Sorry if already done, in your life, most memorable World Cup Tournament?

Same 78 ,ticker tape,kempes. The music.

first tournament I was aware of was 1990 and nothing has bettered it since. The 2 others I thought were ok were 98 & 2006.
There has not been a better all round England team than that 90 team since either (Including 96, 2018 and this years bunch)

Personally I think the overall standard dropped post Bosman and removal of the foreigner rule. The foreigner rule in particular ensured good quality players had to remain in their own country longer and developed better. Now a days you get any half decent 16 year old in a small country and they will waste their career being loaned out by Man City to some tin pot leagues destroying their footballing development. Notice how small countries winning a European cup will never happen again.

The 1990 final was awful but Germany should have won the final by a street. Worst finalists I have ever seen in Argentina only got 1 shot on target in the final whilst Germany had 23 attempts and 7 on target.

England that year were the 2nd best team in the world and would have easily beaten Argentina.

1982  the best for me

however, i prefer  the more recent world cups to those of years ago ...

worse was 1990 imo  ...it was just ...terrrrible ,diabolical .

this year has been a brilliant w/c .... although kick off times have been abysmal  for most countries fans' ,  unless you like 4am kick offs ...

I have been pleasantly surprised with this year.

South Africa seemed to be the most miserable, not just because of the cloud that hung over England and Capello not exactly inspiring positivity amongst the fans with his Pidgeon English and Sargent Major demeanour, but the Vuvuzelas and the games not being the best. Holland ruining the final, Spain's relentless and tedious passing football triumphing. French in-fighting with Domenech, Italy going from defending World Champions to dumped out of the groups finishing bottom in 2010.

1998 was good.

Alien yes  ...atleast we havent had monster trucks at half time and extra time multi-ball

1966

1970

1978

1998

1982

But they are all good for their own reasons, at the time.

74 would be right up there but Holland got beat in final.

Typically everyones two favourite World Cups are the ones that took place when they were aged between about 10 and 18.

Old enough to appreciate the significance and rarity of it.

But too young to have developed "seen it all before" cynicism about things.

Jul 19, 2026 -- 7:25PM, tobermory wrote:

Typically everyones two favourite World Cups are the ones that took place when they were aged between about 10 and 18.Old enough to appreciate the significance and rarity of it.But too young to have developed "seen it all before" cynicism about things.

AGREED.

eg anyone who picks the Korea/Japan one as their favourite has to have been born between
1985-1992

Typically everyones two favourite World Cups are the ones that took place when they were aged between about 10 and 18.Old enough to appreciate the significance and rarity of it.But too young to have developed "seen it all before" cynicism about things.

There was a great article in the Irish Times saying the best world cup is the one when you were 11 give or take a few years.
The Olympics the same (92 Barcelona).

I think alot of the cynicism is deserved. The sporting/competitive element has been sold out for money and profit. The push back against the superleague was similar.

78 ticka tape but feeling holland were being robbed, the ref let argentina take throw ins ten yards up the pitch, etc, etc.

i was 9 so comments here about age are on point.

1970. Finished my A Levels and off all summer watching the great Brazilian team

Jul 19, 2026 -- 7:29PM, tobermory wrote:

eg anyone who picks the Korea/Japan one as their favourite has to have been born between1985-1992

or Turkish or Korean.

1990 and 1994 were the worst

2002 pretty bad too.

The thing is, the 1990 tournament up to the final was really good as for the 94 WC, the only part of it I remember is the first game when Romania beat Colombia and the final, the bit in between is a complete blank.

Awful German team got to the final with a ridiculously easy draw and Spain and Italy were robbed by the referee against SK who were presented with a semi final berth with the worst decisions I can recall in WC history.  1990 was a bore with loads of nil-nils and a bang average Argentina team who butchered their way to the final

90 brought in 3 points for a win in 94

The music for 1990 saved it somewhat as football
was dull and overly aggressive

Eng v Germany semi was one of the most enthralling games I've ever watched.

I thought cannigia of Argentina was a brilliant player.. sadly his team had little
interest in helping him show it.

1990 for me, Ireland's first WC. 86 was a few months early for me. My bro and Dad went to watch the final when we were on holidays, I had zero interest. I was Maradona and football mad a few months later. He was hacked to death in 1990.

It was a fairly poor WC in the latter stages because of all the cynical fouling and negative play. Same with 1994. They brought in the tackle from behind rule in 1998 and the backpass rule was introduced after Denmark in 1992 euros.

1982 was superb....that brazil team that Rossi and Italy knocked out, played football from the gods....and still lost.

2010 for this moment. Remember watching this in a pub in Inverness, everybody was laughing and cheering as it sunk in to the commentators that the goal was not going to be given despite the telly showing it clearly crossed the line, the fact that it was against Germany, just made it all the better, memories.......

https://youtu.be/-NhkzuX5MdY?si=RHe5NS_7GxJBceZE

aberdonia, Completely agree....

I've lost count how many times I've posted this but here's another one if you haven't seen it



https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZkMH5WnuPfU