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Excluding 1966, which World Cup do you think was the greatest you ever watched/went to. For me, I think it was 1998. First one I could watch in the pub, Michael Owens goal and Scotland failing to get out of the groups again.
Best World Cup ever? on 22:51 - Nov 18 by BrianMcCarthy
'90 for me, too, but just because of my age.
I was 20 and was supporting Ireland and England. And everyone was partying. England fell in love with football again, and Ireland was still in its first love froom '88. I was in London and it was every night. Every. Night.
As you say Antti, a lot of the games were poor. But no-one gave a damn. No one.
I think the age thing is the main factor here. I was 19 living away from home and was able to watch most games down the pub including watching the Cameroon game next to a table of people from and supporting Cameroon. No work and much play.
Were England that good? Definetly not until the knock out stages, but if Gazza's leg had been that much longer...
Best World Cup ever? on 22:37 - Nov 18 by Antti_Heinola
90 was a pretty dire tournament truth be told. England were mostly awful until the semi, but had probably the two best games of the tournament in the quarters and semis, so it's got a better rep than it deserves. 86 was fantastic - unbelievable goals all over the place. Denmark could've won it too, until they imploded against Spain.
86 was a great tournament, I was 9, but remember the Soviet team scoring some thunderbolts from outside the box. I still wonder how the Soviets, with all those now sovereign countries making up the USSR, never won a World Cup.
86 was a great tournament, I was 9, but remember the Soviet team scoring some thunderbolts from outside the box. I still wonder how the Soviets, with all those now sovereign countries making up the USSR, never won a World Cup.
Their two best club sides in the 70s and 80s were the Dynamos Kiev/Kyiv and Tbilisi. Going on post Soviet history, you can imagine team spirit in the national squad was a bit tricky. Should have won Euro 88.
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Best World Cup ever? on 09:18 - Nov 19 with 1741 views
I was in Airlie Beach for the that final having just got back from a Whitsunday's tour. I had managed to convince 6 German's who were also on our tour, to cheer for England. They had no idea what was going on but we were all so pissed by the end of it. Great night.
FIFA World Cup's it has to be Mexico 86 for me. The first one I was old enough to have taken an interest in. I remember watching the Brazil v France match, probably one of the best Wolrd Cup games ever. Then there was Belguim v USSR, crazy. The Danes were awesome but somehow ran out of steam very quickly. You have to say it was won by the best player the world has ever seen even though he cheated England. And to cap it all off, even the final was a belter.
I think the World Cup died a bit after 1990 when they awarded the 94 one to the US. That's when it's commercial value became the priority.
Around the same time Sky invented football and gave us the hugely competitive premier league title races where richest owner wins.
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Best World Cup ever? on 13:23 - Nov 19 with 1620 views
As an Irishman, I'm conflicted. I'm naturally drawn to 1990, as we got to a quarter final, played brilliantly in that match, but lost it 1-0 to a ricochet from Toto Schillachi.
However, my heart says 1982. That final should have been between France and Brazil. Both were superb sides who have left a lifelong impression on me.
[Post edited 19 Nov 2022 0:26]
France Vs Brazil in 1982 would have been the dream final.
argentina 78 for me , luque,kempes. late night games, the tickertape at the home nations games and them doing everything and i mean everything to win the cup.
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Best World Cup ever? on 14:00 - Nov 19 with 1601 views
Best World Cup ever? on 13:23 - Nov 19 by CamberleyR
France Vs Brazil in 1982 would have been the dream final.
I get that, but then England slapped France silly in the group stage. Brazil would have murdered them. I reckon France were much better in 86 but the ghosts of 82 still haunted them in the semi final which was summed up excellently by Martin Tyler at full time. "And just as in 1982, France the favourites with the romantics have fallen the the realism of West Germany's football".
[Post edited 19 Nov 2022 14:06]
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Best World Cup ever? on 14:09 - Nov 19 with 1586 views
Best World Cup ever? on 13:41 - Nov 19 by komradkirk
argentina 78 for me , luque,kempes. late night games, the tickertape at the home nations games and them doing everything and i mean everything to win the cup.
I get that, but then England slapped France silly in the group stage. Brazil would have murdered them. I reckon France were much better in 86 but the ghosts of 82 still haunted them in the semi final which was summed up excellently by Martin Tyler at full time. "And just as in 1982, France the favourites with the romantics have fallen the the realism of West Germany's football".
[Post edited 19 Nov 2022 14:06]
I've always thought that day that England, although we played well, caught France cold on a big off day. We undoubtedly peaked in that game though as it was diminishing returns from then on, 2-0, 1-0 and then two 0-0 draws in the second phase.
Ironically winning the group did us no favours and a freak series of results elsewhere (NI beating Spain to top their group for one) gave us a tougher second round. France ended up with Austria and NI.
I'd agree with four more years playing together and winning the '84 Euros in between that France were better in '86.
1982, we had a great song, geat kit , slaughtered france 3-1 , robson scoring in 26 seconds, never lost a game, conceded 1 goal? came home unbeaten and people thought it a failure, but cos of the format the 2nd rd, group of 3 was a quarter final. drew with spain and germany , not bad.
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Best World Cup ever? on 23:00 - Nov 19 with 1374 views
Best World Cup ever? on 18:59 - Nov 19 by themodfather
1982, we had a great song, geat kit , slaughtered france 3-1 , robson scoring in 26 seconds, never lost a game, conceded 1 goal? came home unbeaten and people thought it a failure, but cos of the format the 2nd rd, group of 3 was a quarter final. drew with spain and germany , not bad.
