Eight teams were scheduled to appear in the tournament. The first list of participants, published in February 1970, consisted of Argentina, Denmark, France, Italy, Brazil, Czechoslovakia, England, and the Soviet Union. This was changed in a later revision, with West Germany, Mexico, Austria and Switzerland replacing Argentina, France, Brazil and the Soviet Union in May 1970.[2] Czechoslovakia would have been the only country from Europe's Eastern Bloc to compete, but the team withdrew[1] because of visa issues.[2]
The crowds for the tournament were "30,000-strong".[3] Denmark won the tournament after beating Italy 2–0 in the final.[2]
Teams were divided into the "northern" group (in Genoa, Bologna and Milan), and "southern" (Bari, Salerno, Naples) with the top teams meeting in the final.
The tournament did not involve FIFA, which had held the first men's World Cup in 1930 but did not hold any women's event until 1988. The host country's matches are considered official by the Italian Football Federation. The Italian women's league had been established in 1968.[4]
Mexico, a losing semi-finalist 2–1 to Italy, were described as the "revelation" of the tournament.[5]
Barboni, Luca; Cecchi, Gabriele (1999). Annuario del calcio femminile 1999-2000 (in Italian). Fornacette (Pisa, Italy): Mariposa Editrice S.r.l. pp. 230–231.