The ten most stunning moments in World Cup history.
Every World Cup seems to throw up some stunning moments, some more than others, but as the current tournament is in full swing we sought to take some time out to look back at some of the best moments from years gone by.
10. The Lion’s Roar
Cameroon may have flopped at this year’s tournament, but they announced their arrival onto the world’s stage in Italia 90 where they firmly became everyone’s second favourite team. After disposing of defending champions Argentina in the group stage they doubled their advantage against Romania before succumbing to the Soviet Union in the final group game.
However, they surprised everyone by overcoming Colombia to set up a quarter final clash with England. They had the Three Lions on the ropes with their exciting attacking bombardments and physical defensive displays. That proved to be their undoing, tough, as two England penalties saw them take an early flight home, but not before winning the world’s heart.
9. The Battle of Santiago
Regarded as the most violent clash in World Cup history occurred when hosts Chile beat Italy in the group stage of the 1962 World Cup. The first foul occurred within 12 seconds of the kick-off.[1] Italy’s Giorgio Ferrini was sent off in the twelfth minute after a foul on Honorino Landa, but refused to leave the pitch and had to be dragged off by policemen. Landa retaliated with a punch few minutes later, but he was not sent off.
English referee Ken Ashton struggled to get a hold of the game, and overlooked a punch by Chilean Leonel Sánchez to Italian Mario David, which had come in retaliation for being fouled seconds earlier. When David kicked Sanchez in the head a few minutes later, he was sent off. More bones were broken, but in between two goals were scored and Chile somehow came out on top.
8. The Cruyff Turn
It seems like a simple thing now, having seen it so many times before, but at the World Cup in 1974 Johan Cruyff changed the way many thought about the game by creating a tricky change of direction that sent schoolboys the world over out into the playground to perfect it.
7. Battiston’s teeth
Despite the Battle of Santiago being on the list, Germany goalkeeper Harald Schumacher’s foul on France’s Patrick Battiston is widely regarded as the worst foul of all time in 1982. Schumacher came racing out of his goal to collide with the Gallic star, leaving him unconscious, his front teeth knocked out, needing oxygen on the pitch and, of course, the Germans went on to win just to rub salt into the wound.
6. Senegal stun the champs
Long before Spain’s capitulation this year, the French got imploding at major tournaments locked down. Having won the previous World Cup on home soil, they followed that up with victory at the European Championships in 2000. all seemed set for them to dominate again in the far east, only they struggled to get off the foot of the table after Senegal shocked them with a 1-0 win on their World Cup debut.
5. Gazza’s tears
During the build up to the 1990 tournament, England had been written off as donkey’s that wouldn’t make a dent to the world’s elite. However, with tension rising on the stands, both in Italy and at home, England rallied to claw their way to the semi-final. With Gazza picking up a booking against Germany, he knew that his chance of appearing in the final was out the window, not that it mattered when the Three Lions lost anyway. His tears were felt by all those at home as the roller coaster came to an end, and it eventually became the iconic image of the tournament.
4. Bergkamp’s Revenge
After Argentina’s dastardly antics in the round of 16 clash with England in 1998, the whole county turned orange as they met the Netherlands in the quarter final. As the game was poised on a knife edge, a long searching ball was played almost the length of the pitch into Argentina’s box where Bergkamp took the ball down expertly before dispatching the ball past Carlos Roa. Still seen as one of the most outstanding goals in World Cup history.
3. Zidane’s sister
We can’t imagine what it’s like to be in the World Cup final, especially when it is to be your final appearance in the game ever. The pressure must be extraordinary. However, Zinedine Zidane took that pressure to the next level when he head butted Italian defender Marco Materazzi in extra time. Many criticised his antics, but one thing is for sure; it’s a career closer that will live long in the memory longer than any victory ever could have.
2. Own goals cost lives
In 1994 a heavily fancied Colombia failed to get out of their group containing hosts USA and a Roy Hodgson inspired Switzerland. The pinnacle of a poor tournament came when centre-back Escobar put the ball through his own net during their clash with the States, thus booking their ticket home. However, that own goal cost Escobar his life, who was shot dead in a night club bathroom shortly after returning.
1. Hand of God
How he got away with it nobody will ever know. Maradona’s turn in the 1986 quarter final clash with England has long been recognised as the most blatancy act of cheating the football world has ever seen. Slaloming through the entire England side, a deflected clearance put the ball in Maradona’s line to punch past Peter Shilton. However, in almost exactly the same turn of events the diminutive striker followed that up by scoring one of the greatest goals the world has ever seen. Swings and roundabouts.