World Cup nostalgia thread

[Rob1981]

You know the drill... usually have one of these threads.

Earliest World Cup memories?  Best World Cup memories?

Games you remember watching with some sort of personal story attached to them even though maybe they weren't that great.

Great games... great goals... great howlers... great controversies etc.

Post them here.

Man, I love the World Cup more than anything.  So excited.

[Citizen Sandman]

https://notificationsounds.com/sound-effects/the-annoying-vuvuzela-sound-139

[skybluedave]

First World Cup memory was going round a mates and watching the 94 final that his dad had recorded the night before. All I can remember is Dunga scoring a penalty and Baggio obviously.

I seem to have fonder memories of the Euros. But 2002 was fun with the early starts. Waking up early and laying in bed watching Spain get dicked by South Korea. That World Cup probably my favourite. Had plenty of good stuff. Cheating South Korea, England heartbreak, Fat Ronaldo, and a great showing by Ireland. 

[gavo01]

Robbo scoring against the French in under 30 seconds during our opening game in Spain 82

[JD nawrat]

First memory is the final of the 2002 WC. I've posted this story before... 

I was in Portugal on holiday as a 9 year old kid on the day of the final of the 2002 WC. At the time I hadn't seen the WC before (too young to remember 98 and had been on holiday most of 02) and I had no idea about international football really besides Scotland being crap  I also had no idea at the time that Brazil and Portugal were close countries due to previous colonization etc and that Portuguese and Brazilian people rooted for each other's countries almost as much as their own. Anyway we were sat in a wee café on a main road in the city (Lisbon) and the game was on. Saw the last 20 mins or so and then hundreds of folk flooded onto the streets to celebrate Brazil winning the WC. It was incredible, the traffic basically stopped for these celebrations. I had no idea what was going on like I said, but it was an almost magical atmosphere. Never experienced anything like it since and may never again. About half an hour after the celebrations died down, two drunken lads with Germany shirts and face paint and a big Germany flag wrapped around the two of them are staggering down the street (coming the opposite direction to where all of the celebrating folk went) and got pelters from every single guy that passed them - I can only imagine what they had experienced walking the full length of that street

Next was the 06 WC. I watched a fair amount of the tournament but the obvious standout was this. I was sat in the living room watching it with my dad and both our jaws hit the floor when this happened  I remember doing a sweepstake with my registration class in high school and I got Italy - I decided there and then (This was a month before the tournament) I was backing Italy and they would win it. Got a mars bar for my luck  Ever since I always back Italy. It helped that I used to watch the Italian football on TV when I was young so I liked Italy anyway, but yeah, Italy are always "my" team in the Euros/WC because of that mars bar  This year it's Belgium in the absence of Italy due to KDB/Kompany and being in a group against England

standout from the 2010 was the karate kick. I posted about this elsewhere too but it was the first game I ever watched in a pub with mates so it stood out for that reason as well as the fact everyone in the pub seemed to want Holland to win and was raging at Iniesta scoring  There was even a shout of "**** you ya baldy wee bastard you just cost me £280!"

[Harryseaess]

 

[toon_84]

1994 - I remember being allowed to stay up for the final but falling asleep, sweaty Jack Charlton and I had a special addition of match/shoot that had all the info on teams etc. It even had the words to the national anthems in so I tried to sing along 

1998 - Watching the Tunisia game in the school hall on a tiny TV, watching the Argentina game in bed ill and Dennis Bergkamps goal vs Argentina

2002 - Utter carnage! Just turned 18 and the pubs opened early. Got sacked for turning up drunk because they wouldn't let me have the Brazil game off and stop crying your heart out being played non stop. I'm pretty sure there was some football being played at some point.

2006 - England breaking Michael Owen, Joe Coles goal vs Sweden and upsetting our lass by stupidly arranging to go on a date after the Portugal game, arrived very drunk and upset and fell asleep during the film.

2010 and 2014 were fairly tame and it is more the football that stands out.

[herne79]

My earliest World Cup memory is lots and lots of ticker tape / paper floating around in a stadium.  I was really young at the time and didn't know what was going on - turns out it was the 1978 Final.

Other memories are Schumacher's foul in '82; Lineker winning the Golden Boot and Maradona's skill in '86; Pavarotti / Nesun Dorma, Gazza's tears and a crap final at Italia '90 (although the rest of the tournament was fantastic); and being stuck at JFK airport waiting for a connecting flight home after my honeymoon while England were beating Denmark 3-0 in 2002 (no TVs were showing the match).

