I don't know what that's supposed to mean, but Italy was obviously a worthy finalist.
Best world cup ever
- Thread starter Red the Bear
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In the latest episode of the United Hour Podcast, Nik and Imran hold a long overdue conversation about United's awful league form with 1 win in 7. They discuss a disappointing draw at Bournemouth, a not so disappointing draw against Liverpool and a crushing defeat at Chelsea - Is time nearly over for Erik Ten Hag?
Then in a special second half of the pod, Nik welcomes Natalie ( https://twitter.com/natalie_17) to discuss the fortunes of Manchester United Women as they booked a place in the FA Cup Final after a historic first ever win vs. Chelsea.
Kim Jong-Un’s burnermay I ask the reason for disliking 2002 ? it it because of south korea ?
1994 final was one of the worst games of football ever seen in a world cup this side of Italy '90, come on. Brazil were a functional team that got dragged to the final by their supernova striker. Italy were a team of great players playing below its potential who were dragged to final by their supernova forward - who then got injured in the semifinal because that's how his career went...Italy were shattered after the ridiculous Nigeria and Spain games and the injury to Baggio against Bulgaria, and then the final was played in a sauna...
Tournament was actually pretty good though, quality of football wasn't high but most games were filled with drama and entertaining
Tournament was actually pretty good though, quality of football wasn't high but most games were filled with drama and entertaining
You mean "lost" as in "morally lost"?
Brazil '82 is terribly overrated. I loved that team as a kid - and I still have a huge soft spot for it.
It obviously is not the best Brazilian team ever, though. It had major weaknesses (and was punished for it).
Obviously be a lot of nostalgia in these picks and rightly so, so Italia 90 for me. Iconic theme song, England heartbreak, Milla, Valderama, Matheus, Gazza crying, jumpers for goal posts....
Bollocks.
I'm with you on this. Along with 98 are the two I would say were great. I was too young to remember 86 although I'd have loved to have watched that one. Since 98 though I don't think any World Cup has been particularly good.
98 for me . People like to moan but the scale of it and only happening every 4 years really does give it prestige. 2010 was only OK but it usually delivers
It was an ugly game played at a snail's pace between a team with little quality that attacked by putting in croses and/or hoping Romario made something from nothing, and a team that could barely stand straight but had the best pure defender in history to throw at Romario. It could only ever end on penalties after 120 minutes of nothing much happening, and that's what happened
2006. Italy’s iconic players winning the World Cup.
Zidane’s performance against Brazil and Spain.
Australias reaching the knockouts.
Graham Poll giving Simunic 3 yellow cards
Zidane’s panenka penalty
Zidane’s headbutt
Rooney/C.Ronaldo incident
Ronaldo scoring his 15th World Cup
Goal.
Maxi Rodriguez’s stunner against Mexico
Argentinas team goal
Messi’s first World Cup goal
Battle of Nuremberg
Italy v Germany semi final
Zidane’s performance against Brazil and Spain.
Australias reaching the knockouts.
Graham Poll giving Simunic 3 yellow cards
Zidane’s panenka penalty
Zidane’s headbutt
Rooney/C.Ronaldo incident
Ronaldo scoring his 15th World Cup
Goal.
Maxi Rodriguez’s stunner against Mexico
Argentinas team goal
Messi’s first World Cup goal
Battle of Nuremberg
Italy v Germany semi final
Actually didn't mind them going far. But the weird referee decisions completely marred the tournament for me. Not just in their games with Italy and Spain, the ones everyone remembers. But also in other games like Brazil-Belgium, USA-Germany and so on.may I ask the reason for disliking 2002 ? it it because of south korea ?
Also it really had no memorable clashes between big countries that other tournaments always have, besides maybe the Brazil-England QF. Even the final wasn't one with Germany being below par. Compare this to 1998 that had that crazy Argentina-England R16 and the Argentina-Netherlands QF.
Again - bollocks.
I remember 2002 onwards and none of them have been particularly amazing. It’s just nice to see teams you rarely compete against.
Then we have to agree to disagree, im no authority on Brazilian teams pre 1970 but considering that most seem to hold that team as the best ever I feel comfortable in saying 1982 is very very close to their level had they actually won im sure they would have been ranked higher .
