Favourite World Cup

Favourite World Cup


  • Total voters
    518
First one I remember watching was Mexico but favourite is Italia 90, I was 11 and the first one I properly watched. Happy memories
 
Argentina '78 is the first one I remember and I was allowed to stay up and watch the final. Also recall trying to reinact Archie Gemmils goal after seeing him do it live :)
 
Italia 90 for me as its the 1st real one i can remember plus ive got the VHS of it which i must have watched 100s of times
 
I voted for France 98. Italia 90 was the first I remember but was a big young to know what was going on.
 
I think for a lot of folk its prob the first world cup that captivated them as a kid.

Thats certainly the case for me with mexico 86.

I had just got into football in the season leading up to that world cup.

So many highlights: maradona dragging an average argentina team to glory.

Denmark with a cool as fook strip and a brillant team which fell apart in a bizarre game vs spain.

Brazil vs france was one of the best games ive seen to this day. 2 teams full of players in the twilight of their careers playing attacking football for 120 minutes.

bit of a strange one for me, the first World Cup I saw was 1990 and although it's known as a "classic" (mostly because of the theme tune, England getting to the SFs) it was actually a very boring World Cup. The only things I take it from it are pretending to be Schillachi and Milla in the playground when scoring goals

Euro 92 was probably more interesting than World Cup 90 if I'm honest
 
Mexico ‘70 for me, that team are the best I have ever seen and if it wasn’t for them England (who were also very good) would probably have retained it
This!
Guess most on here were unborn in 1970 as this was a great World Cup!
 
Italia 90, the first I can properly remember watching.

The first with animated graphics on the screen other than a flashing R for replay.

Seeing the substituted player's name disappear off the bottom of the screen was a thing of wonder at the time.

Remember watching every game and filling in the Ladybird book to keep track of the scores.


France 98 was memorable too - 19th birthday in the campsite the day before the game and being near the stadium watching it on a big screen then sneaking up and in to see the SdF after the game was done. France v Brasil final and Ronaldo's injury (rumoured he'd been told not to play by sponsors) made it all the more dramatic in the end and it was probably the overall best football quality across all the teams involved - up to that point anyway.

The best team ever was Germany in 2014 and destroying Brasil in their own ground was probably the single best World Cup performance by any nation, but overall Italia 90 just had something magical about it for me.
 
France 98. I was 14 and was captivated by it. USA 94 wasn't the same probably because there was no British interest plus it was all American and shiny and weird looking.
 
Too young to remember Mexico 70, but no question from me that the Brazil team that won that was the greatest. 1974 and 78 were fun thanks to Holland, and frustrating thanks to Scotland’s inability to thump Zaire and defeat Iran. For me 1982 was best. A brilliant Brazil team somehow over turned by Paulo Rossi and a wonderful Italian team, the Narey toe poke, with a Scotland team that somehow screwed up thanks to Alan Hansen wiping out Willie Miller at the halfway line! Happy days.
 
Had a weekend in Rio for that after Sao Paulo and went Maracana for Belgium v Russia. What a great time, loved the fan park being on the beach.
Cool, I was living in Porto Alegre in the south and the fan zones were brilliant, when the Holland v Australia game was played there it was amazing
 
I think your answer depends on your age. Nostalgia plays a big part.

I voted Italia 90. It was the first World Cup I watched. Scotland were there (briefly), I thought that was the norm, I had the Panini sticker album, me and my mates would run home from school everyday to watch the games.

Maradona, Caniggia (never ever imaged he’d end up at the bears), Roger Milla, Gazza, Toto Schillaci, Klinsmann, Ruud Gullit, Carlos Valderama ..... Guys I’d never heard of, who played for clubs I’d never heard of, from countries I’d never heard of. But the next day, we’d be back at school pretending to be one of these stars, scoring a screamer in the playground and pronouncing their names wrongly. I think I must have went years until someone told me that Madonna didn’t actually play football.

94 was ok. I was still at school so was able to see a lot of the games. The kickoff times were a bit of a pain in the arse though, and Scotland wasn’t there. My new hero’s were Stoicjkov, Hagi, Martin Dahlin, Maldini & Bebeto as I had him in my fantasy team and he done the baby cradle celebration.

