Favourite World Cup

Brabinho

Brabinho

Well-known member
Might be cliche for some but 1990 for me. It was the tournament that got me into football as a six year old, so cue numerous videos and anthologies for xmas I lived it for years afterwards. The plethora of documentaries on it from the current crop to One Night in Turin etc helps with the nostalgia.
 
Cried my eyes out when Germany beat England, Mexico '70
First one I really remember (as an 11 year old) was Germany '74
Thought Argentina '78 was a great tournament too.
Thought it only a matter of time before Holland would win a World Cup 🤷

I'll go Argentina '78 dawn of ticka tape😁
 
Wizzerboy said:
Cried my eyes out when Germany beat England, Mexico '70
First one I really remember (as an 11 year old) was Germany '74
Thought Argentina '78 was a great tournament too.
Thought it only a matter of time before Holland would win a World Cup 🤷

I'll go Argentina '78 dawn of ticka tape😁
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98 was the first one I remember properly. Cried on the bus on the way home because of how unfair it all felt. Bring back ticka tape it always looks amazing when I see the footage 😃
 
Macseasider said:
Loved '82 and '86 but Italia 90 was just off the charts.

Italy, Nessun Dorma, Pavarotti, Maradona, Rossi, Cameroon, Roger Milla, Lineker, Gazza and the David Platt pivot volley. It was magical.
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I think Baggio deserved a mention MAC ?

He was far better in the '94 World Cup apart from the final but his goal against the Czechs in Italia 90 wasn't too shabby.
 
For me, it was Spain 1982, despite the rubbish format of a second phase group rather than straightforward knock-out.
England won all 3 first group games. Gerry Armstrong for NI. The Algerians beating West Germany which led to the corrupt stitch up between WG and the Austrians in their final group game. Italy v. Brazil was fabulous and the France v. West Germany semi-final was epic. And... Tardelliiiiiii !

Edit: Because Spain did not make it to the final, many locals returned tickets. A mate of mine simply went to the stadium on the morning of the final and bought himself a very good seat at a reasonable price.
 
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Camberwell1 said:
1970
So many good and stylish teams
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The best ever World Cup. I was lucky enough to go for three weeks and saw England v Brazil(Gordon Banks wonderful safe but Geoff Astle missed a sitter 🤨) and saw us lose to Germany a match we should have won as we had a better team than 1966. Let’s hope we have some good luck this time. Saw Brazil cruise past Italy in the final in a crowd estimated at 125,000. Pele was the most amazing footballer.
 
Old enough to remember 1966.
It was a novelty then to see so many live games on TV.
Games were not staggered for TV and as we were watching Rattin ( Argentina) refusing to leave the field after sent off against England,a score flash came up. North Korea 1 Portugal 0. Then 2 nil and unbelievably 3-0. Surely it was a misprint. It wasn’t and a massive shock was on the cards until Eusebio ran riot in the second half with final score 5-3.
Many great games and watching a Blackpool player in the final was something to be proud of.

1990 was my second favourite.
 
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Archibald Knox said:
For me, it was Spain 1982, despite the rubbish format of a second phase group rather than straightforward knock-out.
England won all 3 first group games. Gerry Armstrong for NI. The Algerians beating West Germany which led to the corrupt stitch up between WG and the Austrians in their final group game. Italy v. Brazil was fabulous and the France v. West Germany semi-final was epic. And... Tardelliiiiiii !
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I was in majorca with a couple of mates. Remember listening to the moans & groans from locals bars & then the silence after NI beat Spain.
The frustration that two of our most inspirational players, Keegan & Brooking were injured & could only play bit parts vs WG.
Bryan Robson scoring so early against the Czechs. We started the tournament like a house in fire.
 
Italia90 I can still see the brass stool embedded in the tv screen at the pub after we lost on penalties. Forget the Croatia semi final defeat, the country was in a state of mourning after the Germans did us. I remember the Tangerine club getting a good going over after Platty's winner v Belguim.
 
GrahamwantshisOates said:
Old enough to remember 1966.
It was a novelty then to see so many live games on TV.
Games were not staggered for TV and as we were watching Rattin ( Argentina) refusing to leave the field after sent off against England,a score flash came up. North Korea 1 Portugal 0. Then 2 nil and unbelievably 3-0. Surely it was a misprint. It wasn’t and a massive shock was on the cards until Eusebio ran riot in the second half with final score 5-3.
Many great games and watching a Blackpool player in the final was something to be proud of.

