The Fifa World Cup inspires feelings and images that stay with us for the rest of our lives if we are old enough to remember the events in the first place.
It doesn’t matter if it’s a spectacular goal, an equally stunning celebration, a simply amazing instance, or even an eerie moment; that is, the FIFA World Cup never fails to entertain, and every edition of the event is highly anticipated across the globe.
From the unforgettable goals, the thrill it provides, and even the unexpected twists, this tournament will be regarded as one of the best football tournaments in the world.
We will review the memorable moments either in a good or negative way.
In the end, fame and infamy are inextricably linked when you think of being remembered. Here are the 6 greatest FIFA World Cup moments.
#1. Uruguay Takes the First Trophy
According to the old saying, you need to master the art of crawling before you can learn to walk. Every great thing in life must begin with a point, and in the case of the World Cup, it began in 1930. After many years of negotiation, FIFA could finally stage the event that fans had longed for.
But, indeed, this World Cup was not always as popular as it is now. Finding teams that would make the long journey to Uruguay to play in the initial tournament was difficult. Yet, FIFA identified 12 teams keen to join Uruguay as a host country and participate.
On the 13th of July in 1930, the World Cup got underway, with two matches beginning simultaneously. There was much anticipation for the event in Uruguay. The hosts did well, and so did their arch rivals Argentina. Both teams advanced to the semifinals and won impressive 6-1 wins to make it to the final.
On the day the game was to be played, excitement was evident all over Montevideo. Many thousands of Argentines crossed the border to watch their countrymen attempt to take the trophy home on the other side. 93,000 spectators came up to watch the final at Centenario Stadium. The Uruguayans could settle down at halftime and showed their best in the second period.
After the break, they were fired up and scored three goals. Hector Castro’s 89th-minute goal gave the team the victory. The World Cup was established by FIFA, which proved to be a very successful decision. Without the very first World Cup, the game wouldn’t have developed into the huge spectacle it is present.
#2. Highest Attended the Match in World Cup History
The biggest crowd ever turned out to watch a football game when Brazil made it to the World Cup final on its turf in 1950. Officially 173,850 tickets to the match in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil’s famous Maracana Stadium, were sold.
But many ticketless fans attended the game, bringing the number of attendees to 200 000. Unfortunately, the Selecao suffered a painful defeat at home by 2-1 against Uruguay.
The game was the record-breaking largest crowd in a FIFA World Cup match.
#3.A Golden Moment
Golden goal rules were first introduced at 1998’s World Cup to make teams less defensive in extra time and to create dramatic endings. FIFA received exactly what they needed in their first game, where the rule was introduced.
In the initial phase of the knockout round, the nation hosting the tournament, France, met the underdogs in Paraguay. The game was taut due to the amount of pressure on Les Blues to do well during the tournament.
In the 113th minute, Laurent Blanc got on the end of a cross and smashed it into the air to smash over Chilavert, the Paraguayan goalkeeper. The goal was the first in the golden history of the World Cup, and the whole nation sighed in relief.
Three weeks after the match, France eventually won the Paris cup. Blanc’s goal was an important and memorable and significant goal of the tournament.
#4:The Game of Their Lives
The 29th of June, 1950, was one of the most memorable events on the calendar of World Cup history for the USA. This was also the day the USA beat England with one of the most shocking ever-lasting upsets.
The opening games for each team appeared to confirm that it was inevitable. England comfortably defeated Chile with a 2-0 win, while the US was defeated with a score of 3-1 Spain. At 6:06 p.m. at local time, the game got underway, and England laid siege to the American goal from the beginning.
They were able to force several stops from Frank Borghi. They were also fortunate to strike the woodwork twice. The US persevered and, at the end of the 37th minute, stunned the football world.
In the second period in the second half, the USA held onto their small advantage. England attempted everything to score an equalizer but could not do it. The USA managed to pull off an unimaginable surprise.
The crowd rushed across the field to cheer with the Americans and dragged Gaetjens off. However, the Americans could not build on their win and were eliminated following Chile’s 5-0 defeat. The defeat stayed with the English, but they lost to Spain by 1-0 in the following game.
The USA did not return to World Cup competition until 1990. It could not win another match until they defeated Colombia just four years after the fact, adding importance to this upset. It will be remembered as one of the most memorable surprises that have occurred in football.
#5: Saeed Goes Solo
A forward takes the ball inside their half. He begins to do an errand. He thwarts one defender, who takes off. Another defender then steps up but cannot remove the ball from him too. The forward continues to run, and two of the defenders encircle him. He must likely give up the ball. But, no!
He’s going to keep going and cut through the defensive players. Then, there’s only the goalie to beat. Do you think he can make it to the finish line? Yes, he can! And spectacularly when he can smash the ball past the goalkeeper to the side. The only way Diego Maradona could score a goal of that kind, surely?
In 1994 Saeed Al-Owarian scored the second-highest goal by an individual of all time in World Cup history. Al-Owarian was in the least likely places you’d think of a player who could achieve a goal of that caliber.
This nation, Saudi Arabia, participated in its first World Cup. The goal was scored against Belgium, who had managed to keep the score clean in their opening two games. But, in this match, Al-Owarian made their defense appear foolish after he completed an amazing individual run.
Al-Owarian barely missed the same goal he scored when he had another spectacular attack into the box but failed to deliver the final touch. But the world was impressed by Saeed.
Al-Owarian played at Al-Owarian in the 1998 World Cup but did not score anything notable. But his performance as an individual against Belgium will be forever etched on FIFA’s list as one of the most memorable achievements to be scored in World Cup history.
#6: At 17 Years Old, Pele Scores a Brace in the Final
How would you feel if you could compete in the FIFA World Cup Final at 17 years old? It’s a moment that you’d never imagine happening in your life, but for Pele, who was then just seventeen, the dream became an actuality as he turned his sport upside down and scored two goals to beat the Swedish team to lift the FIFA World Cup trophy at the age of 17.
Pele was not a legally-authorized participant in the team; however, his talents differed from the other players.
Wrapping up
The FIFA World Cup in 2022 is getting closer, and fans are ready to watch one of the most prestigious soccer spectacles ever.
We hope that by tuning in, football fans will be in the right frame of mind to enjoy some of the most memorable moments from previous competitions.
As the tournament gets closer, we look back on the 6 greatest FIFA World Cup moments in history.
- Related: FIFA World Cup 2018 Recap
