Sports
Exploring the Nick Saban butterfly effect, 400-plus job changes later
At approximately 3:53 p.m. CT on Jan. 10, Nick Saban sized up what had been another busy day inside the Alabama football office. He and his staff had spent much of their day interviewing three prospective assistants: two wide receivers coaches and a special teams coach. The third of the interviews, with Washington receivers coach JaMarcus Shephard, had just concluded.
“I think the guy from Washington is probably our best hire,” Saban told the Alabama coaches. “Let’s keep doing our due diligence, and then we’ll talk about it in the morning.’”
At 4 p.m., Saban and the group would reconvene for a team meeting. Within 10 minutes, he would inform everyone in the room – some 150 players and staffers – he was retiring, ending a coaching career that included seven national titles, 11 SEC championships and saw 27 assistants go on to become FBS head coaches and 10 more get NFL head coaching jobs.
“Man, it was a weird day, like ‘Twilight Zone’ weird,” said Zach Mettenberger, then an Alabama analyst. “Like two minutes into the meeting, not even, he just dropped a friggin’ nuke on all of us. He just kinda dropped the mic and walked out.”
Saban had two speeches written: one to retire and one to keep going. “I kept vacillating back and forth,” Saban later told ESPN. At 3:55, he was sitting in his chair, looking at the clock. “You have five minutes to decide which speech you’re gonna give.”
The speech he gave rocked the football world, particularly the lives of 423 coaches and staffers whose jobs would be impacted by the coaching dominoes that would begin to fall from his retirement.
Five more major college football programs needed new head coaches as a result of Alabama’s hire. The impact ultimately spread to 38 Power 5 schools, 25 Group of 5 schools, 34 lower-level programs, more than a dozen high schools and 10 NFL organizations.
The Crimson Tide’s head nutritionist since 2010, Amy Bragg won five national titles with Saban. Only head trainer Jeff Allen and Dr. Ginger Gilmore, the Tide’s director of behavioral medicine, worked with Saban longer.
Alabama had built up one of the largest coaching and support staffs in the country, with more than 75 staffers listed in its 2023 directory. Saban’s decision left each of them – even his closest allies – wondering whether they’d have a role in the powerhouse program moving forward.
“We were all probably unprepared even though we knew that day was coming when it would be over,” Bragg said. “As it sunk in, I thought a lot about Coach Saban’s quotes: Control what you can control. Play the next play.”
Clint Trickett was in Tampa at Jon Gruden’s “Fired Football Coaches of America” headquarters when he heard the Saban news. Trickett’s dad, Rick, was a colleague of Saban’s in the 1970s at West Virginia and was on Saban’s first LSU staff.
“I was like, ‘F—!’” said Trickett, who was looking for work after getting released as Marshall’s offensive coordinator. “I was disappointed because one of my career goals was to work under him as a position coach. I’d been a (graduate assistant) for him for a short period of time — for eight work days — and when I left him to go work for Lane (Kiffin), it was a big deal. I really wanted to work for Nick Saban. It was a sad, sad day.”
Kane Wommack, the head coach at South Alabama, was preparing steaks as he and assistant head coach Matt Shadeed planned spring practices. Before the steaks hit the grill, Shadeed blurted out, “Oh my gosh! Nick Saban has retired.”
Wommack immediately felt a pit in his stomach. “I remember thinking, ‘I just hope nothing changes with my program,’” he said.
The next morning, Kalen DeBoer called Wommack. The two coaches were assistants at Indiana in 2019, when the Hoosiers cracked the Top 25 for the first time in 25 years. DeBoer had just led Washington to the national championship game in his second season as head coach, a turnaround that had gotten the attention of Alabama brass.
He wanted Wommack’s insights about the Tide’s program. Would he be a good fit?
When the offer was on the table, DeBoer asked: Is this something you would want to be a part of? Wommack had led South Alabama to its first two winning seasons and bowl victory as an FBS program, but sustaining success, he felt, was much harder at the Group of 5 level than it was when he took the job in 2021 because of the evolution of NIL and the transfer portal. When you’re the defensive coordinator at Alabama, he reasoned, you can succeed every year.
“It just wasn’t an opportunity I was gonna turn down,” Wommack said. “It happened fast.”
Everything did.
After Saban left the Wednesday team meeting, Alabama athletic director Greg Byrne told the Tide that he would have a new head coach in place within 72 hours. Byrne made the hire in 49 hours, naming DeBoer as Saban’s successor. On Monday afternoon, DeBoer shook up the coaching carousel again, hiring Wommack.
Four days after it played for a national title, Washington needed a new leader.
“What a week!” Jedd Fisch said as he walked down the halls of the Arizona football office the day Saban retired.
One of his mentors, Pete Carroll, had stepped down from the Seahawks the previous day after 14 seasons. Fisch expected his former boss Bill Belichick to part ways with New England the next day. Fisch didn’t think the Saban news would impact him. When Alabama hired DeBoer on Friday, Fisch figured Washington would go with DeBoer’s longtime assistant, offensive coordinator Ryan Grubb, as his successor.
Washington athletic director Troy Dannen had only been in Seattle for three months. Locking DeBoer into a long-term extension was imperative. The Huskies were 5-0 when he arrived and just kept winning. Dannen made a strong offer the week of Thanksgiving starting at $8.5 million per year, an unprecedented figure for UW. When that was rejected, Dannen spent much of December preparing a list of candidates.
Fisch wasn’t atop that initial list despite achieving a remarkable flip in Tucson, taking over a program on a 12-game losing streak and winning 10 games by Year 3. But when the job opened in January and Dannen started making calls, he was quickly won over.
Their first conversation, a half-hour call, took place around 2:30 p.m. on Saturday. By 10 p.m., Dannen was ready to offer him the job.
The Huskies’ impending move to the Big Ten in 2024 was, for Fisch, the No. 1 factor.
Fisch said it was clear Washington was willing to make a “huge” commitment to football. Arizona’s salary pool for its football assistants was $4.3 million in 2023. Washington almost doubled that to $7.3 million. He offered jobs at Washington to 21 Arizona staffers and all 21 accepted. But he still had room for a few new faces.
Steve Belichick watched how Fisch transformed Arizona. The two coached together on his father’s staff in New England. Belichick, 37, had spent all 12 of his years in coaching with the Patriots, the last four as New England’s defensive play caller. If someone had told him a month before his father left the Patriots that he would become a college coach, he says he’d have rolled his eyes.
“I don’t think I would’ve believed it,” said Belichick, now the Huskies’ defensive coordinator, “but things happen.”
Over at South Alabama, Wommack’s sudden departure was a stunner. The Jaguars had just earned their first bowl victory in program history. Players didn’t see the change coming and needed continuity.
“They were, to use a boxing example, catching a flurry and on the ropes,” said Major Applewhite, Wommack’s offensive coordinator.
Applewhite was quickly promoted to take over at South Alabama. He has Saban to thank for that and much more. He was Saban’s first OC at Alabama in 2007 and rebooted his career in Tuscaloosa as an analyst in 2019 after his abrupt firing as Houston’s head coach.
“He’s always helped me whenever I’ve asked,” Applewhite said. “I don’t try to abuse that or be a nuisance. But there’s been times where I’ve called him since I’ve gotten this head job and asked him questions.”
He could’ve left for more high-profile OC jobs during his time with Wommack, but Applewhite and his family like Mobile, Ala., and were tired of moving. He didn’t want to ask his daughter to switch high schools.
Major Applewhite was promoted to head coach at South Alabama after Kane Wommack departed for Alabama. (Brian Bahr / Getty Images)
Applewhite had to rebuild his staff, hiring five new assistant coaches while promoting two more. After losing DC Corey Batoon to Missouri, he brought back Will Windham, who’d been fired by Wommack in December and had just accepted a job at Arkansas State.
Windham spent one week recruiting for the Red Wolves but hadn’t signed a contract. He had already put the family home on the market and had three showings. On the Friday morning that Applewhite called, his wife was en route to Arkansas to go house hunting.
“It was a crazy three-hour span of, ‘We’re moving to Jonesboro, Ark.,’” Windham said, “to, ‘Holy smokes, get the house off the market, I’m gonna be the defensive coordinator at South Alabama.’”
A coach’s fortune can change in an instant. Pete Lembo was recruiting in New Jersey when he learned Buffalo head coach Maurice Linguist was leaving after a 3-9 season to become Alabama’s co-DC. Lembo had a 112-65 career record in 15 years as a Division I coach, but the South Carolina special teams coordinator hadn’t run his own program in almost a decade. The 54-year-old was beginning to doubt he’d get another shot.
“I remember getting a call from a search firm guy,” Lembo said. “He said, ‘You would be a great candidate for this job, but you guys were 5-7 this year. If it was last year when you were 8-4, you’d probably be getting an interview right now.’ Those are things you can’t control. You say to yourself, ‘I’m the same guy I was when we were 8-4.’”
The New York native said he had an “aha moment” when Buffalo opened. He was the right man for the job, an experienced former MAC coach who could ensure a smooth transition. The process moved quickly with AD Mark Alnutt, and it needed to with the start of the semester fast approaching. In his first week on the job, Lembo held meetings with all 87 players.
“It was real important for me to come in and be very steady and even-keeled,” Lembo said, “and let everybody know this is gonna be OK.”
Applewhite hired Paul Petrino to coach South Alabama’s receivers. Central Michigan replaced him with B.T. Sherman from Morgan State, who then brought in Apollo Wright as its new offensive coordinator.
And that meant Mike Woodard needed to find a new head coach for the Fernandina Beach Pirates.
Fernandina Beach, Fla., is tucked away in northeast Florida next to the Georgia border, a tourist destination on Amelia Island. Their high school program has good support, an indoor practice facility and a renovated weight room but one playoff win in school history. Wright, a college assistant for 20-plus years, went 7-13 over his two seasons. Woodard, their AD and dean of students, knew Wright wanted to give college one more shot.
Bobby Dan McGlohorn, who had head coaching experience in North Florida and was an assistant across the state line at Camden County in Kingsland, Ga., accepted the job but backed out a few weeks later. Woodard turned to Blake Willis.
The 33-year-old has been the Pirates’ defensive coordinator and strength coach for five years while also teaching PE weight lifting classes. He grew up and went to school there. Fernandina Beach’s last consecutive winning seasons were his junior and senior year.
