England VS Brazil

As a youngster, I received a VHS video as a Christmas present, titled "The Boys From Brazil". It was the BBC's World Cup history of the Brazilian national team from 1930 to 1986. It changed how I viewed football forever.

The video was jam-packed with amazing footage, with the highlight being the 1970 World Cup win for Brazil. I watched in awe as the likes of Pele, Rivelino, Tostao and Gerson produced football from the heavens as they dazzled all the way to the final.

But I always remember how, when the video reached the game between Brazil and England, my dad would tell me: "England should have won that game, son."

That clash took place forty-three years ago today, and remains one of the biggest World Cup games in England's history as the Three Lions, then World Champions, took on Brazil, winners of the previous two World Cups, in an epic clash in Guadalajara. It was an iconic game that saw the transfer of power back to Brazil after England's World Cup victory on home soil four years earlier.

Prior to 1966, Brazil were the undisputed kings of football in an era that defined their identity as the masters of "The Beautiful Game".

They won the 1958 World Cup in Sweden, with a skinny 17-year-old by the name of Pele scoring twice in the final to help the Selecao to a 5-2 win over the hosts in the final.

Four years later in Chile, Brazil proved their greatness once again. Despite injury ruling Pele out of most of the tournament, Brazil proved the class of the competition once again, with another Brazilian legend, "The Little Bird" Garrincha, stepping up to become the star of the tournament.

They were expected to make it three World Cup wins in a row in England, but after being kicked out of the tournament by Portugal, the way was clear for England to profit, and Sir Alf Ramsey's "Wingless Wonders" did just that, defeating the Portuguese in the semi-finals and going on to beat West Germany in a dramatic final after extra time.

In 1970 in Mexico, Brazil were back, looking to regain their place at the top of world football. Pele had initially quit international football, disgusted by his treatment at the hands of the Portuguese four years earlier. But coach Mario Zagallo - a teammate of Pele's back in 1958 - persuaded Brazil's iconic number 10 to come out of retirement at the age of 30.

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Brazil's aim was simple - consign 1966 to the dustbin of history and become champions again. For England, it was the chance to prove themselves as the greatest team in the world against the team who had ruled Planet Football for the preceding eight years.

The match itself was a classic. To say it was simply a case of England's resolute defence against the legendary Brazilian attack would be over-simplifying it. England looked good going forward, and exposed some deficiencies in the Brazilian back line. But, crucially, they couldn't make the breakthrough, with Francis Lee's diving header the best of England's chances in a tense first half.