Sports
The footballers who escaped one of the most dangerous countries on Earth
“We see potential spies and enemies everywhere,” says David. “It can be at border control or it can be in a cafe. The other day, a guy was looking at me strangely, so I left without finishing my breakfast, and jumped in a taxi — asking the driver to take me to the wrong address.”
David is an Eritrean footballer, a refugee who thinks government agents are still watching him even though he fled the country a long time ago and is now thousands of miles away.
Though he has claimed asylum abroad, his fears mean that he often sleeps with a chair pressed against the door of his bedroom. Sometimes he will have nightmares about a group of men armed with weapons bursting in and taking him away.
He lives with the memory of 18 months of training at the Sawa military camp in Eritrea, where, from the age of 15, he was awoken each morning before sunrise and beaten if he did not carry out the orders of his superiors to their liking. There were day-long hikes without food or water and he saw unspeakable violence to women and girls, some of it sexual.
He felt like his future was being stolen from him yet insists he was one of the lucky ones.
While military service can be an unending indenture of slavery in Eritrea, he was released, he believes, because he had already started to prove his talent as a footballer. Yet there was always the threat of being sent back, even after being called up to play for the Eritrean national team.
After Sawa, he could not stop thinking about getting out of Eritrea, a country that was ranked as the least free state in the world in the 2021 Reporters Without Borders Press Freedom Index, behind North Korea and other countries known for oppressing and jailing journalists.
David says escape became an “obsession”.
Levels of repression inside the country were getting worse but those trying to leave via its borders were risking indefinite detention. He had heard about underground prisons and a torture chamber known as ‘the oven’ because of the sweltering conditions.
That is why, when he one day travelled abroad to play for Eritrea, he decided to make his move: leaving the team hotel in the middle of the day ostensibly to go shopping for souvenirs. He did not return. He is one of as many as 80 footballers to abscond from the country while in other nations since 2007.
David, whose name has been changed at his request to protect his identity, describes himself as a “patriot” and he insists that he will never experience a greater honour than representing Eritrea as a footballer.
But he thinks he can never go back.
He will not disclose his name publicly because of the perceived threat to his freedom, nor will he confirm where in the world he has resettled, or whether anyone else from the squad escaped with him while on international duty. He says Eritreans are conditioned to distrust journalists because a free press does not exist in their country and anyone who tries to tell the truth is oppressed.
Though he recognises the importance of telling at least part of his story, he is thin on detail at times because the conversation makes him feel nervous.
When he speaks to The Athletic, he talks quietly.
He does not want anyone to hear what he is saying.
When the latest Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) starts in the Ivory Coast on Saturday, a team from Eritrea will not be there.
Eritrea have never qualified for a major international tournament but, on this occasion, did not even enter the process after the Confederation of African Football (CAF) confirmed the country did not have a stadium that fulfilled its safety requirements to host home matches.
Nor are Eritrea competing to reach the 2026 World Cup.
In November, the Eritrean National Football Federation (ENFF) withdrew its entry via a short statement issued by world football’s governing body FIFA and CAF, which said simply that “all of Eritrea’s matches have been cancelled”.
Eritrea, in green, playing against Rwanda in 2012 (AFP via Getty Images)
This decision came after talk of an agreement being reached between ENFF and the Royal Moroccan Football Federation (RMFF) to use that country’s training facilities, which meet CAF standards, before all matches. David interprets Eritrea’s most recent retreat as a reaction from the government fearful of geography, given Morocco’s proximity to Europe and the increased likelihood of more players using the agreement as an opportunity to flee.
“It then becomes an international incident,” says David. “Eritrea does not want the world talking about its problems.”
The last time Eritrea played a competitive, FIFA-recognised game of football, in 2019, they tumbled out of the 2022 World Cup at the qualifying stages after losing over two legs to Namibia. In the same month, four members of the nation’s under-20 side sought asylum in Uganda.
In a sporting sense, the timing of this defection was significant.
