The football Olympic gold medal did not come easily in the Seoul 1988 Olympic Games. Brazil and the Soviet Union made it to the final after tough matches against Germany and Italy, respectively. The Soviets had beaten Italy in the extra-time by 3-2; while Brazil had beaten West Germany in the penalty shoot-out.

The Soviet Union was a previous Olympic champion at the Melbourne 1956 Olympic Games. Brazil, on the other hand, aimed for its first ever Olympic gold medal.

During the 90 minutes, both