2018: Mbappe too quick for Argentina: In the most topsy-turvy knockout tie from Russia, Kylian Mbappe and his blistering speed proved to be the difference between eventual champions France and a chaotic Argentina. After winning a penalty in the first half, Mbappe put on the afterburners to unleash two devastating finishes in the second
2014: Messi misses: With the entire goal to aim at and the ball in position A1 for his wand of a left foot to caress it, Lionel Messi seemed destined to give Argentina the lead against Germany in the final. Except he did not, as if the footballing gods had willed his shot inches wide of the far post. Messi’s miss was the closest he and his nation came to World Cup glory on Brazilian soil
2014: Krul keeps his cool: Penalty-stopping specialist Tim Krul was introduced in the last minute of extra time between the Netherlands and Costa Rica in an innovative substitution that proved inspired. Krul saved penalties by both Bryan Ruiz and Marco Urena to send the Dutch into ecstasy as well as the last four
2010: The Hand of the Devil: To this day, Luis Suarez is despised in Ghana for having the audacity to handle the ball on the goal line and deny what would have been a matchwinner for the Black Stars in a tense quarter-final at the Soccer City Stadium. Ultimately, it would be Uruguay who progressed on penalties, with an unrepentant Suarez joining the celebrations
2006: Zidane’s last act: Marco Matterazzi made two telling contributions in the final between Italy and France. First, he scored Italy’s equaliser. Second, he managed to rile up Zinedine Zidane to the extent that the French captain headbutted the Italian centre-half and bowed out of the World Cup as well as professional football in the most ignominious exit imaginable
2006: Woe and wink: Cristiano Ronaldo put his Manchester United bonhomie with Wayne Rooney aside when he manipulated the referee into sending off Rooney during England’s battle of attrition against Portugal. Once the referee obliged, an impudent Ronaldo added insult to English injury by winking at his Portuguese teammates on the bench
2002: Redemption for Ronaldo: After putting on a vanishing act four years prior in Paris, the original Ronaldo returned with a vengeance to the final, bagging a brace against Germany to seal his legacy and Brazil’s fifth world title. A poacher’s tap-in and a classic Ronaldo side-foot restored El Phenomenon’s sterling reputation on the grandest stage
1998: The ‘Iceman’ freezes time: With a place in the semis on the line, the 10 men of the Netherlands and Argentina needed something special to break the deadlock in Marseille. Step forward, Dennis 'Iceman’ Bergkamp. Receiving a speculative long ball from Frank de Boer with the nimblest of first touches, Bergkamp flicked the ball past Roberto Ayala before rifling it into the net with a sumptuous finish with the outside of his right boot
1998: Beckham sees red: In a rare moment of hot-headedness, David Beckham kicked out at the inherently provocative Diego Simeone amid the cauldron-esque setting of a pre-quarter-final. The only problem: the referee saw Becks lose his temper. Inevitably, a red card followed, which brought hours of tears for Beckham and years of resentment for his football-crazy compatriots back home
1994: Baggio blazes over: Compelled to score from the spot to keep Italy in contention in the final against Brazil, the Azzurri’s pony-tailed hero sent the ball sailing into the Californian sky. While Brazilians erupted in joy around him, Baggio stood motionless and miserable, sealing a moment that would haunt him for a lifetime
1986: Madness, magic, Maradona: This story has been told endless times before and it will be told endless times since. Between minutes 51 and 55 of the England-Argentina quarter-final at the Azteca stadium in Mexico, Diego Maradona produced the most infamous and the most sublime goals in World Cup history. First, an impish effort thanks to “a little with the head of Maradona and a little with the hand of God”. Second, a scintillating slalom that immortalised Maradona’s genius in the annals of the sport, leaving all around him mesmerised
1982: The Paolo Rossi show: In arguably the most eulogised hat-trick in World Cup football, Paolo Rossi, fresh off a four-year ban for illegal betting, single-handedly annihilated a Brazilian defence considered to be the only weak link in the nation’s best-ever side to never become world champions. A powerful header, an edge-of-the-box smash and a precise strike from close range made up Rossi’s treble on the day, which secured a 3-2 win for Italy en route to their first world championship in 44 years
1970: The zenith of ‘joga bonito’: When Carlos Alberto put his foot through a delicately weighted through-ball from Pele to put Brazil 4-1 up against Italy in the final in Mexico City, it marked the culmination of the most gorgeously assembled team goal at a World Cup. Practically every Brazilian outfielder had touched the ball in the build-up, showcasing poise, panache and, of course, perfect technique. Their captain’s finish at the end put the cherry on top of the cake
1966: Ghost goal or golden goal: At a time when goal-line technology and VAR were as far from football as Twitter and Instagram, Geoff Hurst’s second goal for England against West Germany at the old Wembley became an instant controversy. Even though technology has retrospectively concluded that the goal was legitimate and England deserved to win their only World Cup (till date), there are many who still feel that the Germans were robbed in broad London daylight
1966: The World Cup of Eusebio: All of the 1966 tournament felt like one slipstream of serene finishing when seen through the lens of its most enigmatic protagonist, Portugal’s Eusebio. He may have netted in the semi-final as well as the third-fourth place playoff, but it was Eusebio’s four-goal masterclass against North Korea that really propelled him into the headlines. Blessed with speed, strength and a stinging shot, the Black Panther of the beautiful game was unstoppable in England
1958: The Boy Wonder is King: At just 17, Pele had the world at his feet. Quite literally. Two goals in the World Cup final against Sweden in Stockholm helped his nation overcome the trauma of the 1950 defeat on home soil, making Pele an icon while still a teenager. Even though a more mature version of Pele would go on to grace the 1970 edition, it was in 1958, especially in the final, that the world saw the game’s most decorated player at his decorative best
