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Dream for every football team to win the FIFA World Cup cannot be true without their players scoring the decisive goals. Every world cup goal is significant. What adds more value to these goals, are records and games, they are associated with.We look at some of the most intriguing and iconic goals at the FIFA World Cup. Special thanks to Christopher Harris for his valuable suggestion.
#10 A day that sent the world in awe
World Cup final 1958 - Brazil 5-2 Sweden
Greatest of all time…History will agree so…
The tale of every FIFA World Cup is written with stars of the future. In 1958, World Cup staged the birth of a legend. At the mere age of 17 years and 249 days, Pele became the youngest player to have played and scored in a world cup final.
He controlled the ball, followed it by a loft over the opposition’s defender and the final touch was an exquisite volley which put the ball inside the goal.
His goal in the final is often regarded as one of his finest on a football pitch and boy didn’t he score some. All that the teen required was three touches to get his name written in gold.
Pele was an important force in Brazil’s road to its first world cup glory, after despair from previous years.
#9 Gerd Muller\'s last goal
World Cup final 1974 - West Germany 2-1 Netherlands
And the rivalry begins… As the tournament draws end…
Every Germany-Netherlands encounter is unrivaled in many ways but one. Engendering the rivalry between the two countries is the anti-German sentiment of the Dutch.
Netherlands with their Total Football were fans and critics, ideal preference. An early penalty earned by the Dutch star Johan Cruyff left no feelings contrary. However this was not the day of obvious, Germany were awarded a penalty soon which neutralized the scores. Followed next was Gerd Muller’s winner, his last goal on the football ground.
With 14 goals in 13 World Cup matches, Gerd Muller is one of the most prolific goal scorers of the biggest tournament in the world.
#8 Azzurris path to glory
World Cup 1934 - Italy 2-1 Czechoslovakia
Italian football is born…
Azzurri’s did not play the first edition of world cup but went on to win the next two consecutively, a feat that is only matched by the Brazilian. Their claim for first world cup title was in jeopardy when Czechoslovakia scored first but The Blues found an equalizer ten minutes later.
After 90 minutes of normal time, score was still 1-1 which brought the game to extra-time making it the first final in world cup where extra-time was played to decide the winner. Just five minutes played into the extra-time and Italian forward Angelo Schiavio tipped in a cross from Enrique Guaita which proved decisive in Italy clinching their first title.
Italy completed a 2-1 comeback in front of home support of 45,000 and became the new world champions.
#7 Play for respect, and then come a record
World Cup 1994 -Russia 6-1 Cameroon
A little known record... by a little known record holder
Not many would have expected, including the one who witnessed it first hand, for such an accomplishment to be made that particular day. It was a typical world cup match, in a manner of speaking, one team playing for pride and other for qualification to knock-outs.
By the time game ended, Russia who were playing in their first world cup scored six and five of them by an unfamiliar individual named Oleg Salenko. He never appeared in another international after that and never quite reached the heights of performance he showed that day.
Well, indeed it was an extraordinary show he put up. Salenkos record of scoring five goals in one world cup game still remains unequalled.
Roger Milla scored Ghanas only goal and in doing so, the 42 year old became the oldest player to score a goal in World Cup.
#6 The Golden Era
World Cup final 1970 - Brazil 4-1 Italy
The English invented it, the Brazilians perfected it…
There was something fundamentally Brazilian about this goal. This was the epitome of Brazilian magic; eight outfield players passed the ball around the field, the transition from right to left, and the pass, the run and the finish. Simply put up, it was stereotype English with the flow of samba.
The goal is considered as the one of the greatest ever to be scored in the history of the tournament.
This Carlos Alberto wonder goal contributed and secured Brazil’s 4-1 victory over the Italians in the final. This was the third world cup win for Brazil, and in doing so they became the first and only team to retain the Jules Rimet Trophy permanently. The trophy was retired after the tournament.
Many years later the trophy was stolen and never recovered again. With new FIFA rules, no team can retain the new World Cup trophy, thus the only team Brazil that can have the original trophy keeps it virtually.