There was a time when Willis considered working at the college level. He interned with South Carolina’s strength and conditioning staff in the summer of 2018 and worked for UCF’s staff in 2018-19 while pursuing his master’s degree. While he learned so much from coaches now at Tennessee and other Power 5 schools, he was reluctant to go down that road.
“I didn’t know if I wanted to move around a whole lot, because that’s kind of the deal,” Willis said. “Every few years, you’re probably having to find a new job.”
Willis never thought he would become a head coach this quickly. Woodard has reservations, too, but talked him into applying. When the AD interrupted a team workout to announce the new coach, his players celebrated.
“I’m trying to build it up to where I think it should be,” Willis said. “This is where I’m from. I want this place to be the best it can be.”
The coaching moves set off by Saban’s retirement rippled out to high schools in nine other states, too. Mettenberger, the Alabama analyst and former LSU and NFL quarterback, accepted an OC role at Father Ryan High School, a private school in Nashville. The process of looking for another coaching job late in the cycle was daunting, and the 32-year-old coach didn’t have an agent.
“We planned on moving back to Nashville, because it was more conducive to my wife’s work and I was just gonna figure it out, whether it be selling insurance for the next year until the next coaching cycle,” Mettenberger said. “The coordinator at Father Ryan left for a job in Georgia, and with my prior experience there and my situation moving back, it happened organically. I was real lucky.”
Clint Trickett was fortunate, too. Three months after being let go by Marshall, he was hired to coach inside receivers and tight ends at Georgia Southern. That spot came open after DeBoer hired Georgia Southern OC Bryan Ellis as Alabama’s tight ends coach. Ryan Aplin, who had the job Trickett was taking, got promoted to replace Ellis, who got looped in at Alabama by his old buddy from his Western Kentucky days, JaMarcus Shephard, DeBoer’s receivers coach at Washington that Saban had interviewed 10 minutes before he retired. Shepherd ended up in Tuscaloosa after all, as the Tide’s wide receivers coach.
Willis and Woodard chuckled upon learning their connection to Alabama. “It’s definitely insane,” Willis said. “I would’ve never thought.” How would Woodard like to be in Byrne’s shoes, tasked with selecting Saban’s successor?
“You know, everyone has their own speed bumps and potholes,” Woodard said. “I’m perfectly fine right now just covering mine with beach sand.”
Arizona hired Brent Brennan and San Jose State hired Ken Niumatalolo to replace him. Coincidentally, he’d already met his new team four weeks earlier.
The veteran coach was back home in Hawaii in December. His good friend Joe Seumalo, San Jose State’s defensive line coach, was in town and wanted to catch up. He asked if he could watch a practice as the Spartans prepped for the Hawaii Bowl.
“Brent Brennan is a good dude and was like, ‘Ken, do you wanna speak to the team?’ I said sure,” Niumatalolo said. “I talked about how I was impressed with how close their team was. It was evident Coach had done a really good job of creating a family atmosphere. I wished them the best of luck.
“I’m a very spiritual person. Things are sometimes meant to be.”
Niumatalolo was fired in the locker room after Navy’s double overtime loss to rival Army in 2022, an abrupt end to a successful 15-year tenure. Plenty of friends offered him jobs, but could he go back to being an assistant? Niumatalolo joked that he wasn’t quite ready to grind like the countless fired coaches who became Alabama analysts under Saban.
Chip Kelly got creative and offered him a new advisory role: UCLA’s director of leadership. No coaching, no recruiting. Niumatalolo sat in on meetings, watched practice and took copious notes on how to run a Power 5 program. The 59-year-old coach shared an apartment with his son Ali’i, UCLA’s offensive line GA.
“It was a way for me to stay in the game and learn from Chip,” Niumatalolo said. “It turned out it was a perfect job for me. … I didn’t realize I needed that to decompress. It allowed me to touch every part of that program and see it for myself.”
He spent the year putting together a plan with the hopes he’d get a call at the end of the season. Niumatalolo knew he needed to move away from Navy’s option offense and studied passing attacks. He filled up his iPad with ideas for his next program. When a job didn’t emerge, he agreed to coach UCLA’s tight ends. And then Saban retired.
“The way this happened was weird, because it was so late,” Niumatalolo said. “I don’t know if that will ever happen again. None of us have ever seen that, how all these different dominoes fell.”
He’d been involved in quite a few searches in past years, so he knew how fast they were filled. When Brennan landed his dream job at Arizona, Niumatalolo got a call from his agent, then a Zoom meeting, then an in-person interview the next day. “You better be prepared,” Niumatalolo said.
He landed Texas State’s Craig Stutzmann and his “Spread and Shred” system on offense, retained DC Derrick Odum and brought Nu’u Tafisi from UCLA as his strength coach. He trusted them to fill out their staffs while he took more of a CEO approach, building relationships with donors to boost NIL funding.
“I can’t do a lot of things well, but I know how to be a head coach,” he said. “I can’t use a hammer. I suck at computers. I don’t know how to fix a tire. But I know how to lead people.”
When Lembo brought one of his former grad assistants, Brian Dougherty, to Buffalo as his safeties coach, Mike Caputo was out of a job.
The 31-year-old assistant, a three-year starter and All-American at Wisconsin, had worked at five schools in seven years. Caputo lived out of his Dodge Charger for six months after landing a GA job at LSU in 2017. He put in two years there with Dave Aranda before reuniting with Gary Andersen as safeties coach at Utah State. Caputo took a pay cut to join Aranda’s Baylor staff as a quality control coach in 2020. He accepted another off-field role at his alma mater in 2022 and watched Paul Chryst get fired at midseason.
“I tried to develop as many relationships as possible, didn’t burn any bridges and just always chased opportunity and not money,” he said.
Caputo could’ve stayed with Wisconsin but felt ready for his next step. He got on at Buffalo as safeties coach and special teams coordinator. His wife, Lauren, was pregnant with their second child but signed off on the move. Their daughter, Vera, arrived 11 days after they landed in Buffalo.
Nine months later, Caputo was in an airport bar trying to rebook a flight canceled by a snowstorm when he learned Linguist was leaving. There weren’t many jobs available by late January. He exhausted all his connections.
In April, the Caputos moved to Pittsburgh. Mike came home to join his father’s commercial insurance agency. This isn’t a hiatus. He’s decided to get out of coaching.
“I’m not sour about it,” he said. “Shoot, it’s been a blessing.”
Caputo believes he’s out for good. He was already becoming frustrated by how much assistant jobs have changed. “Now you’re only coaching 20 percent of the time,” he said. “The majority is recruiting. That’s not why I got in. I got in to coach and develop young men.” For Caputo, it was validating to hear Saban make similar observations upon retiring.
Dozens of coaches and staffers impacted by Saban’s decision found themselves in similar predicaments. These newly hired head coaches had to make difficult decisions about who to bring, who to keep and who’s out. At Alabama, DeBoer brought Washington nutritionist Ali VandenBerghe and moved on from Bragg, ending her 14-season tenure. She’s now in the consulting business, relying on her two decades of leading college football nutrition programs.
Daniel Bush, Alabama’s recruiting director since 2018, wasn’t retained and wasn’t looking to move his family across the country. He stayed in Tuscaloosa and has launched a recruiting service to help high school prospects. Bush proudly said he didn’t miss a single Little League game this spring. He won’t miss the 85-hour work weeks from August through December.
“At the end of the day, winning takes what it takes,” Bush said. “We were all willing to invest what it took to get it done.”
Just before spring break, Cisco College defensive coordinator Charlie Rizzio was on his way out of the office when he got stopped by his head coach.
Stephen Lee told Rizzio that he was about to accept an offer to coach tight ends at FCS program Tarleton State and that he would recommend Cisco hire Rizzio as his successor. It’s his first college head coaching gig.
“I guess I’ve got ole’ Nick to thank for that,” Rizzio joked when he learned of his six degrees of separation from Saban.
Rizzio, a former Division II running back at Assumption College, has spent his adult life coaching at places the average fan has never heard of.
At 30, with six years of high school coaching experience to his name, Rizzio wanted to try the college level. But his connections were sparse, so in 2014 he emailed his resume to every college he could think of. When Division II West Texas A&M responded it needed a running backs coach, Rizzio jumped in his Hyundai on a Friday and drove 1,800 miles cross-country to Canyon, Texas.
When he arrived at the football offices Monday morning, he beat all but one coach there: Lee, who was then the offensive coordinator there. Nobody there had a clue who Rizzio was. The head coach had forgotten they had spoken. But he hired Rizzio as a graduate assistant on the spot.
That kicked off a decade-long coaching journey for Rizzio at schools like Eastern New Mexico, Southern Connecticut State and Missouri Western. He has driven thousands of miles, blown two car engines, and didn’t make enough money to pay off his student loans until he was 36.
When Lee was announced last year as the new head coach at Cisco, Rizzio was one of his first calls as defensive coordinator. “He’s a problem solver,” Lee said. “He looks around to figure out what needs to be done.”
Rizzio, then substitute teaching in Connecticut, had only three requests for his next gig: health insurance, enough salary to live without a roommate and enrollment in the Texas Teacher Retirement System, a statewide pension program for school employees.
“I told him, ‘If you can check those three boxes, I don’t care where it is,’” Rizzio said.
The Wranglers went 4-4 in Lee’s and Rizzio’s first year together and were encouraged by the potential. Cisco, roughly 100 miles west of Fort Worth in a town of 4,000, doesn’t have the resources that other programs in the Southwest Junior College Football Conference have. But the coaches made it work.
In January, DeBoer hired Baylor offensive line coach Chris Kapilovic to the same job at Alabama. Baylor coach Dave Aranda recruited Mason Miller from Tarleton State to fill the void. Tarleton coach Todd Whitten made two moves to fill the vacancy left by Miller, his offensive coordinator and tight end coach: He promoted quarterbacks coach Adam Austin to OC and called Lee from Cisco to be the tight ends coach.
The funding and ambition at Tarleton was too attractive to pass up for Lee. And he knew Cisco would be in good hands with Rizzio.
The first-time head coach has plenty of work ahead of him. In junior college football, the coaching staff sizes and facilities may as well be on a different planet when compared to what Saban had at Alabama.
