Most Famous World Cup Finals
There will undoubtedly be several iconic World Cup finals that are left off of this list. To produce what we believe to be a deserving top 5, we combined some of the more recognizable finals with some of the more recent ones.
5. Italy 1-1 France (2006)
Although the World Cup final itself was not the most exciting, the drama surrounding Materazzi and Zidane will live on in the memory.
The French superstar proceeded to headbutt Materazzi in the chest, knocking the enormous center-back to the ground, after being provoked by the Italian defender, who had supposedly said some pretty unpleasant things about Zidane's sister. Italy went on to win the match in a penalty shootout after Zidane was formally dismissed for the offense.
Pictures of Zidane passing the trophy after being fired provide a moving picture of the French playmaker's tragic conclusion to what had been an outstanding career. After the World Cup final, Zidane announced his retirement from the club and international football.
4. Brazil 2-0 Germany (2002)
Ronaldo and the company had a chance to make amends in 2002 for the lost final of ‘98, which they properly accomplished. Ronaldo scored both of Brazil's goals in the second half to secure a well-earned victory and restore its status as the finest national team in the world. In 2002, Brazil was an unstoppable force because of the three Rs upfront—Ronaldo, Rivaldo, and Ronaldinho—and two great wing-backs—Cafu and Roberto Carlos.
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A memorable final was delivered by France 98, albeit not completely for the right reasons. As the host country competing against Brazil and their renowned scorer Ronaldo, France was under pressure since they had never won the World Cup.
Take nothing away from France, however; they controlled the match, led by the talisman's two goals, which gave France a dominant advantage. With a late goal from Petit, France won their first World Cup with a score of 3-0.
2. Brazil beats Italy 4-1 (1970)
Brazil defeated the Italians 4-1, and their game-winning goal is often used to characterize the whole contest. Pele sent the ball to the charging full-back Carlos Alberto, who finished off the play with a stylish goal, like one from a Pep Guardiola-led Barcelona team.
1. West Germany 4-2 England (1966)
It goes without saying that the England vs. West Germany World Cup final at Wembley was the finest World Cup final of all time. The 1966 final saw West Germany take the lead, much to the dismay of the home crowd. A goal from Peters gave the hosts a 2-1 lead after Hurst had tied the score for England, but West Germany scored an injury-time goal to force extra time.
Hurst scored his second of the game in the 101st minute to bring England on the verge of victory. Hurst's effort was blocked by the crossbar and went down and out of the goal, causing the England players to celebrate and the German players to argue. In order to determine if it was a goal, the referee had to speak with his linesman, who was certain the ball had entered the goal and England had taken a 3-2 lead.