Eritrea had trounced Zanzibar to reach the semi-finals of the CECAFA Under-20 Championship — consisting of national teams from east and central African nations — when, amid the celebrations and platitudes from government officials back home, the players made their move. This escape involved convincing the ‘minders’ watching over the squad that they had earned the opportunity to go for a walk without unwanted companionship.
Three months later, another seven players from the senior national team absconded in the same country.
Six of those players have since claimed they were underage when they were forcibly conscripted into the army.
On five occasions since 2009, Eritrean footballers have used the opportunity to seek refuge elsewhere rather than return to a country that is often referred to by Western media as the “North Korea” of Africa.
Permanently mobilised conscripts have been instrumental to the rule of Eritrea’s president, Isaias Afwerki, since the start of the 1990s, when the country gained independence from southern neighbour Ethiopia following a war that lasted 30 years.
Though he initially presented himself as a man of the people, Eritrea has become an authoritarian state under Afwerki, with no national assembly, no constitution or independent judiciary. According to a report produced by the UN Human Rights Council, nearly 40,000 Eritreans tried to cross the Mediterranean Sea to reach Europe in 2014 alone.
A man holds a copy of a newspaper, carrying a report on Eritrean footballers who disappeared from a hotel in 2012 (Isaac Kasamani/AFP via Getty Images)
Two years later, the UN claimed that crimes against humanity had been committed in Eritrea in a “widespread and systematic manner”.
The same report said: “Crimes of enslavement, imprisonment, enforced disappearances, torture, persecution, rape, murder, and other inhumane acts have been committed as part of a campaign to instil fear in, deter opposition from, and, ultimately, to control the Eritrean civilian population.”
By 2018, a peace deal between Eritrea and Ethiopia led to its borders opening and 5,000 people a day leaving the country.
That year, half a million Eritreans fled — a tenth of its population.
Yet footballer David, along with other Eritrean sources who have discussed their experiences with The Athletic on the condition of anonymity, has spoken about the “paranoia” there, where people are sceptical of old international alliances and are, in some cases, thankful to Afwerki for maintaining the country’s sovereignty.
The president retains the support of a mainly older generation having successfully created an image of himself as a besieged leader, successfully combating threatening external forces in the name of independence, while maintaining its key strategic position on the Horn of Africa.
This means that some refugees remain loyal to him, even after resettling following tremendous hardship in their journeys. They say they have not sought a future elsewhere because of Afwerki but because of the actions of other countries, including landlocked Ethiopia, which is threatening to establish a port on Eritrean soil.
Afwerki has informed Eritrean behaviours to such an extent that within expat communities abroad, it is dangerous to discuss politics wherever you happen to live.
David knows people who have been verbally and physically abused on the street for telling their stories publicly.
“You never know who is reading, who is listening, what they think, and what they will do with that information,” he says.
The last time Eritrea played a competitive game of football, Mohammed Saeid made his international debut.
Unlike the other footballers featured in this article, he is willing to talk on the record because none of his relatives or friends still live in Eritrea.
His mother and father fled during the country’s war of independence with Ethiopia, which started in 1962.
Saeid was born in Sweden in 1990. His parents initially crossed the Red Sea, to Jeddah in Saudi Arabia, joining thousands of Eritreans in camps. Eventually, they would make it to Norway, before settling in Orebro, a 200-kilometre (124-mile) drive west of Stockholm, the Swedish capital.
He meets The Athletic in a cafe in Birmingham, England’s second-biggest city, where his family relocated almost 20 years ago because of his football talent.
Saeid joined nearby West Bromwich Albion — thanks largely to the encouragement of Dan Ashworth, who later became a director of elite development with the English Football Association before a hugely successful spell at Brighton & Hove Albion as sporting director, which led to a move to Newcastle United, where he holds the same role.
Saeid talking to The Athletic in Birmingham (Simon Hughes/The Athletic)
Yet Saeid’s entire professional career has been spent away from the country he now calls home. After being released by West Brom, he returned to Sweden, where his performances in midfield for Orebro earned him a deal in 2015 with Major League Soccer’s Columbus Crew.