“You’re gonna have to wash some jock straps and you can’t be too prideful to do that,” Rizzio said. “You’re gonna have to clean the dorms, take the trash out, do grade checks, do breakfast checks, run the weight room.”
But he’s not complaining. He loves coaching and couldn’t imagine doing anything else. He knows there are coaches paid exponentially more who are “miserable.” He’s the opposite.
Rizzio appreciates the small-town community and says the people of Cisco are “amazing.” He tells his team to imagine they’re not waking up in Cisco, but in Tuscaloosa, preparing for the Iron Bowl.
“You can find happiness anywhere,” Rizzio said. “Everyone’s got problems. Even Nick Saban has problems. He’s just got Mercedes-Benz problems, and we have Hyundai problems.”
(Illustration: Eamonn Dalton / The Athletic; graphics: John Bradford, Drew Jordan / The Athletic; photo: Tim Warner / Getty Images)
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In 2025, Alex Palou kicked off the Month of May with a Sonsio Grand Prix win at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway road course.
Based on the odds, it’s likely that Palou will find himself in Winner’s Circle again this Saturday when INDYCAR goes back to IMS on May 9 (4:30 p.m. ET, FOX).
Considering Palou has already captured the checkered flag three times this season, are there any other drivers whose odds are worth a wager?
Here are the latest lines at DraftKings Sportsbook as of May 9.
This page may contain affiliate links to legal sports betting partners. If you sign up or place a wager, FOX Sports may be compensated. Read more about Sports Betting on FOX Sports.
Sonsio Grand Prix 2026
Àlex Palou: 5/18 (bet $10 to win $12.78 total)
Kyle Kirkwood: 5/1 (bet $10 to win $60 total)
Pato O’Ward: 12/1 (bet $10 to win $130 total)
David Malukas: 14/1 (bet $10 to win $150 total)
Josef Newgarden: 16/1 (bet $10 to win $170 total)
Scott McLaughlin: 20/1 (bet $10 to win $210 total)
Christian Lundgaard: 30/1 (bet $10 to win $310 total)
Scott Dixon: 40/1 (bet $10 to win $410 total)
Will Power: 60/1 (bet $10 to win $610 total)
Felix Rosenqvist: 80/1 (bet $10 to win $810 total)
Alexander Rossi: 100/1 (bet $10 to win $1,010 total)
Marcus Ericsson: 100/1 (bet $10 to win $1,010 total)
Marcus Armstrong: 100/1 (bet $10 to win $1,010 total)
Christian Rasmussen: 150/1 (bet $10 to win $1,510 total)
Graham Rahal: 150/1 (bet $10 to win $1,510 total)
Louis Foster: 300/1 (bet $10 to win $3,010 total)
Dennis Hauger: 500/1 (bet $10 to win $5,010 total)
Romain Grosjean: 500/1 (bet $10 to win $5,010 total)
Santino Ferrucci: 500/1 (bet $10 to win $5,010 total)
Rinus Veekay: 500/1 (bet $10 to win $5,010 total)
Kyffin Simpson: 500/1 (bet $10 to win $5,010 total)
Caio Collet: 1000/1 (bet $10 to win $10,010 total)
Sting Ray Robb: 1000/1 (bet $10 to win $10,010 total)
Nolan Siegel: 1000/1 (bet $10 to win $10,010 total)
Mick Schumacher: 1000/1 (bet $10 to win $10,010 total)
Here’s what to know about the oddsboard:
Heavy Favorite: It doesn’t look like Alex Palou’s dominance will be slowing down anytime soon. As noted above, he’s already won three of the five races since the INDYCAR season started in March. With 186 laps led, Palou sits first in the standings and has the shortest odds to win the title again. Last season, he started from the pole and led 29 laps before winning the race.
Long Shot to Watch: While his odds of 150/1 to win at IMS are much longer than Palou’s, Graham Rahal is one to watch. At this race in 2025, he started second and led 49 laps before finishing sixth. He finished second at this course in 2015, 2020 and 2023. He’s currently 10th in the INDYCAR standings, with one top five and three top 10s.
Sports
Prep talk: Southern Section Division 1 semifinals features matchup of boys’ volleyball powers
Get ready for the best high school boys’ volleyball action in the nation on Saturday when four powers face off in the Southern Section Division 1 semifinals.
First up is Huntington Beach hosting No. 1-seeded Mira Costa at 1 p.m. Then it’s Loyola hosting Redondo Union at 5 p.m.
All are capable of beating each other.
Teams are finally healthy, so there could be two five-game matches.
Mira Costa remains the team to beat with a 31-2 record and having the No. 1 college recruit from the class of 2027, Mateo Fuerbringer. Redondo Union owns one of those losses. Loyola is healthier than it’s ever been and has a five-game win over Redondo Union and a five-game loss to Mira Costa. Huntington Beach has two three-game losses to Mira Costa.
The championship match will be next weekend at Cerritos College, followed by the Southern California regional and state championships.
This is a daily look at the positive happenings in high school sports. To submit any news, please email eric.sondheimer@latimes.com.
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What comes to mind when you think of the top men’s FIFA World Cup moments?
It could be Diego Maradona carving through England’s defense for the Goal of the Century. Or, a legend like Pelé or Lionel Messi raising the trophy up high into the sky. Or something more controversial, like Cristiano Ronaldo’s wink after getting Wayne Rooney sent off.
Leading up to this summer, we’re counting down the most iconic, most controversial, most defining moments in tournament history. Check out today’s entry, but keep on reading as we count down to the BEST World Cup moment ever.
JUMP TO: 100-90 | 89-80 | 79-70 | 69-60 | 59-50 | 49-40 | 39-30 | Stay Tuned For More
No. 100: Pure Control, Pure Class, Pure Messi
In 2018, the pressure on Lionel Messi was building. Argentina’s star captain had gone scoreless through two games, including a 3-0 loss to Croatia. He needed to do something against Nigeria. That’s when the Messi magic appeared.
Argentina went on to win the game and advance. An unbelievable first touch from Lionel Messi that saved Argentina. And while La Albiceleste were eliminated by eventual champions France in the round of 16, Messi’s sublime goal was perhaps the best of the tournament.
No. 99: Red Card for … Celebrating?!
Vincent Aboubakar made history for Cameroon when he scored a game-winning goal against Brazil in 2022, the first time an African country had defeated the five-time champions in a World Cup setting. The problem was that he was then sent off for excessive celebration.
The Indomitable Lions were still eliminated despite the win, with the Brazilians advancing to the knockout rounds. Nonetheless, it was punishment worth the moment of shirtless joy. It even seemed like the referee felt a bit bad for having to hand out that red card.
No. 98: Cuauhtémoc Blanco Leaps Into History
Trying to shake off around two defenders? You should think about trying this trademark move created by one of the greatest Mexican players to ever live. It was so nice, it’s known throughout the world as the “Cuauhtemiña.”
At the 1998 World Cup, Cuauhtémoc Blanco clamped the ball between his feet did his best impression of a kangaroo by hopping between two South Korean defenders. It may not have produced a goal, but the player from el barrio bravo de Tepito produced a move that has immediately leaped into the hearts and minds of soccer fans since.
No. 97: Klinsmann’s Roundhouse Flick
Long before he coached the United States men’s national team at the 2014 World Cup, Jürgen Klinsmann scored a ton of goals for Germany, including this stunner against South Korea.
Klinsmann, who four years earlier had helped his country win the World Cup for the third time, would turn what looked like a routine pass reception with his back to the goal into one of the most memorable goals of USA ‘94 with one swivel of his hips.
No. 96: This Free Kick Changed USA Soccer History
The U.S. men’s national team hadn’t made a splash at the World Cup in decades – but that all changed it the USA hosted the 1994 edition. It was thanks to a wonder-goal against Switzerland by the USA star Eric Wynalda.
Wynalda’s unstoppable, curling free kick just before the teams headed to the dressing rooms nearly blew the roof off the Silverdome in suburban Detroit. The match ended 1-1. That point, plus an upset win over Colombia a few days later, was enough to send the USA to the second round, where they took eventual champ Brazil to extra time before losing 1-0.
No. 95: One Of the Best Opening Goals Ever
In 2006, Germany legend Philipp Lahm scored one of the best opening goals to a World Cup ever. From a distance, Lahm (wearing a cast on his right arm following a recent injury) curled the ball perfectly into the top corner past Costa Rica keeper José Francisco Porras.
Of course, it was even sweeter as the Germans were hosting the tournament with high hopes of winning it all on home soil. The hosts fell in the semifinals but Lahm’s amazing technique and control on this goal in Munich will be one of the tournament’s highlights.
No. 94: A Volley For The Ages
Tim Cahill is arguably Australia’s best men’s soccer player ever and that’s due to his ability to score in big moments at the World Cup. That included this spectacular volley at the 2014 tournament in Brazil, where he showed his technique and ability against the Netherlands.
A looping long pass from one side to the Porto Alegre pitch to the other, Cahill one-timed the shot into the net at the perfect angle as the ball kissed the underside of the bar. A stellar goal followed by his trademark fighting-the-corner-flag celebration.
No. 93: This Rule Proved Too Cruel
A new rule was introduced in the 1998 World Cup round of 16: Golden Goal. Score in extra time, and it’s over.
Hosts France were deadlocked with Paraguay at 0-0 going into extra time in their round of 16 matchup at Lens. The ball found Laurent Blanc at the edge of the six-yard box, and he buried it to end the match at 1-0. France advanced; Paraguay was eliminated on the spot.
France went on to win it all, but it would be one of the final few countries to benefit from the cruel rule, as it was scrapped altogether six years later.
No. 92: First Back-to-Back Champs
It didn’t take long for the World Cup to have its first dynasty.
After lifting the trophy on home soil at the second-ever World Cup in 1934, Italy did it again at France 1938, stamping its legacy forever.
Italy might not be the most famous repeat World Cup champions of all time, but it will go down in history as the first.
No. 91: A Goal That Deserved A Happier Ending
Archie Gemmill’s wonder goal for Scotland in the 1978 FIFA World Cup would have sent them to the knockout stage if they hadn’t fallen short on goal difference against the Netherlands.
Gemmill had Scottish fans dreaming of an upset against one of the world’s best sides. In the 68th minute, the diminutive midfielder danced away from three Dutch defenders before lobbing a left-footed finish over the keeper Jan Jongbloed. With a two-goal lead, it seemed Scotland would advance.