They were obviously not perfect , 2 major defensive errors caused them big time and they were far from solid in the backline but otherwise they steamrolled throughout opposition like no other and no one had been as dominance as they been, it was seriously impressive and has not been repeated since and the italy game could have easily been a one off(let's not forget that Italy side itself has claim to be one of the best international sides ever) and it seems most Brazilians agree with me (although an appeal to authority is not a good argument it's usually the impression I get from the Brazilians whom I talked to, they really like their 1982 team even more than the triumphant 1994 one).
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Maybe the purest in its will to entertain but certainly not the best.
Yeah, of course. Most people do.
That's largely - let's say - sentimental. In retrospect - that's all it is.
It's a very likeable team, very charming.
They obviously aren't the best Brazilian team ever, though.
I'm a big Maradona fan boy if it's not obvious by now and that as you've said easily makes up for the lack of star quality, easily the best footballing performance I've seen and nothing close to it has been replicated since.
Most of the games were very fun to watch as well so there's that too while we got some of the cool matchups to go with it , some probably a bit too late but still(Brazil France).
The fun thing about 1986 is that it's quite atypical of how football was usually played around that time frame, it was a lot more attacking and a ton more space was afforded to the attacking players than it used to, perhaps an after effect of the high altitude but I'm no expert on that, ironically the much scorned 1990 edition was much closed to how football was actually played bqck then but that's irrelevant.
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82 followed by 86 for me
Italia 90 for me, had so many great games, England were actually a good team (I think! memory a bit poor). Italian football was on a high, stadiums looked great, Cameroon v Argentina in the first game iirc, quality!
2006 was the best one quality-wise of the five World Cups I've seen.
I love 2002 more though because I was obsessed with Brazil and especially Ronaldo.
I love 2002 more though because I was obsessed with Brazil and especially Ronaldo.
Yeah the one before it was easily worse. 1990 WC final was one of the worst elite finals in any competition.
1990 clear winner for me, Nessun Dorma, Gazza, "have a word with him", Platt vs Belgium, Schillaci scoring for fun - was brilliant. I was 14 at the time, so remembered 86 very well and had vague memories of 82 as well.
1994 was probably the worst I can remember, with 2010 running it pretty close.
1994 was probably the worst I can remember, with 2010 running it pretty close.
By far the best music.
Baggio’s goal, the Irish lads meeting the pope, Maradona, Gazza, Miller’s dancing, those tackles on Caniggia, Linkekar shitting his pants, the man with Sicilian eyes, that West Germany kit. So iconic.
Italia 90 was brilliant. So much drama in tbe semi finals, maradona becoming a villain in Italy and Gazza’a tears. Brazil 2014 also incredible when you consider the impact of Germany mauling the hosts in the SF, the iconic diving RVP header to finish off a dominating Dutch win over Spain and a worthy final of Germany vs Argentina. 2018 also should get some mention just because of the brilliance of Modric and that Croatian team coming so close to winning it.
Argentina 1978 easily.
Incredible atmosphere in the Argentina v Holland final.
Incredible atmosphere in the Argentina v Holland final.
I'd put them in tiers along these lines:
Top tier:
1970 - Combination of drama and quality. Massive legacy with Brazil.
1982 - Lots of drama with the odd second group stage format pitching big countries head-to-head.
1986 - Plenty of drama and injections of high quality in the Mexico heat. Like Brazil in 1970, Maradona's performances
1998 - Scores well from every angle. Just about every big country turned up and clashed in the knockout stages to produce high-octane games.
2014 - Great host. Lots of fresh attacking football combined with the implosions of Spain and Brazil will live long in the memory.
Middle tier:
1974 - two legendary European teams in a head-to-head for the ages, but without the beat of the South Americans, it didn't quite come together the way a World Cup normally brings together the best from both sides.
1990 - low on quality and attacking football, but one of the highest on drama and enduring iconography.
1994 - loads of good games in the knockout stages, but quite a lot of stodge enforced by the heat and silly kick-off times.
2006 - plenty of tension from the big countries who turned up clashing at the business end of the tournament
2018 - first half of the tournament threatened to explode with goals and drama all over the place, but it petered out in the knockout stages where there very few memorable games.
Bottom tier:
1978 - aside from the two finalists, there wasn't much top-end quality and many contenders underwhelmed. Whole junta vibe didn't help.
2002 - should have been so much better, but so many top players arrived injured or fatigued. Among the contenders, only Brazil truly turned up. Some of the refereeing sapped enthusiasm for the tournament.
