The World Cup only comes around every four years so getting to a World Cup Final is a huge achievement that many nations never have the chance to experience. It is every player’s dream to lift the coveted Jules Rimet Trophy above their heads, sending the fans crazy with jubilation.
We have seen some fairly epic finals over the years and we have also seen some that didn’t live up to the hype. Here are the best World Cup Finals ever:
Germany 2006: Italy 1 – 1 France
This final is overshadowed by the controversial incident involving France’s Zinedine Zidane headbutting his Italian opponent Marco Materazzi. However, the game itself was as exciting as it gets with a penalty shootout finally deciding the winner. France had taken the lead through Zidane’s penalty early on in the game before Materazzi soon equalised. Zidane was sent off after a shocking headbutt but Materazzi had the last laugh as he scored the winning penalty in an epic 5-3 shootout.
https://youtu.be/rCACEahPLn8
South Korea and Japan 2002: Germany 0 – 2 Brazil
In the 2002 World Cup Final, the star of the match was a guy called Ronaldo. The original, Brazilian Ronaldo that is. A star-studded Brazil team was too strong for Germany, with players like Roberto Carlos, Ronaldinho, Rivaldo and Ronaldo all in fine form. Ronaldo finished the tournament with a staggering 8 goals to his name.
https://youtu.be/xbAF9YXEA5k
England 1966: England 4 – 2 West Germany
Not many people will be old enough to remember this one but the pictures and video clips from this astounding final are proof of the madness that prevailed. Dubious goals, pitch invasions and plenty of goals ensured that this was one that stayed memorable for decades to come.
There will be plenty of teams looking to emulate these feats this summer and there may be a few surprises ahead. The bookies are backing Brazil, Germany and Spain as the favourites but there could be a few shocks lined up. Argentina could be one to watch and as a real surprise England could emerge as a team to be reckoned with in the 2018 World Cup.