The Most Crazy World Cup Final Moments Of All Time

The World Cup final is the most watched sporting event on the planet. In the 2018 Russia World Cup final, more than one billion people tuned into the game. In this article, we take a look at some of the crazy World Cup final moments on the pitch.

Crazy World Cup Final Moments: The Madness on the Pitch

We would like to clarify that these crazy World Cup final moments are not limited to only goals. Whilst there have been some crazy goals scored, we will also include any sort of madness on the pitch. Thus, we have included celebrations, passages of play, cards and much more.

The 2022 Qatar World Cup is the twenty-second tournament. It is one of the most controversial World Cup competitions of all time. Not only due to the fact that it is being played in the wintertime but also due to the human rights that are involved with it.

However, we do not really want to get into the politics. Instead, we would rather just focus on the football alone. In the World Cup, we have already seen some incredible games, goals and magical moments. The final four nations are Croatia, Argentina, Morocco and France. Each of these teams have a good chance of winning the tournament, but that is set to be decided on the 18^th of December. Until then, we have some of the most incredibly crazy World Cup final moments. Read on to see what World Cup history we have in store for you.

The Headbutt Seen around the World

One of our recent news articles refers to the incredible bottle that Zinedine Zidane had in the 2006 Germany World Cup final. The Frenchman was the star of the tournament, leading France to the World Cup final.

In the final, Zidane put Les Bleus ahead with a cheeky ‘panenka’ penalty. To have the nerve to pull off a penalty of that stature in the biggest game on the planet shows cohones.

Despite putting France ahead, Marco Materazzi equalized for Italy to take the tie to extra time. In the second period of extra time, Zidane and Materazzi shared a few words with one another. Following the discussion, Zidane decided to headbutt the Italian defender in the chest. Following this incident, Zidane was sent off in his last ever professional game.

To add salt into the wounds, Italy went on to win the penalty shootout. It was the fourth time that Italy won the World Cup and one of the craziest moments in a World Cup final. Zidane and Materazzi were both influential in the game before this moment of madness.

The Decisive Penalty from Roberto Baggio

In the 1994 USA World Cup final, Italy were the losers of the penalty shootout against Brazil. The game finished goalless after 120 minutes, sending the tie to spot kicks. One of the most iconic and composed players of all time, Roberto Baggio, missed the decisive kick.

This was a shock to the world as he was the best player for Italy. The penalty shootout saw both sides missing before the advantage went to Brazil. Baggio, stepping up to score his penalty to keep Italy in the game, blasted the ball wide. It was one of the worst penalties of all time and in no bigger competition to fail to hit the target. Brazil won the World Cup for a fourth time, before winning it again for an unmatched five times in 2002.

The Ronaldo Incident

The 1998 France World Cup final was played between the host nation and Brazil. The star player for Brazil was Luis Ronaldo whilst France’s Zinedine Zidane was their main player. Unfortunately for Brazil, there was no insurances that Ronaldo would be able to perform.

72 minutes before the game started, Ronaldo was completely absent from the starting eleven and squad. It was a complete mystery where Ronaldo was and why he was not included in the team. However, an hour before kickoff, Ronaldo was reinstated into the starting eleven. The BBC reported the following:

“It was initially reported that Ronaldo had been struggling with an ankle injury, then that he had an upset stomach. There was even talk of poison and whispers about his turbulent love life. Finally team doctor Lidio Toledo revealed the striker had been rushed to hospital after suffering a convulsion in his sleep but cleared to play after neurological and cardiac tests.”

Ronaldo could not elevate to the required level to lead his team to glory. He was overshadowed by France’s Zidane, who scored in a 3-0 win for Les Bleus. Brazil were sent home trophyless, although they made amends for their blunder in 2002. In that game, Ronaldo silenced his critics by scoring both goals against Germany.

The Phantom Goal in 1966

In the 1966 England World Cup, the host nation played against West Germany in the final. One of the standout players for England was Geoff Hurst, who opened the scoring for England. After 90 minutes, the scores were level at 2-2, thanks to a last-minute goal from West Germany’s Wolfgang Weber.

As the tie went into extra time, England regained the lead through a strike from Geoff Hurst. In the 101^stminute, Hurst smashed the ball onto the crossbar, bouncing down to hit the line and go out. The goal was given, even though it is impossible for the ball to have completely crossed the line. In fact, a recent documentary was made to investigate the goal, and a reported 97% of the ball crossed the line, but not the whole 100%.

Referee Gottfried Dienst gave the goal, much to West Germany’s disappointment. England went on to win the game 4-2, thanks to a third goal from Geoff Hurst. To this day, he is the only player to ever score a hattrick in a World Cup final.

The Scream Heard around the World

In the 1982 Spain World Cup, the final was played between Italy and West Germany. The match finished 3-1 to the Italian national team. One of the most important games of the final was the goal from Marco Tardelli to make it 2-0. The Italian midfielder scored from an incredibly powerful shot to guide it past German goalkeeper, Harald Schumacher.

After Tardelli scored, his celebration was even more exciting. The Italian released a primal scream from his goal. The scream was heard from the spectators in the stadium and also television viewers. It is one of most passionate celebrations from a player in a World Cup final.

Iniesta’s World Cup Final Goal and Celebration

In the 2010 South Africa World Cup final, Spain were playing against the Netherlands. The match was sent into extra time following a goalless 90 minutes. In the 109^th minute, John Heitinga was sent off for the Netherlands. Several minutes later, Andrés Iniesta scored the decisive goal in the 116^th minute. He managed to stay onside for a through ball that allowed him to control and blast the ball past Stekelenburg, the Dutch goalkeeper.

Iniesta won the first ever World Cup for Spain, who had dominated international football by winning back-to-back Euros in 2008 and 2012. For that four-year period, Spain were untouchable and deserved winners of their two Euros and World Cup trophies.

