War has overshadowed the build-up to a FIFA World Cup tournament before.

Forty years ago this week the finals in Spain were about to begin with nations at war and another team where martial law was in place in their homeland.

Plácido Domingo had recorded the official World Cup song which exhorted "all countries to come to the festival".

"I trust that the sports competition which begins here today will strengthen the bonds of friendship among all those nations represented here," King Juan Carlos said as he declared the tournament open in Barcelona's Camp Nou.

Performers formed a giant dove of peace in the centre of the field and a young boy released a dove in the centre circle, but as the opening match between Belgium and World Cup holders Argentina kicked off, the latter's military forces were still in conflict with the British on the Falklands Islands.

Argentina lost 1-0 despite the best efforts of Diego Maradona, playing in the World Cup finals for the first time.

Coach César Luis Menotti had claimed they were "even better than 1978".

Two months earlier, Argentina's President Leopoldo Galtieri had launched an attack on the Falklands, a British overseas territory.  Argentinians calls them "Las Malvinas" and still claim the territory as its own.

Many saw the military action as an attempt to divert attention from the junta's failings with a quick populist triumph.

Some 8,000 miles away in London, British Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher ordered a task force to the South Atlantic.

This included the Queen’s second son Prince Andrew, then a Royal Navy helicopter pilot.

The conflict cost more than 900 lives before British forces finally received the surrender of the Argentinians in the capital Port Stanley, shortly after the 1982 World Cup had begun.

The tournament build-up had proved difficult for Argentina’s midfielder Osvaldo Ardiles, a favourite at Tottenham Hotspur, a leading English club.

At the beginning of April, Ardiles left to join the Argentina World Cup squad as part of a long-standing agreement.

In his last match before departing, he had created a goal to help Tottenham beat Leicester City in an FA Cup semi-final.

Even though the fighting had stopped, Ardiles played the following season on loan at Paris Saint-Germain, before rejoining Tottenham in 1983.

England, Scotland and Northern Ireland had all qualified for the finals but many called for their withdrawal whilst others worried that one of the trio might be called upon to play Argentina.

In fact the World Cup draw nearly made it happen.

It had taken place at the Palacio de Congresos in Madrid where pupils of the Colegio de San Ildefonso pulled miniature footballs from the cages used for the National Lottery in Spain.

Despite a full rehearsal, described in official reports as "purposeful and efficient", the machinery malfunctioned.

One ball became stuck, before Scotland, playing in the finals for third consecutive tournament, were placed in the same group as Argentina.

This threw into disarray a complex FIFA formula designed "to avoid two South American teams playing in the same group".

There was a frantic re-draw when the mistake was finally noticed.

Although it ultimately prevented what would have been rather more than a diplomatic incident, it did not materially improve Scottish prospects as they were now in a group with the Soviet Union, New Zealand and Brazil.

"It is the toughest group of them all," manager Jock Stein said ruefully and was proved right as Scotland were soon eliminated.

"All in all the draw ceremony matched this madman’s flytrap of a competition," Brian Glanville wrote in The Sunday Times newspaper.

The 1982 finals were the first to have 24 teams, an expansion spearheaded by FIFA President João Havelange which gave more representation to Asian and African teams and fulfilled some of the promises made when he was elected.

"This is a courageous undertaking which requires careful planning, the appropriate stadia and additional installations for the teams and referees," Havelange insisted.

"Spain had accepted the challenge in the spirit of Don Quixote and El Cid," he declared.

Despite their opening-night defeat, Argentina recovered to qualify for the second phase, leaving the Hungarians out in the cold despite a World Cup record 10-1 win over El Salvador, back in the finals for the first time since their own war with Honduras was sparked in 1969 after a World Cup qualifier.

In 1982, Honduras also qualified and although they did not reach the second phase, they achieved creditable draws against Spain and Northern Ireland.

The Northern Irish played superbly to beat Spain but were eventually knocked out by France.

The French had lost their opening match to England in Bilbao, where they never recovered from a goal after 27 seconds from Bryan Robson as England won 3-1.

A few days earlier, England’s eccentric unofficial mascot Ken Baily had been jostled by Argentinian fans while dressed as the English historical figure John Bull - complete with waistcoat and top hat emblazoned with the British flag.

In England’s group, Kuwait had Haydoo the camel as their mascot, and their slogan "Our Camel is a Winner".

They drew their opening match with Czechoslovakia, but against France, already trailing by three goals, the Kuwait players stopped after hearing a whistle, thought to have been blown in the crowd.

Alain Giresse played on and lifted the ball into the net.

The Kuwaiti players refused to play on as Sheikh Fahad Al-Ahmed Al-Jaber Al-Sabah made his way down to the touchline to remonstrate with Soviet referee Myroslav Stupar.

Eventually the goal was disallowed and the match resumed, but France scored again in a 4-1 win.

As West German manager Jupp Derwall spoke at a press conference before his team’s opening match against Algeria he was in confident mood.

"If we lose this one, I’ll be on the next plane home," Derwall said.

Algeria were unfazed and Lakhdar Belloumi scored their winner in a 2-1 victory.

They were still in with a chance of qualification by the last two group matches which in those days were scheduled for different days. 

Algeria beat Chile 3-2, but by the time West Germany and Austria met the following day, they were well aware that a 1-0 win for the West Germans would be sufficient for both to advance. And 1-0 was how it finished. Furious Algerian fans brandished bank notes at the players as they left the field.

FIFA vice-president Hermann Neuberger was unusually candid in the official FIFA Report.

"The match in Gijon certainly proved my point which was turned down earlier, namely that a group should have its last match day on the same day and with the same kick-off time" Neuberger wrote.

The Germans lost more friends when goalkeeper Harald Schumacher bodychecked into Patrick Battiston during the semi final with France.

Battiston was taken to hospital but Schumacher did not even receive a caution.

He remained on the field as Germans won on penalties.

Elsewhere, Poland had opened with two uninspiring draws but scored five against Peru to seal qualification for the second phase.

Inspired by Zbigniew Boniek, soon to enhance his reputation with Juventus, they beat Belgium 3-0 and then faced a politically-charged match against the Soviet Union in the Camp Nou.

Martial law had been imposed in Poland in the wake of demonstrations led by shipyard electrician and trade union leader Lech Wałęsa in Gdańsk, who had founded a trade union known as Solidarnosc  or Solidarity.

Wałęsa had been arrested on a number of occasions by the hardline regime and the situation in Poland was still tense in 1982. 

At the match, there was an emotional rendition of the Polish anthem and the New York Times reported six Solidarity banners around the stadium.

One was some 20 metres long with the word "Solidarnosc" spelled out in red letters alongside a smaller red and yellow striped Catalan flag.

In the second half, Spanish police removed the banners to the accompaniment of boos from the 45,000 crowd, but it was reported at the time that there had been complaints from Soviet television.

The match finished 0-0 to put Poland through to the semi finals.

Meanwhile across Barcelona, Brazil continued to enchant at the now demolished Sarrià Stadium.

They beat Argentina 3-1 as a frustrated Maradona was sent off.

Brazil’s match against Italy was for the ages, but it was Italy's Paolo Rossi, returning after a ban following a bribery scandal, who exploded into form with a hat-trick as Italy won 3-2 in a classic.

Italy went on to beat Poland and then West Germany in a largely forgettable final which David Lacey of the Guardian newspaper described as "a brawling finale which did little to alleviate the gloomy prospects for the future of the game as a spectator sport."

It was widely reported that police tried to hold back the Italian bench from taking part in the team celebrations and clubbed photographers as they crowded forward to record the celebrations.