[GunmaN1905]

From a fan standpoint, 1998 was something unbelievable. Thrid place on the first world cup ever. If Bokšić wasn't injured and bloody Thuram didn't score his only two goals for NT in those semis, maybe even the title wasn't too far fetched.

2006 opening game vs Brazil, unbelievable atmosphere. Too bad it all went to sh** and I, like most people, feel no attachment to the NT whatsoever anymore.

 

[Chase Failey]

Can't believe it's been 4 years since this.

[foolsgold]

Maybe it's the fondness of looking back but 1998 is still my favourite World Cup. Actually, football in general in the mid-late 90's just seemed better (from what I can remember of it). Maybe it was the perfect mix of money and media coming into football, but just before it got 'ruined' in some ways. Just the kits, the songs, the players, the location and the buzz around France 98, it was brilliant.

[Pukey]

Don't remember the game at all but do remember watch England against Tunisia at school, and us going out against Argentina. Watched the final at the church centre and squidded around on the wooden floor on my knees after the match for reasons I can't remember. 

Watched us beat Argentina in 2002 in a pub in Ireland. 

2006 I forgot my key so was locked out and missed the opening match, was gutted. 

2010 was *****. 

2014 was great, James Rodriguez top goal scorer coming in and the 7-1 is still one of the craziest things I've seen in football. 

[PMLF]

But the best thing is that Romário returned to Brazilian football (Flamengo) a year after the 1994 World Cup.

[CFuller]

1998 - My first World Cup, aged 8. My parents allowed me to stay up for most of the evening games, including that Round 2 match vs Argentina. That night was my first experience of being genuinely disappointed by football. 

I also remember the school classroom going wild when Shearer scored vs Tunisia, and me being flabbergasted by Beckham's free-kick vs Colombia. I can't possibly forget Bergkamp vs the Argies either.

Also, I'll fight anyone who didn't think this was great: 

2002 - Probably my favourite World Cup yet, even though a lot of the matches were in the morning. I remember us being allowed to watch the second halves of the Nigeria and Brazil games at school before lessons began. I've never been prouder to be an England fan than when we lost that Quarter Final to Ronaldinho and a brilliant Brazilian team.

I also bought two World Cup singles at Woolworths before the tournament: "Carnaval 2002" by Dario G, and "We're On The Ball" by Ant & Dec. No prizes for guessing which one I'm most fond of today. 

England aside, Senegal's shock opening win over France stands out for me. I also remember watching Klose's destruction of Saudi Arabia at my grandparents' house.

2006 - We went online in the Fuller household in 2003, so this was my first experience of World Cup fantasy football. I played in a league with some other PBEM football players, and I won it... but only because I stuck with it all the way through and everyone else had given up by the Quarter Finals! 

As for the tournament itself, England were dreadful. So much about the Quarter Final vs Portugal was infuriating - Rooney, Ronaldo, the referee, the shoot-out. It felt like such a missed opportunity at the time, but looking back now, that was actually the best England team with the best England manager that I can remember.

Maxi Rodriguez's goal vs Mexico, though.  And, of course, Zidane vs Materazzi. 

2010 - Easily the worst World Cup of my lifetime. England rightly got their backsides handed to them by a Germany team that really should've won the whole thing (had it not been for Spain's tiki-taka one-goal-win specialists). Dad got really angry after the fourth German goal and left the room until it was over. 

I remember a lot of boring football, with some highs (Slovakia 3-2 Italy, North Korea's goal vs Brazil) but far more lows (Suárez's handball, Ghana's shoot-out defeat, the first 115 minutes of the Final).

2014 - Were England in this? I hardly noticed them. 

Braseeeeeeel went from good to bad to good to Absolutely Flippin' Awful (7-1 ). Spain just went straight to AFA. I also remembered Messi's winner vs Iran, Algeria's bravery vs Germany, and that brief period when Joel Campbell looked like he could play.

[Chase Failey]

Neymar dying in 2014 was terrible. RIP Neymar  

[danmcconnell1]

'02 was the first World Cup I really watched and I still have brilliant memories of that tournament. Campbell's bullet header v Sweden, Beckham's penalty against the Argies and the dour (similar to now really) draw against Nigeria in the groups followed by the complete shock of being 3-0 up by half time against Denmark in the round of 16.

