Dan Ross presents, in chronological order, the 10 finest goals in World Cup finalses. In his view, obviously...
Sweden 58: Pele (Brazil) vs Sweden
GazzaâÂÂs goal against the Scots ainâÂÂt so great. It turns out he copied it from this chap: Pele. One name, like Cher. Apparently he scored tons of goals.
The evidence here certainly suggests that the kid had talent. Watch him trap that rocket of a pass on his chest, clip it over the advancing defender and execute an inch-perfect volley as it drops, rifling it into the bottom corner.
An irresistibly classy goal for a World Cup final â and he was only 17 at the time. He remains the youngest ever scorer in a World Cup final. But who was better, him or Maradona...?
Mexico 70: Carlos Alberto (Brazil) vs Italy
BrazilâÂÂs fourth and final goal of a memorable World Cup final emphatically underlined their ability and summed up a team whose poise, power and precision had dominated the tournament.
A majestic team move builds from the back as Clodoaldo dances past four challengers in his own half. The ball moves to the wing, where wizard Jairzinho holds off two challenges and feeds Pele.
The great striker waits and waits, and when he eventually rolls the ball to his right, captain Carlos Alberto is there to thunder it into the bottom corner to ensure Brazil are crowned as champions for the third time.
Argentina 78: Archie Gemmill (Scotland) vs Holland
Thirty years ago the Tartan Army had a team worth shouting about. Graeme Souness, Kenny Dalglish, Joe Jordan, John Robertson and Archie Gemmill were all household names, and World Cup hopes were high.
But after losing to Peru and drawing with debutants Iran, the Scots needed to beat Holland by three goals to qualify. It all seemed impossible. Until, at 2-1 up, they scored the goal that will live forever in Tartan memory.
Picking up the ball on the right hand side of the area, Gemmill waltzes past four defenders and finishes sublimely, giving his team a wonderful chance to qualify. They didnâÂÂt: Holland scored again. But those few minutes of ecstasy eased the pain of the premature exit.
Mexico 86: Manuel Negrete (Mexico) vs Bulgaria
Remember the name? Probably not. Though he is responsible for scoring one of the most spectacular goals in World Cup history, not many people could place Manuel Negrete. The Mexican midfielder spent much of his career in his homeland, racking up nearly 400 games for the Pumas.
What is surprising, though, is that so few people remember his stunning contribution to Mexico 86. The hosts had topped their group â more than West Germany, world champions Italy, European champions France or, er, England could manage â and faced Bulgaria in the Round of 16.
Negrete controls a lofted ball on the edge of the area, before flicking it to teammate Javier Aguirre. AguirreâÂÂs first-touch return keeps the ball in the air, and Negrete fires home an unstoppable scissor kick.
Not one youâÂÂd forget if you managed it in a park â and this one helped Mexico into the quarter-finals of the worldâÂÂs most prestigious tournament before 114,000 baying fans in the Azteca Stadium. You might not remember it, but they will.
Mexico 86: Diego Maradona (Argentina) vs England
After the Hand of God, the fleet feet of the planet's finest footballer. There was only one way that Maradona was going to negate the most controversial goal ever scored at a World Cup, and that was by scoring the best goal ever seen in one, four minutes later.
Collecting the ball near the halfway line, he avoids the attention of Peters Beardsley and Reid with some smart footwork â and he's away. Swerving past Terrys Butcher and Fenwick, he rounds one final Peter, Shilton, before prodding it into the England goal. No complaints there.
Italia 90: Roberto Baggio (Italy) vs Czechoslovakia
Both sides had already qualified for the knockout stage of the competition, but the host nation wanted to win with style and top the group. They managed both thanks to Roberto Baggio. A draw would have been enough for the Czechs to top the group, but âÂÂthe Divine Ponytailâ ensured there was to be no happy ending.
Starting on the halfway line (donâÂÂt all the best goals?), Baggio exchanges a neat one-two with Giuseppe Giannini, avoids the lunge of Ivan Hasek, nearly topples Miroslav Kadlec with a clever shimmy and produces a fine finish at the near post to grab Goal of the Tournament.
USA 94: Diego Maradona (Argentina) vs Greece
Maradona shocked the world when he was kicked out of USA 94 after failing a drug test. After watching this effort against Greece, you can understand why the doping squad were knocking on his hotel room door so quickly.
In a move so blindingly quick you'd have to be on something to be able to pull it off, the Argentinian attack buzz like wasps around the Greece box. Fernando Redondo plays one-twos with Maradona and Claudio Caniggia in the blink of an eye before setting up Diego to curl the ball, left-footed, into the top corner.
(Editor's hurried legal note: Only Maradona was found guilty of drug misuse. OK?)
USA 94: Saeed Al-Owairan (Saudi Arabia) vs Belgium
Time was when a World Cup wasn't a World Cup without someone dribbling home from at least half-way. And this sensational solo effort ensured that for a third successive World Cup, poor old Belgium were beaten by a wonder goal (see Maradona 1986 & David Platt 1990).
Picking up the ball in his own half, he just runs. And runs. And runs. Eventually he realises he has found his way to goal (after dancing round four Belgian players en route) and fires the ball past onrushing goalkeeper Michel Preud'homme to the amazement of spectators everywhere.
France 98: Dennis Bergkamp (Holland) vs Argentina
Pulling one back for Europe is the Ice Man. Any goal that makes Barry Davies reach a pitch audible only to dogs deserves a place on this list; the fact that it was an 89th-minute quarter-final winner against the Argies makes it pretty special, too.
The way Bergkamp kills Frank de BoerâÂÂs 60-odd-yard long ball with his first touch, flicks it back inside his marker with his second, before hitting it with the outside of his foot into the opposite top corner with his third... well, itâÂÂs almost indescribable. Ask Barry.
Japan/Korea 2002: Dario Rodriguez (Uruguay) vs Denmark
This list has done little to disprove the stereotype that South Americans are the finest technical footballers. And the goal in this one wasnâÂÂt scored by a Dane. Just two days into the 2002 World Cup, it closed the book for the goal of the tournament.
Alvaro RecobaâÂÂs cleared corner lands on the foot of Pablo Garcia, who plays some keepy-uppy before lobbing the ball to the unmarked Dario Rodriguez, lurking on the other side of the D. Evidently encouraged by GarciaâÂÂs reluctance to let the ball hit the deck, Rodriguez launches a first-time volley that flies into the top corner. WhatâÂÂs Spanish for âÂÂave itâÂÂ?
More World Cup wondergoals in our Best of the Web section:
World Cup 1982: The Greatest Goals
World Cup 1986: The Greatest Goals
World Cup 1990: The Greatest Goals
World Cup 1994: The Greatest Goals
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