Though all football matches are very exciting for football fans, some are ones for the books. These matches are long-awaited and can change the course of soccer history. Such matches are also very popular for punters. Just make sure to choose a decent bookmaker; for example, check 1xbet website as one of the best wagering destinations.
In this read, we review the most exciting football matches of all time.
Brazil vs. Italy (1970 World Cup Final)
A history of the greatest football games ever played would be incomplete without mentioning the kickass Brazilian national team of the 1970s. Their story was motivated by one of the all-time football idols, Pele, and their performance in the Mexico 1970 World Cup.
On Sunday, June 21, 1970, the 1970 FIFA World Cup final took place in Mexico City. Anticipation and tension were sky-high. Who’s gonna win this long-awaited event? Two former world champions met in the World Cup final for the first time, Brazil versus Italy. Both teams got the title twice; both are strong and looking forward to the game.
Pele scored the first goal of the match after eighteen minutes, but the Italian squad leveled the situation after Roberto Boninsegna’s goal. However, Brazil moved ahead with two more goals from Gerson and Jairzinho. Finally, Carlos Alberto scored the final goal to complete one of the most legendary victories in football history. Nine players touched the ball before Alberto became the lucky one to actually score it. Amazing performance!
Long story short, Brazil became the world champion for the third time with a score of 4-1. And it was pure mayhem and awe! Pele was surrounded in a matter of seconds after the final whistle. There were hundreds of spectators on the field.
Brazil consistently scored the majority of goals in the second half of the game when other teams started to suffer from heat and thin air. Brazil has additional advantages such as physical fitness, better lungs because of altitude training, and deep knowledge of the opponents.
Liverpool vs. AC Milan (2005 UEFA Champions League Final)
Oh, what a match it was! Many experts and football nerds list this match as one of the most spectacular comebacks in the history of the league. Initially, AC Milan had a 3:0 lead in the first half. But, surprise-surprise, Liverpool pulled off a mind-blowing comeback to tie the game with a score of 3-3 and win 3-2 in the penalty shootout.
Why comeback, you may ask? Let’s dig deeper into the history of the team for a wee. Even though Liverpool had previously dominated both the English league and European competitions, that success — alas! — was long gone by 2005. That year, Liverpool performed so poorly in the Premier League on home soil that they were not even able to advance to the following season of the Champions League. For them, this match was a major and maybe even unexpected breakthrough.
Argentina vs. England (1986 World Cup Quarterfinal)
We will disclose in the beginning that this game ended with a score of 2-1. Argentina and England faced each other in the 1970 World Cup quarterfinals, in the most tense of circumstances and against a challenging backdrop. This game was a moment of glory for one well-known Argentinian player the whole world adores. Following an emply first half, Diego Maradona scored two of the most iconic goals in football history. They got their own names, for cripe’s sake! These goals were called the “Hand of God” and the “Goal of the Century.”
Manchester United vs. Bayern Munich (1999 UEFA Champions League Final)
In order to decide who is the ultimate winner of the 1999 UEFA Champions League, Manchester United of England and Bayern Munich of Germany played an association football match in the 1999 UEFA Champions League final on May 26 at Camp Nou in Barça. The result of the game turned out to be a huge surprise for most viewers and bettors. But Manchester fans went totally nuts (in a good sense!).
Teddy Sheringham’s bang-on last-minute goal helped Manchester United advance over Bayern Munich in the Champions League Final. Shortly after, Ole Gunnar Solskjær’s close-range goal gave Manchester United the victory with a score of 2-1 and made them the European champions for the first time ever. The match was epic!
