Best/Favourite international tournament...

Rozay

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I guess people’s reasons may vary, but we usually have one tournament that was the most special for us. It could be that your country had an inspired run, or it was in your home country, or just at a key stage of your youth etc.

For me, it’s a tough one between France 98’ and Atlanta 96’.

France 98’ was the most memorable I think. I loved everything about that tournament. The diadora boots that were out during that tournament. Michael Owen’s goal. My favourite player of all time at his best (Ronaldo).

Atlanta 96’ was special for other reasons. It was just Olympic football, but Nigeria won the gold medal, with some classic games along the way, and the birth of a great generation including Kanu, Okocha, Oliseh, Finidi and others. That tournament is still so special in Nigeria.

Honourable mention to USA 94’ (although I was really young) and Euro 96’.
 

Siorac

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Euro 2000 for the quality of the football, France 98 for the nostalgia.
 

Ramos

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WC 90

People say it was actually very dull but it was the first tournament i remember. So a big part of it is due to nostalgia of course. Collecting the Panini stickers, staying up late to watch the games ...

I remember almost everything about it. That crazy opening game with Cameroon given absolutely no chance and beating the World Champions (ending the game with 9 players), the Völler-Rijkaard incident, the Brazil-Argentina game, the emergence of one of my favorite players Roberto Baggio and all the colorful personalities like Milla, Valderrama, Higuita, Goycochea, Cannigia, Schillaci etc.
 

FrankDrebin

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Euro 2008.
Russia were an absolute joy to watch.:drool:

WC 98 is just a pure nostalgia trip for me even though I didn't watch half of the games.
Was on holiday,ironically in the south of France.
Also,the last world cup to have some truly iconic kits.
Brazil's NIKE 98 top was synonymous with Ronaldo as was the France top with Zinedine Zidane.
 
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SirAF

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WC 2006, Ronaldo putting away the penalty to knock England out :drool:
 

Denis79

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WC 90

People say it was actually very dull but it was the first tournament i remember. So a big part of it is due to nostalgia of course. Collecting the Panini stickers, staying up late to watch the games ...

I remember almost everything about it. That crazy opening game with Cameroon given absolutely no chance and beating the World Champions (ending the game with 9 players), the Völler-Rijkaard incident, the Brazil-Argentina game, the emergence of one of my favorite players Roberto Baggio and all the colorful personalities like Milla, Valderrama, Higuita, Goycochea, Cannigia, Schillaci etc.
First world cup I properly remember as well. I'll never forget how the country stood still when we played Argentina with Maradona in the QF. We lost on penalties and I ripped out the argentina squad from my Panini album:lol:
 

OnlyTwoDaSilvas

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I have very vague memories of Italia 90, but I was only 4 when that was on. USA 94 was the first one I properly remember and watching most of, so that's still among my favourites.

Euro 96 was great too as I went to a couple of games, and it we actually seemed to have a chance of winning it. Probably should have won it. I lost interest in England by France 98, and it never really returned.

I'd only just been born when Mexico 86 happened, but I had a VHS of it which I watched a lot when I was a kid. Just found out the same film is now on Amazon Prime, so I'm gonna have to rewatch that.
https://www.amazon.co.uk/Hero-Official-film-World-Mexico/dp/B07F984SM8
 
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World Cup 82. Amazing players, amazing games, huge controversies and great knock out matches.

That Brazil team...

Paulo Rossi coming from jail to top scorer

Italy 3 Brazil 2

Algeria beating West Germany

Lots of debut nations

The first penalty shoot out

That France midfield

West Germany France 3-3 in the semi. Possibly the greatest WC match ever.

The joy of ItalIan goalscorers

Schumacher v Batiston (not saying good)

Austria and Germany conniving to draw (Def not good)

The final.
 

Dr. Dwayne

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Euro 96 just had a great vibe. Europe was hip and football was back in England, who were leading the cool vibe culturally. The Germans won, which made it even better.

WC 2014. As a Germany fan, that 7-1 was better than winning another world Cup.
 

Halds

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Mexico '86.

We, Denmark, qualified for a WC for the first time and we had a brilliant team including M. Laudrup, Elkjaer, Lerby, Arnesen, Olsenx2. Won all the group games and had a lead in the 1/8 vs Spain before we fell apart and lost 5-1. And then there was Maradona. Has anyone ever had a better WC than him in '86?
 

Guy Incognito

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Italia 90, it wasn't a great tournament but nostalgic thinking about it. The warm summer nights watching players you hadn't heard of.

Loved Euro 96 and France 98 for similar reasons.
 

Djemba-Djemba

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Euro 96 from an England POV although last Summer was great for that too.

Overall Euro 2008 was brilliant, having England not there meant I could just enjoy the football. Was a brilliant tournament.
 

GenZRed

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World Cup 2014, despite England being knocked out in the Group Stage.

World Cup 2018 was a great World Cup for me. Great football, England's run to the semi finals. Great weather in England.
 

JamesO

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Euro 16 for me on a personal level due to Wales finally making it to a tournament in my lifetime. That alone would probably have been enough but then the whole run through it was amazing.

From being out in Swansea for the first game against Slovakia and remembering the roar that greeted Robson-Kanu's late scuffed winner, then the disappointment losing in injury time to England on a Thursday afternoon. Russia on a Monday night with progress out of the group at stake and completely dismantling them 3-0!