Of course we all remember the semi, Ronaldinho and all but I'll never forget that smidge of hope we had when Owen nabbed the opener, if only we could have held onto that until half time, that pesky Rivaldo bagging in stoppage time at the end of the half, it could have been a very different game had we done so.

Anyway, it was a brilliant World Cup and was won by a brilliant team, but I can't help but feel it was the best chance we had, Italia '90 aside, to actually win the thing. We had a brilliant team in '02, Campbell, Ferdinand, Cole, Scholes, Beckham, Gerrard, Owen, at that time all of them would have walked into any team around the world. Definitely a case of what could have been.

As for the rest of that World Cup, joint hosts South Korea were brilliant, although they got lucky to beat Italy in the quarters (I think), they did their country proud that year and were brilliant joint hosts. Of course the best side won in the end and Ronaldo went on to become a real world beater after overcoming a career threatening knee injury in the couple of years leading up to that World Cup. Overall my favourite World Cup and personally hasn't been a more entertaining one since with the amount of underdogs that overcame the big boys. Senegal and South Korea really spring to mind while Argentina and Italy had really poor tournaments, as did Spain to an extent, although they of course had a great tournament 8 years later.

[CFuller]

41 minutes ago, danmcconnell1 said:

Of course we all remember the semi, Ronaldinho and all but I'll never forget that smidge of hope we had when Owen nabbed the opener, if only we could have held onto that until half time, that pesky Rivaldo bagging in stoppage time at the end of the half, it could have been a very different game had we done so.

As for the rest of that World Cup, joint hosts South Korea were brilliant, although they got lucky to beat Italy in the quarters (I think), they did their country proud that year and were brilliant joint hosts. Of course the best side won in the end and Ronaldo went on to become a real world beater after overcoming a career threatening knee injury in the couple of years leading up to that World Cup. Overall my favourite World Cup and personally hasn't been a more entertaining one since with the amount of underdogs that overcame the big boys. Senegal and South Korea really spring to mind while Argentina and Italy had really poor tournaments, as did Spain to an extent, although they of course had a great tournament 8 years later.

I wish it had been a Semi Final against Brazil. 

South Korea's win over Italy was in the Last 16. They beat Spain on penalties in the Quarter Finals after a very dodgy game. That was when the Germans decided they would make things at least a little competitive in the Final. 

[deltablue]

Robben!!!!!! *shakes fist* Even worse than the Tevez goal that shouldn't have stood 4 years earlier. 2014 was a great tournament otherwise though.

[PaulHartman71]

5 hours ago, Chase Failey said:

Can't believe it's been 4 years since this.

 

That first half was mental. Most surreal game I've ever seen. Just couldn't believe what was happening. Would've been amazing if they'd hit double figures which they probably could have, remember them being absolutely gutted that they even let 1 in when they were 7-0 up  

[bestbrother]

first memory was somehow watching south korea in 86 and i want to say vs bulgaria

i watched most of the england games and the final. i would have been 7.

1990 was the best for me as its the first time i really understood what it was about and foreign players/teams were novel. that stojkovic goal vs spain (im sure it was them) still one of my favourites.

1994 - hagi

 

[stockportguy86]

Mine would probably have been maybe 94 or 98, I think more 98 when Michael Owen scored against Argentina with that wonder goal :) 

Michael Owen vs Argentina World Cup 1998

I also remember in 2002 when my school went to France during the 2002 World Cup on the way back on the ferry, we had the game on 

the radio to give us some news, unfortunately Ronaldinho had to ruin the party and we didn't watch the rest of that World Cup that year 

Ronaldinho vs England World Cup 2002

[PMLF]

7 hours ago, PaulHartman71 said:

 

That first half was mental. Most surreal game I've ever seen. Just couldn't believe what was happening. Would've been amazing if they'd hit double figures which they probably could have, remember them being absolutely gutted that they even let 1 in when they were 7-0 up  

Apparently the players themselves decided during half-time that they wouldn't score too many goals as the score was too big.

[jonnybegood]

https://youtu.be/6PvOTF99qfA

[PaulHartman71]

6 hours ago, PMLF said:

Apparently the players themselves decided during half-time that they wouldn't score too many goals as the score was too big.