A first approach to represent Eritrea came around this time. The contact, however, was not from an Eritrean football official. Henok Goitom’s parents were also Eritrean and, aged 31, he was coming towards the end of a playing career which had involved five years in Spain with Murcia, Valladolid and Almeria.
Saeid knew all about Goitom because he was the most famous Eritrean footballer in Sweden, where he’d already played 13 times for the under-21 side. Yet Saeid had never met him, so it was a surprise when suddenly, Goitom started messaging on social media, enquiring whether he would be interested in representing a country he’d never visited.
In the second game of his international career with Eritrea, Goitom scored in a 3-1 away defeat in Botswana, which ended involvement in the qualifying rounds for the 2018 World Cup.
Goitom was on the plane which returned to Eritrea’s capital Asmara following that match but 10 domestic players did not board, deciding instead to seek refuge in the closest Red Cross centre in Francistown.
Local reports suggested the players were worried about the prospect of military service. It was also reported that the players seeking political asylum had suddenly decided not to work with the lawyers provided by the Eritrean Movement for Democracy and Human Rights (EMDHR) following intimidation from agents representing the Botswana government, which allegedly threatened the footballers by claiming they risked rotting in a camp for illegal immigrants if they accepted the invitation by EMDHR to take their case to court.
After being contacted by The Athletic, EMDHR confirmed that the players had been sent to a remote refugee camp where they were not able to work and their movement was restricted. “It was a big shock to them and they struggled to cope,” a spokesman wrote in an email.
The resettlement to a different country took years to materialise due to the high refugee influx at the time to Europe, mainly from Syria. This led to three of the footballers giving up hope in the process, instead choosing to move to South Africa where refugees are relatively free to move and work in informal small businesses.
Children playing in Asmara, Eritrea (Christophe Calais/Corbis via Getty Images)
EMDHR confirmed that marriage allowed one of the three to move to Canada, the country six of the seven who stayed in Botswana also eventually settled in. Another went to Australia after getting married.
With Eritrea losing 10 of their best domestic players, they sought solutions in the country’s worldwide diaspora, but only because of the determination of notable figures such as Goitom.
Except, on that occasion, Saeid decided not to join them.
When he saw the travel arrangements, he had started to think twice. The training camp before a run of competitive fixtures lasted a couple of months and would conflict with his professional commitments in MLS.
Though it might have been possible to arrive closer to those games, the journey still involved four flights — more than 50 hours and a couple of days of flying time each way. He accepted it was going to be a tiring trip but the fatigue concerned him. Would he be able to train and then perform to the expected levels after travelling from Columbus in the Midwestern state of Ohio to New York, to Frankfurt in Germany, to Addis Ababa in Ethiopia, and then to Asmara?
The layovers between some of these flights were tight as well, so he was counting on lots of things falling into place. “When you do your job, you want to do it to the fullest.”
By 2019, Saeid was back in Sweden with a team called Sirius, where he was in contact with more players of Eritrean descent. They communicated on social media and in WhatsApp groups. Lots of them were talking about the prospect of representing their country. Goitom again acted as a conduit, telling the Eritrean federation that as many as 10 Scandinavian-based Eritreans were interested.
Saeid was getting older, realising that such an opportunity might not come around again. He had never set foot in Eritrea, but he says he acted as a sort of foreman for the country’s football diaspora, encouraging others to join him — even though he did not know what to expect himself. “I did start to ask, ‘Is this actually my job?’.”
This time, the logistical challenge was far simpler: Stockholm to Addis Ababa, then on to Asmara. After landing in Eritrea, he joined a group of players who had been in camp together for several months. He says the sight of so many unfamiliar faces at what was, to them, the late stage of preparations appeared to confuse the domestic Eritrean players, who have limited access to the internet due to government restrictions.
