Which World Cup Was Your Favourite?

[Simon Buttle]

Has to be 1962 I suppose. As an eight year old I wasn't into football at all till I saw Brazil in action in the final in Santiago.
Pele got injured early on in the tournament so it was guys like Amarildo and Garrincha who fired the imagination for me. The Czechs had a great player too in Masopust but their goalie had a bit of a mare.
After the match it was out on the back green to recreate the goals................

Wow, I would love to have seen Garrincha playing, many Brazilians rate him as better than Pele. I remember my grandad going on about how good he was and the likes of Puskas was another he used to mention all the time.

 

[Daz1878]

I'll go with '78. Ally MacLeod had convinced the nation the trophy was as good as ours, but of course it didn't really go to plan - Willie Johnston sent home for failing a drug test, baffling team selections, Don Masson's penalty miss, etc. Archie Gemmill's goal vs. the Netherlands, though...

 

[Pilks]

My childhood nostalgia says 1970, as it's the first one I remember age 8, and it left a huge impression on me

However also Italia 90, as I was fortunate enough to have a friend who lived in Rome at the time, and I went over for it, and went to the England games against Belgium (I was right behind the goal where Platt scored) and the quarter final win against Cameroon in Naples. That was a pretty special trip!

 

[mmmmsnouts]

Y’all hiring?

Company went out of business a couple years later. Not related to the football. As far as I know. I got out well in advance.

 

[teppic]

2002 definitely. I went to loads of the games and the atmosphere was amazing.

 

[gonetomorrow]

Wow, I would love to have seen Garrincha playing, many Brazilians rate him as better than Pele. I remember my grandad going on about how good he was and the likes of Puskas was another he used to mention all the time.

There's not much footage about of those players which tends to add to their mystique. Yashin the Russian goalie is a case in point. He wore black and was said to be unbeatable but when he turned up in 1966 he proved good but not unbeatable.

 

[chrismpw]

Nobody going to tell @Bruce Wayne that there was no world Cup in '76? OK then we'll leave him with his memories of shorts.

'86 for me. Loads of Everton representation after a good season - and typically - underutilised by England until injury forced Bobby Robson's hand.

Watched the "hand of god" Argentina game in a pub garden while on a uni field trip. It was the first clear "unseen" act of cheating I remember affecting a big game (other than Willie Young's despicable foul on Paul Allen in an FA cup final). How times change. Back then there was disgust - today pundits would be all over how professional the players were taking one for the team and how they do it to win and we'd be told that this was top sport.

Maradona stole sporting innocence from me and football ever since, has never been the same. Its never been about the best team winning its more likely about the biggest cheats (I'm looking at you Chiellini).

 

[Bruce Wayne]

Nobody going to tell @Bruce Wayne that there was no world Cup in '76? OK then we'll leave him with his memories of shorts.

'86 for me. Loads of Everton representation after a good season - and typically - underutilised by England until injury forced Bobby Robson's hand.

Watched the "hand of god" Argentina game in a pub garden while on a uni field trip. It was the first clear "unseen" act of cheating I remember affecting a big game (other than Willie Young's despicable foul on Paul Allen in an FA cup final). How times change. Back then there was disgust - today pundits would be all over how professional the players were taking one for the team and how they do it to win and we'd be told that this was top sport.

Maradona stole sporting innocence from me and football ever since, has never been the same. Its never been about the best team winning its more likely about the biggest cheats (I'm looking at you Chiellini).

I remember 1976 like it was yesterday man. It was the time of my life. Summer all year long. Latchford scoring the winner in the World Cup final. We celebrated by doing a massive conga across the channel as Vindaloo was #1 that year and all the water had evaporated so we could cross unhindered by the French navy boats trying to stop us. It was awesome man. I can't believe you don't remember it.

 

[Moomin]

I remember 1976 like it was yesterday man. It was the time of my life. Summer all year long. Latchford scoring the winner in the World Cup final. We celebrated by doing a massive conga across the channel as Vindaloo was #1 that year and all the water had evaporated so we could cross unhindered by the French navy boats trying to stop us. It was awesome man. I can't believe you don't remember it.

We had a massive game of British Bulldog at Dunkirk.

Can't play British Bulldog any more due to the Woke Liberal cancel culture.

These days are long gone.

 

[Bohemian Toffee]

Good memory on the headers, but i think the player you're thinking of was Tomas Skuhravy.

Second highest goal scorer at that world cup; he got all his goals in two games against the USA and Costa Rica - the latter being the hat-trick of headers game.

6'4" and from memory, all but one of his goals at that tournament was from his head.

Superb blow-dry mullet too.

 

[Bruce Wayne]

Second highest goal scorer at that world cup; he got all his goals in two games against the USA and Costa Rica - the latter being the hat-trick of headers game.

6'4" and from memory, all but one of his goals at that tournament was from his head.

Superb blow-dry mullet too.

He inspires Czech men's haircuts to this day.

 

[Papa Shango]

Mexico 1986. Apart from that rat Maradona's 'hand of god nonsense"! To me it was the "Everton World Cup" - Lineker, Steven, Bracewell, Reid, and Stevens were all there (someone check on Brace for me) - the other 3 or 4 all started v Poland in that amazing and critical group stage game that we dominated! I think our players were involved in the build up of all the goals...

That's the best part! An iconic moment.

Bracewell was not in the squad. He had a broken leg.

 

[ChesterBlue]

2002 was boss. That Brazil team were electric

 

[Papa Shango]

The best 10 World Cup matches of the last 40 years, for me, were:

France v Brazil 1986

Belter of a game and a great example that you do not need loads of goals to have a great match.

So much talent on show too. Zico, Socrates, Platini, Junior, Giresse, Tigana, Fernandez, Careca, Battiston etc

The blatant foul Carlos got away with in extra time was ridiculous too.

 

[Papa Shango]

Know what I enjoy about the older World Cups? It's a daft one but teams playing in their proper colours.