Your earliest World Cup memory

[King_Eric]

Italia 90. I only remember the penalty shoot out against Germany. But I remember having a bunch of stuff with this guy on it:

A couple of footballs, a t shirt and a massive poster. Great mascot.

I was in Italy during that WC and got this mascot in Venetian glass from my parents. Didn't see any football though of that tournament.

My first memories are Thomas Brolin's great WC in '94 and Philippe Albert's goal against Holland.

 

[redspoony]

Watching Cameroon beat Argentina in 1990, sat on the floor in my Grandmother's living room.

 

[Chorley1974]

Spain 82 was my first memory, Eng vs France. Robbo is my all time hero, just love the guy.

 

[Distracted Steward]

Being a Yank, it was the 1994 World Cup coming here. Before that for me, professional football was clips of the Cosmos or black and white footage of Pele. Like most kids, traditional American sports were the only thing I was aware off on a professional or international level.

 

[red_hatz]

While I remember bits of 98, like the barthez head kiss, the first world cup I properly followed was 2002. I remember watching games in school, in the morning everyone went in early. I also remember going on a weekend trip to devon and having to leave early so managed to catch owens goal in the brasil england quater final before listening to the rest of the game on the radio in the car, heart wrenching that
Also the most memorable moment from that world cup was watching england argentina in a hotel in syria, and seeing beckham score that penalty, oh that was just awesome, can remember the arabic commentary!

 

[sallycinnamin]

Earliest memory 1982 only 9 years of age coming in from school turning on the tv and seeing this team in yellow and blue and yes I knew they were from Brazil but the innocence of childhood in my eyes they were footballers from out of this world.The methodical way the strolled out from the back,the humble brilliance in midfield and devastating speed up front.On a personal level wished they had gone further that World Cup but on the flip side I found out the true definition of the beautiful game in my eyes was Brazil.

 

[Cloudface]

Earliest thing I can remember. I remember it feeling like the whole house was shaking as everyone jumped up and screamed like lunatics.

 

[Eric'sCollar]

Probably Beckham's red card or waking up for the final getting caught up in the whole Ronaldo situation before the match.

 

[egginsoup]

Ireland's excruciatingly dull 0-0 draw with Egypt in 1990 (no memory of the England game prior to that, oddly enough).

 

[Lay]

USA 94, Italy v Brazil. It was actually the worst ever match I saw. I was gripped. Even though it was apparently a boring game.

 

[Flying_Heckfish]

Missing out on '94. I was up in arms about that. I seem to remember thinking that England should be given a bye 'since we invented football'.

I wanted to take on the corrupt FIFA even then (I was 8)

 

[MoskvaRed]

Spain 82 and Paolo Rossi. At the risk of spinning the "nostalgia ain't what is used to be" line, there was something magical about the World Cup in those days, not least having so many live games shown when you were used at best to one match a week in the season. There was also a much greater sense of novelty as you rarely saw the foreign players, plus, in the era before the concentration of players at Champions League super clubs, the various national teams had distinctive styles. Also, the World Cup was the undisputed peak of football in that era, whereas now many would argue the international game has been superseded by club football.

 

[Yorkeontop]

6 years old during WC 94. Campo's kits were memorable alright!

 

[Matador8]

That pesky little Argentinian waltzing through the entire England team in the WC 86.

 

[Maxii]

I was too young for Italia '90, and although I was still young for USA '94, I was old enough to latch on to the excitement of everyone else for it. There was usually a lot of family and friends over for the games, and I have vivid memories of everyone going absolutely insane when Ray Haughton scored against Italy. I was already playing football at the time, but this whole tournament really made me love it.

 

[El_cuervo]

Tweet

— Twitter API (@user) date

 

[rcoobc]

Probably Brazil-Scotland, France 98

 

[margarito86]

Tweet

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Xavi really at #15.

shocking.

 

[vanthaman]

Baggio not in top 20, he carried the Italian team to the final in 94 and was great in 1990

 

[Mozza]

A news report in the build up the the England Cameroon Match in 1990, the reporter interviewed a witch doctor

 

[utdalltheway]

1974 kind of, cos that's when we got a colour TV set. It was great!
I remember some of the players names but have no recollection of any goals or event. Sepp Maier, Johnny Rep, Youngblood, Gert Muller, Cruyff, Beckenbauer.

