinho, Oscar, Edevaldo, Junior. Below: Tita, Paulo Isidoro, Socrates, Batista, Ze Sergio.
The best among the world champions – Uruguay in its finest. The big hero was Victorino, scoring in every match, finally scoring the goal making Uruguay the winner. It was definitely his finest year – 1980-early 1981 on both club and national team level. Walter Olivera, who unfortunately missed the last appearance of Uruguay at World Cup finals – 1974 – was a winner now. There were up and coming players, becoming known to the world – and becoming key players for Uruguay in the 1980s – de Leon and Diogo. And one very promising midfielder, whose name was misspelled almost all the time he was mentioned – Ariel Krasouski. May be Uruguay took more seriously the tournament than the other teams and had their finest squad, but it was well deserved victory – they won every match, allowed only 1 goal in the whole tournament, but scored 2 goals in every match they played, no matter who they played against.
The aftermath of Mundialito was entirely positive: Argentina was stronger with Maradona. West Germany was very strong, yet, both Argentina and Brazil beat them – South America was not lagging behind Europe. The new Brazil was wonderful – but lost to Uruguay! Evidently, Uruguay was coming back too. As a whole, the teams played open and attacking football, suggesting that the stagnation of the end of the 1970s was over. The teams were generally young and all teams suggested not only healthy new generation, but also rather vast pools of talent, for various stars were not included. South America was coming to leading position in the world, changing their approach, particularly Brazil, which after years of dull ‘European’ football went back to its roots. West Germany too looked like moving away from the physical football to the creative one they played in until 1975. Maradona, Socrates, Junior, Tita, de Leon, Diogo, Krasouski, Ancelotti, Vierchowod, Franco Baresi, Ruben Paz, Ramon Diaz, Barbas, Eder, van Breukelen… the list of new stars were longer, although not everybody played. Add the big current stars – Kempes, Rummenigge, Bonhof, Antognoni, Passarella, Ardiles. And keep in mind those who were left out for one or another reason – Zico, Stielike, Zoff, Schuster. Nothing to fear – it was like the early 70s again: the world was full of exciting young players, it was fun again, and it was going to stay this way. Such were the hopeful conclusions.
And locally –
Roque Maspoli was the hero, coaching Uruguay to victory.
Players and fans celebrated together, a celebration quickly taking over Montevideo.
Football was king – nothing better and more optimistic than that.