The CIA has been accused of many dubious interventions over its nearly 80-year history, but one conspiracy theory from the 1970 World Cup in Mexico stands out for its sheer audacity.
Days before England’s crucial quarterfinal against West Germany in León, the team’s standout goalkeeper, Gordon Banks, was struck down with sudden, severe gastroenteritis. Unable to play, he was replaced by backup Peter Bonetti. England went on to lose 3-2 after surrendering a two-goal lead, and Bonetti carried the blame for his errors in that game for the rest of his career.
A recent seven-part Audible podcast series, “Foul Play,” from investigative journalist Gabriel Gatehouse and Banks’s grandson, Ed Jervis, has revived the theory that the CIA wanted to guarantee a win by tournament favorite Brazil. At the time, Brazil was ruled by a military dictatorship heavily backed by the United States, and a World Cup victory was seen as a way to shore up the unpopular regime.
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