From Maradona's Goal of the Century to Goetze's extra-time winner, we celebrate the most memorable goals in World Cup history.
The FIFA World Cup's 90-year history has produced some of football's greatest goals. Moments frozen in time, played on endless loop, discussed across generations. As we look forward to the 2026 tournament, here is a celebration of the goals that defined the competition.
Maradona's Goal of the Century (1986)
Diego Maradona's second goal against England in the 1986 quarterfinal is almost universally voted the greatest goal in football history. Starting just inside his own half, Maradona dribbled past six English players in 10 seconds — a display of genius that may never be equaled.
Carlos Alberto's Final Goal (1970)
Brazil's fourth goal in the 1970 World Cup Final is perhaps the most aesthetically perfect team goal ever scored. Nine outfield players touched the ball in a single move that culminated in Carlos Alberto's thunderous finish — an expression of total football at its most beautiful.
Bergkamp's Miracle Control (1998)
Dennis Bergkamp's goal for the Netherlands against Argentina in the 1998 quarterfinals combined an extraordinary first touch to control a long diagonal ball with an instant finish — executed under intense pressure in a match that was perfectly balanced. Pure technical brilliance.
Zinedine Zidane's Volley (2002)
Zidane's first-half volley for Real Madrid happened in a Champions League final, but his 1998 World Cup performance — including two headed goals in the final — represents the kind of technical mastery that World Cup occasions seem to demand from the greatest players.
Mbappé's 2022 Final Hat-Trick Goals
While France ultimately lost, Kylian Mbappé's hat-trick in the 2022 final — including two goals in three minutes to equalize and a penalty shootout goal — created an indelible World Cup memory of individual quality transforming a match.
Goals That Will Be Made in 2026
The greatest goal of the 2026 World Cup has not yet been scored. But it will be. And decades from now, people will still be talking about the moment a player — perhaps already known, perhaps completely unknown — scored the goal that defined a generation.
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