What the world looked like when Canada last qualified for World Cup

Canada’s long wait to qualify for the World Cup is over.

Generations of soccer fans starved of success will finally get a chance to watch Canada’s men’s team compete on the sport’s biggest stage in November and December after John Herdman’s squad ended a drought that lasted nearly four decades.

Canada did so in style, rolling through the final CONCACAF qualifying group to secure its place in the 2022 World Cup in Qatar.

However, it was a different story on September 14, 1985, when Canada booked its first-ever spot in the World Cup. There was only one place up for grabs for CONCACAF teams – compared to three guaranteed slots in 2022 – ahead of the 1986 event, with Mexico qualifying automatically as hosts. Canada sealed a World Cup spot after a 2-1 victory over Honduras in front of 13,000 fans at King George V Park in Newfoundland, cementing its place atop the final qualifying group.

For those who weren’t around back then, here’s a look at what the world was like in 1985, when Canada last qualified for the World Cup:

Soccer

• Everton end their 15-year drought to win English First Division before capturing their first continental title in the European Cup Winners’ Cup.
• Juventus beat Liverpool to win their first European Cup in a final marred by fan violence, which led to the deaths of 39 supporters at Heysel Stadium in Belgium.
• French great Michel Platini wins the Ballon d’Or award for the third year in a row.

Champions of Europe’s other top leagues outside of England:

Other sports

• Chicago Bulls legend Michael Jordan is named the NBA’s Rookie of the Year after averaging 28.2 points.
• Cincinnati Reds star Pete Rose beats Ty Cobb’s all-time MLB record with his 4,192nd hit.
• Boris Becker becomes the youngest men’s competitor to win the Wimbledon tennis championship at 17 years old.

Entertainment

• “Back to the Future” is the top-grossing film at the box office, pulling in over $190,000,000. It beats out other blockbusters such as “Rambo: First Blood Part II” and “Beverly Hills Cop.”
• “Amadeus” wins the Oscar for Best Picture. F. Murray Abraham wins Best Actor for his role in “Amadeus,” while Sally Field wins Best Actress after starring in “Places in the Heart.”
• Dire Straits’ “Brothers in Arms” is the best-selling album of the year, while Phil Collins’ “No Jacket Required” is named Best Album of the Year at the Grammy Awards.

News

• The RMS Titanic is located at the bottom of the Atlantic Ocean over 70 years after it sank during its maiden voyage in 1912.
• Natural Disasters: A devastating 8.1 earthquake rocks Mexico City, killing thousands and causing severe damage in the Mexican capital, while a volcanic eruption in Colombia leaves over 20,000 dead.
• Ronald Reagan gets sworn in for his second term as president of the United States.