The FIFA World Cup is one of the largest sporting events in the world. With the entire world eagerly preparing to watch the championship, rarely does it disappoint. As was evident in the recently concluded FIFA World Cup finals, the matches were filled with excitement and suspense, a blend of feelings ranging from joy to sorrow.
Of course, the FIFA World Cup final is considered the biggest match in the entire tournament, where the two best teams in the championship face off against each other. With a plethora of skills on display, the final must showcase the best of football. With numerous World Cup finals played throughout the history of the long-standing tournament, here are the top 10 finals in the history of the World Cup - Top 10 World Cup Finals.
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| The Top 10 Finals in the History of the World Cup |
Top 10 Best Finals in the History of the World Cup
- FIFA World Cup 2022 Final.
- FIFA World Cup 1950 Final.
- FIFA World Cup 1954 Final.
- FIFA World Cup 1966 Final.
- FIFA World Cup 1986 Final.
- FIFA World Cup 1970 Final.
- FIFA World Cup 1978 Final.
- FIFA World Cup 2006 Final
- FIFA World Cup 1974 Final.
- FIFA World Cup 1998 Final.
1. FIFA World Cup 2022 Final: Argentina 3-3 France
FIFA World Cup 2022 Final, This is the most beautiful final in the history of the World Cup ever. Messi reached the final match, and it was his last chance to lift the World Cup. He struggled immensely for that moment, while France was aiming for their second consecutive World Cup victory. The match started with Argentina's dominance and ended the first half with a score of 2-0. France failed to create any chances in the second half, but a penalty goal shook Argentina's net and made them retreat. Just over a minute later, the top scorer of that tournament, Mbappé, scored a fantastic goal to make the score 2-2.
The match headed into extra time. Lionel Messi scored in the 108th minute, and just when the Argentinians were certain of their victory, the French national team equalized again in the 118th minute through a penalty by Mbappé, becoming the second player to score a hat-trick in the final. Player Randall Colu almost brought glory to his country in the last chance, but goalkeeper Emiliano Martinez made a stunning save, before continuing his brilliance in the penalty shootout and guiding his country to the title that had been absent since 1986.
2. FIFA World Cup 1950 Final: Brazil 1-2 Uruguay
The FIFA World Cup 1950 final wasn't ordinary at all, as the winner of that tournament was determined through a round-robin format. However, when Brazil and Uruguay faced each other in the final match of the round-robin stage, it was considered the ultimate showdown. The stakes were simple for the Brazilians, as they only needed to avoid defeat against Uruguay to become world champions, while the visitors needed a victory to secure the title.
The Brazilian team was considered the overwhelming favorite to win after delivering the best performance in all their matches. Uruguay managed to hold them off in the first half, keeping them goalless. However, they crumbled early in the second half. As Uruguay sought to equalize, Brazil's defensive vulnerabilities became apparent, and they conceded two goals without being able to respond. This led to their defeat at the Maracanã Stadium in front of 200,000 spectators, marking the biggest stain in the history of Brazilian football.
3. FIFA World Cup 1954 Final: West Germany 3-2 Hungary
The FIFA World Cup 1954 final is considered one of the best matches in World Cup history. The result was a significant surprise, as West Germany managed to defeat the strong Hungarian team, who were clear favorites, in a dramatic manner.
Hungary started the match with all their weapons, managing to score two goals within ten minutes. However, the German machines managed to respond, and by the 18th minute, the score was level at 2-2. Hungary continued to control the action, but the Germans took advantage of one of their few openings and went ahead to make it 3-2 in the 84th minute. This lead held until the end, and West Germany emerged victorious, winning their first-ever World Cup.
4. FIFA World Cup 1966 Final: West Germany 2-4 England
England's sole victory in the World Cup dates back to 1966 when they faced West Germany in a tournament they hosted. The match was filled with excitement as both teams took the initiative. West Germany took the lead in the 12th minute, only for Geoff Hurst to equalize just five minutes later.
The Three Lions took the lead when Martin Peters scored in the 78th minute. However, West Germany managed to equalize in the 89th minute, sending the match into extra time. It was then that Geoff Hurst scored for England in the 101st minute – the controversial moment of the match. Replays showed that the ball didn't completely cross the goal line, but the goal was still awarded by the referee. Hurst completed his hat trick in the 120th minute, becoming the first player to score a hat trick in a World Cup final.
