The glory of football! We are all craving for World Cup action, games and ongoing tension, love for football and the final matches that leave us speechless. Sure, everyone has their own definition of “the most unforgettable and the one and only” but we decided to present you with our ranking. We don’t believe in finals not living up to expectations because at the end of the day — emotions are setting everyone on fire.
Italy vs. France, 2006
We remember this match as if it happened yesterday, so emotional were the events unfolding in Berlin, Germany. Back then, Italy won in the series of penalty 5–3 after 1–1 during the game itself. At first, France took the lead with Zinedine Zidane scoring the penalty, with Italy’s Marco Materazzi making the score even. What happened next is known to almost everybody, these two players involving in a moment that made football fans, judges, journalists, moms and dads talk for years to come. From what is known, Zidane kicked Materazzi with his head because of very unprofessional language the Italian was using on the pitch — language about Zidane’s family. Unfortunately for France, David Trezeguet missed his second penalty in this tremendous game for France while Materazzi — yes, the good old Materazzi — scored for Italy and secured the cup for his teammates. Wow, it was not one for the lighthearted!
Spain vs. The Netherlands, 2010
The final game between Spain and the Dutch team was watched by more than 80 000 people in the stadium in Johannesburg, South Africa. Not for the first time, extra time was required to announce the winner in this match, as it happened 4 years before with France and Italy. But this time the match was settled without penalties. The true winner in this match was not only Spain but Andres Iniesta who scored the only goal with just a couple of minutes remaining in the final. This final will also go in the history of championships as one of the “yellowest” — 14 yellow cards were given out in total, with 9 given to Dutch players and 6 to Spanish players. Quite rough, right?
Brazil vs. Germany, 2002
Let’s dive into events that took place in South Korea and Japan. First of all, the whole tournament was keeping us on our toes because surprises were following one after another. It all started with France losing its first match to Senegal and continuing with South Korea playing in the semi-finals, overcoming such teams like Italy and Spain. Right? Also, Turkey stunned many by advancing to the semi-final for the first time. But at end of the tournament, it all went down to two teams — Brazil and Germany. It was the first final for the two teams ever. In 2002, Brazil won their second World Cup in three attempts and a record fifth title overall with a 2–0 win over Germans. It was a great championship for Ronaldo who scored two goals and won the Golden Boot award as well.
Argentina vs. West Germany, 1986
You might not have been around when this game was on but we have heard a lot of things about this final match in Mexico City. At the time, Argentinian superstar Diego Maradona was in his prime, and Argentina finished the tournament with a 3–2 win over their counterpart. As the events were unfolding, Argentina was two goals ahead of the German team but sixteen minutes remaining did not mean anything to Germany at that point — a goal by Karl-Heinze Rummenigge and six minutes later another one scored by Rudi Völler brought back hope for the German fans. But this fairytale came to end when Argentina put an end to this game. Of course, no one will ever forget Maradona’s “Hand of God” and “Goal of the Century”.
England vs. West Germany, 1966
We could not finish our top without this historical final that goes down in so many lists, articles, and fan wisdom. Wembley stadium in London was filled with almost 100 000 fans craving for great football, and great football is what they got. Also, quite a lot of controversy. This final match was about many goals, leadership shifting throughout the game, Germany scoring before it was too late in the first 90 minutes and that third goal awarded to England which basically changed everything. It was England’s only World Cup trophy and Geoff Hurst's hat trick which is the first, and to date, only one scored in a World Cup Final — ever. The final score of this match was 4–2 but the debate still goes on — did England's third goal actually cross the line?
It is 140 days until World Cup championship this summer in Russia and we are as excited as ever. It is going to be a glorious time, we are more than sure! What are your most precious moments from previous championships? Do you think your team is gonna do better this year? Let us know and follow us on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram for more news.
