The most iconic World Cup goals: Greatest goals celebrated, including Michael Owen, Diego Maradona and Dennis Bergkamp
Ranking the 2,377 goals scored in World Cup history is a near-impossible task. But we've whittled down the list to the top 15 strikes in competition history - have a look and see who made it to number one
15. Saeed Al-Owairan - SAUDI ARABIA v Belgium, USA 1994
The 1994 World Cup, at its best, was a good laugh. Diana Ross’ performance at the opening ceremony. 93,000 people going to watch Cameroon v Sweden in the group stage. And the ludicrously deep goal nets which redefined commentators' conventions of ‘billowing’.
But, crucially, it was the tournament that gave us this goal. Saeed Al-Owairan, who spent his entire career with domestic side Al-Shabab (not that one) despite once being named Asian Player of the Year due to Saudi rules on playing abroad, sent his country through to the second round in their debut tournament.
He scythed through the heart of the Belgian midfield covering 70 yards in all before tip-toeing through two challenges on the edge of the box.
As surprised as anyone to suddenly find himself one-on-one, Al-Owairan powered the ball home.
14. Salif Diao - SENEGAL v Denmark, South Korea/Japan 2002
Look up fluid in the dictionary, and you’re looking right at this goal.
In many ways just as memorable for the sheer number of mediocre Premier League players involved, Senegal sweep through the Uruguay midfield with consummate ease, on their way to the quarter-finals at their first World Cup.
Henri Camara (Wolves, Southampton, Stoke, Wigan), Diao (Liverpool, Birmingham, Portsmouth, Stoke), on to El-Hadji Diouf (boo, hiss), back to Diao.
He finds one-time Bolton man Khalilou Fadiga on the edge, who rolls the ball back to him to nudge past Villa’s Thomas Sorensen. Richard Scudamore approves.
13. Giovanni van Bronckhorst - NETHERLANDS v Uruguay, South Africa 2010
Ooft. In the evergreen words of Dirtbox from Gavin and Stacey, “right in the stanchion”.
This was a special Dutch team, one that could tear you apart through Arjen Robben and Wesley Sneijder, and also give you a good kicking, should Marc van Bommel or Johnny Heitinga be around.
Captaining the side was little Gio van Bronckhorst. Reaching for the leadership clichés, pundits watch on as he puts his side ahead in the World Cup semi-final with a tracer bullet past Fernando Muslera.
Doel, Nederland.
12. Michael Owen - ENGLAND v Argentina, France 1998
Never dull, an England-Argentina World Cup meeting. Sixteen minutes into this second round clash and we have already witnessed two penalties, both scored, and a couple of bookings for Glenn Hoddle’s men.
David Beckham, still waiting to make his most memorable mark on proceedings, picks the ball up thirty yards from his own goal and sprays it to 18-year-old Owen, who is faced by Jose Antonio Chamot and a wall of Argentine steel.
Undeterred, our Michael flips the ball past Chamot and races clear, straight at Roberto Ayala, who for some reason has spent the entire attack rooted to his own 18-yard line. Owen jinks right, wraps his foot round the ball and beats Carlos Roa, an entire half of the pitch away from where he first took possession.
The disbelieving looks on the bench are enough to tell you how special a moment this was from a man in only his third year of professional football.
11. Bobby Charlton - ENGLAND v Mexico, England 1966
It was a toss-up between this and Geoff Hurst’s second against Germany for which England 1966 goal would inevitably make this list.
But since Hurst’s goal failed the usual test – sorry, Frank Lampard – of crossing the line, Bobby it is.
Our follicly-challenged hero picks the ball up inside his own half and, seeing that no Mexican defenders appear interested in tackling him, charges towards goal.
Reaching the zone 30 yards from goal, an area of shooting range sandwiched between ‘cultured strikes’ and ‘speculative efforts’, he lets fly, arrowing the ball straight into the top corner. Eng-er-land.
10. Pele - BRAZIL v Sweden, Sweden 1958
Wide-eyed, bandy-legged and still not old enough to buy himself a celebratory cerveja, a 17-year-old Pele was on his way to getting his hands on the next best thing – the World Cup.
The first of a record three winner’s medals, Pele took Sweden apart, scoring twice as Brazil defeated the hosts 5-2 in the 1958 final.
His side 2-1 up at this stage, he collects the ball on his chest, shrugs one defender off, flips the ball over another and thunders a low volley into the net.
Momentarily forgetting just how young this kid is – two birthdays short of anyone headed to this summer’s tournament – the on-looking crowd let out an audible, collective gasp. The world’s first global superstar has arrived.
9. Manuel Negrete - MEXICO v Bulgaria, Mexico 1986
Too simple really, the volley. Too dull. Too ‘common or garden’. Manuel Negrete was not put on this earth to bore his home crowd at the 1986 World Cup by simply side-footing the ball into the net.
He sees the ball hovering in the air on the edge of the box and does what every self-respecting Latin American footballer should – he goes horizontal.
It’s not a bicycle kick, nor an overhead. No, this is bang side on, slashing his left boot through the air and burying the ball into the goal. The quintessential scissor kick.
These kind of football lexicon things matter, you know.