Germany vs. Brazil (2014 World Cup Semifinal)
It was the year Brazil hosted the Men’s World Cup for the second time after the greatly disappointing 1950 edition. Then, Brazil suddenly lost to Uruguay in the match that decided the tournament. Finally, 64 years later, here was the opportunity to claim revenge on the team’s home soil. Brazil has a rich history of winning the World Cup. Football lovers and even random people know they are the most successful team in history, having won the competition five times in total since it began in 1930. For this reason, their defeat by Germany came as a huge surprise. The score of 7-1 has turned out to be a total nightmare for Brazil, with millions of fans watching this game and hoping for a victorios finale. Chances are many of them got unhappily wasted that hot summer night in the midst of July.
Real Madrid vs. Eintracht Frankfurt (1960 European Cup Final)
For many football lovers, this match stands out as the best one ever. It was a fair struggle that ended with Real Madrid winning the game with a final score of 7-3. The match boasted a crowd of 127,000 fans, which is an extraordinary level of attendance even for the Euro Cup finals. Actually, the game did not start so well for Real Madrid since the first goal was hit by Frankfurt. However, Real Madrid was a really unstoppable team at that time. They bombed Eintracht Frankfurt with their goals finishing the match with 7 goals vs. 3 from the Germans. The amazing part of the match was that despite all the attacks, Frankfurt never gave up and continued with their attacks. Even when they realised they were not going to win this game.
Italy vs. West Germany (1970 World Cup Semifinal)
Some people rank this 1970 Italy vs. West Germany World Cup semifinal as one of the best football games ever played. There were big expectations about this matchup between the two big names. Roberto Boninsegna scored the first goal right away to get things going. The Germans were able to equalize in injury time, granting both teams additional minutes. However, Italy won the match with a score of 4-3. It was a blast for Italian fans!
No wonder the match was called “The Game of the Century” due to its astonishing stats. Approximately 30 million Italians (which equals 57% of the nation’s population) watched the game up to the end, which was at 2 am. Five goals were scored in extra-time — and that was an absolute record at the time. Sleek and coordinated performance of the Italian team during the game has beсome a benchmark for any football team ever since.
Barcelona vs. Paris Saint-Germain (2017 UEFA Champions League)
The Paris Saint-Germain versus Barça matchup in 2017 totally shook the sports world to the core. Such an unexpected and exciting game it was! Barça managed to win this match with a final score of 6-5. When Sergi Roberto scored the game-winning goal against PSG to send Camp Nou into standing ovations, it seemed like one of those rare cases when newly-baked heroes were created out of average players. But probably it was Neymar who was the king of the night, not Roberto. The Brazilian player got lucky (or was skilled enough) to turn the course of the game during the final 10 minutes by scoring twice. Wow!
England vs. West Germany (1966 World Cup Final)
One more cool match is coming right up! It was the first World Cup in England’s history, and it turned out to be a blast. Although West Germany was a definite favorite to win their second World Cup title, England carried the day during extra time, winning 4-2 to get the trophy for the first time in their history. The team obviously won thanks to two goals in extra time from Geoff Hurst, including the legendary ghost goal, which sent England’s fans running onto the field to celebrate Hurst’s hat-trick. This win definitely occupies a special place in fans’ hearts as far as for the English football is not just a game but a part of their culture.
Spain vs. Netherlands (2010 World Cup Final)
And now, brace for impact. We are about to review one of the most brutal and disgusting matches in football history. Luckily, the Spanish won the match; otherwise, this game would have been a total nightmare. The Dutch were aggressive and rough; as a result, they ended with 9 yellow cards, some of which should have been red, by the way. The referee named Howard Webb added up to this disastrous game by not reacting properly to the attacks of Netherlands vs. Spain. And he should have, indeed! However, with a goal from Iniesta in the 26th minute of extra time, Spain became the eighth country to win the World Cup with a final score of 1-0. This game is also one for the books, but definitely no-o-o-t in a good way. It unlocks some ugly moments of football rivalry.
Conclusion
In the history of football, there were so many matches not left unnoticed. However, some of them were truly legendary. Last-minute goals, sudden encounters, and underdog victories — such games became an essential part of the world history of football even though they are water under the bridge for young football aficionados. We are happy to share some of these games in the review above.
