Top 10 Greatest National Football Matches of All Time

Described by the press afterward as the “Match of the Century,” England took on Hungary in a friendly match in 1953. On one side, the legendary Stanley Matthews, Stan Mortensen, and Billy Wright. And for Hungary, the “Golden Team,” with Ferenc Puskás, Sándor Kocsis, and Zoltán Czibor. The 105,000 in attendance were in for a treat. Within 28 minutes, Hungary was up 4-1. By the end, they’d hammered England 6-3, giving them their second loss ever on home soil to a non-British side since the Republic of Ireland in 1949. The result was a turning point for English football, which had stagnated. Some experts pinpoint this result as the spark that led to the side winning the World Cup in 1966.

From 2008 to 2012, Spain’s Golden Generation won two UEFA European Championships and one FIFA World Cup, the latter against the Netherlands in the final of 2010. By the 2014 edition, the two finalists were drawn in the same group. And when the two battled, no one was expecting this result. After falling behind, the Netherlands leveled before half-time with a magical Robin van Persie diving header. And in the second half, it got even better for the Dutch as they fired in another 4, making the result 5-1. This was the first time Spain had conceded 5 international goals in a match since 1963. This disaster massively contributed to Spain being knocked out at the group stages while the Netherlands reached the semis.

Leading up to this Round of 16 clash between Romania and Argentina, news of the legendary Diego Maradona being banned from the tournament for failing a drug test threatened to overshadow the fixture. But instead, it produced an all-time classic. With an explosive start, Ilie Dumitrescu’s curling free kick opened the scoring before Gabriel Batistuta fired in a penalty. However, with the iconic Gheorghe Hagi pulling the strings, he beautifully assisted Dumitrescu’s second. In the second half, Dumitrescu returned the favor by setting up Hagi. But when Abel Balbo scored for Argentina, Romania held their breath as the South Americans threw everything at them. However, the Europeans survived and came out 3-2 winners, reaching the quarter-finals for the first time in their history!

With the Falklands War having ended four years ago, Argentina and England in the quarter-final of the World Cup was always going to be an intense battle. But no one expected it to have two magical moments from Diego Maradona which became the big talking point. First, the legendary player performed the controversial “Hand of God,” as he infamously knocked the ball in with his fist. Then, not long after, Maradona scored what’s been described as “The Goal of the Century.” Collecting the ball in the Argentine half, he beat multiple England players before slotting past Peter Shilton. Gary Lineker’s late goal added further tension. However, Argentina held on to take the famous 2-1 win and go on to win the whole tournament.

When Italy faced Brazil in the second group stage of C in the 1982 World Cup, both sides had everything to play for. Whoever won would go through. On one side, Italy had icons Dino Zoff, Marco Tardelli, and Paolo Rossi, but only scrapped through the first group stage. Brazil had a star-studded and dominant attacking midfield featuring Zico, Sócrates, and Falcão, but Italy showed a defensive masterclass against the Brazilian siege. After Rossi scored early, Sócrates drew it level. Then, Rossi fired in again before Falcão equalized in the second half. Not long after, the ball fell to Rossi in the box, who slotted in for his hat trick, knocking out the South Americans as Italy went on to win the tournament.

The 2022 World Cup final between Argentina and France was one of the most dramatic matches, let alone finals, in recent history, and two of the best players in the world stole the show. After leading 2-0 at half-time, thanks to Argentina’s Lionel Messi and Ángel Di María, France’s Kylian Mbappé turned on the magic with a quick late double, forcing the game into extra time. With Messi scoring again, it looked like he’d won it for his nation. But Mbappé slotted home a penalty to secure his hat trick. After a penalty shoot-out, Argentina managed to edge out the French, and the emotionally shattered audience could finally catch their breath as Messi held the trophy aloft.

In 1942, Germany had their last international football match until 1950, when they were allowed to reform as West Germany after World War Two. By 1954, Hungary, armed with the “Golden Team,” hammered West Germany 8-3 during the group stage of the World Cup. With the two nations in the final, everyone expected Hungary to win. And that seemed to be the case after scoring twice in the first 8 minutes. But West Germany responded with a quick double 10 minutes later. Hungary threw everything at Germany. They had balls cleared off the line and hit the bar and post. With 6 minutes left, Helmut Rahn scored, winning the trophy for West Germany for the first time, nicknaming this stunning event the “Miracle of Bern.”

Sometimes, the greatest games are the ones that leave you in complete shock. Coming into the semi-final of the 2014 World Cup, Brazil and Germany had gone undefeated. Even with the South Americans missing Neymar and Thiago Silva, considering they were the host nation as well, a competitive bout was expected. Instead, it was an absolute dismantling of Brazil. Within 29 minutes, Germany was 5-nil up. By the time the referee put Brazil out of their misery with the final whistle, Germany had walked away with a 7-1 win, smashing several World Cup records too, including replacing Brazil as the highest-scoring nation at the prestigious tournament. After that performance, it’s no surprise the Europeans went on to lift the World Cup.

This bout has been described as the World Cup final that never was. After all, Brazil had one of the strongest teams at the 1970 tournament, while England won the previous event in 1966. Facing off in the group stage, the battle between England’s Bobby Moore and Brazil’s Pelé lived up to expectations. But goalkeeper Gordon Banks took centerstage when he pulled off the greatest save as he somehow tipped Pelé’s header over the bar. It took a Jairzinho finish in the second half for Brazil to take the win. But England came close to scoring several times, too. In the end, the image of Pelé and Moore showing respect encapsulated everything great about not just the match but football overall.

Before we unveil our top pick, here are a few honorable mentions.

France vs. Italy (2006)
Known for Zinedine Zidane’s Headbutt, This World Cup Final Match Was an Intense Battle

Uruguay vs. Brazil (1950)
Underdogs Uruguay Turned the Tides With a 2-1 Victory to Win the World Cup

West Germany vs. France (1982)
With Six Goals, a Horrendous Collision, & Penalties, This Game Had It All

Belgium vs. Japan (2018)
Belgium’s Stunning Comeback Secured Them a Place in a Quarter Finals of the World Cup

Australia vs. American Samoa (2001)
To Date, Still the Biggest Scoreline in International Football, with Australia Winning 31-0

Not every game is immortalized with the description of “Game of the Century.” But not every fixture was Italy against West Germany in the semi-final of the 1970 World Cup. Within 8 minutes, Italy went ahead, thanks to Roberto Boninsegna. Famously and incredibly, Franz Beckenbauer used a sling after dislocating his shoulder to continue playing after West Germany had used up their substitutes. It took a last-minute goal by Karl-Heinz Schnellinger, who played club football in Italy, to send the match into extra time. Here, the drama amped up tenfold. The lead switched between the nations 3 times as a further 5 goals were fired in, including two by the legendary striker Gerd Müller. In the end, Italy came out winners with a 4-3 scoreline.

What’s the worst international football match you’ve ever seen and why was it terrible? Let us know below!