Northern Ireland was a damp squib of a game last 16. A boring 1-0 win. Then Belgium in the quarters on a Friday night. Without doubt the best I've ever seen Wales play in a game. Behind to an early goal yet kept their heads and outplayed Belgium rest of the half to go in level. Second half was more even but eventually winning 3-1. Vokes' goal with 5 minutes left nearly sent my missus into labour cos of my wild celebrations!

The dream ended against Portugal in the semis, as many of us thought it would without Ramsey and Davies through suspension, but even then it took Ronaldo and his freakish leaping ability to deny us.

I'll never forget those few weeks seeing Wales going on a tournament run, even more so if it turns out to be the only time it'll happen in the rest of my life.
 

AshRK

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Fifa 02 and euro 04 for the nostalgic value. Fifa 14 for some quality game and memorable moments.
 

giorno

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2002. 3 good goals disallowed against croatia, byron moreno, the egyptian ref from the south korea-spain game, the ref from belgium-brazil asking belgian players if they could please tell him why he'd just disallowed a perfectly good goal for them, the spanish media reacting to us reacting to byron moreno with scorn, only to come back and apologize and get right next to us after the eyptian ref happened to them, rivaldo, ronaldo reacting to rivaldo and then getting the stupidest haircut in the history of the universe, denilson being chased by half the population of turkey....
 

AlwaysRed66

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2022 will be the worst. If the latest World Athletics championships are any indicator, the teams will be decimated with the heat, as will the fans, if there are any.
 

Ramos

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First world cup I properly remember as well. I'll never forget how the country stood still when we played Argentina with Maradona in the QF. We lost on penalties and I ripped out the argentina squad from my Panini album:lol:
Italia 90, it wasn't a great tournament but nostalgic thinking about it. The warm summer nights watching players you hadn't heard of.
Just finished watching this. It's very much centered around England and Ireland but still good to bring back memories. There's one for 94 just like it, for those who prefer that tournament.

 

SportingCP96

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For me. Euro 04 as it was the first I ever saw and it was in the motherland. WC 06 as it just gives me such a nostalgic feeling and was a great competition and lastly Euro 16 for obvious reasons:drool::drool::drool:

Honorable mentions Euro 08 and WC 14
 

tentan

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World cup 2006.

The first World cup tournament I really watched from start to finish. An excellent and entertaining tournament.

A lot of teams were in their golden generation and so many legends. This tournament had a stack of world class players in their prime.

Argentina - Messi, Tevez, Riquelme, Crespo
Brazil - Ronaldo, Ronaldinho, Kaka, Adriano, R.Carlos, Cafu
England - Beckham, Gerrard, Lampard, Rooney, Ferdinand, Terry, Cole
France - Zidane, Thuram, Henry, Vieira, Ribery, Makelale
Germany - Ballack, Schweinstieger, Lahm, Kahn, Klose
Italy - Cannavaro, Buffon, Nesta, Totti, Del Piero, Pirlo,
Portugal - Figo, Ronaldo
Netherlands - Van Nistelrooy, Van Bommel, Cocu, Van Persie, Robben
Spain - Xavi, Iniesta, Casillas, Torres, Villa, Ramos, Puyol, Raul
 

The Cat

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Argentina '78. Can remember the toilet roll streamers and the first chance ever to get a Panini sticker album which I thought was more important than the Bible.
 

Lay

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2002 World Cup and 2006.

I've enjoyed a few Copa Americas from the 90s and early 00's but can't put years on them.

For Euros, 2008 was quite fun to see without England.
 

Smith16

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2014 World Cup. We will never witness another game like the 7-1 in our lives.
 

Ban

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USA 1994 and England 1996, 1st world cup and euro cup I ever saw.

France 1998 and Russia 2018 for obvious reasons.
 

big rons sovereign

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Mexico 86 as it was my first one and I was just getting the game at 9. Italia 90 because it was the first one I really followed.
 

Melville Red

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England 1966, of course just for the outcome.

The best however for sheer entertainment was Brazil 1970 followed very closely by Spain 1982 when Italy somehow managed to beat Brazil in one of the most spellbounding matches I think I have ever seen.
 

Melville Red

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World Cup 82. Amazing players, amazing games, huge controversies and great knock out matches.

That Brazil team...

Paulo Rossi coming from jail to top scorer

Italy 3 Brazil 2

Algeria beating West Germany

Lots of debut nations

The first penalty shoot out

That France midfield

West Germany France 3-3 in the semi. Possibly the greatest WC match ever.

The joy of ItalIan goalscorers

Schumacher v Batiston (not saying good)

Austria and Germany conniving to draw (Def not good)

The final.
it was a pretty exceptional tournament, it only comes behind Brazil 1970 for me because of the 1970 final when Brazil ripped Italy apart, and of course it was Pele’s swan song.
 

giorno

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For quality of football, Mexico 1970 remains the gold standard for the sport. Even now, some of the games from that tournament remain spellbinding. Brazil-Perù was the highest level of game in football history
 

Rozay

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For quality of football, Mexico 1970 remains the gold standard for the sport. Even now, some of the games from that tournament remain spellbinding. Brazil-Perù was the highest level of game in football history
Can I find these games online anywhere? Because as a millennial, I find all ‘old football’ pretty shit tbh. Nowhere near the modern standards. Everyone is so slow for starters.