But it was to no avail as the Dutch scored minutes later, leaving the heartbroken Scots wondering what could have been. Instead, the Netherlands advanced on goal-difference and would go on to make a second consecutive World Cup final appearance.
No. 90: The Ultimate Team Goal
25 passes. Nine players. One iconic goal for Argentina.
At the 2006 World Cup (the first one in which Lionel Messi appeared), Argentina faced a stern test against Serbia in the group stage. It was one of those games where the underdogs knew they would have to be sharp on defense to keep a far more talented Argentina side at bay.
Except it didn’t work that way, and Argentina pounced from the get-go with an early goal in the sixth minute by Maxi Rodriguez. And that’s when the Albiceleste magic took over. In the 31st minute, a patient ballet of teamwork that involved a combination of on-target passes led to Hernán Crespo looping a ball to early-match substitute Esteban Cambiasso. Goal, Argentina.
Four more followed – including Messi’s first ever at a World Cup. But Cambiasso’s strike stood above all that day.
No. 89: A Controversial Goal Affects Three Teams
One of the toughest groups at the 2022 World Cup featured Germany (four-time champions), Spain (2010 champions), always talented Japan, and feisty Costa Rica. So you knew that this group was going to have some fireworks.
That happened on the final matchday. Germany facing Costa Rica and Japan taking on Spain with all four teams having hope of advancing.
At halftime of both matches, it seemed like Spain and Germany would advance, while Japan and Costa Rica would go home. But the script was then ripped apart. In the 51st minute of the Japan-Spain game, Kaoru Mitoma chases the ball down — it looks out. But he crosses it to Ao Tanaka, who scores off an improbable angle. VAR says the ball remained in play by the slimmest of margins. The goal stands.
Japan topped the group. Spain also advanced. Germany was eliminated despite beating Costa Rica. Joy and heartbreak all around.
No. 88: Three Yellow Cards And One Red-Faced Referee
Soccer is known for its simplicity of rules when compared to other major sports. And one of the most well-known rules is that when you get two yellow cards, that equates to a red card and therefore an automatic dismissal from the game.
Which is why an error by England official Graham Poll at the 2006 World Cup was so memorable. Poll had shown Croatia’s Josip Šimunić two yellow cards in the group-stage finale against Australia, but the player inexplicably stayed on. Only until a third card was shown to Šimunić that the defender actually left the pitch.
It was the last World Cup game Poll ever worked as he asked not to be considered for future tournaments on account of his unforgettable mistake.
No. 87: Matador Magic! A Star Rises For Mexico at France ’98
When your nickname is “El Matador,” you better have a killer instinct in front of the net. Luis Hernandez had that and then some as a star striker for Mexico at the 1998 World Cup.
By beating South Korea and tying Belgium in their first two group stage games at France ‘98, Mexico appeared well-positioned to progress to the knockout rounds. Still, advancing was not guaranteed. And with the Netherlands looming in their final first-round match, the nerves of El Tri fans were, understandably, frayed.
They stayed that way until almost the last kick of the ball. Mexico was losing 2-1 to the Dutch as the contest entered stoppage time. In the other Group E finale being played simultaneously, the Koreans and Belgians were tied. If El Tri lost and Belgium managed to score a late winner, they’d advance at Mexico’s expense.
Hernandez, with his trademark flowing blonde hairstyle, wasn’t about to leave anything to chance. Instead of relying on another result, the striker known as “El Matador” pounced on a botched clearance in the box by Dutch center back Jaap Stam and stabbed the ball into the net. The goal pulled Mexico level in the 94th minute. When the final whistle blew moments later, Mexico was en route to the round of 16.
No. 86: Hungary’s Record Scoreline
El Salvador was desperate to produce a respectable showing in just its second tournament appearance, having lost all three of their games and failing to score a goal at the 1970 event. But a lack of funding meant they took just 20 players, two short of the roster limit, and were the last team to arrive for competition. Add in an overly aggressive gameplan from young coach Mauricio “Pipo” Rodriguez, and the result was a 10-1 loss to Hungary in their opener. It remains the most lopsided scoreline in World Cup history.
The performance was so humiliating that when ES forward Luis Ramírez Zapata scored to make it 5-1, some of his teammates implored him to tone down his celebration, lest he make the Hungarians angry. Maybe he did; László Kiss came off the bench to score a seven-minute hat trick (also a record) and Hungary added two more goals before the final whistle to complete the rout.
No. 85: Bulgaria’s Superstar Takes Over Summer of ’94
Bulgaria were considered an afterthought. But one man made sure the world remembered them. At the 1994 World Cup, Hristo Stoichkov couldn’t be stopped. After converting two penalties against Greece, the Barcelona legend scored against Argentina to secure a place in the knockout round.
Then, the magic really started. In the Round of 16, Stoichkov bagged a 6th minute goal, as Bulgaria took down Mexico on penalties. Next came defending champions Germany. Trailing 1-0 in the 75th minute, he and Yordan Letchkov scored three minutes apart for the win.
Stoichkov and Bulgaria would ultimately lose in the semifinals, but it was truly an unforgettable run.
No. 84: No Era Penal
Mexico benefited from some good fortune just to make it to Brazil 2014 — if not for a late goal by their archrival United States versus Panama, El Tri would’ve failed to qualify out of CONCACAF — but there they were, just moments away from finally reaching the elusive quinto partido, or fifth game, at a World Cup.
Then their luck ran out. With just two minutes of the 90 to play, the Dutch made it 1-1 through Wesley Sneijder. Mexico captain Rafa Márquez was then whistled for tripping Arjen Robben inside the penalty box deep into second-half stoppage time.
Replays showed that Robben had theatrically embellished the contact, if there was any at all. It wasn’t a penalty.
That didn’t matter. VAR was still four years away from its World Cup debut. Without video review, the call on the field stood, Klaas-Jan Huntelaar scored from the spot, and Mexico were eliminated in the round of 16 for the sixth straight tournament.
No. 83: Sneijder Stands Tall in Dutch Rally
At 5-foot-7, Wesley Sneijder was never an imposing figure for the Netherlands. But he knew how to rise in big moments, such as his standout two-goal performance against Brazil in the 2010 World Cup quarterfinals.
The Brazilians were up early on Robinho’s goal in the quarterfinal match, playing about as sound as anyone else in the tournament. But then the Dutch took over. Sneijder first had a deep wide cross that seemingly floated forever and slipped past Brazil keeper Julio Cesar’s punchout before skimming off Felipe Melo’s head and into the net.
Then it was the diminutive dynamo who scored again to complete the comeback, sneaking through the penalty area and finding space for an improbable header. Even he couldn’t believe it, grasping his forehead in delight. But it’s the win that kept the Netherlands marching on and eventually reaching the final.
No. 82: No Option For Zaire In Loss To Brazil
Zaire’s qualification for the 1974 World Cup was a watershed moment for the country. They were the first team from sub-Saharan Africa to make it, and just the third from that continent overall.
But what should have been a joyous tournament for Zaire’s players turned sinister. After losing their opener 2-0 to Scotland, the players were informed that they wouldn’t be paid their World Cup bonuses. They intended to boycott their next match, against Yugoslavia, but relented after threats from the country’s president, dictator Mobutu Sese Seko.
Following a 9-0 loss — tied for the most one-sided scoreline in World Cup history — Mobutu told the team not to bother coming home if they lost to Brazil by more than four goals. So, down three late in the game, Zaire’s Mwepu Ilunga raced from the defensive wall and booted the ball down the field. He was yellow-carded for time-wasting, but it was worth it: Brazil didn’t score again, and the match finished 3-0. A lackluster but perhaps life-saving performance for a country who are now trying to qualify in 2026 – this time with hopes of a better outcome.
No. 81: South Korea Saves Mexico; Germany Hopes Dashed
“¡Coreano! Hermano! Ya eres mexicano!”
At the 2018 World Cup, this is how Son Heung-min and South Korea ousted the defending champions and helped out a very grateful Mexico squad.
Despite losing to Mexico in their opening match, 2014 tournament winners Germany liked their odds of reaching the knockout stage at the 2018 edition in Russia. All the Germans had to do was beat South Korea by two goals to guarantee a spot in the business end of the competition.
As expected, Die Mannschaft dominated the Taeguk Warriors through nearly 90 minutes, but the match was still scoreless. Germany was desperate and pushed as many players as possible forward. Then South Korea pounced on the opportunity as Kim Young-gwon first scored. It was then Son who sealed the whole group’s fate with a second goal as time wound down.
That meant Germany was out. Mexico, despite getting pummeled by group winners Sweden, were also advancing. A sigh of relief for El Tri fans, who gratefully serenaded Korean players and fans in Russia – and even held celebrations outside of South Korea’s diplomatic offices across Mexico.
No. 80: Did He Really Mean To Score That Goal?
The old saying is that you can make your own luck. And this memorable goal by Maicon, which defied odds and angles, is an example of that.
In the summer of 2010, the Brazilian right-back was at his absolute peak. A Treble-winning elite defender for Inter Milan and a stalwart for his country at the summer’s World Cup. And it was against North Korea that Maicon produced his signature moment continues to be debated.
As Maicon barreled down the flank and into the 18-yard box and caught up to a pinpoint pass by Elano, he powered a shot that whizzed behind keeper Ri Myong-guk and into the net on the tightest of angles. It seemed that Maicon was trying to actually cross to Luis Fabiano, but instead did the job himself. A celebration followed that seemed more relief than joy, and one of the best “Did he mean to do that?” moments in soccer lore was born.
No. 79: USA’s Pulisic Delivers a Winner
The United States men’s national team faced immense pressure to make it out of a tough Group B at the 2022 FIFA World Cup after failing to qualify for Russia 2018. The problem? It only managed two points after its matchups with Wales and England.
With the U.S. in desperate need of three points in its final group stage match against Iran, Christian Pulisic put his body on the line to get his team on the board, diving in front of a cross to beat the two defenders marking him and colliding with Iran goalkeeper Alireza Beiranvand in the process.
This goal sent the U.S. through — and gave Christian Pulisic his World Cup moment. In the 2022 World Cup Group Stage, the United States needed a win to advance. In the 38th minute, Weston McKennie sent in a cross
Pulisic was forced off as a result of the collision, but his goal ended up being the difference for the U.S. as it advanced to the round of 16 with a 1-0 win and three much-needed points.
