Tonight's World Cup final between Spain and Argentina adds another chapter to the long history of football's premier tournament. Two countries that have already lifted the trophy claim it once again, in a contest that could earn its own place among the unforgettable finals of the competition. Like the ones FIFA recalls through its official website.
16 July 1950: Brazil vs Uruguay 1-2
Technically it was not a final, but the last match of the four-team final round, in which Brazil needed only a draw to lift the trophy in front of some 200,000 spectators at the Maracana. Friaca gave Brazil the lead, but Juan Schiaffino and Alcides Ghiggia overturned the result and handed Uruguay the second World Cup in its history. The defeat was a national trauma for Brazil; inside the stadium, two spectators took their own lives by jumping from the stands and three died of heart attacks. Legend has it that a nine-year-old Pele watched his father burst into tears listening to the match on the radio, and promised him that one day he would win the World Cup himself. Eight years later, he kept his promise.
4 July 1954: West Germany vs Hungary 3-2
The all-powerful Hungary of Ferenc Puskas had been unbeaten for more than four years and had crushed West Germany 8-3 in the group stage. In the Bern final, the Hungarians even led 2-0 by the eighth minute. The Germans, however, equalised quickly and withstood the Magyar pressure. Six minutes from the end, Helmut Rahn scored the winning goal, completing one of the greatest upsets in football history. The so-called "Miracle of Bern" gave West Germany its first world title.
30 July 1966: England vs West Germany 4-2 after extra time
England reached the Wembley final determined to win the World Cup on home soil. The West Germans equalised at 2-2 in the last minute of normal time, sending the match into extra time. There, Geoff Hurst scored two more goals. The first remains one of the most disputed in the tournament's history, as the ball struck the crossbar and bounced down near the line. The goal was awarded and England won its only world title, with Hurst becoming the first player to score a hat-trick in a World Cup final.
21 June 1970: Brazil vs Italy 4-1
For many, the Brazil of 1970 was the finest national team ever to appear at a World Cup. In the Mexico final it emphatically beat Italy and became the first country with three titles. Pele opened the scoring, followed by goals from Gerson and Jairzinho. The fourth, scored by Carlos Alberto after an exemplary team move and a pass from Pele, is considered one of the most beautiful goals in the history of finals. The Italian defender Tarcisio Burgnich, handed the unenviable task of marking Pele that day, later commented: "I told myself before the match: 'He's just flesh and bones, like everyone else.' But I was wrong."
29 June 1986: Argentina vs West Germany 3-2
Argentina reached the Mexico final led by Diego Maradona, then at the peak of his career. The South Americans went 2-0 up, but West Germany equalised within seven minutes through Karl-Heinz Rummenigge and Rudi Voller. Six minutes from the end, Maradona released Jorge Burruchaga with a superb pass for the 3-2 winner. Argentina won its second World Cup and Maradona cemented his place among the greatest footballers of all time.
12 July 1998: Brazil vs France 0-3
Host nation France reached its first World Cup final and faced holders Brazil, boasting stars such as Ronaldo, Rivaldo, Cafu and Roberto Carlos. Without the suspended Laurent Blanc, the French dominated tactically and competitively, with Zinedine Zidane scoring two headed goals. Emmanuel Petit made it 3-0 in the closing minutes, with Les Bleus down to ten men, sealing their first world title.
18 December 2022: Argentina vs France 3-3, 4-2 on penalties
The Qatar final is considered by many the most thrilling in history. Argentina led 2-0 and seemed in control, but Kylian Mbappe equalised with two quick goals. In extra time, Lionel Messi restored Argentina's lead, but Mbappe levelled from the penalty spot and became only the second player with a hat-trick in a final. In the shoot-out, defender Gonzalo Montielconverted the decisive kick and gave Argentina its first title since 1986.
Honourable mentions
In 1958, a 17-year-old Pele scored twice in Brazil's 5-2 win over Sweden, leading his country to its first World Cup. In 1974, West Germany overturned the lead of Johan Cruyff's Netherlands to win 2-1, led by Franz Beckenbauer and Gerd Muller. In 1982, Italy beat West Germany 3-1, with Marco Tardelli's celebration after the second goal remaining one of the most iconic images in World Cup history.
In 2002, Ronaldo, back from a series of injuries, scored both of Brazil's goals against Germany to deliver the Selecao's fifth title, while captain Cafu became the first player in history to appear in three consecutive finals. In 2006, Italy beat France on penalties in a final marked by Zidane's sending-off for his headbutt on Marco Materazzi, after both had scored earlier in the match. And in 2010, Andres Iniesta struck four minutes from the end of extra time against the Netherlands to hand Spain the first World Cup in its history.
Whether tonight's protagonists, Messi's Argentina or Lamine Yamal's Spain, produce a final worthy of this company will be known by the end of the evening. The stage, at least, is set.
