Validol, tears, and absolute greatness: 7 World Cup matches you must rewatch.
The FIFA World Cup isn't just a tournament that happens every four years. It's a distillation of pure, primal human emotion. Here, destinies are shattered, national heroes are born, and grown men cry right on the pitch.
Validol, tears, and absolute greatness: 7 World Cup matches you must rewatch.
The FIFA World Cup isn't just a tournament that happens every four years. It's a distillation of pure, primal human emotion. Here, destinies are shattered, national heroes are born, and grown men cry right on the pitch.
The history of World Cups remembers hundreds of wonderful games, but some of them have transcended the boundaries of ordinary sport, becoming ready-made scenarios for Hollywood dramas. If you're tired of the sterile modern football and want to remember why we truly love this game, put everything aside.
Here are 7 absolute masterpieces that every self-respecting fan needs to watch (or re-watch).
1. Argentina vs. France (Final, 2022): The best final in history
Score: 3-3 (4-2 on penalties) Why it's a great movie: Until the 80th minute, it seemed like Argentina would easily and boringly take the cup, and Lionel Messi would gracefully ride off into the sunset. But then Kylian Mbappé woke up.
In 97 seconds, he scored a brace and turned the game on its head. Extra time turned into an open battle with no center field: Messi's goal, Mbappé's incredible response (he scored a hat-trick), and Argentine goalkeeper Emiliano Martínez's historic save in the 123rd minute, which saved the team from certain death. It was an emotional rollercoaster that rocked the entire planet. The perfect end to Leo's magnificent career.
2. Brazil vs. Germany (Semi-final, 2014): National disaster live on TV
Score: 1-7 Why it's a great movie: You have to see it to understand what sporting shock looks like. Brazil was playing the World Cup at home. The whole country was waiting for their sixth title.
Instead, the Germans unleashed the most brutal, cold-blooded, and sadistic massacre in football history. Five goals had already flown into the Brazilian net by the 29th minute. The stands wept, the Brazilian players forgot how to kick a ball in panic, and the German machine simply methodically crushed the hopes of an entire nation. A match that still boggles the mind.
3. Italy vs. West Germany (Semi-final, 1970): The Official "Match of the Century"
Score: 4-3 (a.v.) Why it's a great movie: The game is so legendary that a plaque was erected in its honor at the Azteca Stadium in Mexico.
Regular time ended 1-1, with the Germans equalizing in the 90th minute. Then the madness began: the teams scored five goals in the extra 30 minutes . German leader Franz Beckenbauer played with a dislocated shoulder (his arm was taped to his torso as there were no more substitutions), but he kept fighting. Italy won, but the whole world stood up and applauded.
4. Argentina vs. England (Quarterfinals, 1986): Two Faces of the Football God
Score: 2-1 Why it's a great movie: A match named after one man. In four minutes, Diego Armando Maradona showcased the two polar opposite sides of his genius against the backdrop of the grave political tensions following the Falklands War.
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First, he scored the most controversial goal in history by punching the ball into the goal (the "Hand of God").
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Then he picked up the ball in his own half, dribbled past half the England team, including the goalkeeper, and scored the Goal of the Century.
Pure street scam and a divine gift, all rolled into one.
5. West Germany vs. France (Semi-final, 1982): Thriller and attempted murder
Score: 3-3 (5-4 on penalties) Why it's a great movie: A match that had it all. France led 3-1 in extra time, but the incredible Germans, led by Karl-Heinz Rummenigge, staged a stunning comeback and sent the game to the first-ever World Cup penalty shootout.
But the highlight of the match was the most horrific foul in tournament history. German goalkeeper Toni Schumacher, at full speed, kneed Frenchman Patrick Battiston in the head. The Frenchman lost consciousness, lost three teeth, and suffered a spinal injury. The referee didn't even award a free kick, turning the match into a war of extermination.
6. Italy vs. France (Final, 2006): Broken Genius
Score: 1-1 (5-3 on penalties) Why it's a great movie: Zinedine Zidane's farewell match. The Frenchman had a brilliant tournament and should have left victorious, lifting the World Cup. He even scored an early penalty with a blatant, volleyed shot off the crossbar.
But in the 109th minute, Italian defender Marco Materazzi said a few words about his sister. A headbutt to the chest, a red card, and Zidane walked to the locker room, passing the gold trophy. Italy won on penalties, and the world was treated to the most dramatic ending in sports history.
7. Italy vs. Brazil (Second Group Stage, 1982): The Death of Romance
Score: 3-2 Why it's a great movie: That Brazilian team, with Socrates and Zico, was called the most beautiful team in the history of football. They danced on the pitch and disdained strict defense. A draw was all they needed to advance to the semifinals.
But they faced the stern Italian pragmatism of forward Paolo Rossi, who had just finished serving a ban for betting. Rossi scored a hat-trick, mercilessly punishing the Brazilians for every defensive error. This match is known as "the day romantic football died"—it was after this match that coaches realized that tactics and discipline are more important than fancy moves.
