Top 5 FIFA World Cup Goals
With the World Cup rapidly approaching, let’s have a look back at some of the greatest goals in the competition’s history, just to whet the appetite even further.
5 - Archie Gemmill 1978 (SCOTLAND v Holland)
With Scotland on the brink of elimination from the competition, Archie Gemmill wrote himself into Scottish folklore with a sparkling individual effort. Scotland were 2-1 against Holland and needed to win by three clear goals to progress, when Gemmill struck to falsely raise Scottish hopes. From the right wing the man who was part of the successful Nottingham Forest side of the 1970s played a slick one-two with Kenny Dalglish before twisting and turning three Dutch defenders and then calmly curling the ball over the keeper. Ironically later in that match the goal that put paid to Scotland’s World Cup dream took a wicked deflection off Gemmill to wrong-foot keeper Alan Rough.
4 - Michael Owen 1998 (ENGLAND v Argentina)
The fresh-faced, lightning fast striker latched onto a David Beckham pass to net England’s second goal against Argentina. Despite going on to notch 40 international goals for his country, he rarely impressed at top class international level in the same manner that he did in the 1998 tournament. The attributes he showed in beating three Argentinean defenders with his raw speed for this famous goal unfortunately by-passed him as he became more injury prone, but still this goal is the mark of a young genius.
3 - Carlos Alberto 1970 (BRAZIL v Italy)
Brazil lit up the 1970 tournament with extravagant free-flowing football which drove them on to victory, and Carlos Alberto’s goal is one of the most memorable and symbolic images in World Cup history. Eight outfield players were involved in the build-up in total, including Clodoaldo, who dribbled past four men, Pele, who made the final pass and Tosato, who started the move. Alberto did the rest with a powerful first-time drive into the bottom corner.
2 - Esteban Cambiasso 2006 (ARGENTINA v Serbia and Montenegro)
Argentina went on to score another four goals in the game, but this one was pure quality. Incredibly 24 passes were completed before Hernan Crespo’s back-heel found Cambiasso who finished off Argentina’s answer to Brazil’s 1970 goal against Italy. In my opinion what makes this better than the Brazilian goal is that Alberto’s goal was scored when they were 3-1 up and Italy had pushed men forward. Cambiasso was scored at 1-0 and had to break down a very defensive-minded Serbian side, passing football at its very best.
1 - Diego Maradona 1986 (ARGENTINA v England)
Not only is this the best goal in World Cup history but it is quite possibly one of the greatest goals ever scored. This goal had everything - pace, power, composure and the dribbling ability of the highest order. In the same game where Maradona infamously scored with a deliberate handball, he went someway to dampen his critics with a dribble that started in his own half. He beat five England players, slicing through them like a knife through butter, before rounding Peter Shilton in the England goal to once again leave the Three Lions fans heartbroken.
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