2010 - had much of the negative football that marked 1990, but without the same drama. Even an all-time great side like Spain strangled rather than twatted teams aside.
Top tier:
1970 - Combination of drama and quality. Massive legacy with Brazil.
1982 - Lots of drama with the odd second group stage format pitching big countries head-to-head.
1986 - Plenty of drama and injections of high quality in the Mexico heat. Like Brazil in 1970, Maradona's performances
1998 - Scores well from every angle. Just about every big country turned up and clashed in the knockout stages to produce high-octane games.
2014 - Great host. Lots of fresh attacking football combined with the implosions of Spain and Brazil will live long in the memory.
Middle tier:
1974 - two legendary European teams in a head-to-head for the ages, but without the beat of the South Americans, it didn't quite come together the way a World Cup normally brings together the best from both sides.
1990 - low on quality and attacking football, but one of the highest on drama and enduring iconography.
1994 - loads of good games in the knockout stages, but quite a lot of stodge enforced by the heat and silly kick-off times.
2006 - plenty of tension from the big countries who turned up clashing at the business end of the tournament
2018 - first half of the tournament threatened to explode with goals and drama all over the place, but it petered out in the knockout stages where there very few memorable games.
Bottom tier:
1978 - aside from the two finalists, there wasn't much top-end quality and many contenders underwhelmed. Whole junta vibe didn't help.
2002 - should have been so much better, but so many top players arrived injured or fatigued. Among the contenders, only Brazil truly turned up. Some of the refereeing sapped enthusiasm for the tournament.
2010 - had much of the negative football that marked 1990, but without the same drama. Even an all-time great side like Spain strangled rather than twatted teams aside.
I'd prefer the cagey high-stakes of the 1994 final over, for instance, the slight anti-climactic farce of the 1998 and 2018 finals where there were players on the park evidently unfit to be there.
No one has said 2010, those goddam vuvuzela's ruined that entire tournament, basically unwatchable.
2014 world cup by far for me. Was too young to remember 1998, born in 1994, so 02 was the first I remember. 2014 was Bosnia's first, had fantastic games, big upsets, great atmosphere (especially after the constant buzzing noise of 2010)... Loved it.
Anything with R9 and or Ronaldinho in it.
I've heard that the first one you really remember often is your favourite.
Yes that’s why 98 is my favourite. I didn’t particularly like the next one either.
Spot on - yes.
I'd say 1986 or 1990.
They're the first two world cups I really remember - I'd have been 8 and 12 then. And they were before the times of PL and CL on Sky, etc, so getting to see the 'foreign based' players from different continents had that excited air of mystery and novelty - rather than most being players I've seen regularly and with negative associations of playing for rival English / top European clubs.
They're the first two world cups I really remember - I'd have been 8 and 12 then. And they were before the times of PL and CL on Sky, etc, so getting to see the 'foreign based' players from different continents had that excited air of mystery and novelty - rather than most being players I've seen regularly and with negative associations of playing for rival English / top European clubs.
Italia 90 by miles
I have to disagree, and I know it didn't happen but let's say they had gone on to win the tournament after beating Italy in an alternative universe, certainly they would have been considered the best in that scenario.
Again I'm not well versed on brazil pre 1970 but after that time frame only the 1970 team reaches anything resembling their attacking quality and simply ranks above due to the virtue of actually winning it.
Yeah I'm probably being a bit sentimental here but it's really hard not to like that team and they seem to have had that effect on their countrymen as well, they lived them over there, shame how it didn't pan out for them.
98 for me. Yet another world cup where we promised so much, but as usual the god's were against us. What made it worse was I had a bet on Sol Campbell scoring the winning goal against the Argies at a ridiculous 80/1 and pushed a whole table of beers over in the pub when I thought he'd scored, only to see it get ruled out
From my lifetime
Best - France 1998
Worst - South Africa 2010
Best - France 1998
Worst - South Africa 2010
82 (mainly for two of the best (if not the best) WC games) or 86 (lots of good games, goals going in from everywhere)
1994 but that's easy. It was my first World Cup and my country (Bulgaria) did alright.
2010 easily the worst. All I remember is noise. (and Robben missing sitters). I've a soft spot for the Netherlands and will always hate Robben for those misses.
2010 easily the worst. All I remember is noise. (and Robben missing sitters). I've a soft spot for the Netherlands and will always hate Robben for those misses.