Ranking every World Cup final ahead of Spain-Argentina | theScore

The greatest game in international soccer takes place Sunday with Spain and Argentina squaring off in the 23rd World Cup final. Each of the previous 22 matches for the golden trophy left its mark on history, even if the game itself fell short of expectations on occasion. Here’s how every World Cup final stacks up from worst to best.

22. 1990

West Germany 1, Argentina 0

Best remembered as: An ugly affair in Rome. The 1990 final fell well short of expectations, with Argentina recording just one shot on goal and having two players sent off. The uninspiring game’s only goal came in the 85th minute on a questionable penalty call for West Germany. Argentina became the first team not to score in a World Cup final.

21. 1994

Brazil 0, Italy 0 (Brazil wins 3-2 penalties)

Best remembered as: The only goalless World Cup final after 120 minutes. The game had the ingredients of an all-timer. Italy and Brazil each had three titles at the time. The Italians had a shot at revenge after losing the 1970 trophy to the Brazilians. Over 94,000 fans were at the Rose Bowl, a fitting finish for a tournament with record attendance. On the field, however, the match featured a total stalemate. At least there was penalty drama, with Brazil adding its fourth star after Roberto Baggio’s infamous miss.

20. 2010

Spain 1, Netherlands 0 (ET)

Best remembered for: Dirty tactics. The Netherlands didn’t make Johan Cruyff proud that day, playing an ugly game while trying to make up for the talent gap between its side and Spain. The unimpressive final featured 47 fouls, 15 cards (including a red card for the Dutch), and 13 offsides. Andres Iniesta scored the only goal in the 116th minute to earn Spain’s first trophy.

19. 1934

Italy 2, Czechoslovakia 1 (ET)

Best remembered for: Suspicious refereeing. Angelo Schiavio scored in extra time to help host nation Italy beat Czechoslovakia in a physical match that was marked by controversy. It’s widely suspected that Italian dictator Benito Mussolini personally chose the referees for Italy’s matches that year.

18. 2014

Germany 1, Argentina 0 (ET)

Best remembered for: Its lackluster second half. Fans at the iconic Maracana Stadium in Brazil deserved better; the uneventful deciding match of 2014 didn’t feature a single goal until Mario Gotze broke the deadlock in the 113th minute to help Germany claim its fourth trophy. Not even Lionel Messi could get things going for Argentina that day.

17. 1962

Brazil 3, Czechoslovakia 1

Best remembered for: Pele’s absence. Brazil defended its title without the sport’s biggest star at the time, who suffered an injury early in the tournament. Czechoslovakia took a first-half lead, but Brazil’s talent ultimately prevailed. Reports state that Chile’s 1962 World Cup was strongly marked by its violent matches.

16. 1938

Italy 4, Hungary 2

Best remembered as: The last World Cup before World War II. Italy defeated Hungary in a high-scoring affair to become the only men’s team to go back-to-back with the same coach (Vittorio Pozzo). However, a heavy political atmosphere reportedly overshadowed and defined that World Cup, which preceded the cancelation of the 1942 and 1946 editions due to WWII.

15. 1978

Argentina 3, Netherlands 1 (ET)

Best remembered for: Off-field turmoil. Mario Kempes led Argentina to its first-ever World Cup in a victory over the Netherlands, but the tournament was filled with controversy. It took place in Argentina during the military dictatorship of Jorge Rafael Videla, and there were rumors of collusion in favor of the host. In the second round, the Albiceleste needed to win by at least four goals to reach the final; they beat Peru 6-0 amid allegations that the Peruvians might have been bribed or threatened into losing by a large margin.

14. 2002

Brazil 2, Germany 0

Best remembered as: A one-sided final. Brazil winning a record fifth trophy with Ronaldo scoring twice in the final will be remembered forever. However, the match itself didn’t have much drama, largely because of Germany’s unimpressive team that wasn’t among the pretournament favorites.

13. 1998

France 3, Brazil 0

Best remembered for: Zizou’s headers. There were world-class stars on both sides, but Zinedine Zidane stole the show with two goals to help France dominate Brazil and capture its first World Cup trophy. The final presumably would’ve been more competitive if Ronaldo was healthy. The Brazilian striker played the entire game after suffering a convulsive fit hours before the match.

12. 1974

West Germany 2, Netherlands 1

Best remembered for: Gerd Muller’s historic moment. The Netherlands’ sensational Total Football system, led by Cruyff, fell short in the final against West Germany. The match’s three goals all came in the first half. Muller scored the 43rd-minute winner for his then-record 14th World Cup tally.

