Paolo Rossi, returning from a two-year suspension following a bribery scandal, held the key to Italy's third World Cup triumph.

Rossi had struggled to find his best form in the opening games but in the second round he was an inspiration.

He finished the tournament as leading goalscorer with six goals, including one in Italy's 3-1 final victory over West Germany.

Italy were slow starters and three draws meant they only just pipped Cameroon on goal difference to qualify for the second round - Poland topping Group One, courtesy of draws against Italy and Cameroon and a 5-1 thrashing of Peru.

Italy manager Enzo Bearzot was under pressure to axe Rossi after he failed to shine in the first three games but kept faith with the striker and was proved right as the tournament unfolded.

British football was represented by England, Scotland and Northern Ireland and the Irish excelled themselves, beating their Spanish hosts 1-0 in Valencia with a Gerry Armstrong goal to top Group Five ahead of the Spaniards.

Northern Ireland finished bottom of their group in the second round, a 2-2 draw with Austria followed by a 4-1 defeat at the hands of a France side graced by a dazzling midfield trio of Michel Platini, Alain Giresse and Jean Tigana.

England also topped their group after beating France, Czechoslovakia and Kuwait, with France finishing second, but bowed out in the second round following goalless draws against West Germany and Spain - the Germans going through to the semi-finals courtesy of a 2-1 win against Spain.

England headed home having not lost a game and the side which scored the quickest goal of the tournament - Bryan Robson's first-minute strike against France - had been punished for a lack of goals over the three games.

The Scots went out in the first round. They beat New Zealand in their Group Six opener but went down 4-1 against Brazil and a 2-2 draw against the USSR saw them edged out by the Soviets, who finished second behind Brazil.

West Germany and Austria edged out Algeria to qualify from Group Two. Belgium, who beat Argentina 1-0 in their opening game, went on to top Group Three ahead of the South Americans.

The second round stage was divided into four groups of three and joining West Germany in the semi-finals were France, Poland and Italy.

France beat Austria 1-0 before ending Northern Ireland's heroics, Poland's 3-0 win over Belgium enabled them to edge out the USSR and Italy's place in the last four was clinched by a memorable 3-2 win over Brazil in Barcelona.

Brazil's brilliant midfield - in which Zico, Falcao and Socrates starred - were undermined by weak goalkeeping and wayward finishing.

Rossi twice fired the Italians ahead only for Falcao and Socrates to grab equalisers but, when Rossi completed his hat-trick, there was to be no way back for the South Americans.

The most memorable match of the tournament came in the semi-finals when West Germany beat France 5-4 in a penalty shoot-out in Seville.

Platini's penalty cancelled out Pierre Littbarski's opener and honours were even in the first half.

Arguably the turning point of the game came in the 57th minute when the score was 1-1. Patrick Battiston, who had just come on as a substitute, broke clear and was felled by a forearm smash from the lunging German keeper Harald Schumacher, which amazingly went unpunished.

France seized the extra-time initiative with goals from Marius Tresor and Giresse but substitute Karl-Heinz Rummenigge and Klaus Fischer hauled the Germans level.

A World Cup semi-final was, for the first time, to be settled by penalties and Schumacher, who should have been sent off, saved two penalties and Horst Hrubesch blasted home the winning spotkick.

Italy were 2-0 winners over Poland in the other semi-final and the back-to-back winners of 1934 and 1938 chalked up a hat-trick of World Cup triumphs by overcoming the Germans in the final.

Appropriately, Rossi set the Italians on the way with the opening goal and further strikes from Marco Tardelli and Alessandro Altobelli ensured that 40-year-old goalkeeper Dino Zoff lifted the trophy.