There is no bigger game in football than the World Cup final. It’s every player’s dream to play in the showpiece occasion of the international game, and only the finest get the opportunity to strut their stuff on the biggest stage.
As the 2022 World Cup gets underway, it remains anyone’s guess as to who will compete in the Qatar final, with fans gearing up and preparing their football accumulator.
1970: Brazil 4-1 Italy
We start with one of the most iconic World Cup finals in history and one of the best Brazil teams of all time. Set against the impressive backdrop of the Estadio Azteca in Mexico City, Brazil was just too good for Italy, producing a rip-roaring display that is still talked about to this day.
Pele opened the scoring after 18 minutes, but the Italians drew level before halftime. It took until midway through the second half for Brazil to engage full samba mode, and from there, they looked unstoppable.
A quickfire double from Gerson and Jairzinho put the game beyond Italy before Carlos Alberto ran on to Pele’s pass to fire the ball into the bottom corner and score one of the World Cup’s best-ever goals. The victory was Brazil’s, in some style.
1986: Argentina 3-2 West Germany
16 years later, the Estadio Azteca played host to another hugely entertaining final. This time, it was Argentina who came out on top, defeating West Germany to win their second World Cup.
Inspired by the form of Diego Maradona throughout the tournament, Argentina came into the final in fine fettle, and by the midway point of the second half, they had established a 2-0 lead through goals from Jose Luis Brown and Jorge Valdano.
However, West Germany wasn’t going to go down without a fight. As the game entered its final quarter, they pulled one back through Karl-Heinz Rummenigge, and seven minutes later, Rudi Voller leveled the score.
The race was on for a winner, but it was Argentina who came out on top, as Jorge Burruchaga struck the winner with six minutes remaining. Argentina was the world champions once again.
2006: Italy (p)1-1 France
This was a final that was defined by one inexplicable moment. When Italy and France met in the 2006 World Cup showpiece, it was a difficult match to call, and many felt it would go the full distance.
The match got off to a rip-roaring start. A foul on Florent Malouda by Marco Materazzi granted France an early chance from the penalty spot, and Zinedine Zidane’s dinked effort bounced off the underside of the crossbar and over the line to give Les Bleus the lead.
The Italians struck back soon after, as Materazzi made amends for his penalty concession by towering above the French defense to power home a header from an Andrea Pirlo corner.
The score was level, and from there, the two sides canceled each other out until a moment of madness brought the game to life again in extra time. Zidane, under provocation from Materazzi, planted a headbutt square and true into the chest of the Italian, for which he received a straight red card.
That seemed to seal France’s fate, and Italy duly won the penalty shootout to lay claim to another World Cup.
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