11. 1930

Uruguay 4, Argentina 2

Best remembered as: The very first final. The 1930 World Cup missed key factors of modern soccer for fans and players, but its final was a high-scoring, pioneering event contested by passionate South American rivals.

10. 1982

Italy 3, West Germany 1

Best remembered for: Italy going back on top. The 1982 World Cup is known for its entertaining matches, and the deciding clash delivered. The Azzurri overcame a patchy start with three second-half goals to take down West Germany and claim their first title since 1938. Marco Tardelli’s “Scream” celebration after his 69th-minute goal – the eventual match- and title-winner – is one of the most iconic in World Cup history.

9. 2018

France 4, Croatia 2

Best remembered as: A wide-open affair. France’s win was expected, but the 2018 final was still quite entertaining. There were three goals combined in each half, with four different French players scoring for the winning side, including a 19-year-old Kylian Mbappe.

8. 2006

Italy 1, France (Italy wins 5-3 penalties)

Best remembered for: Zidane’s headbutt. The Italy-France rivalry gained a marquee chapter in 2006. The iconic final featured early goals, penalty drama, and Zidane headbutting Marco Materazzi in the chest during the French superstar’s final career match. Fabio Grosso, Italy’s unexpected hero in the semifinal, converted the winning penalty in the final’s shootout.

7. 1970

Brazil 4, Italy 1

Best remembered for: Brazil’s legendary team. The 1970 final was the first time two former champions clashed for World Cup glory. Although a lopsided title game may sound boring, this particular one featured the most memorable performance of perhaps the greatest soccer team ever. Pele, Rivelino, Clodoaldo, Jairzinho, and Carlos Alberto orchestrated an iconic goal versus Italy to help Brazil become the tournament’s first three-time winner.

6. 1958

Brazil 5, Sweden 2

Best remembered for: Pele’s arrival. The legendary Brazilian playmaker introduced himself to the world by scoring twice in the 1958 final at age 17. Multiple records were broken that day, including the most combined goals in a World Cup final (seven). The match also featured the youngest (Pele) and oldest (Nils Liedholm, 35 years and 264 days old) goalscorers in a final.

5. 1950

Uruguay 2, Brazil 1

Best remembered as: Maracanazo. Arguably the most shocking upset in World Cup history took place at the vaunted Maracana Stadium in 1950. Host Brazil was heavily favored in the then-capital Rio de Janeiro, but Uruguay came back with two second-half goals to stun an enormous home crowd and lift the trophy. Legend has it that the match drew soccer’s largest-ever crowd, with possibly over 200,000 people in attendance. FIFA states that 173,850 fans attended the game.

4. 1966

England 4, West Germany 2 (ET)

Best remembered for: Geoff Hurst’s “ghost goal” at Wembley. England overcame an early 1-0 deficit and was seemingly in control after going up in the 78th minute. However, West Germany forced extra time on an 89th-minute equalizer. Then, one of the most controversial plays in World Cup history happened – did Hurst’s 101st-minute goal actually cross the line? The debate still rages. Hurst would go on to complete a hat-trick, sealing England’s first title and producing an iconic call in English football history. Pure drama.

3. 1954

West Germany 3, Hungary 2

Best remembered as: The Miracle of Bern. Hungary’s “Golden Team” was the overwhelming favorite in 1954. Led by football icon Ferenc Puskas, the Hungarians had defeated West Germany 8-3 in the group stage and were on a 31-game undefeated streak. In the final, they took an early 2-0 lead, but somehow, West Germany stormed back, with Helmut Rahn completing the astonishing comeback in the 84th minute. It remains one of the World Cup’s most stunning results.

2. 1986

Argentina 3, West Germany 2

Best remembered for: Diego Maradona. The Argentinian legend didn’t score in the final, largely because of Germany midfielder Lothar Matthaus’ incredible performance. However, Maradona crowned his magnificent tournament with a deciding late assist for the Albiceleste, who had appeared to be in trouble after the Germans erased a two-goal deficit in a seven-minute span. An incredible game with marquee players on both sides.

1. 2022

Argentina 3, France 3 (Argentina wins 4-2 penalties)

Best remembered for: Where do we even begin? The world witnessed two of the sport’s greatest players dazzling on the biggest stage in a game with remarkable turnarounds and momentum changes. Argentina went up 2-0 and seemed destined for glory until Mbappe scored two goals within minutes in crunch time. Then, in extra time, Messi and Mbappe scored again – and Emiliano Martinez made a breathtaking save after the 120th minute – before the Albiceleste won it all on penalties. Mbappe scored a World Cup final hat-trick, and it still wasn’t enough. Messi’s first World Cup title couldn’t have been more unforgettable, yet it’s worth watching again and again.

Let us know in the comments where you think this year’s final could rank!