No. 78: Richarlison’s Wonder Goal
Brazil entered the 2022 FIFA World Cup as one of the favorites to go the distance, and that hype only got louder after Richarlison’s master class in the Seleção’s group stage opener against Serbia.
After failing to score in the first half, Richarlison scored a second-half brace, and his second goal will go down as one of the most skillful goals in World Cup history. Richarlison volleyed a cross from Vinicius Junior in the air to himself and scored with an acrobatic scissor kick.
Brazil would ultimately bow out of the tournament in the quarterfinals, but it made its mark on the tournament thanks to Richarlison.
No. 77: Don’t Count Out Dempsey and the USA
At the 2014 World Cup in Brazil, the soccer gods did the United States no favors. A group stage that included tournament heavyweights Germany, a Cristiano Ronaldo-led Portugal squad, and Ghana (the team that had ousted the USA in two straight World Cups).
Pundits had written off the USA even before the team reached the tournament, thinking there would be no way coach Jurgen Klinnsman’s squad would survive a tough group.
Against Ghana, Clint Dempsey scored the fastest World Cup goal in USA history. Ghana equalized before John Brooks rose to the occasion and netted a header for the dramatic game-winner. Against Portugal, Jermaine Jones smashed a stunner that was mooted after Ronaldo’s last-second equalizer. A loss to Germany still saw the USA advance into the knockout stage thanks to a goal differential over Portugal.
With tough-as-nails playmakers such as Dempsey, Jones and keeper Tim Howard, this USA squad proved a lot of folk wrong.
No. 76: Sunday Oliseh’s screamer vs. Spain
There’s something to be said for sheer power.
Pretty passing sequences and deftly placed shots are nice and all, but sometimes you don’t want to watch the lock get picked — you want to see a ball hit with enough force to blow the entire house down.
That’s what Sunday Oliseh gave us in Nigeria’s first match of the 1998 World Cup. The defensive midfielder wasn’t known for scoring — he managed only one other goal in 53 international appearances — but he knew what to do when a Spain clearance fell to him 30 yards from goal with about 12 minutes remaining in the game.
Fernando Hierro and Raul scored for Spain on either side of halftime, but Nigeria equalized twice. With time running short, Hierro cleared a Super Eagles throw-in deep in his own end. Oliseh caught it on the half-volley and thundered a low strike just inside the post past stunned La Roja backstop Andoni Zubizarreta.
The kick couldn’t have been more ferocious. Not only was it enough to give Nigeria the win, but it also helped propel them to the top of Group D. Spain, meanwhile, failed to survive the group stage.
Talk about a powerful shot.
No. 75: Van Bronckhorst’s Blast
Giovanni van Bronckhorst wasn’t known as a scorer throughout his long and decorated international career for the Netherlands, for good reason.
In 106 appearances with the Oranje, the outside back managed just six goals. And at age 35 in 2010, many wondered if the veteran would even crack Dutch coach Bert van Marwijk’s final 23-man roster for the tournament in South Africa.
Van Bronckhorst didn’t just make it, he was named captain. And in the semifinal against Uruguay, he opened the scoring with an audacious, 40-yard, left-footed strike that grazed diving La Celeste keeper Fernando Muslera’s fingertips and kissed the inside of the far post before settling into the net.
The only World Cup goal Van Bronckhorst ever scored helped send his country to the title match for the third time, and it remains among the most spectacular in tournament history.
No. 74: Five Goals in One Game! Salenko Makes History
You’ve heard of a hat trick. But what about a Salenko?
When you score five goals in a single game, you’re worthy of having the feat named after you. At the 1994 World Cup, Russian striker Oleg Salenko found the net five times in a 6-1, group stage victory over Cameroon.
The win wasn’t enough to help the Russians reach the knockout stage, but Salenko’s record-setting day did go a long way toward him becoming the only player in World Cup history to win the Golden Boot as top scorer despite only participating in the first round.
Salenko also scored from the penalty spot against Sweden to finish USA ‘94 with six goals, the same number as Bulgarian striker Hristo Stoichkov, with whom he shared the award. Not bad for a guy who played in four fewer matches.
No. 73: Rivaldo’s Oscar-Worthy Diving Performance
We all know soccer stars have a penchant for the dramatic. But Brazilian legend Rivaldo may take the Oscar for an all-time acting performance for his inexplicable dive at the 2002 World Cup.
During a group stage match, Turkiye’s Hakan Ünsal, annoyed that Rivaldo was taking his sweet time preparing to take a corner kick, booted the ball off the Brazilian’s legs. Rivaldo collapsed and began rolling on the turf holding not his thigh — but his face.
Ünsal was shown a red card and the ridicule against Rivaldo began. In an era before social media, the video went viral and shown over sports and news and late-night shows alike across the globe. Rivaldo was fined (but not suspended) by FIFA but he also got the last laugh — Brazil won its fifth (and its most recent) World Cup title.
No 72: Rooney’s Red and Ronaldo’s Wink
A heated moment at the world’s biggest stage between two World Cup heavyweights involved a pair of Manchester United superstar teammates.
Cristiano Ronaldo and Wayne Rooney were among the faces of global soccer at the 2006 World Cup. So, when England and Portugal were pitted in the quarterfinals, the world knew sparks would fly.
In the second half, Rooney stamped on Portugal’s Ricardo Carvalho and the referee reached for red. Ronaldo had been pleading to the ref that his Man United teammate should be sent off, and that’s when the cameras caught it: a sly, almost celebratory wink toward the Portugal bench right after Rooney’s dismissal.
Portugal would survive on penalties as Ronaldo scores the decider. England’s dream of a World Cup title ends. And that wink — love it or hate it — becomes a defining, unforgettable and controversial moments in World Cup history.
No 71: Kuwait’s Princely Protest
On a list of most bizarre World Cup moments, this would have to be near the top.
At the 1982 event in Spain, first time qualifier Kuwait had just gone 4-1 down to France with 10 minutes left in their group stage match.
Inside the stadium, Kuwaiti Prince Fahad Al-Ahmed Al-Jaber Al-Sabah took exception, contending that a whistle from the crowd sounded before Les Bleus scored their fourth goal, causing Kuwait’s players to stop defending thinking Soviet referee Myroslav Stupar had halted the game.
The Prince strode onto the field and threatened to pull his country’s players off of it if the ref didn’t reverse his decision — which he did! But France scored again anyway to restore the lopsided victory. The Prince was later fined by FIFA, and Stupar never worked a World Cup match again.
Kuwait were eliminated in their final first round match, a 1-0 loss to England. They haven’t been back to a World Cup since.
No. 70: The ‘Saudi Maradona’
Diego Maradona wasn’t the only player to dribble through an entire team and score at a World Cup. And if we’re being fair, the incredible solo goal Saeed Al-Owairan managed to pull off for Saudi Arabia at USA ‘94 was every bit as pretty.
Al-Owairan’s run and finish didn’t come in the knockout stage, as Maradona’s slalom had eight years earlier. It didn’t come against England or any other former champion. It began deeper in his own half, though, and he beat one more would-be defenders. And while the Argentine legend picked the lock by calmly rolling the ball home after rounding keeper Peter Shilton, Al-Owairan blasted the door down with a ferocious shot past Belgian netminder Michel Preud’homme.
The goal was meaningful, too. Not only did Al-Owairan’s unforgettable strike give Saudi Arabia a 1-0 win, it also sealed their passage to the second round — the only time the country has survived group play.
No. 69: The Goal that Saved Germany
This goal gave Germany hope — at least for one more game.
On the brink of elimination in the group stage at Russia 2018, defending champions Germany were awarded a free kick from just outside the box in the 95th minute. Kroos lined the ball up from a difficult angle and curled the ball into the top left corner of the goal. Germany lives to see another day.
Unfortunately for Germany, it only delayed the inevitable. Days later, Germany lost to South Korea and crashed out of the group. A masterpiece in a World Cup that ultimately slipped away.
No. 68: Soccer in the USA, Changed Forever
In 1994, the United States hosted the World Cup, marking just the second time ever a North American country had hosted the tournament.
Across stadiums known for Super Bowls and college football games, more than 3.5 million people attended the tournament with an average of nearly 69,000 spectators per match. It’s still the most attended World Cup of all-time.
The USA would lose in the Round of 16 to eventual champion Brazil, but the landscape of American soccer was forever changed.
A new men’s professional league, Major League Soccer, would be founded two years after the tournament. Stateside soccer fans began to wake up early on the weekends and follow the heroics of European teams and leagues. Soccer truly became part of the sports mindset in this country.
Now it’s 2026 and the World Cup is returning to the U.S., co-hosted alongside Mexico and Canada. In many ways, it’s a bookend for the growth of the sport here in the country. But in others, it’s the beginning of a new chapter, with this generation now getting to see up close and personal the greatest sporting event in their own backyard.
No. 67: Argentina Sends Mexico Home TWICE!
Losing to the same opponent in the same stage in consecutive World Cups can definitely leave fans salty. Which is why a lot of Mexico fans don’t have much love for Argentina.
In 2006, Mexican fans could be forgiven for thinking that maybe this was the year their team would advance to the quarterfinals for the first time away from home soil.
Argentina and Maxi Rodriguez had other ideas. With the game tied 1-1 and halfway through the first additional 15-minute period, Rodriguez volleyed a curling shot past the outstretched glove of goalkeeper Oswaldo Sanchez and into the side netting. The supernaturally beautiful strike was enough to send Argentina into the last eight. To nobody’s surprise, it was also named the goal of the tournament.
Four years later and with the legendary Diego Maradona in charge, Carlos Tevez became the hero (or the culprit) in Argentina’s round-of-16 win over Mexico with a long-range golazo in a 3-1 win in which he scored twice.
Same opponent. Same round. Two unforgettable goals. Mexico’s quest of reaching a quarterfinal at a non-hosted World Cup continues to this day. Will that change this summer?
No. 66: David Villa Fuels Spain’s First World Cup
There was a time when Spain memorized the soccer world its midfield mastery, playmaking prowess and incredible chemistry. It led to a golden era for La Roja in which the team won three major titles – the 2008 Euro, the 2010 World Cup, and the 2012 Euro – in a span of four years.
