21 July 1970 - At Least They Didn't Go Home Empty-Handed

On 21 July 1970, FIFA awarded the inaugural Fair Play Trophy to Peru for not receiving a single card during the World Cup.

The tournament was Peru's first World Cup since 1930, when they lost both of their matches. They did better in 1970, beating Bulgaria and Morocco before losing to West Germany in their final group-stage match. That was enough to send them into the quarterfinals, where they lost to Brazil on 14 June.

The tournament ended on 21 June with Brazil beating Italy in the final. Later that day, as part of the awards ceremony, FIFA recognized Peru's spotless disciplinary record with a new honor called the Fair Play Trophy.

Since then, the trophy has been awarded at every World Cup, given to the team with the fewest cards. Spain won the most recent Fair Play Trophy in 2010. In addition to a trophy, the winners get a certificate, a medal for each player and team official, and $50,000 worth of equipment for their youth programs.