India, May 26 -- Forty years on, one afternoon in Mexico City still defines what football can be - Scandalous, sublime and utterly unforgettable.

The biggest World Cup in history is weeks away. Forty-eight nations, 104 matches, three host countries - the United States, Canada and Mexico, a tournament expanded so wide it can barely hold its own ambition. The Estadio Azteca in Mexico City will again host matches. Which means the grass of a ground that witnessed the most talked about eight minutes in football history will once more host the world's game.

Forty years ago, on a sun-hammered June afternoon at the same Azteca, a stocky Argentine with a number 10 on his back compressed genius and deception in a single half, scored two goals tha...