By the time France 98 rolled round, I was just finishing high school. I absolutely bombarded my dad everyday for 6 months begging to go to France. I was even going to hitch hike myself. Eventually my old man was able to source some tickets and we went over for some games and saw Scotland too. One of those trips that will stay with you forever.

By the time Korea/Japan rolled round, I was starting to lose interest in the World Cup. Age was a factor; I was working an didn’t have the same time to watch games, I’d rather have been chasing fanny. Scotland never qualified, and the early morning kickoffs spoiled things. I watched the odd game, but really can’t remember that much about that World Cup.

It’s really a similar thing for all the other world cups which have followed. Not having a team there to support makes a difference. Even if Scotland were to qualify for any future World Cup, the disunion amongst Scots has grown so much since 2014 that I think I’d find it hard to sit amongst the tartan army. I’d have to watch it with fellow bears. And the way Rangers are treated has to change if we want to see Scotland at a World Cup again. But that’s another story.

My dad always maintains Mexico in 1970 was the best. Brazil. It was in colour. The pundits were decent on BBC & ITV. The games were on late at night so you’d go to the pub, come home & watch the football.

But I think that period from primary school to late teens would be most peoples favourite as you don’t have a fucking care in the world.
 
Last edited:
Mexico '86
It's the first World Cup I remember and it's always been my favourite.
There was still a bit of magic back then because you were seeing and hearing about players that you didn't read about in Shoot! or Match.

I liked Italia '90 too, that was the last World Cup of the school years so the last time we'd go out and recreate the goals on a wee patch of grass.
 
94 was the first one I remember so I'm biased towards that. Still some cracking games - Romania/Argentina was one of my favourites - and the big names all stepped up (Romario, Baggio, Stoichkov) so that gets my vote. The final was obviously a massive letdown.

Surprised 90 is winning the poll as looking back, it was terrible from the knockouts apart from a couple of games.
 
France 98 for me. Remember watching virtually every match, as well as the build up to the Scotland v Brazil opening match.
 
Espana 82

Paulo Rossi v Brazil and Tardelli’s celebration in the final.

Brazil pumping USSR and Scotland after Narey’s goal.
 
Italia 90. Captivating.

Pavarotti, New Order, Scotland usual, Gazza, Cameroon and Colombia. At that time I was mesmerised.

First time I wept at football after Scotland were beaten by Brazil to go out. %^*&, Richard Marx.... :D
 
Close call between France '98 and Russia '18.

Both were fantastic World Cup's, but I went with Russia as there were more surprises, competitive games and radically different types of football styles being played that was interesting to watch.

Worst of the lot is easily South Africa in 2010. Vuvuzela's and a Spanish team stinking up the joint by playing football that would put an insomniac to sleep.
 
Italia 90. Captivating.

Pavarotti, New Order, Scotland usual, Gazza, Cameroon and Colombia. At that time I was mesmerised.

First time I wept at football after Scotland were beaten by Brazil to go out. %^*&, Richard Marx.... :D
Richard Marx? :D
 
For me Mexico 1970, fabulous tournament & the Brazil team deserved all the plaudits but although we used to give him stick Bobby Moore showed the world what a fantastic defender he was.
The game between Italy & West Germany was & absolute classic 22 players giving their all in that heat & in extra time
Got me thinking I could watch it all again
 
Mexico 86 was the 1st World Cup I remember watching.
Loved it and was absolutely buzzing looking forward to Italia 90.
Can remember more about those 2 than the last 4.
Special mention for France 98 also.
Remember everyone getting away from work early for the opener v Brazil.
 
Brazil 14 as it brings back fond memories of watching it most nights in a dingy hotel in Maga with the boys
 
I think Mexico 1970 was the best tournament but I had only just turned so don’t remember it.

Voted for Spain 82, that Brazil side. How good? And there’s never been a better game than Brazil 2-3 Italy
 
It had been 1982 up until the 2018 one which was brilliant.

1990, 2002 and 2010 were the worst.

No idea why 1990 is rated. It was dreadful apart from 4 or 5 games. The back pass rule was brought in as a result of it.
 
Voted USA 94. I was 10 at the time and went to Boston a big family holiday. Went to
Argentina v Greece, Argentina v Nigeria, South Korea v Bolivia, Italy v Nigeria and Italy v Spain games and the memories live long. Seeing Maradona in the flesh was amazing. It was a great tournament all round with many highlights.
I remember getting to stay up late and that Romanian team was amazing
 
Back
Top