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Which World Cup Was Your Favourite?

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Stevie Nicks Bootleg said:
I'd have to go for my 1st World Cup- in 1982 (i was alive at the time of 74/78 ones but too young to remember and my knowledge of them is from watching old footage since). The 1982 was the one where I was so looking forward to the build-up, had the sticker book, remember watching the botched-up draw, many games being on just as I got home from school, starting around 4.00pm, etc.

Some of the best ever WC matches (Italy vs Brazil; France vs West Germany) fairly obvious fixes (West Germany vs Austria), rumoured fixes (Italy vs Cameroon), some great players who announced themselves on the world stage, often ahead of more illustrious team mates- particularly Alain Giresse, Falcao, Giancarlo Antognioni, Bruno Conti, Pierre Littbarski, Ziggy Boniek (although he was Poland's emerging star by then).

Maradona losing his rag and kicking out vs Brazil (probably the aftermath of Gentile's treatment of him a few days before), Schumacher's horrible foul on Battiston, Keegan's missed sitter, Tardelli's celebration, NI beating Spain, Algeria beating W.Germany! El Salvador's goal celebration despite being about 8-0 down at the time (they lost 10-1), great photograph of Maradona being surrounded by six Belgium players.

Great goals from Brazil, particularly the 2 vs Russia, despite their lummox of a forward Serginho "when he plays the ball becomes square"; other memorable goals off the top of my head from Six (France); Czerniatynski (Belgium) after Jan Cuelemans great, determined run), Robson after 27 seconds and David Narey making it 1-0 vs Brazil "with a toe-poke" (according to Jimmy Hill) and looking like he sh*t himself and he knew what was coming next! The Prince of Kuwait asking for Giresse's goal to be disallowed- and it was!!!! and Alan Hansen running into Willie Miller to knock Scotland out of the world cup.

1986 also good as games were on late and my mum let me stay up for them (e.g. Belgium's classic win over USSR; England having 4 Everton players in the team and getting it right vs Poland). 1990 was probably the biggest (as England and Ireland did so well) and it had the best vibe- but as a whole the tournament wasn't that good- and a terrible final to boot. The last one in Russia was definitely one of the best too. Some great games.
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The USSR team of the 80's mainly consisted of Ukrainians and one or two Russians i think. The old USSR/Russia were and are serial underachievers considering the size of the country.

Ice Hockey is the number one sport over there i think, so obviously that would have an effect on things.
 
Cork Evertonian said:
The USSR team of the 80's mainly consisted of Ukrainians and one or two Russians i think. The old USSR/Russia were and are serial underachievers considering the size of the country.

Ice Hockey is the number one sport over there i think, so obviously that would have an effect on things.
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They had some very good Georgian's too around that time- such as Alexander Chivadze and David Kipiani. Dynamo Tbilisi memorably kicked the RS out of the European Cup in the early 80s too.
 
bigjonny said:
1982 for me, although I was there when Messi made his first World Cup appearance in 2006 in Gelsenkirchen.
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Would love to have seen Messi in his prime at a Word Cup but unlike Maradona he wasn't able to carry his team who were also no where near his level.

In the world of Panini stickers that was his "rookie" year (same for the worlds 2nd best Ronaldo)

During lock down when the world was slowly going nuts Messi's and Ronaldo's sticker from this World Cup were being sold for upwards of £50 each and sometimes much higher. Strange world!
 

ForestBlue said:
I watched but dont really remember 1970 and I remember 1974 with Cruyff, Holland, and my all time favourite Riverlino but I also remember it rained (alot)

I think 1978-1990 were all great World Cups but if I had to pick one of those it would be 1982. USA 1994 was the start of the decline for me

Someone said to me the best world cups are more to do with your age than the standard of the competition and I think they're right. The best World Cups are the one's you can remember whilst you are still under 25 (ish)

After that sort of age the magic isn't quite the same
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I think its more that the mystique has gone.

Back then it felt like a big deal to be watching Socrates and Zico, Maradona, Platini, Rummenigge as they were these mythical icons that you heard about, read about, but very rarely got to see play. You had nations who had no players playing in any of the top leagues, a team totally based in Africa etc, proper dark horse sides who were boss instead of being a team who can sneak a bunch of 0-0 draws and wins on pens up until the semi finals etc.

These days I am sick of the sight of the top players, I cant scroll through instagram without seeing posts about Ronaldo and Messi every 2 seconds. I don't want to know what Mbappe had for breakfast. I don't want to know a bunch of the Angola team because they play for Wigan or Bristol City or whoever.

The game is massively over saturated. Same with anything these days I suppose.
 
1970 - the great Brazil team and their game against England, the 2nd best team in the tournament, remains my favourite game of all time, even though it was only 1-0.
1986 - Diego.
1982 - the last truly romantic Brazilian team breaking hearts by losing to Italy.
1978 - Kempes, Luque, Ardiles, Passarella etc.

I agree, though, it may be an age thing and all the mystique of seeing the top foreign players that otherwise we rarely saw.
 

Cork Evertonian said:
People go on about that Dutch team, and they were very good, but Germany (or West Germany as it was known back then) had a great side as well. They had Gerd Muller aka the bomber the ultimate goal poacher!

The Netherlands had an awesome side that year, but i think in all the marveling over that Dutch side, that people make the mistake of selling that Germany team short. They won Euro 1972 as well after all.
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The were probably a better team in 1972 as well. Gunther Netzer dropped out of the team by 1974 and he was a colossal player. The West Germans in 1973 went to Wembley and completely buried England.

At World Cup '74 there was turmoil in the West German camp over payment issues and the fact they were locked down in a secure facility because there was a fear that the Baader Meinhof group would target them. Helmut Schon was sidelined by the players and Beckenbauer practically managed the team.

They were superstars though. That was the period that the Bayern Munich team went on to dominate the European Cup for 3 seasons in a row (74/75/76) and the West German team were rammed with them: Maier, Beckenbauer, Breitner, Schwarzenbeck, Muller and Hoeness.
 
joe1878 said:
USA 94 for me.

Romario & Bebeto up front for Brazil.

I could be wrong, but werent it the same tournament when Maradona went nuts after scoring, and Amo scored a worldie?
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Yeah it is Maradonna was off his head on the cocaine in that tournament.lol I remember watching the final and resulting penalty shoot out, and being disappointed that Italy didn't win for some reason.

I think that world cup really helped the sport to take off over in the states.
 

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