The 2010 squad in South Africa was incredibly special and one man provided the scoring prowess that its trademark possession-based system (often labeled as tiki-taka) to make it all click.
David Villa scored five of Spain’s eight goals at the tournament, and added one assist. He finished as the joint top goalscorer of the tournament along with Thomas Muller, but the German star won the Golden Shoe due to having more assists. No matter. David Villa lifted the hardware that mattered. Villa remains Spain’s top goalscorer.
No. 65: Diego Forlán’s Mastery of the Infamous ‘Jabulani’ Ball
The beauty of each World Cup is how each edition weaves in the traditions and characteristics of the host nations. That’s especially true when the official ball is unveiled.
At the 2010 World Cup in South Africa, the Jabulani ball was noted for some of its aerodynamic quirks when in flight. Decorated with African-inspired designs with the name from a Zulu phrase of “be happy,” it symbolized South Africa’s culture and remains among the most iconic World Cup balls.
It was also hard for some of the players to control it. It floated and dipped and knuckled in all sorts of ways. But one player is arguably synonymous with the ball — Diego Forlán.
The Uruguayan striker helped his team reach the World Cup semifinals, the deepest run they since winning its second title in 1950. And while Uruguay failed to reach the final, it was the third-place match against Germany that Forlán scored the goal of the tournament.
Five goals overall. Golden Ball winner. In a World Cup featuring a unique ball, Diego Forlán mastered the one thing no one else could.
No. 64: The Best Team Ever … To NOT Win a World Cup?
The Brazil national football team of 1982 were absolute artists. Led by the elegance of Zico, the intelligence of Sócrates, and the rhythm of Falcão, this team moved like music — fluid, fearless, and beautiful. Every pass had purpose, every attack felt inevitable.
Nonetheless, the ultimate objective of winning a World Cup (and one without the legendary Pelé) ultimately fell short during that summer in Spain. But this team will be remembered for being as talented – if not more – than teams that have won the whole thing.
Brazil steamrolled its group stage competition against the USSR, Scotland and New Zealand by an aggregate total of 10 goals to 2. In the second phase of the tournament, the Brazilians dominated its fierce rivals Argentina (led by Maradona) before losing an epic 3-2 thriller to eventual champions Italy.
No. 63: The Best Team Ever … To NOT Win a World Cup?
The pressure was on the host nation in the opening match of the 2010 World Cup. South Africa had both the privilege and responsibility of hosting the tournament’s first game on African soil, but fans across the continent feared the worst.
There were questions about whether the team affectionally known as Bafana Bafana — which got an automatic berth as the home team — could compete with the best in the sport. South Africa had won just one of its six outings over its two previous World Cup appearances, in 1998 and 2002, and the country had failed to qualify for the 2006 event. In other words, the pressure was on. So when Siphiwe Tshabalala hit a long-range missile past Mexican goalkeeper Oscar Perez and into the very top corner of the net in front of a packed stadium in Johannesburg, the entire continent erupted.
It turned out to be the high point for the hosts, who conceded a late equalizer to El Tri and eventually became just one of two home sides not to qualify for the knockout stage (Qatar also failed in 2022). But Tshabalala’s effort will forever live on.
No. 62: Beckham Bends It to Save England
David Beckham’s time at the 1998 FIFA World Cup will forever be overshadowed by the red card he received in England’s Round of 16 matchup with Argentina — so much so that many forget that he was actually the Three Lions’ saving grace in the group stage of the tournament.
In 1998, Beckham was on the cusp of soccer superstardom and just becoming a global icon we now know him for. With England facing elimination in its final group stage match against Colombia, England coach Glenn Hoddle gave into the pressure to play Beckham after sitting his young star in the first two group stage matches.
Beckham proved himself to his skeptic coach by scoring his first international goal for England and doubling England’s lead over Colombia. England went on to win the match 2-0 and advanced as the runner-up in Group G behind Romania. And that ubiquitous term “Bend it like Beckham” began to filtrate across the world.
No. 61: Biggest Robbery Ever? USA Not Awarded A Handball
The United States men’s national team could have made the 2002 FIFA World Cup final.
In fact, they should have at least made the semifinals. And yet, they didn’t. Why? An obvious handball that wasn’t called in the quarterfinal against Germany. Arguably the most controversial moment involving the USA at any World Cup tournament.
In 2002, the USA was primed for a run at the tourney co-hosted by South Korea and Japan. Led by a young core that included emerging talented duo Landon Donovan and Brian McBride, the USA defeated Portugal 3-2 and finished runner-up to group winners South Korea.
In the Round of 16, they recorded a 2-0 victory over rivals Mexico behind goals from McBride and Donovan. Next, it was on to the quarterfinal against powerhouse Germany. Michael Ballack got the Germans out to an early 1-0 lead in the 39th minute. The Americans responded with several attacking plays to start the second half.
– What if … the USA had been awarded THAT handball?
But in the 50th minute, everything changed. Off a corner kick by Donovan, the ball landed to a wide-open Gregg Berhalter, who took a shot at goal from just a few yards out. German keeper Oliver Kahn was able to barely save the shot, but the ball would bounce off midfielder Torsten Fring’ arm. Immediately, USA players began clamoring for a handball, and when the replay was shown — it was clear as day.
German midfielder Torsten Frings wasn’t called for a handball on this play.
However, referee Hugh Dallas didn’t call it. And with VAR not yet in existence, the call was irreversible. Had it been called, the USA would have been awarded a penalty kick, and Frings would have been sent off, and the Stars and Stripes would have kept the momentum against a 10-man German side.
Germany survived and eventually made it to the final, where they would fall to Brazil. As for the Americans? It remains the biggest “what if” moment in its soccer history.
No. 60: Senegal Roars Into the Limelight
In the 2002 FIFA World Cup, Senegal came with little to no expectations. But, after a shocking win against defending champions France, The Lions of Teranga wrote a Cinderella story like no other.
France, also the reigning European titleholders at the time, probably had a more talented team than the one they fielded during their triumphant run to the trophy four years prior. They were significantly more experienced. Senegal, by contrast, were participating in their first World Cup.
The former French colony took a 30th minute lead on a goal by the wonderfully-named Papa Bouba Diop, who shot the ball while in a seated position. Senegal rode the momentum generated by their tournament-opening victory all the way to the quarterfinals.
As for Les Bleus? Not only did France also fail to win either of their next two games, they exited the competition after the group stage without having managed a single goal.
No. 59: David Luiz Caps Off Goal With Karate-Kick Celebration
When Brazil hosted the 2014 World Cup, the whole event felt like one never-ending party. And the host team, fully aware of the pressures and expectations on their shoulders, needed to put on a show.
The quarterfinals saw Brazil take on South American rivals Colombia, a squad that became one of the darlings of the tournament behind star midfielder James Rodriguez. But the Brazilians weren’t going to back down. And one of its most vocal leaders, defender David Luiz, ensured they’d keep the run going with a stunning second-half free-kick goal from 40 yards out that effectively sealed the game.
Equally memorable as his knuckle-balling goal that befuddled Colombia keeper David Ospina was Luiz’s celebration, not to mention his signature locks of bouncing curly hair. As the goal sailed into the net, Luiz feverishly ran and karate-kicked the corner flag as his teammates joyously mobbed him.
A moment that felt like Brazil’s last hurrah of the tournament. Captain Thiago Silva would be forced to miss the semifinal match against Germany for yellow card accumulation. Superstar Neymar suffered a devastating back injury that also kept him out of the semifinal. How did that turn out? We’ll get to that soon enough.
No. 58: An Unlikely Hero in France’s 2018 Run
During the 2018 Round of 16, France was trailing Argentina by a goal and were in danger of being eliminated.
After letting an early lead slip away, Les Bleus needed to keep up with La Albiceleste’s firepower and an unassuming hero stepped up.
Just before the hour mark, French defender Lucas Hernandez sent over a cross that took a pair of bounces before landing in front of teammate Benjamin Pavard, who had never scored an international goal up to this point in his career.
Pavard would hit a half-volley with his right foot, which created a top-spin effect that sent the ball swerving into the top-left corner, far beyond reach of Argentinian goalkeeper Franco Armani.
The goal would flip the momentum back on France’s side as a then 19-year-old Kylian Mbappe scored twice in a four-minute span to give his country the lead and eventually a 4-3 victory.
Pavard’s goal would later be voted as the goal of the tournament as France went on to defeat Uruguay, Belgium, and Croatia to lift the nation’s second World Cup Trophy.
No. 57: 16 Yellow Cards and 4 Reds? The ‘Battle of Nuremberg’
No match in World Cup history has seen more cards given out.
Portugal and Netherlands turned this 2006 Round of 16 clash into a record-breaking foul fest. By the time the final whistle blew, referees had shown 16 yellow cards and 4 reds, both World Cup records that still stand today.
A 21-year-old Cristiano Ronaldo left early due to injury in tears. Luis Figo connected with a headbutt. Players argued, pushed, and collided for 90 minutes.
In the midst of all the chaos, Maniche scored the lone goal in the 23rd. Portugal won 1-0 and advanced. But the scoreline was almost an afterthought.
The “Battle of Nuremberg” remains the most ill-tempered match the World Cup has ever seen.
No. 56: Italy Upset By North Korea at 1966 World Cup
The most unlikely World Cup upset is not Saudi Arabia defeating Argentina in Qatar in 2022.
That honor actually belongs to North Korea, who stunned Italy during the 1966 World Cup in England, the only country other than Brazil with multiple world titles to that point.
The newcomers’ prospects looked grim after a 3-0 loss to the Soviet Union and a 1-1 draw with Chile, leaving them as massive underdogs for their final group match in Middlesbrough.
However, the unthinkable happened when Pak Doo-ik scored just before halftime. North Korea’s defense held firm, securing a 1-0 victory that eliminated the Italians and made North Korea the first Asian team to reach the knockout stage.
They nearly repeated the miracle in the quarterfinals, racing to a 3-0 lead against Portugal before eventually collapsing in a 5-3 loss.
North Korea didn’t qualify again for 44 years and is still chasing its second tournament win.
No. 55: Saudi Arabia’s Upset Over Argentina Stunned the World
We all remember how the 2022 World Cup ended, with Lionel Messi lifting the trophy for Argentina after the insane win over France in the final at Qatar’s Lusail Stadium.
