Subscribe to ListverseTop 10 World Cup Goals
- Published August 30, 2007 - 37 Comments
The football World Cup is second only to the Olympics as the biggest tournament in the world. In the past, it has showcased such players of the caliber of Baggio, Pele and Maradona and rarely have they disappointed, all three scoring some memorable goals. This list is ten of the best goals in world cup tournaments. The list has tried to include long-range shots and team goals as well as the more spectacular solo efforts.
1. Roberto Baggio. Italy Vs Czech Republic – 1990
This clip from the Italia world cup in 1990 does not quite do the brilliance of Baggio’s goal justice. Though it still looks good. His dummy just before he scores is perfection. Taking two defenders (watch how the closest defender almost spins right around in confusion) and the goalkeeper out of the equation he presents himself with an open goal. He could not miss.
2. Michael Owen. England Vs Argentina – 1998
England undeservedly lost this game on penalties, but is remembered for 18 year old, Michael Owen’s goal. Flicks on Beckham’s pass and then beats the entire Argentinan defense for pace before finishing beautifully.
It is a shame he has never quite lived up to this moment. Still a very good player, but for the injuries he could have been great.
3. Diego Maradona. England Vs Argentina – 1986
Nowadays England and Argentina have a massive football rivalry and this is where it started. Unfortunately, you cannot see his brilliant second goal without watching his handball for the second (There would be no controversy if Shilton went to catch it. Hand or no hand the goalkeeper is still twice the size of Maradona.), but we can forgive him that because he is the best player the game has ever seen. Argentina went on to win this game and the world cup.
The best thing about the second goal is how he turns the English defender at halfway and then sets off with a pace and confidence of a man who thinks he is certain to score. Moreover, he still had 5 players to beat.
Diego Maradona also scored a great solo goal against Belgium in the same world cup that is almost as good.
4. Al Owairan. Saudi Arabia vs. Belgium – 1994
The best goal from USA 1994. This strike won the Saudis the game and took them through to the second round for the first time.
5. Carlos Albertos. Brazil Vs Italy – 1970
Here the Brazilians score a great team goal in an exhibition match. Or is it the world cup final against an Italian side renowned for their defensive ability? It is hard to tell. You have to love the way the Brazilian dribbles past three players just to advance a few yards, but the genius is the way the whole move is played down the left side drawing in the Italian defense before they quickly switch to the right and score.
There are many great Brazilians goals to choose from, but this is the best.
6. Pele. Brazil vs. Sweden – 1958
Too many people claim Pele is the best player ever on the basis that unlike Diego Maradona he did not cheat. Well here is hard footballing evidence.
In the 1958 world cup final and just 17 years old, he had the confidence and skill to lob it over the defenders head and volley it past the keeper. What is just as impressive is how he cushions the pass with his chest and rolls around the first defender.
Brazil won the final and their first world cup 5-2.
7. Fernando Torres Spain vs. Ukraine – 2006
Two teams new to the world cup, ripped apart by a couple of old hands. Spain won 4-0.
Also (above), that same year: Esteban Cambiasso Argentina vs. Serbia and Montenegro. Argentina won 6-0.
8. Arie Haan Holland vs. West Germany – 1978
Now this is what they mean by total football. Arie Haan scored two great goals at this world cup, both from distance. There is little to choose between either of them, but this wins because he scores against Holland’s football enemy West Germany. He must be about 35 yards from goal and the shot seems to come from nowhere. Good build up too.
9. Lothar Mattheus Germany vs. Yugoslavia – 1990
This is a real captain’s charge from Mattheus and a fierce strike to finish. Germany won the game 4-1. They went on to lift the world cup and only a year after the collapse of the Berlin wall.
10. Manuel Negrete Mexico vs. Bulgaria – 1986
Great interchange, great volley and what better place to score than in the second round of a world cup in your home country.
Contributor: Simon Arms
August 30th, 2007 at 2:05 pm
sweet list. brings back memories..i wish the world cup was held every two years instead of four.
August 30th, 2007 at 8:58 pm
dal: glad you liked the list
August 31st, 2007 at 12:08 pm
Esteban Cambiasso goal is the best in ma opinion.Football is a team game no other goal have come close to teamplay perfection as that.I’ll always put team goals ahead of individual efforts coz involving a whole team is much more diffucult than beating few defenders.
