Lionel Messi’s brilliance on the pitch is unmatched, cementing his status as one of football’s all-time greats. But how many World Cups has the Argentinian maestro graced with his phenomenal presence? This article tells the story of Messi’s journey through football’s biggest tournament. From teenage prospect in 2006 to eventual champion in 2022, relive Messi’s … Read more
Heading into the 1998 World Cup, Brazil looked damn good. Ronaldo was coming into France ’98 off the back of a stunning 34-goal debut season with Inter Milan and had been the talisman behind Brazil’s road to the final. A crucial goal against the Netherlands had helped them over the line in the semi-finals, as … Read more
The World Cup trophy is the biggest accolade in international football and a dream title for every player on the planet. Only rare ones get a chance to lift it and even a smaller portion of the greatest ones play a big role in the process. It takes something special for any team to go … Read more
Zinedine Zidane was always a player that oozed class. So composed and skillful on the ball, the player is, in my eyes, France’s best-ever footballer. But, despite his talent, his most memorable moment lies in a split second of madness and disgrace. Zidane’s legacy will always be tainted by a decision he took in the … Read more
A 1986 World Cup semi-final was now uncharted territory for the Belgium national team. They were unfortunate to face an Argentina side on the verge of victory. In 1982, Belgium had beaten the then-holders 1-0 in the opening match of the World Cup, Belgium’s finest hour. Even though the 11 men wearing the red of … Read more
Boca Juniors’ fortress-like Estadio Bombonera has built a formidable reputation over the years, and with good reason. Few visiting teams have managed to take the spoils on the Xeneizes’ fabled home patch, located in an area to the south of Buenos Aires, where the fanatical supporters always form an imposing 12th man. Yet it was … Read more
According to some, Mexico 86 was the last truly great World Cup. A tournament filled with drama, storylines, and, of course, stellar players characterized by prolific goalscorers like Emilio Butragueno, Gary Lineker, and Careca. World Cup fans were dazzled by creative geniuses like Enzo Francescoli, Michael Laudrup, Enzo Scifo, Michel Platini, and Zico. In this … Read more
The 1991 Women’s World Cup was the first international sanctioned tournament for women’s national teams. Held in China, the FIFA tournament set the stage for the continuous growth of women’s soccer. Twelve nations participated in the competition, with the United States emerging as champions in a thrilling finale, defeating Norway 2–1 in extra time. After … Read more
The match hero Mario Gotze, came off the bench to score the title goal in the very last minutes of the 2014 World Cup final against Argentina. Germany needed 113 minutes to earn the fourth World Cup title. Mario Götze came off the bench to become the German hero of the 2014 FIFA World Cup … Read more
Any Englishman, whether or not he was even born then, will swear to you that the ball actually crossed the line in the 1966 World Cup final. In Germany, of course, you can expect a different answer. Even Geoff Hurst’s autobiography begins with the question, “Was it a goal?” when discussing his second goal in … Read more