Tantrums, trickery and tragedies of World Cups past

El Salvador pose for a group photo prior to a play-off against Honduras in North American qualifying for the 1970 World Cup in Mexico City, June 26, 1969. That year El Salvador and Honduras fought a war, leaving 3,000 people dead in the two central American countries. The war was initiated by issues concerning immigration from El Salvador to Honduras but escalated with rioting between the countries' football fans during World Cup qualifying. Fighting started at the first game in the Honduran capital Tegucigalpa which Honduras won 1-0. The second game, a week later, in the Salvadoran capital San Salvador and won 3-0 by the home side was followed by even greater violence. El Salvador won the decisive third game 3-2 after extra time but on the same day dissolved all diplomatic ties with Honduras. The war began on July 14 and lasted until the Organization of American States negotiated a cease-fire on July 18, which took full effect two days later. [Photo/icpress.cn]

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