West Germany were the tournament's most consistent team Lothar Matthäus driving from midfield, Jürgen Klinsmann finishing, and a defence that rarely looked troubled. They beat Yugoslavia, Czechoslovakia, and England (on penalties, after Gascoigne's tears) to reach the final. Their efficiency was relentless.

Argentina, reduced to defensive cynicism, had two players sent off. The match was dire the worst World Cup final in history by most accounts. Andreas Brehme scored the only goal from a dubious penalty with five minutes remaining. Maradona wept at the final whistle. West Germany claimed their third title in what would be their last tournament before reunification. The wall had already fallen.

Maradona's Argentina were the defending champions. Cameroon, led by 38-year-old Roger Milla, were Africa's great hope. West Germany, in what would be the last tournament before reunification, arrived as one of the favourites. Italian football, powered by Serie A's wealth, dominated the European game.

The Berlin Wall had fallen nine months before kickoff. Germany was reunifying. The Soviet Union was disintegrating. Nelson Mandela had been released from prison in February. The map of the world was being redrawn in real time.

Rome, Milan, Turin, Naples, Bari, Florence, Genoa, Bologna, Verona, Cagliari, Palermo, and Udine hosted matches across twelve cities. The geographic spread highlighted Italy's famous north-south divide. Teams were based in luxury hotels and trained at Serie A club facilities, the best in the world at the time. Naples, Maradona's adopted city, added an extra emotional dimension to Argentina's matches there.

Italy spent over $3 billion on infrastructure, including new stadiums, motorway extensions, and airport upgrades. Southern cities like Bari received investment they might never have seen otherwise. However, several purpose-built stadiums proved economically unsustainable. The tourism boost was temporary, and some host cities were left with white-elephant venues. The tournament became a cautionary tale for future hosts about the gap between construction costs and long-term use.

Salvatore Schillaci, a Sicilian substitute, scored six goals with wide-eyed intensity to become the tournament's unlikely hero. Roger Milla, recalled from semi-retirement at 38, danced around corner flags after each goal and made Cameroon a worldwide sensation. Lothar Matthäus drove West Germany from midfield with commanding authority. Maradona was diminished but still dangerous.

Milla's two goals against Colombia rounding the keeper René Higuita after his disastrous attempt at dribbling out were comedy and brilliance combined. Gascoigne's tears after his semifinal booking meant he would miss a potential final. Brehme's penalty in the final the only goal in a dire match sealed West Germany's third title. Maradona's tearful defeat was the end of an era.