The celebration from the Spaniard was even more touching. Iniesta took off his shirt, to show a T-shirt underneath in memory of Daniel Jarque. The Spanish football player had died just a year earlier.

The Carlos Alberto Goal for Brazil

In the 1970 Mexico World Cup, Italy and Brazil played in the final. The match finished 4-1 to the Brazilians. Pelé opened the scoring and proved to play a pivotal role in the victory. He set up the fourth and final goal by assisting right-back Carlos Alberto. The full-back charged onto a through ball that was provided by the Brazilian playmaker. He smashed the ball towards goal, and it crept into the bottom corner.

Brazil won the World Cup for the third time, and it was also a landmark occasion for Pelé. The Brazilian forward won his third trophy and to this day, he is the only player to have ever won the World Cup three times. Many have tried and come close but failed. To mention a few names, Maradona and Luis Ronaldo are up there with two World Cup successes.

The goal from the Brazilian captain Carlos Alberto was a stunning move and an emphatic way for Brazil to secure the trophy. It just proved the reason why Brazil were so popular at the time. When a defender has the determination to get forward and strike the ball better than most attackers do, it just goes to show why Brazil was so loved.

Helmut Rahn Wins it for West Germany

In the 1954 Switzerland World cup, the final was played between West Germany and Hungary. After only eight minutes, Hungary were 2-0 ahead. However, at minute 18, the score was level at 2-2. The equalizing goal was scored from Helmut Rahn.

As the tie was heading towards the final few minutes, Rahn had the last laugh. He scored his second goal of the match in the 84^th minute. To score the goal, Rahn feinted the Hungarian defense, cut inside and fired the ball into the bottom corner. His goal was scored with his weaker left-foot. The match has since been known as ‘The Miracle of Bern’.

West Germany won the World Cup in this 3-2 classic game of football. It is one of the biggest upsets in World Cup history. The Hungarian team featured the popular Ferenc Puskás, who played for Real Madrid. Hungary was expected to win, having defeated West Germany 8-3 in the group stage.

Arsenal Win the World Cup

One of the most hilarious headlines following a World Cup was the Daily Mirror stating, “Arsenal win the World Cup”. The French national football team defeated Brazil in the 1998 France World Cup. The score was 3-0 to Les Bleusw with Arsenal’s Patrick Vieira assisting his club and national teammate Emmanuel Petit for the third goal.

At the time, Arsenal were one of the top teams in the England. They were managed by Frenchman Arséne Wenger and had a handful of French internationals in their squad. It is one of the crazy World Cup final moments as the two club teammates performed the same magic on the international stage in the biggest match of their careers.

The 1950 Decider

In the 1950 Brazil World Cup, a different format was used for the tournament. A total of 13 teams were playing in four different groups. Only the group winners could advance to the final group. In the final group, Brazil, Uruguay, Sweden and Spain were together.

Brazil had battered Sweden and Spain in their opening two matches, meaning a point against Uruguay would secure them their first trophy. In the final match, the host nation Brazil took the lead against Uruguay.

However, they did not expect two quickfire goals from their South American rivals in the second half. The winning goal was scored by Alcides Ghiggia, with only 11 minutes left to play.

This left the Brazilian national team stunned as they fell to defeat against Uruguay. They were playing on their home turf and sporting a white kit. It is the last time Brazil played in white. The Brazilian national team had to wait eight years until they won the 1958 World Cup for the first time. Although, only requiring a draw to win the World Cup on home soil and failing to do so will always go down as a dark moment in Brazilian national team history.

The 2022 Qatar World Cup Final

As the 2022 World Cup in Qatar comes to an end, we have witnessed a number of captivating matches. France, Argentina, Croatia, and Morocco are the last four teams competing in the competition. These teams all have an identical chance of winning the championship.

The oddsmakers would advise a final between France and Argentina. Croatia, though, made the finals in 2018, so they might still be in the running. Morocco has also defied all expectations to go to the semifinals. They are the first country from either Africa or Arabia to advance to the semifinals. They might as a result surprise everyone and go even further.

As we have concluded our ultimate World Cup betting guide, we would recommend you pick one of these teams to support all the way. Both France and Argentina have won the World Cup twice. The French national team are looking to defend the trophy. If they manage to do so, they will be only the third team to ever do so. In 1934 and 1938, Italy achieved this feat. This was replicated in 1958 and 1962 by Brazil.

Lionel Messi is the manager of Argentina, on the other hand. He’ll aim to atone for not winning the trophy in 2014. Similarly, Croatia’s captain Luka Modri wants to lead his squad to the championship game once more. If Croatia makes it to the final, they will be motivated to take the title for the first time ever.

Argentina will play Croatia in the semifinals, and Morocco will play France. There will be one more match after the semifinals. The outcome of the contest will be determined by this.

The Bottom Line

We hope that you have enjoyed reading about our favourite crazy World Cup final moments. There have been some amazing moments throughout the games that have been played in this amazing competition. The world’s most viewed sporting event is this one. The most recent World Cup final was watched by more than one billion people. It is likely that Qatar will see a similar increase in that number.

The most coveted award in football has always been the World Cup. Every child has the desire to win the World Cup. But now that we are down to our final four rivals, we are waiting to see which group will leave with the trophy.

The World Cup has been won twice by two of the teams. 2 of the teams have never achieved victory. Online sportsbooks in Qatar would back an Argentina and France World Cup final. As an alternative, we might watch Morocco play Croatia, which would be a fantastic tale of two underdogs who triumphed. In either case, there are tens of thousands of betting opportunities for the competition’s championship matches. We anticipate finding out which team will win the World Cup in Qatar in 2022.

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