It was clear to Saeid nobody had explained to them that commitments in Europe dictated that clubs only released players for a fortnight at a time under FIFA rules. They began to understand, but it was up to newcomers such as Saeid to try to explain why, rather than any coach or official.
Integration time with new team-mates, however, was limited. Could this have been a deliberate strategy, to keep domestic Eritreans away from their countrymen living abroad, to prevent them from hearing about the supposed riches of Europe?
Saeid says he will never know but over the week that followed, he spent much of it sitting around for hours in hallways of different government buildings, waiting for this document to be stamped, then another one.
He was there for seven days but it felt like two weeks because of all the waiting, though others travelling from Sweden were grilled more intensely than him. One player had claimed to have a relative still living in Eritrea and this led to the police driving out to a village in the countryside hours away and bringing that person back to Asmara to validate his status.
Eritrea line up for a 2018 match against Botswana (Monirul Bhuiyan/AFP via Getty Images)
Quite why some of the easier details to establish were not dealt with before his trip was never explained. Saeid knows for certain, however, that all of this paperwork was not helpful as he tried to prepare for a vital World Cup qualifier with Namibia.
His father had recommended he visit one of the old cinemas of Asmara and eat gelato: pastimes from the country’s old Italian colonial days. Yet there was very little time for Saeid to see the country because of the amount of bureaucracy to get through.
Across seven days, he took part in just two training sessions. Confirmation of Saeid’s eligibility only arrived on the day of the game. Of all the players to travel from Stockholm, only he was permitted to feature in the tie’s first leg, but he remained on the substitutes’ bench, watching Eritrea lose 2-1. Though he was disappointed not to get on, he says he did not feel ready to play anyway because the week had been so draining.
Throughout all of this, nobody from the federation had introduced themselves to him. There had not been a team meeting to go over tactics either.
For the second leg in Namibia, it has been claimed by the Human Rights Concern group for Eritrea that domestic players had to pay bonds of £5,600 ($7,100) to leave the country.
Though the mood was generally more relaxed, Saeid says he only found out he was making his international debut when some of his team-mates started gossiping during the warm-up. Confirmation came when the FIFA officials in charge of the match inadvertently revealed the team by checking all of the players were wearing the correct shirts.
“I don’t know why the coach wasn’t involved,” he says. “I’m still not sure whether this is just the culture in Eritrea. It was never explained. We just put on our shirts and went out and played.”
Another defeat meant Eritrea were not going to the World Cup. Yet Saeid was encouraged by the level of ability in the squad and he was excited that his international career had finally started. Yet in the months that followed, 11 of their players claimed asylum in Uganda and the country have not played competitively at any level since.
Eritrea have no FIFA ranking because they haven’t played a fixture within the governing body’s parameter of 48 months. It is now more than four years since that trip to Namibia and in that time, Saeid says nobody from the federation has contacted him to explain what is going on.
When it was announced that Eritrea would not compete to qualify for the 2026 World Cup, Saeid found out on social media.
Now aged 33, his most recent club were Trelleborg in the Swedish second division. He says he would love to represent his country again but feels his international career is over.
He remains in a WhatsApp chat group with hundreds of Eritrean footballers based across the world.
“The appetite is there,” he insists. Yet when players ask him about the next steps in terms of contacting the country, he does not know where to send them. “Eritrea has potential, there’s a lot of talent growing, but we are going to lose all of these players because we don’t have a foundation to build from.”
For any Eritrean wanting to escape the country, the only option is the illegal route: risking the border crossing into Ethiopia or Sudan, to the west, before travelling north, trying to reach the Mediterranean via Libya, where the EU has committed close to €100million (£86.3m; $109.5m) on funding the country’s coastguard.
This investment helped circumnavigate international law that states people cannot be returned to countries if their lives are at risk. Instead, after being caught at sea, refugees are taken back to Libya where, between 2017 and 2022, more than 100,000 men, women and children have been locked up, essentially for being there illegally — albeit without any official charges or trials to contest their imprisonment.