1990 was my second favourite.
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I do have vague memories of 1966 so winning it makes it the best, but I'm with Graham here as 1990 was just superb and is definitely one that got away as we should have won it.
 
Loved watching Brazil at their pique.
Just slow build ups with pass after pass after pass and then suddenly they would up the tempo and inevitably score.
IMO the all time greats of the World Cup.
Strange how they have never matched the success of the 60s / 70s
I agree with Wizzerboy in as much as surprised that Holland have never won the World Cup.
 
Macseasider said:
Loved '82 and '86 but Italia 90 was just off the charts.

Italy, Nessun Dorma, Pavarotti, Maradona, Rossi, Cameroon, Roger Milla, Lineker, Gazza and the David Platt pivot volley. It was magical.
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Rossi retired in 1987 after his season with the mighty Hellas Verona
 
I enjoyed 1998. A good England side that should have done better but for a couple of incidents.

1990 is overrated IMO. Lot's of low scoring,boring games, England fluked their way to the semi's when really they should have gone out to Belgium, then Cameroon. People love nostalgia and the fact England got far but for me there's been far better World Cups. '86 for one
 
1982 for me! Coming home from school and watching that amazing Brazil team that no one had seen before. Don't think there has been a more exciting team to watch. Loved Zico and Socrates etc.

Also thrilling to watch England finally in a World Cup Finals after not qualifying in 74 and 78..The only disappointing thing was my favourite player Kevin Keegan being injured formost of it.He got on for 20 mins and missed a sitter against Spain and that was that!
 
82 Spain. I have a special place for 1990 I'd just turned 21 but in reality was a fairly dull affair and I think it resulted in the change to the back pass rule.
 
Was 5 years old for Spain 1982 so don’t remember anything other than the first game I can recall being on TV was Brazil v Italy at my grandmas house. Not a bad introduction to the game!!

Italia 90, 13 years old and England getting to the semi final was amazing plus I also finished the sticker book. It’s only later when you look back that it was actually a pretty dull competition.

For standard of football I would say France 1998, probably the last time that international football was largely of better quality than the top leagues/champions league.
 
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All-round performance of Eusebio in 66, then one of many memorable moments from 70 when Pele chased a through ball, dummied the keeper, went round him before collecting the ball and slotting it just wide.
Not sure, but think it was against the Czechs
 
82 for me too.

May not be the greatest tournament but the first world cup I remember watching was 78 and from that finishing I must've counted every day until the next WC started (possibly the longest 4 years of my life) so the anticipation was sky high. As already mentioned, added to it was England qualifying and THAT Brazil team of Zico, Eder and Socrates, plus the unsavoury side of Schumacher's assault on Batiston.
 
First I have any recollection of is Argentina 78 classic teams, performances and strips! Loved Spain 82 and the excitement being a kid but best for me for being engaged was Italia 90. Pure class
 
Due to young age only vaguely remember the 1966 world cup so going for 1970. Some wonderful teams but has there ever been a better side than the one boasting the likes of Rivellino , Tostao , Carlos Alberto , Jairzinho and simply the greatest Pele. Destroyed a gifted Italian side in the final.
 
Threepeaksphil said:
The best ever World Cup. I was lucky enough to go for three weeks and saw England v Brazil(Gordon Banks wonderful safe but Geoff Astle missed a sitter 🤨) and saw us lose to Germany a match we should have won as we had a better team than 1966. Let’s hope we have some good luck this time. Saw Brazil cruise past Italy in the final in a crowd estimated at 125,000. Pele was the most amazing footballer.
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What an astonishing experience that must have been. Football at its very best.
 
I enjoy them all but 98 and 02 seem the most magical because I was a footy mad 10/14 year old.

I also really enjoyed 2018 with England getting to the semis and the hot summer.
 
Italia '90 by far. Nessun Dorma, World in Motion, Gazza, Lineker, Waddle, Barnes, Platts goal. Fantastic, shouldve won it.
 
Japan 2002 was the first world cup that I really got into. I'd have been 8 years old, so just at the age where football becomes life.

Really fond memories of waking up early to watch England games in the assembly hall before school.

Also remember getting an elbow right to my ribs when my dad jumped up to celebrate Beckham's penalty against Argentina.

The strangest thing I vividly remember about it was how there would be a massive flash at kick off because everyone took a photo at the exact same time.
 
Walthamstow_Seasider said:
82 for me too.