 

Yeah I do remember hearing that. Not sure how true it is though as whilst they might have taken the pedal off the gas in the second half, makes sense to save themselves a bit for the final, I don't think at the top level even at 5-0 you'd go out of your way to try not to score. The Germans of all teams certainly wouldn't and I don't think the attacking players would care enough about the Brazilians feelings to not try and get as many goals as they could, as it's not every day you get to score in a World Cup, let alone a Semi. 

[danmcconnell1]

16 hours ago, CFuller said:

I wish it had been a Semi Final against Brazil. 

South Korea's win over Italy was in the Last 16. They beat Spain on penalties in the Quarter Finals after a very dodgy game. That was when the Germans decided they would make things at least a little competitive in the Final. 

Well any game against Brazil at a World Cup is special but one more round would have been amazing haha.

Oh okay, my bad lol, but yes I remember the Spain game well, very controversial whilst still entertaining. I seem to remember Turkey having a great tournament too, Hakan Sukur scoring the quickest ever World Cup goal in the 3/4 place play off if I recall correctly?

[CFuller]

34 minutes ago, danmcconnell1 said:

Well any game against Brazil at a World Cup is special but one more round would have been amazing haha.

Oh okay, my bad lol, but yes I remember the Spain game well, very controversial whilst still entertaining. I seem to remember Turkey having a great tournament too, Hakan Sukur scoring the quickest ever World Cup goal in the 3/4 place play off if I recall correctly?

11 seconds, I think. That match was absolute madness.

[GunmaN1905]

Didn't want to make another topic, this one seemed most appropriate.

Quote

Jaw-dropping. Michel Platini reveals the 1998 WC schedule was fixed so that France couldn't meet Brazil until the final; which he and his interviewer find very clever and funny.

How unexpected.

[danmcconnell1]

2 hours ago, CFuller said:

11 seconds, I think. That match was absolute madness.

Especially for a match with nothing riding on it as well.

[Rob1981]

 

Quote

Jaw-dropping. Michel Platini reveals the 1998 WC schedule was fixed so that France couldn't meet Brazil until the final; which he and his interviewer find very clever and funny.

 

Is this really news?  Back in the day when both the hosts and the holders qualified automatically I thought they were usually put into different sides of the draw?  Basically so that the hosts wouldn't have to play one of the strongest teams early on so clearly yeah, a bit dodgy.  But not something that Platini pushed through just to help France.  England had the best idea in 1966, just arrange to nobble the holders in the group stage so they don't even get through

[Robokid87]

 

2 minutes ago, Rob1981 said:

 

Is this really news?  Back in the day when both the hosts and the holders qualified automatically I thought they were usually put into different sides of the draw?  Basically so that the hosts wouldn't have to play one of the strongest teams early on so clearly yeah, a bit dodgy.  But not something that Platini pushed through just to help France.  England had the best idea in 1966, just arrange to nobble the holders in the group stage so they don't even get through

 

[Rob1981]

Solid that.  Me and Jonathan Wilson on the same page.

[Nordan]

France v West Germany Semifinal 1982, sickening that France didn't win one of the best games I've ever watched.

On a more patriotic note Norway beating Brazil and advancing from the group in 98 was a little exciting.

[martplfc1]

1994. I would have been 11. I remember our street doing a sweepstake (when communities actually existed). I picked out Italy. Roberto Baggio in his prime. I would have won a whole FIVE pounds! Full of optimism, I was entirely gripped.

In many respects it was Baggio’s World Cup. He dragged Italy to the final with some beautiful football and brilliant goals. I was certain he’d lift the trophy and win me my fiver. I was a little bit in love with him tbh.

So of course he went and broke my heart  

I will never forget that penalty miss. His face, the hopes of the nation (and mine) plummeting from his slumped shoulders. Devastation.

I cried myself to sleep that night.

[Roy Race 9]

1974 was first one I can really remember 

first time I really saw this man play.....what a player

 

1978 was my favourite one it was superb that ticker tape ...kempes

 

 

that scotland kit 

what a superb team they had (apart from the GK) 

[git2thachoppa]

1998: Replaying the 1998 World Cup fixtures constantly in FIFA 97 on Windows 95. Maybe even with 45-minute halves.

2002: England beating Denmark with the legendary Ebbe Sand 3-0, maybe solely because no one else remembers it without prompting.