August 31st, 2007 at 12:34 pm
DOOOMKULTUS: team play is definitely important. Do you have a youtube link for the goal you are talking about?
September 4th, 2007 at 4:56 am
Very true doomkultus and Cambiassio’s goal is fantastic, but it was also scored against a poor side in the group stages. I always think the occassion and when the goal is scored makes it special. For example Maradona’s solo effort against England won the world cup quarter-final for Argentina. It was also at a time of great political tension between the countries.
September 7th, 2007 at 8:27 am
What?! No Maradona as No. 1?
This has got to be the only greatest-goals-list in the universe that goal doesn’t top. How wonderfully refreshing, I find it quite overrated. Soo much hype…
I’d have probably put Carlos Alberto as No. 1. That one was just superiority from start to finish.
September 7th, 2007 at 8:35 am
Actually Clemon the list isn’t in any particular order. But I agree Alberto’s goal is the best.
September 7th, 2007 at 9:42 am
Ahh, well that explains it then
September 9th, 2007 at 5:32 pm
Well..
Carlos Alberto Torres just happens to be my neighbor here in Rio de Janeiro.
September 10th, 2007 at 9:50 am
Yeah well Pele just happens to be my gay lover
September 10th, 2007 at 10:00 am
hehe
September 24th, 2007 at 12:56 pm
From the inrotductory paragraph: “The football World Cup is second only to the Olympics as the biggest tournament in the world.”
Sorry, but the World Cup is WAY bigger than the Olympics. Not even close.
Organizers expect four billion total viewers for the ‘08 games. The 2006 World Cup games totaled over 30 billion viewers, with the final garnering well over 1 billion viewers.
September 26th, 2007 at 3:46 pm
Nah I’m sorry the Olympics is bigger. It covers hundreds of sport with every nation in the world taking part. No doubt the world cup gets more viewing figures, but there is only a handful teams that have won and could win the tournament. The Olympics is so much more significant which is probably why it has been used so often to make political statements.
October 2nd, 2007 at 7:57 am
Nah, nonsense…the Olympics arouses very little interest outside of a handful of countries that can afford to
spend the fortunes needed to train “amateur” athletes to the level required. Yes, there are exceptions, such as
Kenyan and Ethiopian distance runners, but for the most part the Olympics is about watching Americans win everything. Most of the world ignores this. And besides that, who really cares about discus throwing, sculling,
or the pentathlon. Who even knows what’s involved in that one? Football, soccer, futbol, fussball, calcio, on the other hand is played almost everywhere.
The World Cup draws entire African villages out of bed in middle the night to huddle around a single TV set. It packs European bars, cafes, even
streets with crazed fans. It sends most of South America
completely out of its collective mind. It is starting to have a similar effect in Japan and Korea. China is becoming infected with this insanity too.
Nah, no contest, the World Cup Rules!
October 3rd, 2007 at 8:45 pm
If that was so Chris, then you should have named your claim as the most watched tournament in the world.
Simon’s point was the Olympics is the biggest tournament event in the world by the sheer number of sports and athletes attending.
In addition, the people playing in the World Cup are usually athletes “hired” with big fat salaries to make them play for them. With that in mind, I don’t see much difference with the Olympics athletes.
On another note, the number of viewers MHL said is a bit confusing, considering the world has a population of 6.7 billion. It might have been a wrong mix of numbers and statistics, but meh, the two tournaments shouldn’t be compared side by side in the first place.
October 10th, 2007 at 5:15 am
About #3: The rivalry between England and Argentina is largely due to the Falklands War in 1982. After combat resulting in 258 British and 649 Argentine deaths, the British eventually prevailed and the islands remained under British control.
To this day, this is not a good topic of choice when visiting Argentina. The Brittish take an lighter approach, partly due to their victory, and partly due to the fact that they consider Maradonas handball to be an much worse crime against humanity.
October 11th, 2007 at 1:19 pm
True Daniel, but isn’t that how all sporting rivalries begin? In the end the only thing teams remember is that they’re supposed to hate each other
October 23rd, 2007 at 5:16 am
What about Archie Gemmill’s goal for Scotland against Holland?
