Some games, for various reasons, just stick in the memory. Others have become part of footballing folklore because of their quality, drama or because they marked significant changes in the sport itself.
Here are a few games which, in my humble opinion, deserve to be classed among the greatest. Some are widely regarded as legendary contests; others are simply among my personal favourites, but none are without their merits.
Brazil 6-5 Poland
June 1938, France, World Cup Finals First Round
I honestly can't say too much about how high quality the football was, but any game at World Cup finals level which finishes 6-5 has to be deemed memorable. Incredibly, Poland's poor Ernest Willimowski contrived to score four goals (sharing the World Cup record for goals in a single game for some 56 years), and still lose. Now that's unlucky. Still, even had it gone the other way some other poor unfortunate would have missed out, since Brazil's greatest pre-war player Leonidas da Silva also scored four.
So Willimowski went home, and Brazil went on to the semi-finals, where they played defending champions Italy. In one of football's greatest and costliest displays of arrogance, the Brazilian coach rested Leonidas (third from left in picture) for the final, but ultimately only ended up recalling him for the third-place match. Oops.
Brazil 1-2 Uruguay
July 1950, Brazil, World Cup Finals Final Pool (Deciding Match)
The Brazilians came into this match in the newly built Maracana needing just a draw to secure their first world title. The attendance was around an incredible 200,000, many of which did not pay to get in, hence the confusion about the exact figure. All appeared to be going well when Brazil took the lead, leaving them in a situation where they just had to maintain concentration to take at least one point and the Jules Rimet Trophy. Complacency replaced concentration though, and the Brazilians who had so dominated found themselves back level after a goal from the great Schiaffino, before Ghiggia shot home to clinch a second World Cup for Uruguay. There were quite a few disappointed people in the giant stadium.
England 3-6 Hungary
1953, England, International Friendly
Never before had England lost an international on home soil against a team from outside the British Isles. They were somewhat understandably confident, then, and this was displayed by captain Billy Wright's disparaging comments about one Ferenc Puskas, his opposing captain, whom he remarked to his teammates about looking a bit overweight. But the joke was on dear old Billy, because the Magical Magyars were here to show just why they had gone so many matches unbeaten recently. England were ripped apart on the hallowed turf of Wembley, and suddenly had to reassess their opinion that they themselves were at the pinnacle of the world game.
Puskas went on to lead his side to the World Cup final the following year, where they spurned a 2-0 lead to lose 3-2 to the West Germans, ensuring that they are generally remembered only as one of the two best teams not to have won the World Cup along with the Dutch side of the 1970s.
Real Madrid 7-3 Eintracht Frankfurt
May 1960, Scotland, European Champions Cup Final
Hampden Park, Glasgow, played host to perhaps the greatest club performance ever when defending European Champions Real Madrid rolled into town, and put on a display which, in club terms, could be viewed as the international equivalent of Brazil's 1970 World Cup Final show.
With two of the greatest players of all time, that man Ferenc Puskas again and Argentine-born Alfredo Di Stefano (seen here in a post-match embrace; Di Stefano is on the left), leading the front-line, it's hardly surprising we got seven goals and a virtuoso performance, but Real Madrid were so much more than just two men: think of names like Raimond Kopa and Gento as supporting cast. The poor Germans never stood a chance as Di Stefano and Puskas fired away like there was no tomorrow, and Real Madrid went further on their path to being record five consecutive times European Champions.
West Germany 3-2 England aet.
1970, Mexico, World Cup Quarter-Final
England were reigning world champions with such stars as Gordon Banks, Bobby Moore, Bobby Charlton and Geoff Hurst in their midst as they undertook the defence of their trophy in Mexico. They had got through the first round despite losing 1-0 to Brazil, and came to Leon to face the team they had beaten in the final four years previously.
The Germans had one major new weapon, Gerd Müller, their new attacking hope. And Banks went down with a stomach bug just before the match. Nevertheless, all was going well when England scored a first, and then a second to go into a 2-0 lead, before the Germans mounted one of their now-customary comebacks. Stand-in 'keeper Peter Bonetti was blamed for failing to get Uwe Seeler's cheeky backheader which looped in to tie the game, sending it to extra-time. Then, as the players began to wilt in the heat, Müller latched onto a Grabowski cross to volley home from close range. The champions were de-throned.
Italy 4-3 West Germany aet.
1970, Mexico, World Cup Semi-Final
After coming through a toughie against England, the West Germans had to face up to a World Cup semi-final just a few days later. The Italians were rather more fresh, which was to prove crucial as this match went into another draining period of extra time.
