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They don't call The World Cup the "biggest sporting event in the world" because of the size of the stadiums. For one month every four years, all eyes are trained on a single nation as superstars, upstarts and fading veterans from all corners of the planet converge on a few fields of grass to negotiate global football supremacy. But regardless of who emerges victorious, in the end, it's all about the World Cup goals.
North Americans have failed to adopt football as their own because of a decided lack of scoring and a perceived stagnancy that operates in direct opposition to the run-and-gun style of the NBA, NHL, and NFL. So for those out there still on the fence about the world's most popular sport, the following 10 World Cup goals should be requisite viewing.
Here are our favorite examples of 10 footballers who seized the moment on the world's Grandest Stage and didn't let go until the ball was in the back of the net.
#10: Archie Gemmill: Scotland v Netherlands, 1978
Scotland entered the tournament brimming with confidence, but after a pair of disastrous group games, the Scots were in tough against tournament favorites Holland, needing to win by a three-goal margin to advance. Though they failed to accomplish their mission, no Scot will ever forget the brilliant goal scored by the pint-sized Archie Gemmil, where he weaved his way through three Dutch defenders and lifted the ball past goalkeeper Jan Jongbloed. It was truly a World Cup goal for the ages.
#9: Arie Haan: Holland vs Italy, 1978
Before David Beckham was bending it all over the Premiership, Dutch midfielder Arie Haan was firing twisty long-range bombs to the delight of millions. None more monumental then this 35-yard rocket he launched against Italy to put his team through to its second consecutive finals while sending a stunned Azzurri home packing.
#8: Roberto Baggio: Italy vs Czechoslovakia, 1990
Roberto Baggio will be remembered for three things: his mullet, missing the infamous penalty kick against Brazil (which cost Italy the 1994 World Cup) and this miraculous goal against Czechoslovakia, which saw the then-burgeoning striker take on half the team before ultimately finding the back of the net. The now legendary strike brought the home crowd to its knees and to this day remains one of the best individual efforts in World Cup history.
#7: Michael Owen: England vs Argentina, 1998
When Michael Owen scored this miraculous goal as an 18-year-old, a superstar was born. With the teenager's prodigious talents already the talk of England, Michael Owen announced his arrival on the world stage by roaring past Argentina's Jose Chamot, then Roberto Ayala before blasting the ball by the goalkeeper, Carlos Roa.
Though England went on to lose the match, Owen's goal proved to be one of the top moments of the tournament. Owen has since been unable to live up to his billing as England's savior, but that goal will ensure his position at the top of England's football lore.
#6: Pele: Brazil vs Sweden, 1958
It's still hard to believe that Pele scored this remarkable goal when he was just 17 years old and set to embark on the most prolific career in football history. Yes, the goal showed seemingly effortless skill from the young Brazilian, but even more impressive was that it happened in the finals of the world's biggest tournament.
Most teenagers can't ask a girl on a date without a sweaty brow, but this young man showed poise and confidence well beyond his years. They don't call him "The King of Football" for nothing.
#5: Dennis Bergkamp: Holland vs Argentina, 1998
For those who weren't around to watch Diego Maradona or Pele light the world on fire, this goal by the Dutch striker was generation-defining. With what ended up being the last play of the game, Frank de Boer launched a 50-yard pass to the Dutch striker, which he managed to handle in a ridiculous display of skill and finesse, and put it in the back of the net.
The goal sent Holland through to the semis and sent Argentina packing in a defining moment of one of the game's best rivalries. Make sure to watch Dutch commentator Jack van Gelder's famous call (in the video above) for added goosebump factor.
#4: Saeed Al-Owairan: Saudi Arabia vs Belgium, 1994
The World Cup's ability to make a star out of an unknown is best exemplified here when a plucky Saudi Arabian raced through what seemed like the whole Belgian side to score a miraculous goal that earned him the nickname "The Maradona of the Arabs." It also made Saeed Al-Owairan into an international celebrity with life in the fast lane that led to his eventual incarceration.
''I have seen this goal for so many times now, and I'm honestly fed up with it,'' said Al-Owairan of his famous strike. He may be tired of watching brilliance, but we're sure not.
#3: Esteban Cambiasso: Argentina vs Serbia, 2006
One couldn't help but feel sorry for the Serbians, as the Argentinians toyed with their less talented opponents by threading 24 passes through all corners of the pitch before Cambiasso finished off the stunning sequence with a vicious strike. After their passing clinic ended and Cambiasso was brought to his knees in a moment of pure elation, the announcer proclaimed: "That is one of the all-time great World Cup goals." He wasn't kidding.
#2: Carlos Alberto, Brazil vs Italy, 1970
Though it happened almost 50 years ago, the debate about this goal still rages on. Is it the greatest goal in World Cup history? We don't think so, but it definitely comes close. The final goal of Brazil's 4-1 thrashing of Italy in the 1970 finals epitomized everything that was brilliant about the sexy Brazilians. With precise passing that utilized the entire pitch, fancy footwork that froze the Italians, a visionary pass from Pele, and a thunderous strike from Captain Carlos Alberto, this is "The Beautiful Game" at its most beautiful.
#1: Diego Maradona, Argentina vs England, 1986
Although Carlos Alberto's goal a decade earlier showed what is possible when an entire team is playing in perfect harmony, Diego Maradona's miraculous tally against England is proof that one man's pure talent and unmatched determination can bend a full squad to his will.
After scoring the controversial "Hand of God" goal moments earlier, Maradona used his extraordinary pace to blow by a dumbfounded and demoralized English squad before taking it around the goalkeeper, Ray Clemence, for the goal. Football is a team sport, but it's the moments of individual brilliance that make us stand up and gasp. Forget the World Cup -- this may be the best goal, in any sport, of all time.