#5 The Miracle of Bern
World Cup 1954 - West Germany 3-2 Hungary
Deutschland ist wieder was! (Translation - Germany is something again)
It was quite simply an extraordinary final and tournament indeed, in the history of world cup. Raining goals were the will of nature. Not many gave Germany a chance against Hungary in the final. There were genuine reasons for this belief.
Hungary came in the 1954 FIFA World Cup as imperious contenders, unbeaten for record 32 consecutive games. In one of the group games, they defeated the Germans 8-3.
The final was psychologically over many German fans. Inside the first eight minutes the Germnay were trailing 2-0. The pre defined script didn’t seem to change and then the unexpected followed.
Germany turned the tides around and equalized. An 84th minute winner from Helmut Rahn was the most celebrated goal around the globe that day, that year. His precious goal won Germany its first World Cup.
Amateur turned to professional, unknown became legend. And a certain gentleman by the name of Helmut Rahn was nicknamed Der Boss (The Boss).
#4 The Phenomenon strikes back
World Cup 2006 - Brazil 3-0 Ghana
Greatest of his time…History will agree so…
Irrespective of which decade or generation of Brazilian national side you are looking at, playing like defending champions and one comes naturally to them. However the World Cup in 2006 is not the best memory for any Brazilian fan.
Ronaldo scoring his 15th World Cup goal is a consolation for Brazil but nonetheless iconic. The long record held by Gerd Muller was broken by Ronaldo when he scored against Ghana. The early first half goal from this no 9 legend was enough to make him the highest goal scorer in world cup history. A feat that is still unmatched.
Ronaldo of ’06 was just a shadow of what we were accustomed to expect from this phenomenon. His critics always chased him at every stage, and every time he silenced them in his own ways.
Speak of records in a World Cup and a Brazilian would sneak in.
#3 Geoff Hursts Hat-trick
World Cup final 1966 - England 4-2 West Germany
And here comes Hurst. He's got... some people are on the pitch, they think IT’S ALL OVER….IT IS NOW... It's four…
England’s greatest moment of football came true on basis of a non-conventional formation which became popularly known as Wingless Wonders. The final against Germany saw a young centre forward by the name of Geoff Hurst create history for generations to come.
Many have argued about which one, out of the three scored by Hurst that day, was the best? The first one, a good header off a long aerial ball, the second, the ever so controversial ghost goal, or the final minute goal which made him the only player to score a hat-trick in a world cup final.
Be it anyone, all of them were iconic in retrospective of England to their only World Cup glory.
#2 The Macarana Blow
World Cup 1950 - Uruguay 2-1 Brazil
Boys, outsiders don't play. Let's start the show…
When the fourth edition of FIFA World Cup began its journey, the host nation was already in jubilance. Brazilian were regarded at the immortals of football, or at least they believed so. World cup was to be decided on account of a four team final group, Uruguay versus Brazil being the last and also the decisive match. If Uruguay wins the match, they win the tournament. Failing to do so would result the favor in Brazil.
Brazil scored the first goal and the fans were celebrating the win even before the match was over. However destiny believed else wise. Juan Alberto Schiaffino and Alcides Ghiggia scored for Uruguay to put them ahead 2-1. The comeback in second half concluded the biggest upset in a World Cup final.
A football fact, not always the better team shapes up to be the winning team.
#1 Hand of God & Goal of the Century
World Cup final 1986 - Argentina 2-1 England
A little with the head of Maradona and a little with the hand of God…
The most iconic goal in the history of World cup tournament is a tie. A Hand of God, quickly followed by the Goal of the Century. Great players can score all kinds of goals; Maradona is this subject’s prime example.
Against England, he scored two of the most talked about goals in history. His first of the match was a goal from the outside of his raised left hand. The referee was clueless, having no direct vision. His verdict was a goal; Argentina ahead.
Four minutes later, he galloped from his own half, dribbling past four English players before claiming the goal of the century. Argentina won the World Cup 2-1. After all these years, I guess, he still appreciates the irony.
1986 World Cup was undeniably Maradona’s magnum opus. The famous and the infamous created stories of legends for generations to come. His abilities with the ball made him one of the greatest to have ever played the game.
