Vela wrote:

What about the Brazilian team in the semi-final last time?

afgavinstan wrote:

Whilst we wait for updates, let's have a debate.

What's your World Cup? The one that kickstarted your love affair.

For myself, I do have recollections of watching and getting into USA '94 but I was 7 and could really understand the magnitude of it. Just saw it as exciting football on the telly.

Fast forward 4 years.

I'm 11. Rangers had since surged to 9IAR and I worshipped at the altar of Laudrup and McCoist. Us, we, plucky little Scotland were up against Brazil, fucking BRAZIL in the first match. I'd spent the year previous studying R. Carlos' fk against France, watching the airport advert in complete amazement at Ronaldo and his Mecurials, and thought we hadn't a hope in hell. But we were Scotland. I'd seen Braveheart. We could do this.

The schools got let out early. It was the warmest day. We went to Jonny Roebuck's house across the road and settled in. 4 minutes was all it took..

Then over the weeks that followed I watched in amazement as Becks did exactly what everyone expected him to, then what they didn't want him to. I used to have a big back garden, and the clothes lines height could be adjusted in the middle to form a kind of wall. All I wanted was a pair of predators. I was convinced they'd make me a better player..

So Owen dazzled and Becks capitulated. I admired them but I still lolled, rampant lion still running through me.

Then came the real stars. The players from teams in leagues that seemed a world away. I remember painting my bedroom with my dad as Argentina tried to deal with a long ball from De Boer, and him being in utter disbelief when they showed us the replay of Bergkamp's magic. It was other worldly. How did he do it? How did it look so magical? Is he human? Why are men crying?

The final. Oh boy. I couldn't understand what was happening with Ronaldo, and I feel it'll forever be a great shame he wasn't 100% in that game, but I don't know if it'd make that much of a difference. There was someone else on the park who just wasn't going to lose that day.

I'd never seen a player like him, so much taller and more imposing physically than his positional peers, but with a poise and grace on the ball it's almost balletic. He just seemed to be on another planet that day. I remember saying why isn't he smiling like Ronaldo and my dad just gave me something to the effect of "he doesn't need to". I saw how they idolised him alone afterwards, and how he wasn't either a samba star or a long-haired South American with earrings or anything flashy. Just a guy with a focus and an unbelievable talent. Zizou. The true GOAT.

Olimite wrote:

If he played for anyone other than United, he would be nowhere near an England side.

Dark Soldier wrote:

g, was Pele really that good in the 1958 world cup?

Stopharage wrote:

Watching the History Channel's Top 20 World Cup Moments. Fifa's Top 20 was as follows, seems to be some fairly obvious ones missing.:-

davyK wrote:

Germany flattening Brazil was a highlight but nothing else since 2002 stands out.