This summer we will have the privilege of seeing the 23rdrd edition of a World Cup and witness some moments that will become a permanent part of football tradition. It happens at every tournament, with memorable goals, inspiring player stories, hard-fought matches and inexplicable actions that shocked the world. It’s very difficult to select just a handful of unforgettable moments from nearly a century of football, so the following selection is just a snapshot and not an actual ranking.
We look back at some of the most incredible things we saw at one of the past World Cups.
Goal in under 11 seconds (2002)
Scoring a goal in the first minute of a World Cup match is rare. Doing it in under 11 seconds is absolutely incredible and still stands as the record. This feat was achieved in 2002 by the Turkish footballer Hakan Sukur in the match for third place against South Korea, and contributed to the historic success of his team who won 3-2. Sukur caught the Korean defense basking in the glory of the high-profile match a little too long and made them pay before anyone knew the match had started.
Germany with 7 points in Brazil (2014)
If you want an example why you can’t fully trust news about this year’s World Cuplook no further than the semi-final match in 2014. Brazil were considered serious contenders to win the trophy outright, and the match against Germany was expected to be a dogfight. What actually happened was an embarrassment for football’s most prestigious nation and a display of German offensive firepower. To win 7-1 in the semi-finals of the World Cup is a miracle in itself, but to do it with a Brazilian team full of international stars was nothing short of spectacular.
Roger Milla Dancing with a Corner Flag (1990)
Few teams have ever captured the sympathies of fans like Cameroon did in 1990. The happy-go-lucky squad burst onto the scene seemingly out of nowhere and began stringing together unexpected results, including a group-stage victory over Argentina, eventually reaching the quarter-finals. The most enduring image of this inspired run is of Roger Milla celebrating each goal by running straight to the corner post and doing a little dance for the fans. It was surreal, authentically African and impossible to ignore.
Zidane’s header (2006)
The next notable moment is certainly more sinister, but no less mind-blowing. In 2006, Zinedine Zidane was widely regarded as a respected veteran nearing the end of his career and an all-time leading scorer for France. Why a legend of this rank would pull a move out of a street fight movie and earn an inevitable red card in an important match remains a mystery. Zidane was provoked in extra time of the final match against Italy and retaliated by punching Marco Materazzi in the chest with his forehead. This prevented him from participating in the penalty shootout, which his team eventually lost.
Maradona and the Hand of God (1986)
Yes, the infamous Hand of God goal belongs right at the top of that list. Diego Maradona was part of four World Cups and did too many incredible things to count, but his feat of pretending to score a header when in reality he used his hand to reach the ball remains an all-time classic. Of course, in the age of VAR this goal would never have counted, and even then the instant replay showed what actually happened. That was of little consolation to England, who were on the receiving end and knocked out in the quarter-finals, while Maradona and Argentina would go on to win the World Cup trophy.