It was at about this age that I really started to watch football.
I was a big Leeds fan then, then my big brother slapped me until I changed teams to Man Utd.

 

[Raph]

France 98 for me. Although I remember McDonald's having some USA 94 toys, I can't remember any of the football.

 

[SmashedHombre]

The Ronaldo France '98 final 'will he, won't he?' debacle. Quite possibly my favourite player ever. I'll never forget his 2002 WC haircut. Probably the most iconic thing about the whole event. Well, that and his 8 goals.

The Romanian team's hair from France 98.

 

[.Rossi]

Free WC 94 toys from McDonalds

 

[beergod]

This goal. Note how bad the American commentary was back then. As bad as it is these days, it is light years better than back then.

 

[Ibi Dreams]

My earliest memory is sitting down with my dad and his mate, bowls of crisps and dips on the table, watching France 98. I specifically remember seeing some black fella scoring a lot of goals, didn't really twig until later that it was Ronaldo

actually after looking it up I think it was Cesar Sampaio WHO?

 

[Ibi Dreams]

It's actually really weird looking at Brazil's squad in 98, Cesar Sampaio scored 3 goals for them in that tournament and he was playing for a Japanese club. The captain Dunga, who later went on to manage the team, was also playing in the Japanese league. Bebeto, who started their first game, was playing for Botafogo and moved to the Mexican league the next year. The majority of them were still Brazilian league players at the time. I didn't realise how different things had become since then

 

[Winrar]

2002 World Cup which drove the entire nation crazy.

It's what's gotten me to follow football. Shame that I sucked at every position I tried to play in, though.

 

[Lever]

Faint memories of 1990, but 1994 is the one that definitly sticks to my mind. Especially with Sweden doing as well as they did, what a summer that was.

 

[Majki2111]

Earliest thing I can remember

 

[Gio]

It's actually really weird looking at Brazil's squad in 98, Cesar Sampaio scored 3 goals for them in that tournament and he was playing for a Japanese club. The captain Dunga, who later went on to manage the team, was also playing in the Japanese league. Bebeto, who started their first game, was playing for Botafogo and moved to the Mexican league the next year. The majority of them were still Brazilian league players at the time. I didn't realise how different things had become since then

Different times. Also a reflection of some of the money in the Japanese game during the 1990s (they lured a few Brazilians and ex-stars to the league) and the transition between the 1994 Brazil and the 2002 Brazil teams (Dunga, Cesar Sampaio, Junior Baiano, Aldair, Bebeto on the way out; Ronaldo, Rivaldo, Roberto Carlos and Denilson on the way in).

 

[Neil67]

Mine was Argentina 1978 don't remember a lot but we had not long had our first colour television!

The first tournament that I watched and was really into was Spain 1982, Bryan Robsons goal against France, class.

 

[Member 39557]

Mexico 86. Wilkins lobbing the ball at the ref in the group match against Morocco, Lineker's golden boot and The hand of God etc.

 

[arthurka]

1982 Spain..

Paolo Rossi... And that final vs Germany.
And who doesnt remember Toni Schumachers murdering attempt vs France.
Poor Battiston..

 

[Niall]

Maybe I dreamt it, but I have a vague memory of Chris Waddle shooting from near the touchline and hitting the crossbar during Italia 90. Was it in the semi-final against West Germany?

I've looked for it on youtube but can't find it. Did it actually happen?

 

[Lever]

Maybe I dreamt it, but I have a vague memory of Chris Waddle shooting from near the touchline and hitting the crossbar during Italia 90. Was it in the semi-final against West Germany?

I've looked for it on youtube but can't find it. Did it actually happen?

He did, goalkeeper got a touch on though I think.

 

[Niall]

He did, goalkeeper got a touch on though I think.

In the semi-final?

 

[Zoo]

In the semi-final?

Yeah. At 2.58 in this video

 

[Kristjan]

Spain '82
Robson, Zico, Socrates, Rossi, Zoff, Battiston, Schumacher etc.
Unforgettable

 

[Niall]

Yeah. At 2.58 in this video

Thanks. Not quite near the touchline then, more the halfway line. Good save by the keeper!