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#3 Zidane's masterclass against Brazil in 2006
Zinedine Zidane in France's blue jersey was one of the most feared sights in the late 1990s and early 2000s. His two goals in the WC 1998 final against Brazil made him a legend. But the 2002 iteration of the player was a forgettable one for France and Zidane himself.
Zidane was injured before the tournament started and had to sit out the first two matches, which France lost and drew. This effectively ended the defense of their title before it even began, and while the legend returned against Denmark for the last match, he wasn't able to prevent them from losing the game.
So come 2006, Zidane had a point to prove. And what better match to prove his doubters wrong than against Brazil, the reigning World Champions.
The two heavyweights met in the quarterfinals, and France won by a solitary goal. But the match was from boring. Zidane ran rings around the Brazilian midfield, giving them a taste of their own medicine with his brilliant ball control and dribbles.
It was Zidane who provided the pin point assist from a free kick for Thierry Henry to score, but his overall play against the Samba Boys truly announced to the world that he was well and truly back.
#2 South Korea's memorable run in WC 2002
The World Cup in 2002 was the first FIFA World Cup to happen on Asian soil. It was a proud moment for the Asian people and the attention of the world was on how well the Asian teams would fair.
China was mesmerized by Brazil and a thunderbolt from Roberto Carlos led to Brazil winning 4-0. The two host nations held up much better though. With the home crowd on their side, Japan and South Korea played well and progressed deep into the tournament. The Japanese fought valiantly until the Round of 16, going down to Turkey on a lone goal.
South Korea, on the other hand, produced one of the most memorable moments in international football. In the last 16 stage, they faced none other than Italy, the Euro 2000 finalists. Italy were favorites to dismantle the Koreans, but the host nation had other ideas.
After going down early to a Christian Vieri strike, South Korea snatched the match back by levelling the score in the 88th minute. There was more drama to come as Totti was sent off in extra time, and with three minutes to go for penalties, Ahn Jung-hwan scored the goal that would break Italian hearts and stun everyone around the world.
South Korea would go on to the semifinals, the only Asian team to do so, ultimately falling to the efficient Germans. But on the way, they stunned Spain on penalties, making this a fairy tale run from a team that was expected to bow out in the group stages.
#1 Toldo's semifinal heroics at Euro 2000
The end of the 1990s and beginning of the 2000s was the last time France dominated the international scene. With the talismanic Zidane leading them to a stunning World Cup win in 1998, the French side were hot favorites to win Euro 2000. In the final, they met another team with their own set of talented players in Italy.
With a legend like Di Baggio playing his last legs, young players like Alessandro Del Piero and Francesco Totti were the faces of the new Italy outfit. Before reaching the final though, the Azzuri had to see off the Netherlands. Despite being reduced to ten men early in that match, they held their nerves to take the match to penalties.
Here is where a hero was born. Francesco Toldo was playing second fiddle to a certain Gianluigi Buffon. But a broken hand ruled the Juventus goalkeeper out of the tournament and Toldo stepped in to replace him.
In the semi-finals against the Netherlands, Toldo along with his backline kept the Dutch away. He saved a penalty during regulation time before going on to save two more in the penalty shootout to send Italy to the finals of the Euro 2000. In the finals though, The French overcame the Italians when David Trezeguet scored a golden goal.
He might have lost the final, but Toldo's heroics against the Netherlands in the semifinals won him many hearts back in his homeland.
