10 Games That Made Soccer History
Some soccer matches shift the conversation around the game. They introduce tactics that opponents scramble to copy, push rivalries from simmer to boil, or mark the day a young player became a household name. Years later, fans still bring them up. Let’s discuss a few such matches below.
United States 1–0 England (1950 World Cup Group Stage)
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This match didn’t feel real when the score came in. Newspapers back in England assumed it was a typo. But no, a team of U.S. part-timers actually beat one of soccer’s giants. Joe Gaetjens, a Haitian-born dishwasher-turned-striker, scored the only goal. The upset changed how seriously the world took international play.
West Germany 3–2 Hungary (1954 World Cup Final)
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Hungary came into this final with a 31-game unbeaten streak. That should’ve been enough to scare any opponent. But West Germany had other ideas. Down 2–0 early, they clawed back to win in what became known as the “Miracle of Bern.” Helmut Rahn’s second goal sealed it and launched German soccer into a new era.
Real Madrid 7–3 Eintracht Frankfurt (1960 European Cup Final)
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Alfredo Di Stéfano and Ferenc Puskás split six goals between them while dazzling the Hampden Park crowd of 127,000. The sheer skill on display made it historic. Puskás bagged four, and Di Stéfano added three; still the record for most goals in a European Cup final.
Portugal 5–3 North Korea (1966 World Cup Quarter-Final)
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North Korea came out swinging. Before Portugal knew what hit them, it was 3–0. But then Eusébio took control. The Benfica striker netted four goals in one of the most outrageous comebacks ever recorded in the World Cup. It happened at Goodison Park, and the crowd couldn’t believe what they saw.
England 4-2 West Germany (1966 World Cup Final)
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Geoff Hurst still holds the only hat-trick in a World Cup final. England pulled off their greatest soccer triumph on home soil. With the Queen watching at Wembley and the crowd roaring, they beat West Germany after extra time in a match that’s part of national lore.
Italy 4–3 West Germany (1970 World Cup Semi-Final)
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This one’s known as the “Game of the Century,” and it earned the title. Franz Beckenbauer played on despite a dislocated shoulder. Five goals were scored in extra time alone, a stat that still boggles the mind. Gianni Rivera’s late strike finally settled it.
Brazil 4–1 Italy (1970 World Cup Final)
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Pelé opened the scoring and set up two more. Carlos Alberto’s rocket into the corner wrapped things up and gave Brazil their third World Cup and permanent ownership of the Jules Rimet trophy. Their passing and stylish footwork turned the final into a soccer masterclass.
France 2–1 Portugal (1984 European Championship Semi-Final)
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Michel Platini made this one count. When the score was tied in extra time, he popped up in the 119th minute to send France to the final. Portugal took the lead first in extra time and forced France to fight back. Platini finished the tournament with nine goals.
Manchester United 2-1 Bayern Munich (1998/99 UEFA Champions League Final)
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Bayern fans had started celebrating. Their ribbons were already on the trophy. But then came two corners, two goals, and one of the most jaw-dropping finishes in soccer. In stoppage time, Teddy Sheringham and Ole Gunnar Solskjær flipped the script and delivered the final piece of Manchester United’s historic treble.
Liverpool 3-3 AC Milan (2004/05 UEFA Champions League Final)
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At halftime, it looked like a massacre. Milan led 3–0 and played like they were on autopilot, only for Liverpool to pull off the comeback of all comebacks. Within six minutes, they scored three times—Gerrard, Smicer, Alonso—bringing Istanbul to life. Jerzy Dudek turned into a brick wall during penalties.
Italy 2–0 Germany (2006 World Cup Semi-Final)
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For 118 minutes, this match looked destined for penalties. This was right before Fabio Grosso curled one past Jens Lehmann, and Alessandro Del Piero sealed it on the break. Just like that, Italy booked their spot in the final.
Italy 1-1 France (2006 World Cup Final)
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Zidane’s red card in his last-ever match shocked the world, and Italy’s nerves of steel in the shootout sealed their fourth title. Fabio Cannavaro marshaled the defense like a general, and Gianluigi Buffon was a wall in goal. The match ended 1–1, but what happened in between was far from ordinary.
Brazil 1-7 Germany (2014 World Cup Semi-Final)
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Brazil collapsed in front of their home crowd. Germany scored five goals in 29 minutes, and the silence inside the Estadio Mineirão said it all. Miroslav Klose broke the World Cup scoring record while Brazil’s defense crumbled.
Barcelona 6–1 Paris Saint-Germain (2017 Champions League Round of 16)
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Down 4–0 from the first leg against PSG, Barcelona needed something close to a miracle—and somehow, they delivered. Neymar took control in the dying minutes, scoring twice and setting up Sergi Roberto for the decisive goal deep into stoppage time. It’s one of the wildest comebacks ever witnessed on a European night.
Argentina 3-3 France (2022 World Cup Final)
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Argentina jumped out to a 2–0 lead, only for France to claw their way back. Messi put Argentina ahead again, but Mbappé answered with his third goal of the night—completing a historic hat trick in a World Cup final. The match went to penalties, with tension thick enough to cut. In the end, Messi finally lifted the World Cup, and fans were left breathless by what many now call one of the greatest finals ever played.