Argentina at the FIFA World Cup playmaker position was instead filled by Mario Kempes, who ended up becoming the first Argentinian to win the Golden Ball in addition to being the tournament's top scorer with 6 goals. The Dutch side was missing a superstar of their own: Johann Cruyff did not join the 1978 World Cup squads due to the aftermath of a kidnapping attempt which occurred in 1977. He only disclosed this information 30 years later. The closely contested match was influenced by a hostile atmosphere and ended with the Dutch players refusing to attend the award ceremony after Argentina grabbed the title in extra
I World Cup of Masters the fourth Argentine goal. A crowd of 5,620 in the first semifinal saw the Brazilians play the inventive, attacking soccer made famous by the 1958, 1962 and 1970 World Cup champions, led by Pele. Brazil beat Uruguay in the semifinals with a 4–0 win at Joe Robbie Stadium. Brazil would on to defend their Pele Cup against Argentina, a 2–1 winner on penalty kicks over Italy in the other semifinal. Forwards Edu, Serginho and Roberto Dimamite broke down the Uruguay defense with brilliant passing combinations and deceptive footwork. Serginho made it 1–0 at 12' with a hard drive from 18