Whether it’s discovering a legendary game that you’ve never heard of, or taking a stroll down memory lane, stick with us as we discuss the best football matches of all time. If we get your appetite for footie going, you can always read our list of the best football betting sites and get your hand in the game as well.
Where to Begin?
Of course, choosing the greatest football matches of all time was never going to be easy. With heaps of unforgettable games spanning countless and decades, one can’t help but feel spoilt for choice. Nevertheless, we like to go out of our way for our readers, so here’s the selection criteria that we used in our research and how exactly they influenced our top picks.
- Competitive Balance
- The Stakes
- Fluidity and Technique
- Emotional Drama and Conflict
- Collective and Individual Brilliance
With each entry in our list, all of these elements combined to create poetry in motion in legendary games and lineups that were brimming with passion, joy, heartache, and surprise. So without further ado, let’s dig in!
Manchester United 2 – 1 Bayern Munich (1999 UEFA Champions League Final)
Asked about it after the final whistle, Sir Alex Ferguson described this 1999 UEFA Champions League Final as the greatest moment of his life. This wasn’t just the final fixture of an already explosive tournament, in the minds of English and German spectators it was a battle for European football supremacy.
In the build-up to this incredible football final, Man United and Bayern Munich had both won their respective domestic leagues which meant that the glory of winning a treble was on the cards for both teams. In the beginning, all signs indicated that Bayern would have an easy upper hand throughout, as it wasn’t long before they took the lead.
As the game progressed, it seemed that all odds were in their favor as they easily maintained their lead. However, the tides would quickly change following two crucial substitutions late in the game from the Man United side that would give them a violent burst of much-needed energy.
Two successive goals well into injury time by Teddy Sheringham and Ole Gunnar Solskjær would crush the morale of the German team, leaving them just broken and bewildered and securing a 2-1 victory for Man United. Today, the match seems to have taken a mythical status in the hearts of fans, players, and even the referee Pierluigi Collina who likened the noise from the crowd at the final whistle to a ‘lion’s roar’.
Barcelona 5 – 0 Real Madrid (La Liga 2010-2011)
This particular fixture has gone down as one of the best football matches of all time. The formidable Jose Mourinho had just begun to take the reins of the Real Madrid side and had enjoyed an immaculate, unbeaten season of dominance across La Liga.
However, the brilliance of the Barcelona side was apparent from the early stages and they dominated Real Madrid for the entire game. The sheer amount of talent co-existing on the same pitch made it a dynamic, combustible football match that was immensely entertaining to watch.
Unfortunately for Jose Mourinho, all great streaks must come to an end, and this match proved to not only one of his worst defeats as a manager, but one of his most humiliating also. Today, it’s still remembered fondly by fans at Camp Nou.
Brazil 1 – 0 England (World Cup 1970)
If one criticism of this blockbuster football game exists, it’s that it took place too early in this World Cup lineup. Before the 1970 World Cup tournament, both the Brazilian and English football teams were considered behemoths of football, having won the competition twice. As a result, there was a lot of anticipation from fans.
The match saw an awe-inspiring Pele at the height of his powers go up against the English keeper, Gordon Banks. In what has been often touted as ‘The Greatest Save Ever’, a ferocious Pele lobbed a fantastic header but it was heroically stopped by Banks.
For the first hour, the game remained scoreless and it seemed it could’ve gone either way. However, eventually Brazil managed to surpass the defense of the English and scored the decisive goal that would cement their 1-0 victory.
Liverpool 3 (3) – (2) 3 Milan (2005 UEFA CL Final)
An astonishing comeback that has since been called ‘The Miracle of Istanbul’, this 2005 Champions League Final between Liverpool and Milan is fabled by football fans everywhere. Having won the tournament six times, Milan was touted as the favorites and all hope for Liverpool seemed lost when Milan was 3-0 up at the half-time whistle.
Despite this, the underdogs Liverpool flourished under the pressure and scored a flurry of goals within a short period of just six minutes, leveling the score to 3-3. After extra-time failed to determine a winner, a high-stakes penalty shootout was required to crown the winners.
In the shoot-out, Liverpool’s goalkeeper Jerzy Dudek caught a breakneck penalty from Andriy Shevchenko and secured Liverpool their fifth Champion’s League victory. The sheer drama of this game has led to this being regarded as one of the greatest football games of all time.
