This summer, we will have the privilege to watch the 23rd edition of a World Cup and witness some moments that will become a permanent part of football lore. It happens every tournament, with memorable goals, inspiring player stories, hard-fought matches, and inexplicable actions that shocked the world. It’s very hard to select just a handful of unforgettable moments from almost a century of football, so the following selection is just a snapshot rather than a real ranking.
Let’s look back on some of the most incredible things we saw in one of the past World Cups.
Goal in Under 11 Seconds (2002)
Scoring a goal in the opening minute of a World Cup match is rare. Doing it in less than 11 seconds is absolutely unbelievable and it still stands as the record. This feat was accomplished in 2002 by the Turkish footballer Hakan Sukur in the third-place match against South Korea, and it contributed to the historic success of his team that won 3-2. Sukur caught the Korean defence basking in the glory of the high-profile match a little too long, and made them pay before anyone truly realised the match has kicked off.
Germany Scoring 7 on Brazil (2014)
If you want an example why you can’t fully trust updates on this year’s World Cup, look no further than the semi-final match in 2014. Brazil was considered a serious candidate to win the trophy outright, and the match against Germany was expected to be a dogfight. What actually transpired was an embarrassment for the most prestigious football nation and a display of German offensive firepower. Winning by 7-1 in the World Cup semis is a miracle in itself, but doing it to a Brazil team full of international stars was nothing short of spectacular.
Roger Milla Dancing with a Corner Flag (1990)
Few teams have ever captured the sympathies of the fans quite like Cameroon did back in 1990. The scrappy squad of happy overachievers burst onto the scene seemingly out of nowhere and started stringing unexpected results including a group stage win against Argentina, eventually reaching the quarter finals. The most enduring image from this inspired run is that of Roger Milla celebrating each goal by running straight to the corner post and doing a little dance for the fans. It was surreal, authentically African, and impossible to ignore.
The Zidane Headbutt (2006)
The next notable moment is admittedly more sinister, but not less jaw-dropping. In 2006, Zinedine Zidane was widely seen as a respected veteran nearing the end of his career and an all-time leader for France. Why would a legend of this rank pull a move out of a street fighting movie and earn an inevitable red card in an important match remains a mystery. Zidane was provoked in the overtime of the finals match against Italy and retaliated by striking Marco Materazzi right in the chest with his forehead. That prevented him from taking part in the penalty shootout, which his team ultimately lost.
Maradona and the Hand of God (1986)
Yes, the infamous Hand of God goal belongs right at the top of this list. Diego Maradona was a part of four World Cups and did too many incredible things to count, but his successful pretending to have scored a header when it reality he used his hand to reach the ball remains an all-time classic. Of course, it the age of VAR this goal would never have counted, and even back then the instant replay showed what really happened. That was little consolation for England, who was on the receiving end and got eliminated in the quarterfinals while Maradona and Argentina would go on to win the World Cup trophy.
