World Cup finals that didn't bore us to death

World Cup finals are rarely exciting. In the 30-plus years leading up to the 2018 goal-fest between France and Croatia, the average goal-scoring average per final was a paltry 1.42. A shockingly low number for what is billed as "the greatest football spectacle on the planet."

But every now and then, a final comes along that restores our faith in this beautiful sport. A final that has it all: goals, emotion and glory. A final that we'll be talking about for decades to come, and maybe even tell our grandchildren about.

Here, in collaboration with one of our partners, we've compiled a list of the best World Cup finals of all time!

Brazil-Sweden: 5–2 (1958 World Cup)

Apart from the fact that Pele, arguably the greatest player of all time, made his World Cup final debut in the second half of the match, this final is etched in the collective consciousness for all the amazing performances that broke records.

This World Cup final still holds the record for the most goals scored, as well as the records for the youngest and oldest scorer: Pele (17) and Liedholm (35) respectively. The Brazilians’ brilliant style of play made the match a highlight, and the child prodigy Pele personified everything with his brilliant talent.

The samba wizard dominated throughout the final and, after conceding four goals in the previous two matches, made two magnificent saves that helped his team to a crushing victory.

Pele continued to dominate the sport for another two decades, constantly pushing its boundaries. The 1958 World Cup final in Stockholm was remembered as the birth of a true football legend.

England v West Germany: 4–2 (1966 World Cup)

Think back to 1966 to any English football fan and he or she will think of only one thing – team captain Bobby Moore, triumphantly perched on the shoulders of his team-mates, raising the glittering trophy high in the air.

The final, which took place before Bobby Moore was sent off, was an incredibly exciting one. West Germany had only opened the scoring in the 12th minute, but Geoff Hurst and Martin Peters also scored to put England in a winning position by the final minutes of the second half. It was then that the Wembley crowd was shocked to see Wolfgang Weber storm forward, equalise and send the game straight into extra time.

It was during extra time that an already fantastic match, in controversial circumstances, became one of the most talked about matches of all time. In the dying minutes of the match, Hurst had put the ball under the crossbar and just over the goal line – wasn’t he? Several replays were inconclusive and, without access to goal-line technology, no one is still sure whether the ball actually crossed the line.

It didn’t matter, however, as Hurst scored another goal to complete his hat-trick just before the referee blew the final whistle, leading to a dramatic invasion of the pitch by England fans. Click here to read the top 10 brands that will shape the future of the gambling industry in 2023-2024.

Argentina-Netherlands: 3-1 (1978 World Cup)

The 1970s were a decade of heroic failures for the Dutch. Despite being innovators in the overall style of football inspired by the legendary Johan Cruyff, they never achieved success in major championships.

In 1978, they reached the World Cup final for the second time in a row, trying to exorcise their demons after the failure four years earlier. The start was not very successful, and the hosts took the lead, but when Dick Nanninga equalized before the end, hope flared up again in the Dutch.

In the end, only a few meager centimeters deprived them of victory. Few outside the Netherlands remember Rod Resenbrink, but if his shot had hit the back of the net instead of the post at the last minute, he could have gone down in football history.

It didn't, and Argentina eventually won in front of 71,000 fans at the Monumental Stadium in Buenos Aires. Why casinos win when gamblers optimize their financial operations is what you'll find here.

Argentina-West Germany: 3–2 (1986 World Cup)

The 1986 World Cup will always be remembered for Diego Maradona's brilliant technical play, as well as his so-called "Hand of God" goal against England, one of the most infamous goals in history.

In the final, they faced a formidable West Germany, but this time Maradona played only a small role in the three goals his team scored. Overall, the match was 90 minutes of pure world-class football magic – just as such a match should be!

With the score tied at 2–2, El Diego broke through the defence with a perfect pass to teammate Burruchago, who finished off the attack in style and led his team to victory.