Top 10 greatest moments in FIFA World Cup history

The FIFA World Cup is the biggest sporting event on earth. Since the first edition of the competition in Uruguay, it has produced some of the greatest goals and moments in the history of the game. And those moments still remain fresh in our mind.

From Diego Maradona’s “Hand of God” against England to Zinedine Zidane’s headbutt, more than 100 eye-catching moments are placed in everyone’s shelf of memory. On that note, we bring you the top 10 greatest moments in FIFA World Cup history without ranking them.

Best FIFA World Cup Moments

Pele’s brace in World Cup final (1958)

Pele is regarded as the greatest player in the history of the FIFA World Cup, given his three title glories in the tournament. He has delivered numerous iconic moments in the competition, but the most notable one must be his debut edition, especially the performance he put up in the final against Sweden.

In the 1958 World Cup, a part of the Selecao team management decided against playing a 17-year-old Pele, but his pace and skills earned him a spot in the starting XI. A hat-trick against France in the semi-final and an iconic brace against Sweden in the final announced the arrival of the most exciting talent in football.

Diego Maradona’s “Hand of God” against England (1986)

If you think goals can only be scored by head or feet, then you are wrong. The prince of football, Diego Maradona played the role of a “clutch” in the 1986 FIFA World Cup and produced one of the most shocking moments in history. In the second half of the quarter-final against England, the English midfielder Steve Hodge was returning the ball to his goalkeeper from a tight spot. Maradona was roaming around inside the penalty box, and when Peter Shilton went to collect the ball, the Argentine jumped highest and guided the ball into the net, using his hand. The match referee decided to give the goal to Argentina despite a series of protests from England. 

Gordon Banks’ heroic performance (1970)

Most of the football fans remember the 1970 World Cup for the glorious victory of Brazil. But, the English goalkeeper Gordon Banks made it to the newspaper headlines, courtesy of his “save of the century” against Selecao. While a strong Pele header was traveling towards the net, Banks dived backwards and lifted it above the crossbar with the help of his fingertip. This moment stunned the Brazilian fan-base, who was assured of the goal for their country. 

USA’s “miracle on grass” against England (1950)

The USA pulled off one of the most shocking results in the history of the World Cup and created an unpredictable moment in the tournament. In 1950, England were arguably the best football team in the world, and a group stage game against an emerging USA team didn’t look much like a threat to the English side.

However, against all odds, the Yanks clinched a 1-0 victory and etched their names in the history book. The moment Joe Gaetjens scored the only goal for the USA in the second half, the whole stadium erupted. One of the greatest FIFA World Cup moments, this result was later termed as a “miracle on grass.”

Zidane’s Headbutt (2006)

Kids from the 1990s will definitely remember this iconic World Cup moment which turned out to be a more talk-about incident than Italy’s victory. Zinedine Zidane is known for his calm and composed character.

But, in the final showdown against Italy, the mercurial Frenchman headbutted Materazzi after a verbal clash on turf. Zidane was shown a red card and Italy went on to beat France on penalties. This is the last match of the decorated French playmaker and it was marked as a dark spot in his dazzling career.

Kuwaiti Prince stops game (1982)

Have you ever imagined a situation where a person outside the FIFA management can stop the course of play during a World Cup match? Well, this is exactly what happened during a group stage game between France and Kuwait in the 1982 World Cup in Spain. With just 12 minutes remaining on the clock, Les Blues scored their fourth goal of the match when Kuwaiti players thought the official Miroslav Stupar had blown the whistle.

But, when they understood the sound of the whistle came from the gallery, it was too late as they already conceded a goal and trailed 1-4 in the match. In the wake of that moment, the Kuwaiti Prince, Sheikh Fahad Al-Ahmed Al-Jaber ran onto the pitch to confront the referee. After a long discussion, the play resumed and the French goal was canceled out. It still remains as one of the most insane FIFA World Cup moments.

The Cruyff turn (1974)

Johan Cruyff, one of the greatest individuals in football, demonstrated one of his iconic skills during a group game in the 1974 FIFA World Cup, and produced one of the most memorable moments in history. Against Sweden, the legendary Barcelona attacker received the ball on his feet while facing towards his goal.

Suddenly, out of nowhere, he turned 180 degrees after dragging the ball behind his active leg despite a tight marking by a Swedish defender. This move kept everyone in the stadium in awe as this stupendous skill looked unpredictable at that moment. Since that iconic moment in the World Cup, the skill has been known as “the Cruyff turn.” The moment looked like poetry in motion.

Luis Suarez’s red card theatrics (2010)

If you are looking for drama and controversy on the list of the greatest moments in FIFA history, then the Uruguay vs Ghana match in the 2010 World Cup will quench your thirst. La Celeste forward Luis Suarez was shown a red card for stopping a goal-bound shot with his hand, and Ghana was awarded a penalty in the dying minutes. However, Asamoah Gyan broke the hearts of the African continent as he failed to score from the spot. Later, the Latin American side marched on following a penalty shootout victory.

Cameroon stuns defending champions Argentina (1990)

A Diego Maradona-led Argentina faced a shocking result in the 1990 World Cup and it became one of the iconic FIFA World Cup moments. Riding on a vessel full of confidence, the defending champions took on a low-seeded Cameroonian side in a group game. When everyone predicted an easy win for La Albiceleste, the African team stunned the global stage by pulling off an impressive 1-0 victory. This was one of the biggest upsets in the history of the tournament.

Geoff Hurst, the showstopper (1966)

England created history after winning the Jules Rimet Trophy in the 1966 World Cup as the hosts of the tournament. But, their hero of the final match against West Germany was not Bobby Charlton. A young Geoff Hurst burst onto the scene and netted a graceful hat-trick at the Wembley Stadium to lead the Lions to the global glory for the first time in their history. The hosts clinched a 4-2 victory after the end of extra time. Hurst’s heroic performance still remains as one of the greatest moments in FIFA World Cup history.

FAQs

What was the biggest moment in football history?

Diego Maradona’s “Hand of God” was the biggest moment in football history.

What is the highest overall in FIFA history?

Brazil participated in the most FIFA World Cup editions (22), and played 114 matches. It is the highest overall in FIFA history.

What is the biggest win in FIFA history?

Australia pulled off the biggest win (31-0 victory vs American Samoa) in FIFA history.

Also Read: Top 10 greatest FIFA World Cup goals ever