Those who enjoy betting on sports tend to watch a lot of it. While entertaining sports betting sites like the one here will easily have your eyes glued to your screen, there have been plenty of moments in sports worthy of peeling your eyes away, even for just a few seconds.
From the most intense competitions to friendly matches and everything in between, there are plenty of football moments that stand out in the minds of passionate fans who bet on the game. From the most remarkable goals to legendary collaborative offense, we have compiled a list of some of the most iconic moments in the history of football. We’ve even included a few moments that sparked a bit of controversy and to this day remain some of the most talked-about moments in all of sports.
Take a look at our selections below and tell us which ones you remember and why those moments stood out to you.
Maradona’s Goal vs. England in the 1986 World Cup
Is there a more memorable goal in the entire history of the FIFA World Cup? Unlikely. Is there another goal in the history of football greater than Maradona’s versus England in the 1986 World Cup? Possibly, but not likely.
In a moment that sports fans still talk about to this day, Maradona picked up the ball, fooled Peter Reid and Peter Beardsley with a double pullback, then quickly moved past Terry Butcher, Terry Finwick, and Steve Hodge before rounding Peter Shilton to perfectly place the ball in the back of the net. It’s a moment that went down in history and to this day still makes jaws drop.
Gordon Banks’ Save vs. Brazil’s Pele in the 1970 World Cup
Another memorable moment from the FIFA World Cup, this time courtesy of Gordon Banks. During the 1970 World Cup, Brazil’s Jairzinho set up the legendary Pele for a nearly perfect, powerful header, only to the goal rejected by Banks. The seemingly miraculous one-handed save sent the ball sailing over the bar and had fans both in the stadium and around the world leaping from their seats.
Rene Higuita’s Scorpion Kick, Colombia vs. England 1995
This pick may be a bit controversial but for entertainment purposes we had to include it as one of the most memorable moments in football history. Rene Higuita was nothing if not risky but his move in a 1995 friendly against England took everyone by surprise.
As Jamie Redknapp tried to score for Colombia, the linesman raised his flag for offside. Rather than simply returning the ball to restart the game, Higuita leapt into the air with his head forward and his back arched like the tail of a scorpion before kicking the ball with both heels. It made for a moment fans will certainly never forget.
Zidane’s Headbutt vs. Materazzi, 2006 World Cup Final
The buildup to this moment began 8 years prior, in the 1998 World Cup final versus Brazil. Zinedine Zidane scored twice with his head, allowing France to win their first and only World Cup title. In 2006, in extra time of the World Cup final against Italy, Zidane and Italian defender Marco Materazzi got into an argument before Zidane suddenly headbutted Materazzi in his chest.
Materazzi dramatically collapsed to the ground and Zidane was sent off the pitch and walked away from his professional football career once and for all. It was an end-of-career moment no one expected.
The Miracle of Bern, 1954
In the 1954 World Cup Final, Hungary was favored to win over West Germany. Hungry hadn’t lost a match in four years so it would truly take a miracle for West Germany to overcome them. But a miracle is exactly what fans seemed to witness that day.
In one of the greatest underdog stories ever told, West Germany went home world champions after defeating Hungary 3-2 in the final match. It was a result most didn’t expect, yet one that West Germany fought hard for. The entire match was a display of seemingly perfect play courtesy of West Germany and since then, it has gone down in history as one of the greatest moments in the game.
The Hand of God, 1986 World Cup Semi-Finals
This memorable moment is another controversial one, this time for a different reason. In the 1986 World Cup semi-finals, Argentina was facing the England National Team. During the match, Diego Maradona fought for the ball alongside goalkeeper Peter Shilton. Shilton jumped forward while Maradona jumped with his left arm outstretched. Maradona’s fist touched the ball first and sent it flying into England’s goal.
According to football rules, the goal shouldn’t have counted and Maradona should have been given a yellow card for the handball. However, the referee made the mistake of allowing the goal and the game ended with a 2-1 win for Argentina.
After the match, Maradona said the goal was scored “a little with his head and a little with the Hand of God.”
“The Carnival” – Brazil vs. Italy, 1970 World Cup Final
Can you really discuss the greatest moments in football history without mentioning “the Carnival”? In June of 1970, Brazil had a 3-1 lead over Italy in the World Cup final. Everyone watching was fairly certain that Brazil was ready to walk away world champions, but the athletes in yellow and green weren’t finished just yet.
In one of the greatest moments in all of football, Brazilian Clodoaldo deceives four Italians before passing the ball to Rivelino who then gives the ball to Jairzinho. Jairzinho then maneuvers past two Italians before passing the ball to Pele. Pele waits just a moment for Alberto to move forward then pushes the ball to him. Alberto then finishes the best collaborative goal ever made. The collaborative effort of the greatest football team in history made for arguably the best moment in all of football history.