2006: Nothing. Oh, Zidane's headbutt. Then nothing.

2010: Everyone of one nationality having a go at Marcel Desailly for supporting Ghana because they don't understand how someone with more than one nationality can support more than one country...

2014: Even my girlfriend being able to tell tactically where Brazil were going wrong v Germany.

Also some time later realising this was effectively the last World Cup homosexuals will be allowed to go to for at least 12 years.

[JD nawrat]

If FM is anything to go by, Australia will host the 2022 WC. Should be announced in July 2017 sometime

[Razzler]

1982 was my first World Cup and I still remember it vividly, I hardly remember what happened at the last one but I can still remember the groups and a lot of matches from '82.

Also, that Brazil team, this was a different kind of football, playing football how I always saw football in my head as a kid with Zico in particular.

Who can beat Tardelli's emotion in scoring in the final too!?

[dafuge]

1994 was the first World Cup I watched and I absolutely loved it, staying up for every game despite having to go to school the next day.

My interest in football has dropped considerably since then, I'll probably choose the England ODIs over some matches.

[Shi Xiansheng]

1994 was the first World Cup I remember.  It was awesome.  The whole country was gripped by it; it was everywhere.  It was my football awakening.  I still wish I had made it to a game.  Maybe the US will host again someday and I'll get the chance.

2002 was my favorite World Cup.  I was in college, and it was summer, and I didn't have a job, meaning I had nothing better to do than party and watch football.  And the time zones were a blast.  Games were in the middle of the night, so my friends and I just stayed up all night every night and slept during the daytime.

My favorite goal was Donovan against Algeria in 2010.  Not because it was a great goal, but because of what it meant in context.  We had had one struck out for offside, had hit the woodwork, had missed open goals.  We were dominating but facing elimination, and it was absolutely nerve-wracking.  So of course, the only way to qualify for the knockouts had to be through a scrappy rebound in the 91st minute.  I have never seen a place explode so forcefully in response to a World Cup goal.  A man next to me was holding two full pints he had just bought from the bar but had not brought to his friends, saw the goal, started jumping up and down, dropped both to smash on the floor, and simply kept jumping.  Even now, eight years later, I watched it on YouTube here in the office and had to restrain myself from shouting and disturbing my coworkers.

[Nordan]

That edited(?) video of the Brazil v Germany semi in 2014, no Brazilian players.

[GodfreyBloom]

Won £990 on David Luiz scoring the first goal in the Brazil vs Chile game in 2014 (think it was a free bet as well). Still my greatest World Cup moment

[Gazza D]

[noikeee]

1 hour ago, GodfreyBloom said:

Won £990 on David Luiz scoring the first goal in the Brazil vs Chile game in 2014 (think it was a free bet as well). Still my greatest World Cup moment

2014 was profittable for me as well. We had this pool at the office where everyone put in 25€ and then those who got the most correct scores at the end of the competition (exact results), top 3 would get prizes.

I got joint 1st and earned 260€, by simply checking the bookies and picking the favourite, lowest odds result in about 80% of the matches.

[Marius_R]

1998 World Cup was the first I remember watching, opening game was Brazil-Scotland iirc, I think Brazil won thanks to a goalie mistake (I remember the Scottish goalie was close or into his 40s) and an own goal. From that World Cup I remember Laudrup's celebration after scoring against Brazil, the Romanian dyeing  (is that the correct spelling?) their hair blonde (except Stelea, who was bald ) after the England win (oh yeah, that late goal from Petrescu) only to crash out to Croatia the next round, Thuram's first international goals in the semis and the whole Ronaldo controversy before the final. It was also the last World Cup we played at, which at the time I didn't pay attention too,because we were a regular presence in the World Cup. Most memorable World Cup moments for me were Ronaldo's redemption in 2002, he was my favorite player as a kid and as a teenager,alongside Hagi, and it was great to see he still has it after being out for 2 years and scoring 8 goals in the tournament, and the Germany-Italy semifinal in 2006, it was an amazing game with a fitting finale, Grosso scoring late in the game and doing a "Tardelli" is one of the most iconic World Cup images for me, and Caressa's "Andiamo a Berlino!" and Cannavaro's and Buffon's performances in that game (as close to perfection as it gets) are more standout moments from a World Cup classic game. It was my favorite World Cup.