But do you recall how Argentina’s World Cup campaign started at that very same stadium only weeks before?
What was supposed to be a routine group-stage opener against a less heralded Saudi Arabian side turned into one of the most memorable upsets ever at the World Cup. Messi even had his team up by a goal early thanks to a penalty, but two second-half goals saw the Saudis rally and get the win. Salem Al Dawsari’s eventual game-winner was one of the tournament’s most memorable goals, and included his iconic celebration flip.
The result was a wakeup call for one of the tournament favorites. One that they would bounce back and eventually make their way to the final.
As for the Saudis? They became overnight legends with the country even declaring a holiday for their Green Falcon heroes.
No. 54: Ronaldinho’s Fantastic Free Kick
Whether it was a calculated masterpiece or a fortunate fluke, Ronaldinho’s epic 50-yard free kick against England in the 2002 quarterfinals remains one of the World Cup’s best goals in the tournament’s history.
After Michael Owen and Rivaldo traded first-half goals, Brazil earned a set piece deep in midfield five minutes after the break.
Expecting a routine cross, England goalkeeper David Seaman drifted off his line. Instead, Ronaldinho lofted a daring strike that sailed over the backpedaling keeper and tucked neatly under the crossbar.
The goal secured a 2–1 lead that Brazil never relinquished, sending one step closer toward their record fifth world title.
Regardless of whether it was intended to be a shot or cross, the audacity of the strike solidified Ronaldinho’s legend in football history.
No. 53: Never Doubt Cristiano Ronaldo
On the second day of the 2018 World Cup, Cristiano Ronaldo delivered a performance for the ages, netting a legendary hat trick to rescue a 3–3 draw against rivals Spain.
This clash of titans became an instant classic, fueled entirely by Ronaldo’s individual brilliance. He opened the scoring early with a composed penalty and restored Portugal’s lead before halftime with a powerful strike that slipped through David de Gea’s grasp.
After Spain surged ahead 3–2, the stage was set for a final act of heroics. In the dying minutes, Portugal earned a free kick at the edge of the box.
With the world watching, Ronaldo curled a sublime, dipping shot around the wall and into the top corner. De Gea didn’t even move.
This stunning equalizer completed his hat trick, making him the oldest player to score three goals in a World Cup match and cementing this masterclass as an all-time tournament highlight.
No. 52: When Ronaldo Became King
The 2006 World Cup in Germany served as the ultimate stage for Ronaldo Nazário to cement his status as football’s premier “O Fenômeno.”
Entering the tournament just behind the legendary Gerd Müller’s long-standing record of 14 goals, the Brazilian striker carried the weight of historical expectation on his shoulders.
The record-breaking moment arrived in the Round of 16 against Ghana.
In typical R9 fashion, he timed a clinical run to perfection, immobilized the goalkeeper with a signature step-over, and slotted the ball into the net.
This 15th career World Cup goal officially moved him past Müller, establishing a new benchmark that would stand for eight years.
While Miroslav Klose eventually surpassed this total in 2014, Ronaldo’s achievement remains a pinnacle of sporting excellence.
It wasn’t just about the volume of goals, but the artistry and dominance he displayed across three different tournaments cemented his legacy as one of the greatest strikers to ever step foot on the pitch.
No. 51: Croatia’s Insane Run
For generations, the World Cup final was an exclusive club. Between 1978 and 2014, every championship match featured previous finalists, with no new nation reaching the ultimate stage since 1974.
In 2018, Croatia decided to crash the party.
Led by Luka Modric, they defied the “usual suspects” narrative to become the second-smallest nation ever to reach the final.
While their path through Denmark, Russia, and England was arguably smoother than France’s gauntlet against powerhouses like Argentina and Belgium, their ascent wasn’t a total fluke as Croatia previously secured a third-place finish in 1998.
Ultimately, France claimed the trophy in a 4-2 thriller, but by ending a 44-year drought for first-time finalists, the “Vatreni” proved that the sports world’s most prestigious stage was no longer reserved solely for the traditional powers.
No. 50: Best Mexico Goal Ever
Manuel Negrete’s iconic goal against Bulgaria in 1986 is a cornerstone of World Cup history.
In front of over 114,000 fans at the Estadio Azteca, the Mexican midfielder played a quick one-two with current national team head coach Javier Aguirre before launching into a sideways scissor kick, beating the Bulgarian keeper without the ball ever touching the ground.
The goal paved the way for a 2-0 victory, sending Mexico to the quarterfinals for only the second time in their history.
Mexico has not returned to that stage in the decades since, but the goal’s reputation has never faded.
In 2018, a global FIFA fan vote officially recognized the strike as the greatest goal in the tournament’s history.
Negrete’s effort remains a definitive highlight of the 1986 tournament, perfectly capturing a rare moment of home-nation triumph while marking the last time Mexico reached the quarterfinals or as fans famously refer to it, “el quinto partido.”
No. 49: Heartbreak for Maradona
History refused to repeat itself during the 1990 World Cup.
Four years after Diego Maradona hoisted the trophy in Mexico City, he returned to the final seeking a historic back-to-back title.
However, Rome offered no encore for the Argentine captain. Instead, it provided the opportunity for West German revenge.
The match reflected the tournament’s broader tactical issues, defined by the lowest goals per game average at any World Cup. In response, FIFA implemented a pair of rule changes for future editions of the tournament, adding an extra point for wins to reward offensive play and preventing goalkeepers from collecting back-passes with their hands.
For the first time in World Cup history, a team was held scoreless in the final, Argentina also became the first defending champion to reach the final, only to leave as runners-up.
The stalemate finally ended in the 85th minute when Andreas Brehme slotted home a clinical penalty.
As the whistle blew on a 1-0 victory, Maradona’s dream of a repeat vanished, replaced by the sight of West Germany lifting the trophy they had lost to him and Argentina just four years prior.
No. 48: No Red Card?! De Jong’s Studs-Up Kick Shocks Spain
The 2010 World Cup final is often remembered for a single shocking moment: Nigel de Jong’s flying, studs-to-the-chest kick on Spain’s Xabi Alonso.
In any other setting, the challenge would undoubtedly be a red card, yet on soccer’s biggest stage, De Jong somehow escaped with only a yellow.
Referee Howard Webb later admitted his view was obstructed from behind Alonso, leaving him—unlike a billion stunned viewers at home—unaware of the tackle’s true brutality.
In an era eight years before VAR could intervene, the “Oranje” midfielder remained on the pitch, fueling a physical encounter that featured 14 yellow cards, the most ever in a final.
Spain secured their first-ever world title when Andrés Iniesta scored the decisive goal in extra time.
The Netherlands were left with a third final defeat, but De Jong’s kick remains one of the most controversial moments in tournament history.
No. 47: James Rodríguez and Colombia Delight the World in 2014
Entering the 2014 World Cup as a rising talent playing for Monaco, James Rodríguez used the stage in Brazil to cement himself as a national hero. While he arrived with only five international goals, he departed as the tournament’s most electrifying force.
The 22-year-old orchestrated a run that redefined Colombian soccer history, propelling Los Cafeteros to their first-ever quarterfinal.
His signature moment came in the Round of 16 in an unreal sequence of technical perfection where he cushioned the ball on his chest before turning and sending a volley that deflected off the crossbar and into the net.
That “turn-and-strike” missile earned the FIFA Puskás Award for the year’s most beautiful goal and secured him the Golden Boot for most goals scored at the tournament.
Rodriguez’s 2014 run reached a climax when he signed with Real Madrid later that summer becoming the face of his national team almost overnight.
No. 46: Beckham and Owen — Remembered For Different Reasons
The 1998 World Cup Round of 16 clash between England and Argentina remains defined by two moments at opposite ends of the emotional spectrum: Michael Owen and David Beckham.
The match in Saint-Étienne, France, reached a fever pitch when 18-year-old Owen produced one of the greatest solo goals in history. After collecting the ball at midfield, the teenager moved past two defenders before firing a shot into the corner, far beyond reach of the keeper.
However, the celebratory energy turned to anger shortly after halftime.
After being fouled by Diego Simeone, Beckham—still lying on the turf—retaliated with a bad-tempered flick of his heel.
Simeone might’ve exaggerated the contact on his end, but it was too late for Beckham as referee Kim Milton Nielsen booked him for a red card.
England battled to a 2-2 draw with ten men but ultimately fell on penalties.
While Owen’s wonder goal launched a superstar, Beckham was cast as a national pariah, a shadow he wouldn’t escape until his redemptive free-kick against Greece years later.
No. 45: Goals, Tussles and Drama: Argentina-Netherlands Had It All
From last-minute goals to heated confrontations and a dramatic penalty shootout, this unforgettable battle had everything football fans search for.
The 2022 quarterfinal match between Argentina and the Netherlands was an unforgettable battle in the latest meeting between the two rivals.
Lionel Messi’s march toward the final seemed certain as Argentina coasted to a 2-0 lead. But Wout Weghorst had other plans and the “Battle of Lusail” soon descended into beautiful, tactical carnage.
As tackles flew and a record 18 yellow cards were brandished, the tension hit a breaking point.
In the 101st minute, a daring, low-pass free kick fooled the world, allowing Weghorst to equalize and send the match into extra time.
Ultimately, Argentina’s Emiliano Martínez would become a national hero.
During the shootout, the Argentine keeper’s heroics, ignited by pure defiance, denied the Dutch twice and kept Messi’s dream of lifting the World Cup trophy alive.
It was a night defined by fury and flair, cementing its place as one of the most chaotic matches in World Cup history.
No. 44: Italy Stifles Hosts Germany’s Dream of World Cup Glory
In the dying minutes of a grueling 2006 World Cup semifinal match between Germany and Italy in Dortmund, the atmosphere was suffocating.
Despite the roar of 65,000 fans at the Westfalenstadion, the overwhelming majority of whom were supporting the hosts, Germany remained deadlocked with Italy late in extra time.
Just as a penalty shootout seemed inevitable, Italy struck.
Andrea Pirlo delivered a sublime, no-look pass to the unmarked Grosso, who sent a first-touch curling shot past the diving Jens Lehmann.
The stadium went silent.
As a desperate Germany scrambled forward for an equalizer, Alessandro Del Piero punctuated a clinical counterattack a minute later to secure a 2-0 victory.
Germany’s dream of winning a World Cup on home soil vanished.
