1978 FIFA World Cup Final 1978 FIFA World Cup Final The 1978 FIFA World Cup Final was a football match played to determine the winner of the 1978 FIFA World Cup. The match was contested by hosts Argentina and the Netherlands, in the biggest stadium used in the tournament and in Argentina, the Estadio Monumental in the Argentine capital city of Buenos Aires. The match was won by the Argentine squad in extra time by a score of 3–1. Mario Kempes, who finished as the tournament's top scorer, was named the man of the match. The Netherlands lost their second World Cup final in a
Hungary at the FIFA World Cup the quarter-final. They have been runners-up on two occasions, in 1938 and 1954. They have failed to qualify for the FIFA World Cup since 1986. The third edition of the FIFA World Cup was the first without the host team competing in the final. At half-time, defending champions Italy were leading by 3-1 and Hungary did not manage to get back into the game. The Hungarian Golden Team were favourites for winning the World Cup in Switzerland in 1954 after 31 unbeaten games in the previous five years, among them a recent 7-1 against England and an 8-3 against their