May not be the greatest tournament but the first world cup I remember watching was 78 and from that finishing I must've counted every day until the next WC started (possibly the longest 4 years of my life) so the anticipation was sky high. As already mentioned, added to it was England qualifying and THAT Brazil team of Zico, Eder and Socrates, plus the unsavoury side of Schumacher's assault on Batiston.
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82 was the best for me because I went to the early games. It was only two months after the Falklands so the Spanish weren't that welcoming.
 
It has to be 1982 for so many reasons.

I also rather enjoyed 2006 as I was stationed near Hannover and travelled widely throughout Germany for my job. The atmosphere across the country was incredible and far, far better than either of the European Championships we have hosted in this country.

Seeing 30000 Poland fans in the zentrum was something I shall never forget, and the beer was much better.
 
I was 2-3 months old when the 66 tournament was on. Back in the day, whenever the goals from the final were shown, me old dad used to complain bitterly that he never got to see them live. He'd parked me and my pram in the garden, where I spent all afternoon crying apparently and every time he went out to shut me up we scored.

Don't remember anything of 70, I can only marvel at what I've seen over the years of the Brazilian brilliance. I remember 74 kicking off, Brazil played Yugoslavia (Kryst knows how or why I remember that 48 years later). 78 my good mate at school did a very creditable impression of Mario Kempes's goal celebration whenever he scored in the lunchtime schoolyard matches.

82 was brilliant, not least because it was the first time I'd really seen England qualify. Right before the comp I'd had my first trip to Wembley when the school ran a trip to the Holland game, we won 2-0 Mariner and Woodcock I think. As an aside too that, I distinctly remember someone walking around Wembley outside beforehand draped in a UJ with Blackpool on it - was that anyone on here?

Some great games, a decent England team that got let down by the daft format (and not scoring), and the look on the Italian's face when he scored in the final. England in 86-90 weren't that great, managed to scrape out of groups, poor performances in 90 against Belgium and Cameroon, played really well against Germany too, shame for them that night.

82 also the only time since that Brazil have come remotely close to a team to rival the 1970 model. Sadly I think the game generally just moved on past them after that, with much more emphasis on hard work and rigid formation, never their strong point. Even in their good showings after 82 they've never been the same, because we all want them to be like 70 & 82 still.
 
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1974. Scotland put out a very good team thst included Tommy Hutchison. They weren't beaten in their group and even drew with Brazil, the holders. Alas, as is usually the case with Scotland, they didn't score enough goals.
 
1966_and_all_that said:
1974. Scotland put out a very good team thst included Tommy Hutchison. They weren't beaten in their group and even drew with Brazil, the holders. Alas, as is usually the case with Scotland, they didn't score enough goals.
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Scotland never progressed from the group stages 🤦🏻‍♂️
 
1982, Italy were brilliant.

Closely followed by …..

1978 (simply for the title favourites ie. Scotland to go crashing out in the group stage 😂)
 
The first one I remember was '74 but loved the 78 one as the whole host nation winning thing was very impressive.

Think '82 was overall the best with iconic games which still get people talking. i.e. Brazil v Italy, West Germany v France.

Aside from 'that goal', watching Maradona almost win the 86' world cup single-handedly was the most impressive individual performance. Best player in any tournament I ever watched.

Oh, and Italia 90, just for Pavarotti and the whole tournament.
 
ForeverTangerine said:
1982, Italy were brilliant.

Closely followed by …..

1978 (simply for the title favourites ie. Scotland to go crashing out in the group stage 😂)
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There's a document they show on the BBC now and again about Scotland fans and the 78 World Cup. Probably one of my favourite football TV programmes.

Agree about Italy 82. Never seen a side look so poor in the group stages and then turning into a team that looked like they couldn't lose.
 
Lewis_Winthorpe said:
I enjoyed 1998. A good England side that should have done better but for a couple of incidents.

1990 is overrated IMO. Lot's of low scoring,boring games, England fluked their way to the semi's when really they should have gone out to Belgium, then Cameroon. People love nostalgia and the fact England got far but for me there's been far better World Cups. '86 for one
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Totally agree that the football itself wasnt awe inspiring. For me it was the whole vibe around the tournament and not just the England journey. Nessun Dorma, World in Motion, a bunch of amateurs in Cameroon beating the world champions, Gazzas tears, Higuitas antics, Schillachi which was almost the equivalent of a Southampton era Ormerod sneaking into the England squad and winning the golden boot.
As for England, you are probably right, but they were fantastic in the semi final and should have won. Oh and Maradona crying after his team failed to shithouse their way through the final was fairly satisfying. Agree with you on 98, too young for 86
 
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