The FIFA World Cup is one of the world’s most anticipated and celebrated sports events. With some of the world’s best football teams and greatest football players competing on the field, there’s hardly any moment of dullness in FIFA matches.
The thrill and drama are taken to a whole new level in the FIFA World Cup final, where the best two teams for that season compete for the World Champions title. As such, here’s a look at the best FIFA football finals the world has ever seen.
Argentina 3 (4) – 3 (2) France (2022)
The recently concluded 2022 FIFA World Cup final takes the top spot on our list of the best FIFA final matches. The 2022 FIFA final was unique in its own right. Argentina’s star player Lionel Messi was to enter the tournament in what was his last chance to win the FIFA trophy while France was eyeing a second consecutive FIFA World Cup win.
The first half of the game was dominated by Argentina as they managed to score two goals. On the other hand, France failed to post a goal in the first half. But a penalty conceded by Argentina helped France score their first goal.
Mbappe scored his second goal for France in less than a minute, resulting in the gaming going into extra time.
Lionel Messi posted the third goal for Argentina in the 108th minute, but a third goal again equalized it by Mbappe in the 118th minute. The game finally ended with Argentina defeating France in the penalty shoot-out.
The 2022 FIFA World Cup final also attracted a lot of online betting action, with bookmakers offering some of the most competitive odds on various markets. If you’re new to the world of online betting and want to know the basics of football odds, then our guide on calculating betting odds can help you with the same.
England 4 – 2 West Germany (1966)
Another riveting FIFA World Cup final occurred in 1966, with West Germany and England competing fiercely for the World Champions title. As with some other FIFA finals, this match had twists and turns and kept fans on the edge of their seats until the very end.
For West Germany, Helmut Haller gave a 1-0 lead within the first few minutes of the game’s commencement. But England’s Geoff Hurst was able to tie it up at the 18th-minute mark. As you’d sometimes experience watching the game while enjoying football betting, the scoring in the 1966 FIFA final took place in the first and the last part of the match.
No goal was posted between the 19 to 79-minute mark of the FIFA 1966 final. But West Germany and England scored one goal each during the last few minutes of the 90-minute game. The match went into extra time, where England’s Hurst posted two more goals for his side. It’s worth noting that this is the only FIFA final won by that season’s host nation England.
Brazil 4 – 1 Italy (1970)
The 1970 Brazil vs Italy FIFA match was another special FIFA final. After all, it was the last match where legendary footballer Pele would appear as a player. Also, Brazil and Italy were competing in the game with two previous World Cups each to their names.
The game started with Pele giving his side a 1-0 lead at the 18th-minute mark. Italy’s Robert Boninsenga equalized it by posting a goal at the 37th-minute mark. The game would remain tied until Brazil’s Gérson, Jairzinho, and Carlos Alberto posted one goal each in the 65th, 71st and 86th minute, respectively. This was Brazil’s third World Cup win, paving their way to becoming the most successful football team in the world.
Argentina 3 – 2 West Germany (1986)
In 1986, Estadio Azteca in Mexico City witnessed yet another great FIFA final. This time it was Argentina competing against West Germany for the World Cup title.
The game started with Argentina taking the lead in the first half and posting another goal by the 56th minute. However, West Germany made a spectacular comeback by posting two goals in six minutes. With 10 minutes left to play, Argentina’s Jorge Barruchaga scored another goal for his side in the 84th minute. This led to Argentina winning the World Cup final for the second time.
Other great FIFA finals are listed.
Here’s a list of other great FIFA finals the game of football has ever seen. It’s worth noting that some of these matches also attracted a lot of football betting action and saw a tremendous surge in traffic on American football betting platforms:
- Uruguay 2-1 Brazil (1950)
- France 3-0 Brazil (1998)
- Italy 1-1 France (Italy win 5-3 on pens) – 2006
- Argentina 3-1 Netherlands (1978)
- West Germany 2-1 Netherlands (1974)