As the 2014 FIFA World Cup is right around the corner, we take a look at some of the best World Cup finals in the history of the tournament.
#1 1986 - Argentina vs West Germany
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The 1986 final was held in Mexico at the famous Estadio Azteca. Argentina beat England by the now infamous “Hand of God” goal by Diego Mardona to get to the finals to face a tough West Germay side.
A thrilling game ensued with Argentina taking the lead in the 23rd minute through Jose Luis Brown and adding a second goal after half time through Jorge Valdano. West Germany managed to equalise through headers from Karl-Heinz Rummenigge and Rudi Völler in the 73rd and 80th minute.
Only 3 minutes later, Argentina revived their lead after a superb pass from Maradona found teammate Jorge Burruchaga who scored to make it 3-2. The score remained the same and Diego Maradona went on to win his only World Cup.
Franz Beckenbauer became the only person to lose the World Cup as a player and a manager having played in West Germany’s defeat in 1966.
#2 1974 - Netherlands vs West Germany
Rinus Michels’ Netherlands were favourites to win the competition from the beginning. They had perfected the Total Football system and they had the phenomenonal Johan Cruyff.
They breezed through the group stages and later beat Argentina and Brazil with ease. Hosts West Germany, captained by Franz Beckenbauer, had a much easier run facing Yugoslavia, Australia and other minnows and weren’t expected to do much in the final except be thrashed by Netherlands.
The game started off as expected with the Netherlands taking the lead in the second minute through a Johan Neeskens penalty.
What happened next was one of the biggest upsets in the World Cup, with West Germany making a stunning comeback after Paul Breitner equalised through a penalty before a clinical finish from Gerd Muller earned Germany a 2-1 win.
Beckenbauer lifted the World Cup and Rinus Michels stepped down from his position.
That defeat and the defeat in the finals of the 1978 World Cup were very significant as Johann Cryuff remains one of the greatest players to have never won a World Cup.
#3 2006 - France vs Italy
A game remembered for one incident and one man, Zenedine Zidane.
Zidane had announced his retirement after 12 years of playing for France and this was to be his swansong tournament. It started out as one too with Zidane putting France in the lead after scoring a 7th minute penalty but that was probably the only thing he’ll want to remember from that game.
It was a game of two men actually, with Marco Materazzi conceeding the penalty but later equalising for Italy in the 19th minute. The game went into extra time after both teams failed to score again in normal time and then the infamous headbutt incident occured. During the 110th minute, Zidane headbutted Materazzi in the chest after the latter apparently spoke ill of Zidane’s sister and was consequently sent off.
France went on to lose the game on penalties bringing Zidane’s international career to a tragic end.
#4 1954 - Hungary vs West Germany
Hungary came into this game as clear favourites after having won an Olympic Gold, the Central European International Cup in 1953 and having beaten West Germany 8-3 in the group stages.They dominated the game from the beginning, taking a 2-0 lead within the first 8 minutes only for the Germans to equalise within 20 minutes.
The Hungarians poured forward looking for a win and had two shots hit the cross bar, some remarkable saves from German goalkeeper Toni Turek and a goal line clearance from a German defender as West Germany somehow prevented them from scoring.
With 6 minutes to go Helmut Rahn scored for the Germans from 20 yards out and clinched the game. The Germans held on to win 3-2 in a landmark victory.
#5 1950 - Brazil vs Uruguay
The day the Maracana went silent. The biggest upset in international football history.
Brazil were an emerging power in international football and had demolished all the teams they had met in the Copa America including Uruguay the year before. Thus, they were favourites to win the World Cup in their own backyard in 1950.
Everything was set up for a Brazil win, a victory song was composed and learned in anticipation of a glorious victory, gold medals were made for each of Brazil’s 22 players and the radio and press were expecting a Brazil victory.
The game began at the Marcana with 200,000 people cheering on their home team and everything was going as planned with Brazil dominating the first half. They got the lead in the 47th minute to the delight of everyone there but it didn’t last long with Uruguay equalising superbly in the 66th minute through Juan Alberto Schiaffino.
13 minutes later the upset was complete, with Uruguayan midfielder Alcades Ghiggia scoring after a brilliant run, putting Uruguay 2-1 up. The Maracana went silent.
“Down through its history, only three people have managed to silence the Maracana – the Pope, Frank Sinatra and me.” Ghiggia said after the match and his words will live through football folklore for the rest of time.