Hermon considers himself in the “lucky” category, despite the hardship he has experienced.
To ensure the safety of a small number of family members he left behind in Eritrea, he permits The Athletic to use only his first name and he asks for certain details in the story that follows to be changed to protect the identities of other people connected to him.
Hermon was not an international footballer but his journey illustrates what many people in his country have had to go through in attempting to get out. He was, however, an aspiring footballer, and dreamed of playing in England because of his admiration for Wayne Rooney. He says that was never going to happen if he remained in Eritrea.
From the age of seven, he worked on a farm and by 13, he faced the prospect of conscription into the army, which, in his words, only considered boys according to whether they were “strong enough to hold a gun”.
He lived in a market town close to the Ethiopian border. His decision to leave was spontaneous: fuelled by a conversation with five friends one night while they were playing football. The town’s population was plummeting and Hermon says that watching his friends go without him would have felt like abandonment, leaving him only with an unending future in the army to contemplate.
One of his brothers had already left Eritrea, resettling in the Middle East. His success as a businessman acted as a reference point when the going got really tough back home in the subsequent weeks, months and years.
None of the boys told their parents about what they were going to do, and none of them really knew where they were heading. It was an eight-hour walk to the border and Hermon remembers the pangs of excitement and dread when he reached the Tekeze River, which acts as a barrier between Eritrea and Ethiopia.
His impression of the Ethiopian army was a brutal one because of the country’s relationship with Eritrea. Yet he says they gave him everything he needed: food, water and a place to sleep.
For three months, he was moved between refugee camps. One of them was riddled with malaria, which he contracted. This made him consider returning to Eritrea but his brother’s financial support allowed him to reach Sudan, after paying a smuggler £2,000, half in advance and half on arrival. He says he knows other refugees who lied about the depth of their finances and ended up paying with body parts.
In Sudan, he felt especially vulnerable. There was the threat of Daesh and other armed militant groups. As a Christian, Hermon knew that if Daesh found him, he’d have to convert to Islam or face death. Refugees like him were also targeted by the police for extortion.
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The journey over the desert to the Libyan border took three weeks. There was barely anything to eat or drink and there was no protection from the scorching sun. People died in front of him, of thirst and starvation. The back of the truck he travelled in was packed and if someone fell off, the driver did not stop.
He says he was fortunate that his stay in Libya lasted just a week. In a holding camp outside Tripoli, the capital, some of the refugees were suicidal after years of detention. Many of the men had been beaten, while women were raped and children were tortured.
The refugees came from all over Africa. Some of them had made it onto a boat, only for it to be seized at sea, and sent back to Libya. Some had been on this demoralising journey more than once. Everyone he met appeared shot psychologically.
Hermon spent his 14th birthday surrounded by people he did not know, uncertain of where he was heading and when the next leg of that journey would start.
Without his brother’s financial support, he thinks he’d have never made it out of Libya — certainly not as quickly as he did. Within a week, he was on an overcrowded, patched-together vessel drifting across the Mediterranean at night. It took 12 hours to reach the Italian island of Sicily.
He arrived in the Sicilian city of Catania freezing cold and wet through. In the Cara Mineo refugee camp there, he was told he’d have to stay until he was old enough to leave. Potentially, that would have meant a four-year detention. He decided to break out, paying a Nigerian gang to cut a hole in a fence in the middle of the night. With two other refugees, they rushed north, using taxis, buses and trains to get to the mainland. In Rome, a restaurant owner took pity on him and paid for the travel to Paris.
He had heard of ‘The Jungle’ outside Calais. There, he paid smugglers to take him to Britain by lorry but five months later he was still waiting. He thought of travelling instead to Germany. When the French government started dismantling the camp, he was identified as being underage and this led to him being taken along with around 30 other children to another facility in the south of France, near Toulouse.