Brazil 1 – 7 Germany (2014 FIFA World Cup, Semi Finals)
Widely renowned as one of the best ever football games, this match took place during a 2014 World Cup that Brazil had hosted. Up until this point, both teams had gotten to the semi-finals entirely unbeaten, meaning ultimate glory was within both team’s grasps.
However, the Brazilian team experienced a profoundly shocking defeat on their home soil that is still a sore spot for Brazilian football fans today. By half time, the Germans were ahead by an astounding 5-0, having scored four of these within six minutes. By the end, Brazi had only managed to score one goal, doing so in the final minute, ending the score at 7-1.
What makes this an unforgettable game is that it broke several World Cup records. It was the largest win margin ever in a World Cup semi-final, it was also the worst ever margin of defeat for Brazil and quickly labeled as a national shame.
Barcelona 6 – 1 Paris Saint-Germain (UEFA CL 2017)
Known as La Remontada (The Comeback), this Champions League game between Barcelona and PSG was the only time in the tournament’s history that a team overturned a first-leg, four-goal deficit in the second face-off. Barcelona managed to overturn this four-goal defeat to win 6-5 on aggregate, making it one of the biggest comebacks in Champions League History.
It was truly a nail-biting finish as Neymar scored two goals in the final minutes, leaving the aggregate score at a tense 5-5. He added to this crucial victory by setting up Sergi Roberto for the sixth and final goal in the 95th minute. The sense of spectacle surrounding this game saw it being labeled as a miracle by the media in its wake.
Italy 4 – 3 West Germany (World Cup Semi-Final 1970)
Proclaimed as The Game of the Century, this epic showdown featured two football giants in a World Cup Semi-Final that saw a remarkable five goals scored in extra time. The Italian forward Boninsegna opened the floodgates for his team by scoring very early in the game.
The West German defender Franz ‘The Kaiser’ Beckenbauer dislocated his shoulder after a misplaced foul but stoically carried on with his arm in a scarf, as the Germans had used up all of their substitutions. At the end of regulation time, the score was tied at 1-1, setting the stage for an unprecedented commotion of goals.
In the extra time, Germany took the lead in the 94th minute, however, Italy would equalize four minutes later, making it 2-2. Next, Gigi Riva scored giving Italy the edge before an incensed Gerd Muller leveled the score to 3-3. Nevertheless, Riveria scored the final goal, devastating the Germans and delighting the Italians in its wake. An undisputed classic!
Argentina 2 – 1 England (World Cup Quarter Final 1986)
No list of the best football matches of all time would be complete without this absolute landmark of football at the top. Probably one of the famous games ever, this World Cup Final took back four years from the Falklands War, which led to an incredibly tense rivalry between the two nations.
At the helm of the Argentian side was ‘The Most Gifted Player Ever’ Deigo Maradona. Loved as a savior, hated as a cheater, all within the same space of a single game, Maradona went on to score two of the most mind-blowing goals of all time after an uneventful first half.
In the 51st minute, Maradona scored the infamous Hand of God goal, in which he used a handball (disguised as a header). Over the years this goal hasn’t gotten any less controversial and earned him the ire of many generations of English fans.
Not to outdone by anyone but himself, Maradona managed to dribble past six English defenders to score mere minutes later to score the ‘Goal of the Century’. Argentina went on to win the game 2-1 which paved the way for an eventual World Cup victory against West Germany in the final. Chances are, this game will live forever as the stuff of legend, and rightfully so
Frequently Asked Questions
As you can see from this article, the best football matches of all time are truly some of the most inspiring stories in all of sports history. They aren’t just games but monuments to the ferocious human spirit, dedication, faith, and self-sacrifice. That being said, here are some of the most frequently asked questions that we receive from our readers regarding this particular topic.
If you’ve enjoyed this article, we warmly invite you to check out some of our other insightful guides for more incredible sports histories. Likewise, if you’d like to discover great places to bet on any sports events, check out our top picks for the world’s best betting sites. We’ve also got you covered. Best of luck!
What is the biggest defeat in football history?
In the 2002 FIFA World Cup qualifying rounds, the world record for the largest victory in an international football match was set when Australia scored 31-0 against the American Samoa national team. This result was so unbalanced that it stirred many debates among experts, coaches, and FIFA itself about how best to avoid such unbalanced matches in future tournaments. If you’d like to make the most of football betting and get the chance to win bets on future crazy matches, be sure to check out our site for further insights and tips!