The dramatic ending propelled the Azzurri to the final, where they defeated France to claim their fourth World Cup title.
No. 43: The Inaugural World Cup in 1930 Makes History
The 1930 World Cup in Uruguay marked the beginning of a new dawn for global soccer.
In an era without qualification, every FIFA nation was invited, and 13 teams – including the United States – gathered in Montevideo for the inaugural tournament.
As the reigning back-to-back Olympic champions from 1924 and 1928, Uruguay was the choice for the inaugural host, over several European bidders.
The atmosphere reached a climax during the final at the Estadio Centenario, where over 90,000 fans packed the stands for a battle between the hosts and Argentina.
The first World Cup final was famously defined by a dispute over the equipment. Both teams insisted on using their own ball. To settle it, an Argentine ball was used for the first half and a Uruguayan one for the second.
Down 2–1 at the break, La Celeste switched to their preferred ball and the hosts took total control, netting three unanswered goals after the break to secure a 4-2 victory.
FIFA President Jules Rimet presented the original trophy that would later be named after him to the winners, formalizing Uruguay’s status as the world’s first official champion.
As for the USA? That team finished in third place, still the best ever position by the men’s team at any World Cup.
No. 42: The Secretary of Defense
In the 2014 World Cup Round of 16, Tim Howard’s record-setting performance rewrote the history books and earned him the nickname ‘The Secretary of Defense.’.
In Salvador, Brazil, Belgium’s high-caliber offense launched wave after wave of attacks, only to be met by a one-man barricade.
Though Kevin De Bruyne and Romelu Lukaku eventually found the net, Howard refused to yield, finishing the night with 16 saves—the most ever recorded in a World Cup match.
Tim Howard’s performance was nothing short of heroic. By the time the match reached extra time, he had already racked up 11 saves.
“I don’t know how you’re going to survive the mobs when you come back home, you’re going to have to shave your beard so they don’t know who you are,” former President Barack Obama said to Howard over the phone.
Despite a heartbreaking 2-1 loss, Howard was the undisputed Man of the Match and delivered arguably the most memorable individual performance in American soccer history.
No. 41: Maradona, Argentina Win Memorable Title in ’86
The 1986 World Cup in Mexico cemented Diego Maradona’s reputation as the greatest player on the planet; Argentina’s little magician scored five times (including two of the most famous strikes in the sport’s history), led the Albiceleste to their second title and was overwhelmingly voted the Golden Ball winner as the tournament’s top player.
The only thing Maradona didn’t do, it seemed, was score the World Cup-winner for his country. That honor instead fell to Jorge Burruchaga, who capped a wildly entertaining final by breaking a 2-2 tie against West Germany with just four minutes of regular time remaining.
The Germans, trailing 2-0 deep into the second half, had stormed back. They had marked Maradona out of the game to that point, with Lothar Matthäus never more than a yard away from his fellow No. 10. And they had all the momentum following Rudi Völler’s 83rd minute strike in front of more than 114,000 spectators at Estadio Azteca.
Burruchaga changed all that with one slick run and finish after receiving a slick seeing-eye pass from — who else? — El Diego.
No. 40: Portugal Roars Back Behind the ‘Black Panther’
In 1966, North Korea arrived at the World Cup quarterfinals as the ultimate underdog in the quarterfinals against Portugal.
Having already stunned the world by eliminating Italy— widely considered one of the tournament’s greatest upsets — North Korea became the first Asian nation to reach the World Cup knockout stage.
Within 25 minutes, the North Koreans seemed poised for an even bigger miracle at Goodison Park after storming to a shocking 3-0 lead over Portugal.
However, the momentum shifted behind the brilliance of Eusébio. The reigning Ballon d’Or winner delivered a legendary performance, spearheading a relentless Portuguese rally.
Portugal roared back, scoring five unanswered goals, four of which were netted by Eusébio himself. The ‘Black Panther’ would go on to win the Golden Boot as he finished with nine goals.
Portugal’s journey eventually ended in the semifinals against the host nation and eventual champions, England.
To this day, the 5-3 result remains one of the greatest comebacks the World Cup has ever seen.
No. 39: A Germany Legend Seals A Title At Home
Gerd Müller scored an astonishing 68 goals in just 62 games over the course of his international career, but one of them stands out above the rest.
During the 1974 World Cup final, West Germany was locked in a 1-1 stalemate against the Netherlands, at Munich’s Olympiastadion.
Müller scrambled back to control a pass in the area, pivoted, and instinctively slotted a low shot past the keeper.
That chaotic yet beautiful goal put the Germans ahead 2-1 and secured the nation’s second world championship.
It was more than just a trophy-winner; it was Müller’s 14th and final World Cup goal, cementing his legacy as one of the best finishers to ever play the game.
Müller’s parting gift gave his home crowd a memory that would last a lifetime.
No. 38: Frank Lampard’s Goal That Wasn’t Against Germany
Everyone in the stadium seemingly saw this goal—except the referee.
When England met Germany in the 2010 World Cup Round of 16, history repeated itself in the most ironic way possible.
In the 1966 final, Geoff Hurst scored a controversial “phantom goal” against West Germany that led to England’s only title.
Forty-four years later, Germany finally got their revenge.
With England trailing 2-1, Frank Lampard launched a screamer off the crossbar. Replays showed the ball bounced clearly past the goal line, but the officials ruled it no goal. Tens of millions of fans watched the robbery unfold live on television.
Deflated, England collapsed to a 4-1 loss—their worst World Cup defeat ever. But the injustice wasn’t for nothing. This massive blunder helped usher in Goal-Line Technology in 2014 and later VAR in 2018.
No. 37 Garrincha steps up in place of the injured Pelé
When Brazil arrived in Chile for the 1962 World Cup, the plan for every opponent was simple: Stop Pelé.
But two games in, disaster struck the Seleção, Pele, the world’s greatest player was forced out due to injury.
When a Brazilian legend fell, a hero rose — Manuel Francisco dos Santos — aka Garrincha.
Garrincha decimated England in the quarterfinals with two goals, then broke Chilean hearts with two more in the semis.
Even though he was booked for a red card against Chile, he was cleared for the final where he led Brazil to a 3-1 victory over Czechoslovakia.
Pelé was limited to the role of spectator, but Garrincha led Brazil to become only the second team to win consecutive titles and became the first player to win both the Golden Boot as the tournament’s top scorer and Golden Ball as its best player in World Cup history.
No. 36: Mbappé, France End Croatia’s Unlikely Run
An unconventional scoreline with the unlikely finalist. The crowning moment for a talented youngster. The 2018 World Cup final stood out on its own.
Unlike previous World Cup finals, Croatia and France came to play in 2018. The Croatians – in their first final ever of a major tournament – were all over Les Bleus early, but France took the lead against the run of play on an 18th-minute own goal by Mario Mandžukić. Ten minutes later, the score was even again courtesy of Croatian veteran Ivan Perišić.
The video assistant referee then awarded a penalty to France after spotting a handball in the box. Antoine Griezmann converted it to restore his team’s advantage at the half.
That’s when a memorable second half broke out. France star midfielder Paul Pogba restored the two-goal before Mandžukić made up for his earlier error to give Croatia some life. But Kylian Mbappé then scored the clincher as he became the first teenager since Pele to score in a final.
France stood as 4-2 winners (the highest-scoring World Cup final since 1966) for its second World Cup title.
No. 35: Paolo Rossi’s Return
Paolo Rossi had barely played in two years. Banned for his involvement in the betting scandal that rocked Italian soccer in 1980, the forward returned to the field with club side Juventus with just three games left in the 1981-82 Serie A season.
That was enough for Azzurri manager Enzo Bearzot, who controversially included Rossi on his roster for the 1982 World Cup in Spain. It looked like a severe miscalculation at first. The striker went scoreless through Italy’s first three games, and Bearzot was under intense pressure to drop him from the starting lineup.
That he didn’t succumb to it looks like a masterstroke now. While Rossi didn’t score as Italy first defeated defending champion Argentina, he exploded for three goals in the Azzurri’s fifth game, a 3-2 triumph over Brazil that sent his country to the final four.
The seal broken, Rossi had both goals in the 2-0 semifinal victory over Poland in the semis before finding the target for the sixth time in three matches in the final, a 3-1 win over West Germany that gave the Italians their first title since 1938. Not only did Rossi take home the Golden Boot as the tournament’s goal leader, he also won the Golden Ball as MVP.
No. 34: South Korea’s Historical Semifinal Run Came With Controversy
The benefits of home-field advantage are given for any World Cup host. South Korea’s bordered on the absurd in their Round of 16 meeting with Italy in 2002.
South Korea stunned Italy in one of the most controversial matches in FIFA World Cup history during the 2002 World Cup Round of 16, featuring disputed referee calls, a disallowed Italian goal, and Ahn Jung-hwan’s dramatic Golden Goal winner.
The Azzurri might have known it wouldn’t be their night when the Koreans were awarded a phantom penalty just three minutes in. The effort was saved by Gianluigi Buffon, the last bit of good fortune they’d get.
With VAR still 16 years away, Italy had two apparent goals — including one in extra time — controversially ruled offside. They also saw maestro Francesco Totti shown a second yellow card during the additional half-hour for diving; replays suggested it should’ve been a foul and a potentially match-deciding penalty instead.
Italy just couldn’t beat both the host and the officiating; Ahn’s game winner for the South Koreans mercifully ended the contest with just three minutes left.
No. 33: No ‘Last Dance’ For Maradona
The 1994 World Cup in the USA was to be the fourth and final trip to the planet’s greatest sporting event for Argentina superstar Diego Maradona. After leading the Albiceleste to the 1986 title in Mexico and then to a runner-up finish four years later in Italy, he had dreams of going out on top.
In their first game against Greece. Maradona scores and celebrates wildly—eyes wide, veins bulging, screaming into the lens and for one moment, it looked like redemption. Days later, Maradona tests positive for a banned substance.
Despite Maradona’s claims that the drug was taken as part of a weight-loss regimen, FIFA upheld the ban. The 33-year-old icon is removed from the tournament—and from the World Cup camp entirely. Maradona never plays for Argentina again.
That celebration becomes the last image the world sees of Maradona on the biggest stage.
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Continue to check back every day for more top moments as we count down to the 2026 FIFA World Cup, starting on June 11.
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