At the back of his mind, Hermon still dreamed about becoming a footballer. After three months, he broke out of the camp again in the middle of the night, travelling east to Marseille. He took a train back up to Calais, by which point nearly all of the refugees had left. He hoped that smugglers might still operate from the town of Berck-sur-Mer but no one appeared to be there either.
As he tried to figure out what to do, a lorry pulled up and parked in front of a bar. He saw an Italian registration number and decided there and then, wherever it took him, he would try and reach England. Since leaving Eritrea, he had always carried a knife with him for protection. This time, he used it to cut through the tarpaulin on the roof of the vehicle, before climbing into a machine, along with two other refugees.
The journey that followed lasted 14 hours. He could hear he was on a ship. During an inspection, he was able to conceal himself in a footwell. When the back door of the lorry opened, Hermon did not have a clue where he was but he ran, escaping from the confused-looking driver. He arrived in a city, and started looking for Eritrean people. It was clear he was in the United Kingdom but he did not speak the language or even understand the alphabet.
One of his travelling companions had the phone number of a relative in Manchester and after he communicated with an unsuspecting passerby on the phone, the relative was able to establish he was in Liverpool. Hermon could not believe his fortune. He knew all about Liverpool because of Rooney.
He walked into a Home Office building in the city’s business district loaded only with a few words of English.
“I am new,” he said, again and again.
In deciding to leave Ethiopia for Sudan, Hermon had left his friends behind. While one of them has remained in that country, two have settled in Egypt and Switzerland. The other boy decided to return to Eritrea and no one has heard from him since.
In Liverpool, Hermon demonstrated enough ability to enrol at a football academy, where he played matches against the youth teams of some of the most famous clubs in England’s north west. Having claimed political asylum, he now combines studying for a degree in business management with a full-time job at a warehouse.
He also now speaks English — with a Scouse accent.
“Talent is not the problem in Eritrea,” he stresses. “We’d make it into the top 100 in the world if everything made sense. But nothing makes sense.”
(Top photos: Getty Images; design: Eamonn Dalton)
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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.
UCLA senior Megan Grant hit her 37th home run of the season, tying the NCAA single-season record during the Bruins’ 19-5 win over Wisconsin during the Big Ten tournament semifinal Friday in College Park, Md.
The record was set in 1995 by Arizona’s Lauren Espinoza, but Grant and Oklahoma freshman Kendall Wells have hit homers at a blistering pace all season and are battling to close the season as the new title holder. Wells has 36 home runs, but her team was eliminated from the Southeastern Conference tournament Friday and she’ll have to wait until the NCAA tournament begins to add to her tally.
Grant, meanwhile, will be in the lineup when UCLA plays regular-season Big Ten champion Nebraska for the league tournament title at 10 a.m. Saturday in College Park, Md. The game will air on the Big Ten Network. First pitch was shifted earlier with the hope of avoiding storms in Maryland.
Grant’s teammates celebrated blast No. 37 and cheered behind her while she was interviewed on the Big Ten Network.
“I was just focusing as much as I can, just competing within that at-bat,” Grant said when asked about her record-tying blast. “… A one-on-one battle is all I think about. It kind of had a good payout.”
During their semifinal win over Wisconsin, the Bruins hit four home runs and pushed their NCAA record single-season team home run total to 181.
Earlier Friday, UCLA senior Jordan Woolery was named Big Ten player of the year by the league’s 17 head coaches.
Woolery leads the nation in RBIs (107) and is the fifth player in NCAA Division I history to record more than 100 RBIs in a season.
Bri Alejandre, Aleena Garcia, Rylee Slimp and Grant joined Woolery on the All-Big Ten first team. Bruins Kaniya Bragg, Alexis Ramirez and Taylor Tinsley earned second-team honors.
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As a courtesy to everyone out there, I want to give you this quick note: The WNBA starts today. I’m sure that everyone has been anxiously awaiting the return of the league and knew that, but just in case, I wanted to give you a heads up. I love the league for a ton of reasons, but one of them is that I find good value on teams and games. I’m going to share some thoughts on some futures for this year. I’ll have my first official play tomorrow.