Indeed, it was the extra time which distinguished this match as one of the classics. Level at 1-1 after ninety minutes, the next half-hour saw an explosion of five goals. First, the Germans, who had equalised late on in normal time, took the lead before Italy hit back with two of their own. It wasn't long again until the scores were tied, at 3-3, but eventually, as "Kaiser" Franz Beckenbauer played on with a dislocated shoulder, Italy scored what proved to be the decisive goal.
The Germans had paid a high price for their exertions in the last round - Italy would follow suit in the final itself.
Brazil 4-1 Italy
1970, Mexico, World Cup Final
It has been said many times by many people that this was the greatest football team ever. While it is always difficult to compare teams from different eras, and club sides with national sides, there can be little doubt that these Brazilians were right up there among the best.
Brazil clinched their third World Cup and eternal ownership of the original Jules Rimet Trophy with a fantastic performance. They took the lead in the first half through the head of the inimitable Pele, and although Boninsegna levelled matters at 1-1 before half-time, the second half was a carnival display from the South Americans. Playmaker Gerson restored their lead, then Jairzinho completed the amazing feat of scoring in every round of the tournament. The victory was secured with a wonderful goal from, fittingly, captain Carlos Alberto. After stringing together a series of passes, Pele, on the edge of the Italian box, simply laid the ball off for the advancing defender, who rifled home past the helpless Albertosi. The goal would certainly be considered excellent in any circumstances, but was all the more so because of the context.
If football is the beautiful game, then the Brazilians of 1970 were the beautiful team.
Italy 3-2 Brazil
1982, Spain, World Cup Second Round
In a strange format for the 1982 World Cup, the second round involved four groups of three teams playing each other once. By the time the Italians came to meet Brazil, the best Brazilian representatives since 1970 needed just a draw in order to secure a semi-final spot.
In the end, though, they were undone by the legendary Paolo Rossi who bagged a hat-trick, exposing the defensive naivety of this particular Brazil team. Brazil had swept all before them prior to this point, and so might have somewhat understandably felt confident that they could keep going forward to bury the Italians. They did so even at 2-2, when the semi-final was very much within their reach, and eventually paid when Rossi, scavenging on the six-yard box, knocked home to put the Italians into a lead they did not relinquish. Not even the magic of the likes of Socrates and Zico could find the equaliser, and they would have to wait another four years for their next attempt.
West Germany 3-3 France aet. (West Germany win 5-4 on pens)
1982, Spain, World Cup Semi-Final
Many remember this game chiefly for German goalkeeper Harald Schumacher's dreadful challenge on France's Battiston, which went unpunished despite the Frenchman being knocked unconscious and losing a few of his teeth. But the game had so much more than just brutality to offer.
Tied at 1-1 going into extra-time, the French, inspired by the masterful midfield trio of Jean Tigana, Alain Giresse and, in particular, Michel Platini quickly found themselves two goals up in the extra period. France, then, seemed headed for their first World Cup final, but the West Germans, as ever, would not give up the ghost. The half-fit captain Karl-Heinz Rummenigge was brought on as substitute, and before long had his team back in the game. Parity was restored with a superbly-executed over-head kick by Klaus Fischer. And so penalty kicks, and most of us are familiar with the stories of German invincibility at penalties. Although Stielike missed his kick, the French were unable to take advantage, and eventually Bossis' miss for France proved to be the deciding factor.
So Schumacher stayed on and was the penalty hero - but in a matter of days, West Germany would be denied the world championship by Rossi and his fast-improving Italian team-mates.
France 3-2 Portugal aet.
1984, France, European Championship Semi-Final
Though Platini's majestic French side would be denied the World Cup by two consecutive semii-final defeats to West Germany in 1982 and 1986, they did gain the major international honour they deserved in the 1984 European Championship. Spain were beaten 2-0 in the final - but before that, they had to overcome the Portuguese in a titanic struggle in the semi-final. The match was even at 1-1 going into extra-time, but Portugal took the lead to put themselves seemingly on the way to an all-Iberian final. It was not to be, though. France had learned lessons from two years previous; a game, even in extra time, is not over till it's over. They duly pulled level, and then the great man Platini himself was on hand to produce a dramatic winner. This time, it would not be the French feeling semi-final heartbreak.