Yes, an odd format that was dropped after the 1982 World Cup. England's reward for topping their first-round group was being drawn in the second-round group with reigning champions West Germany and the hosts Spain, whilst France was drawn against Austria and Northern Ireland. I recall Keegan missing an easy header against Spain; the press blamed his perm for softening his contact with the ball!
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Best World Cup ever? on 23:25 - Nov 19 with 1359 views
Best World Cup ever? on 23:00 - Nov 19 by Benny_the_Ball
Yes, an odd format that was dropped after the 1982 World Cup. England's reward for topping their first-round group was being drawn in the second-round group with reigning champions West Germany and the hosts Spain, whilst France was drawn against Austria and Northern Ireland. I recall Keegan missing an easy header against Spain; the press blamed his perm for softening his contact with the ball!
It was Argentina who won in 1978.West Germany won in 1974.But it was still a tough group to get out of.
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Best World Cup ever? on 18:25 - Nov 20 with 1240 views
Brazil Italy France West Germany was a top top tournament and Bryan Robson scored after about 30 seconds of our first game. Northern Ireland beating Spain.
1986 with Maradona s three minutes from the downright awful to the totally sublime and the Mexican Wave first seen was a spectacle in itself.
Again enjoyed 1990 because of gazza really, outstanding performer and once his booking meant he would not be in the final, I lost interest.
If we had got thru the shootout, I felt Argentina were weak that year and would have been confident we could have won that year.
Again from an England perspective 1998, the perfect followed by the desperately disappointing after Owens teenage wonder goal v Argentina.
Since those days, nothing has really caught my attention. It's been rather dull.
82 and 86 were incredible, Some great ganes, Brazil v Italy in 82 and Argentina v Belgium in 86 both classics. In more recent years the 2002 one was a good one as was France 98. I think if the draw pans out as it should the quarter finals of this one will be worth a watch but rarley works out that way
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Best World Cup ever? on 22:43 - Nov 20 with 1171 views
Stop the thread there. Never been bettered -- it was God's year........ had everything. The sun shone. The beats were repetitive and loud. Class A's and ladies I had hair Lads were lads and........ it was a World Cup we actually could've won.
Christ how I miss it (mainly the hair)
Yep end of thread
Kickers Wallabies Hooded tops Glorious summer World in motion Paul Parker Don Howe Sir Bobby Gazza Top kit Plattvs Belgium
Can’t listen to Nessun dorma without welling up
And Bowles is onside, Swinburne has come rushing out of his goal , what can Bowles do here , onto the left foot no, on to the right foot
That’s there that’s two, and that’s Bowles
Brian Moore
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Best World Cup ever? on 22:47 - Nov 20 with 1169 views
Best World Cup ever? on 22:43 - Nov 20 by paulparker
Yep end of thread
Kickers Wallabies Hooded tops Glorious summer World in motion Paul Parker Don Howe Sir Bobby Gazza Top kit Plattvs Belgium
Can’t listen to Nessun dorma without welling up
This. Its not just about the quality of the football, which wasn't great (England v Ireland was a truly awful game for example), but the experience as a whole.
We were young, QPR were good, music was good, I'd not long been seeing a lovely girl. The night in the pub (and outside afterwards) for the Cameroon game will never be forgotten, nor everyone being at our house for the Belgium game for 2 hours of nervous silence followed by absolute limbs when Platt scored.
Btw, Pearce missing the penalty was my fault! Was at Gatwick as was flying out to Ibiza that night after the game. Anyway, some check in girls came over to watch during the penalties and one asked me will he score, to which I responded Pearce never misses penalties. My sincere apologies to everyone concerned.
When Lineker scored in the semi I was convinced we were going to win the world cup although to be fair I was also about six or seven pints of Lowenbrau deep.
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Best World Cup ever? on 05:44 - Nov 21 with 1106 views
For me the best run of World Cups were 1982, 1986 and 1990. Out of those personal favourite was 1982. In 1982 some fantastic games, Brazil were superb but Italy somehow just grinded their way out of the group stage and went onto win it in typical Italien style. England started so brightly but ageing team relying on Keegan and Brooking who were not fit. France were wonderful they played some super football that would continue throughout the 80s until 86 World Cup. The semi against West Germany, what a game and the famous poleaxing by Schumaker on Bossis. Platini, Giresse and Tigana a midfield which was magical.
[Post edited 21 Nov 2022 6:10]
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Best World Cup ever? on 09:15 - Nov 21 with 1037 views
Best World Cup ever? on 05:44 - Nov 21 by NorthantsHoop
For me the best run of World Cups were 1982, 1986 and 1990. Out of those personal favourite was 1982. In 1982 some fantastic games, Brazil were superb but Italy somehow just grinded their way out of the group stage and went onto win it in typical Italien style. England started so brightly but ageing team relying on Keegan and Brooking who were not fit. France were wonderful they played some super football that would continue throughout the 80s until 86 World Cup. The semi against West Germany, what a game and the famous poleaxing by Schumaker on Bossis. Platini, Giresse and Tigana a midfield which was magical.
1990. As Pete Davies says in the Italia 90 documentary currently on Sky - it was the last 'pure' World Cup, where it was all about the football. Absolutely spot on if you look just at the tournament itself, but also so much more going on behind the scenes in the world that make it stand out, the fall of communism and the Berlin Wall, the reunification of Germany, the breakup and subsequent war in Yugoslavia, the rise of African football (I don't care what anyone says, Cameroon's victory over Argentina is the biggest upset in football EVER), and change of of mood here at home resulting in England being welcomed back into European football after a difficult decade blighted by hooliganism.
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