Cathy Engelbert, WNBA commissioner, presents the Most Valuable Player award to A’ja Wilson of the Las Vegas Aces after their Game 4 win in the 2025 WNBA Finals at Mortgage Matchup Center in Phoenix, Ariz., on Oct. 10, 2025. (Chris Coduto/Getty Images)
Champion
I don’t have an overwhelming feeling about any team in particular to win the championship, but there are some clear favorites. The Aces have won three of the past four and have the best player in the league. The New York Liberty are the favorite at +220, and it makes total sense with Breanna Stewart, Sabrina Ionescu, and Jonquel Jones. The Fever are +450 after making it to the semifinals last season without Caitlin Clark. I don’t see them repeating that success, but it is certainly possible. They are a deep team.
For value, I would lean to the Minnesota Lynx, the best team from last season at +800. But they’ve lost a ton of depth. The Fever are my next favorite with their depth and continuity. The Liberty are a good value, though.
CAITLIN CLARK’S FEVER MAKE SEVERAL KEY OFFSEASON SIGNINGS IN CHAMPIONSHIP PURSUIT
Indiana Fever guard Caitlin Clark (22) plays during the first half against the New York Liberty at Barclays Center in Brooklyn, N.Y., on April 25, 2026. (John Jones-Imagn Images)
Win Totals
The Chicago Sky stand out to me as potentially the worst franchise in all of the WNBA. This team is going to be decent, but I have a lot of questions about where the offense will come from. They have a lot of veterans — DiJonai Carrington, Skylar Diggins, Courtney Vandersloot and Natasha Cloud. At this point in their careers, most of them are known for defense over offense. I like the under 19.5 on them.
The Los Angeles Sparks went 21-23 last season and should improve this year. They have Cameron Brink for a full season, and Nneka Ogwumike returning. Kelsey Plum proved she could carry the scoring load for the team. She is one of the more reliable scorers in the league. I do have some questions about their depth, but I like the over 25.5.
AZZI FUDD QUESTIONS WNBA REFS BEFORE EVEN PLAYING A REGULAR-SEASON GAME AS A DALLAS WINGS ROOKIE
The Dallas Wings are probably my favorite bet this season. I expect them to improve significantly after going 10-34 last season. They got the No. 1 overall pick and took Azzi Fudd to pair with Paige Bueckers. The UConn duo should be elite this year. As a third scorer, Arike Ogunbowale is one of the best options in the league. I love the Alanna Smith signing. She does a bit of everything, from scoring to rebounding and defense. I’ll take the over 22.5.
The WNBA logo is displayed on the court before a game between the Connecticut Sun and the Las Vegas Aces at Michelob ULTRA Arena in Las Vegas, Nev., on June 25, 2025. (Ethan Miller/Getty Images)
Awards
A’ja Wilson is a beast on defense, and at +250 I think we still have some good value on the favorite to win Defensive Player of the Year. Wilson has won three of the past four, tying Alanna Smith last year. Napheesa Collier is the other winner. Cameron Brink is a great value at +1200. She has a great rim presence and is athletic enough to switch on a lot of positions.
Fudd is listed as the second favorite for Rookie of the Year. I could see her not winning because she is likely to be a second or third option on her team. My guess is that Fudd won’t get enough credit for the Wings’ improvement to warrant winning. I like Lauren Betts at +700. She will be an offensive force for the Mystics. Washington is not a good team, but that means Betts will probably get more run.
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Last little note: I’ll sprinkle Bueckers MVP at +1400. She is going to be the focal point of her team, and they will be much improved. Now, with more talent around her, she is likely to lead them to the playoffs. Clark is probably not going to play enough, and Wilson may suffer from voter fatigue. I like the odds on her.
Let’s get down to the season. Remember, all WNBA tickets cash the same as any other sport.
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For more sports betting information and plays, follow David on X/Twitter: @futureprez2024
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