January 9th, 2008 at 2:58 pm
http://youtube.com/watch?v=vSSrIx1i0Fk&feature=related
Ahem….Phillip Lahms goal deserves to be in here!
January 10th, 2008 at 4:04 pm
@Rey: The World Cup does not comprise of any “athletes ‘hired’ with big fat salaries to make them play for them”. All of the participants in the World Cup play for free. They play because they are proud of their country. That is all there is to it. National Teams do not pay their players, because players are not employed by National Teams.
Also, as far as viewing figures go, those figures are accumulated figures for every game over the entire World Cup. So 30billion means an average of about 900 million per game, which is not an exaggeration at all.
Nice list overall, some goals other goals that could have been included, but I am satisfied with the current list.
January 30th, 2008 at 5:41 pm
Ben I think you’re being naive. Footballers do play in the world cup for free in theory, but the world cup is a shop window for the bigger clubs (and smaller clubs), the sponsors and the agents. For some of the players from the smaller footballing nations this has to be a huge incentive
March 16th, 2008 at 5:17 am
Good video but the best goal isen´t there
, the best goal is maxi rodriguez against mexico 2006 quarter final overtime.
But good video.
March 22nd, 2008 at 5:26 am
You’re forgetting Dennis Bergkamp’s goal.
1998 quarter final Netherlands vs. Argentina
March 26th, 2008 at 8:43 am
#
23. Sneeuwpop – March 22nd, 2008 at 5:26 am
You’re forgetting Dennis Bergkamp’s goal.
1998 quarter final Netherlands vs. Argentina
I remember that goal, we were all going crazy hehe.
Also, one of Jack v Gelder’s best moments as in commentary.
May 29th, 2008 at 5:05 pm
Owen’s is over-rated. It’s a great goal, but he just runs away from people, while Maradona uses speed and skill to run rings around England. It is widely considered the greatest goal ever. Baggio one was good. Personally, I’ve always loved the Carlos Alberto goal; look at the follow-through!!! That’s legendary, and I love how calm Pele is, he makes it all look so easy.
July 7th, 2008 at 12:51 am
where is Bergkamp’s strike against Argentina……
September 18th, 2008 at 9:52 pm
OH My..Maradona’s at no :3.In a poll conducted by FIFA ,.fans around the world voted it as the greatest goal of the century…Also U heard about ‘DENNIS BERGKAMP’ ??
December 25th, 2008 at 7:36 am
Good Collection, but where is Denis Bergkamp’s stunner against Argentina in 1998 World Cup?
February 6th, 2009 at 9:14 pm
Maxi Rodriguez.
April 4th, 2009 at 4:41 am
Glad to see a Dutch person on the list!
I am generally not such a football fan, but I really enjoyed #5. Great teamwork!
April 4th, 2009 at 4:43 am
OK, I just saw the Dennis Bergkamp shot many people mentioned in the comments.
Don’t see the beauty of it, but that’s just me.
Jack van Gelder though… lol. Bit too enthusiastic, but it was funny
April 18th, 2009 at 3:59 pm
Well, i cant see how Baggio’s goal is better than Maradona’s. Maradona’s is more legendary, was more important, more skill, better finish. just clearly a better goal. and why did u put Torres on there? That goal would not even be in a top 5 of 2006 alone.
…And lets face it if Berkamps not on there then you Know nothing about football.
April 20th, 2009 at 5:07 am
Maxi Lopez’s left-footed volley that won an incredible Argentina-Mexico game in 2006. The fact that he is right-footed makes it even more special.
Great goal to decide a fantastic match:
April 20th, 2009 at 5:16 am
IrigD:
“OK, I just saw the Dennis Bergkamp shot many people mentioned in the comments.
Don’t see the beauty of it, but that’s just me.”
It wasn’t the *shot* (ie his third touch of the ball) that was magnificent, it was the way his first touch was an incredible act of control, and the way he nutmegged a world-class defender with his second touch to make the third touch (still a clinical finish) look easy.
All in basically the one motion. Pure class.
April 20th, 2009 at 5:17 am
34. Trapper : One of the greatest strikers to ever grace the beautiful game with his presence was Dennis…