5. FIFA World Cup 1986 Final: West Germany 2-3 Argentina
The 1986 World Cup is fondly remembered for Maradona's rise to glory, as he led Argentina to their second World Cup victory against West Germany, who were playing their second consecutive final.
Argentina scored early in the first half and took a 2-0 lead until the 56th minute. However, West Germany staged a remarkable comeback, equalizing within seven minutes to make it 2-2. But before the end of the match, Jorge Valdano finished off a crucial pass from Maradona, allowing the Argentinians to secure their second World Cup victory in 8 years.
Read more: The Top 10 Defenders in history football
6. FIFA World Cup 1970 Final: Brazil 4-1 Italy
The final match of the 1970 World Cup marked the first time two previous champions faced off. This was the final triumph for the late Pelé in the World Cup, securing his third title and a record that remains hard to replicate. The two teams reached the final after each winning the World Cup twice.
Brazilians scored first in the 18th minute, but an error by Brazil's defense allowed Italy to tie the score in the 38th. However, in the second half, Brazil's attacking prowess proved superior to Italy's solid defenses. They scored three more goals, bringing the final score to 4-1, and a third star was added to the yellow jersey, symbolizing their third World Cup victory.
7. FIFA World Cup 1978 Final: Argentina 3-1 Netherlands
Whenever Argentina faces the Netherlands, their matches tend to be captivating, and this was certainly the case in the 1978 World Cup final. The Netherlands reached the final for the second consecutive time and faced the host nation, Argentina. The rivalry started early between the two teams before the anticipated match, with the Dutch accusing the Argentinians of deliberately delaying the game. This animosity continued to escalate as the events of the match unfolded.
Argentina took the lead with a goal from Mario Kempes in the 38th minute. The Dutch fought hard to equalize, which they eventually achieved when Dick Nanninga scored in the 82nd minute, taking the match to extra time. Then, the home team and its supporters managed to score two goals, securing their first-ever World Cup victory in history.
8. FIFA World Cup 2006 Final: France 1-1 Italy
The 2006 World Cup final is engraved in everyone's memories with many scenes, including the one where the captain of the French national team, Zinedine Zidane, headbutted Marco Materazzi, receiving a red card in the final match of his career.
France took an early lead when Zidane scored a beautiful penalty kick in the 7th minute after a foul committed by Materazzi. However, the defender redeemed himself by equalizing for Italy in the 19th minute. Neither team managed to score again during both the regular and extra time. In the penalty shootout, David Trezeguet missed the goal, leading Italy to become world champions for the fourth time.
9. FIFA World Cup 1974 Final: West Germany 2-1 Netherlands
The 1974 World Cup finals witnessed a showdown between arch-rivals West Germany and the Netherlands. The Dutch, led by Johan Cruyff, amazed everyone with their 'Total Football' style of play in that tournament and entered the final match without conceding any goals. On the other hand, West Germany was the reigning European champion at that time.
The final saw the Dutch taking the lead through a penalty kick within two minutes before the Germans even touched the ball. However, the German 'machines' equalized with a penalty of their own, and just before the end of the first half, Gerd Müller scored in the 43rd minute to make it 2-1 in favor of West Germany. In the second half, both teams had good chances to score, but neither could capitalize. The score remained unchanged, and West Germany became the first team to hold both the European Championship and World Cup titles.
10. FIFA World Cup 1998 Final: France 3-0 Brazil
The 1998 World Cup final witnessed a match between the host nation France and the defending champions, Brazil. The Brazilian national team entered the tournament as favorites, yet controversy arose before the final when Brazil announced their team lineup without the name of Ronaldo, the tournament's best player. He was initially deemed unfit for the match but was later added back to the starting lineup.
The final could be considered a showcase of Zinedine Zidane's brilliance. The French midfielder shined throughout the match, scoring two goals on his own to put France in the lead during the first half. In the second half, Emmanuel Petit added a goal in injury time, making the score 3-0. With this victory, France won their first-ever World Cup title in history.