France 1-1 Brazil aet. (France win 4-3 on pens)
1986, Mexico, World Cup Quarter-Final
The match looked a beauty: surely the two most entertaining sides left in the 1986 met in a battle for a spot in the last four. And the game lived up to its billing. In a contest with superb flowing football, Careca struck past Joel Bats to put Brazil 1-0 up, only for Platini to sneak in later at the far post and level matters. Zico, now 33 years old, was brought on off the bench for Brazil, and within minutes the Samba stars had a penalty. Zico was adamant that he should take it...and saw his effort saved by Bats as he dived to his left. Penalties would play a pivotal part in the day's high drama. Extra time did not produce a winner, and so to the dreaded penalty kicks. Incredibly, both Socrates and Platini missed their penalties, probably the two players of the biggest stature on the field. It was the first penalty Platini had ever missed in his career, and how he had chosen the wrong moment. He was given a reprieve, though. Julio Cesar was the unfortunate responsible for the third missed penalty of the shootout, and France were able to convert their last to go through. This time, the West Germans were waiting again, and again the Germans were winners, this time by 2-0. Platini & co. never managed better than third place.
West Germany 1-1 England aet. (West Germany win 4-3 on penalties)
July 1990, Italy, World Cup Semi-Final
The favourites Italy had been knocked out of "their" World Cup the day before, and so both these sides must have believed their chances were very real. The Germans had always looked like potential winners, while the English had struggled through their group (despite ultimately winning it), needed a 120th minute goal to beat Belgium, then had to come from behind late on with two penalties to see of the African upstarts of Cameroon. Slowly, but surely, they were getting there though, and gaining momentum.
This was a real epic, keenly contested between two of international football's great rivals. Andreas Brehme gave the Germans a second-half lead with a deflected free-kick which unluckily looped over 40 year old Shilton's head, but in the latter stages Gary Lineker shot past Illgner for the equaliser. It could have been for England - they struck the post in extra time - but instead it was penalties again, and while the Germans were a perfect four for four, England went out due to expensive failures by Stuart Pearce (saved) and Chris Waddle (skied over the bar to finish English hopes). England were so close to the final, but the West Germans were just about deserved winners of the trophy, with a 1-0 final win over Argentina...that man Brehme again, from the penalty spot. No prizes for guessing.
Motherwell 4-3 Dundee United aet.
May 1991, Scotland, Scottish Cup Final
This was one of the very best Scottish Cup finals, and was probably all the more so for the absence of one of Scotland's Old Firm, Rangers or Celtic. This gave it the feeling of a "family final", especially since the opposing managers, Jim and Tommy MacLean, were brothers.
It had it all: drama, goals and heroes. What more does a good game need? Motherwell goalkeeper Ally Maxwell sustained a chest injury in the course of the game, but bravely played on, despite being in obvious pain with every subsequent save and kick-out. Still, it seemed that Motherwell had done enough as they led with just seconds remaining. Maxwell was all set to be the big hero, until he was beaten to a long ball on the edge of the box by Dundee United striker Darren Jackson, who knocked home to send the game to an extra thirty minutes. 'Well supporters must have thought that it was all going to end in agony for them despite coming so close, but that was before substitute Steve Kirk was introduced. He had earned something of a reputation as a super-sub already in the tournament, and enhanced that with the goal to bring the Cup to Motherwell.
Not, perhaps, the most widely-known of classics, but one which certainly merits the tag.
Germany 1-1 England aet. (Germany win 6-5 on penalties)
June 1996, England, European Championship Semi-Final
It was billed variously as a re-match of 1966 or 1990, but either way, unified Germany of otherwise, it was these two again, and again it was an epic. England got off to the best start possible as Alan Shearer nodded home from a third minute corner to send Wembley wild. But Stefan Kuntz, bearing much attacking responsibility for injury-hit Germany in the temporary absence of captain striker Jürgen Klinsmann, levelled later in the first half.
The game really took off in a classic period of extra time, in which the sudden-death "Golden Goal" rule applied, when Darren Anderton hit a post for England, before the ball bounced kindly back into Andreas Köpke's arms. Then Germany thought they'd scored, but had the goal chopped off somewhat controversially, before Gascoigne was twice just centimetres away from connecting with crosses to put England through. Penalty kicks, and the first ten were perfect, before English defender Gareth Southgate saw his weakly-hit attempt saved. Andread Möller, already suspended from the final for his second yellow card of the finals, stepped up, ran up, put his head down, and smashed high beyond David Seaman to put Germany into the final. There, they beat the Czech Republic 2-1 after extra time in front of a hostile Wembley crowd with two goals from Oliver Bierhoff, and captain Klinsmann restored.
There have been many, many other great games, and these merely scratch the surface. France '98 may well have supplied us with future candidates, in particular England vs. Argentina (another dramatic English defeat on penalties), the Netherlands vs. Argentina, or the Netherlands vs. Brazil. Perhaps only time and distance will allow us to tell properly.
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