8. James Rodriguez - COLOMBIA v Uruguay, Brazil 2014
It’s a well-known fact that goals are scientifically proven to be better when scored via the underside of the bar.
Even more so when they are hit from 25 yards on the volley, by a Colombian wizard in the middle of dragging his team single-handedly to the quarter-finals.
The strike won him goal of the tournament and was one of six that secured the Golden Boot as well.
“ONE OF THE GREATS! My word this boy’s a star!” exclaims Peter Drury on ITV, in a typically composed summary. Glad you agree, Peter.
7. Nelinho - BRAZIL v Italy, Argentina 1978
Dip. Swerve. Curl. Arc. Swazz. All of it. All here, in this strike.
Brazil have a history of producing right-backs who score stunning goals at World Cups – Josimar, Maicon, Carlos Alberto – and Nelinho deserves his place among them.
Italy, 1-0 up in the third-place play-off, have marshalled Brazil well. Nelinho has the ball in a crossing position, but the backline are in formation and Dino Zoff’s in goal. No problem.
The thought of crossing the ball does not enter Nelinho’s mind however, and with one swipe of the outside of his boot he hits an outrageous effort into the net. Just look at that. Look. At. That.
6. Maxi Rodriguez - ARGENTINA v Mexico, Germany 2006
Argentina and Mexico are locked at 1-1 in the 119th minute of the second round at Germany 2006 and Maxi Rodriguez has decided he isn’t going to risk penalties.
One of a number of outstanding goals scored by Argentina in this tournament – more on that later – this one starts with left-back Sorin hitting a long diagonal to the corner of the box.
Chesting it down, Rodriguez takes one look at the ball and swings his unfavoured left boot into it, sending the ball crashing into the top corner and his country into the quarter-finals.
5. Dennis Bergkamp - NETHERLANDS v Argentina, France 1998
Eighty-nine minutes have passed in the sweltering Marseille heat and Argentina centre-back Roberto Ayala is about to join an illustrious list.
Stephen Carr, Nikos Dabizas, Matt Elliott and now him. All are proud members of the prestigious and inclusive Utterly Skinned by Dennis Bergkamp Club.
Latching onto Frank de Boer’s long ball, Bergkamp needs just two seconds and three touches to put his side through to the World Cup semi-final.
Can someone please check on the Dutch commentator’s heart.
4. Esteban Cambiasso - ARGENTINA v Serbia & Montenegro, Germany 2006
What can you do in fifty-four seconds on a football field?
Tranmere’s Liam Ridehalgh needed exactly that long before being sent off in this year’s National League play-off final. Teddy Sheringham and Ole Gunnar Solskjaer took almost double the time to put together one of the greatest comebacks of all time on that night in Barcelona.
For Argentina, fifty-four seconds surrounded twenty-six passes and footballing immortality for Esteban Cambiasso.
In truth, the goal is almost worthy of this list for the final three passes alone. Saviola, to Cambiasso, into Crespo, a quick backheel to return it to the midfielder, and he parks the ball in the top corner of Dragoslav Jevric’s net. Exquisite.
3. Tim Cahill - AUSTRALIA v Netherlands, Brazil 2014
Loveable former Premier League star. Wrong foot. Volley. Bar, underside. All the boxes being ticked here. One of those goals ex-pros will be at pains to stress ‘just how difficult it is to do that’ (Alan Shearer particularly excels at this).
In fairness to Newcastle’s favourite son, it is very difficult to do what Tim Cahill did against the Netherlands in 2014. Very, very difficult indeed.
By the time Mile Jedinak’s long ball has dropped over his shoulder and onto his left foot, it’s a long time since Cahill even checked to see where the goal was.
It makes no difference. He catches the ball perfectly and Jesper Cillessen is just a spectator.
2. Carlos Alberto - BRAZIL v Italy, Mexico 1970
Comfortably your dad’s favourite ever World Cup goal, this, and for good reason.
Grainy footage, low, shinpad-less socks and perhaps the greatest World Cup-winning side of all time.
By the time captain Carlos Alberto arrives in the area to rocket in Brazil’s fourth of the day from Pele’s lay-off, he is the 10th and final outfield player to touch the ball in the move.
A goal that combines quick feet, incisive passing and a thunderbolt to finish, this appears to be something out of a laboratory, patching together all the elements of every brilliant goal ever scored – only this time on the biggest stage of all, the World Cup final.
1. Diego Maradona - ARGENTINA v England, Mexico 1986
There was only ever going to be one winner. It was 32 years ago now, so even English fans can come to appreciate just how spectacularly their team were torn apart by Diego Armando Maradona.
The goal came just four minutes after Maradona had pulled off an astonishing feat. No, not using his hand to put the ball in the net without a single official noticing, but beating Peter Shilton, a man seven inches taller, quite literally to the punch.
After the Hand of God, Maradona employed his other deified extremity, his left foot, solely to beat the entire England team.
Peter Reid, seemingly mesmerised, guides him on his way, matching the genius stride-for-stride as he gallantly refuses to put a foot in and ruin his view of one of the greatest goals ever scored. In Reid’s defence, no one else in the England defence had any answer either.
Diego Maradona had just scored FIFA’s Goal of the Century. Unsurprisingly, it’s our number one too.
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