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maltatoday, SUNDAY, 11 MAY 2014 48 Sport WORLD CUP SPECIAL The best ten goals in World Cup history Football is about goals, and World Cups are about putting on a good show. For that reason, remembering the most wonderful goals in the history of the tournament is a luxury any fan would love to indulge in ahead of Brazil 2014. The following is dpa's pick of the top 10 goals in World Cup history JOAQUIN CAVANNA 10) GEORGE HAGI AGAINST COLOMBIA IN USA 1994 Hagi was the face of the best Ro- mania team in World Cup his- tory. The star midfielder, aged 29 at the time, who led his team to the quarter-finals of the United States 1994, pulled off a master- piece in the match against Co- lombia. Hagi's 30-metre shot was so precise that the ball was al- most dead as it entered the goal: it did not spin on its own axis at all. To see the footage of the goal: (http://dpaq.de/vFixO) 9) TEOFILO CUBILLAS AGAINST SCOTLAND IN ARGENTINA 1978 Peru possibly had their best World Cup experience in Argentina 1978. The gem from that team in that tournament was what many still re- gard as the best free kick in World Cup history. "When I saw Cubil- las's goal against Scotland, I decided that I wanted to take free kicks too," Paraguay keeper Jose Luis Felix Chi- lavert, an expert in such shots, once said. To see the footage of the goal: (http://dpaq.de/1QSGj) 8) DAVID PLATT AGAINST BELGIUM IN ITALY 1990 The match between England and Belgium was one of the most emo- tionally charged in the knock-out stages of the Italy 1990 World Cup. It lasted 120 minutes, Belgium did everything to deserve victory and hit the woodwork twice, but the match was settled with an excel- lent technical move and a goal from England substitute striker David Platt in the last minute of extra time. To see the footage of the goal: (http://dpaq.de/LI56z) 7) CARECA AGAINST FRANCE IN MEXICO 1986 Brazil-France is remembered al- most unanimously as the best game in the Mexico 1986 World Cup. Two teams who treated the ball very well confronted their styles in a clash that turned out to be epic. Brazil's goal featured speed, great team play and a fan- tastic shot. France were to equal- ize later and went through to the semi-finals in the penalty shoot- out. To see the footage of the goal: (http://dpaq.de/DxP9g) 6) ESTEBAN CAMBIASSO AGAINST SERBIA AND MONTENEGRO IN GERMANY 2006 In the 2006 World Cup, Argen- tina coach Jose Pekerman chose a team that was packed with players who had won youth World Cups with him as coach. Argentina's masterpiece came in their 6-0 thrashing of Serbia and Montene- gro and was scored by one of the team's pillars, Esteban Cambiasso. Argentina made 25 consecutive passes until the midfielder scored one-on-one against the keeper. To see the footage of the goal: (http://dpaq.de/yEu8w) 5) SAEED AL-OWAIRAN AGAINST BELGIUM IN USA 1994 Al-Owairan was football 's version of what the music industry calls a "one-hit wonder." In the last match of the group stage in the 1994 World Cup, against Belgium, the Saudi star ran 60 metres to score the best goal in the tournament. The midfielder was dubbed the "Maradona of the Gulf," and he became the image of brands like Coca-Cola, Toyota and Ford in his country. To see the footage of the goal: (http://dpaq.de/sFVLb) 4) MANUEL NEGRETE AGAINST BULGARIA IN MEXICO 1986 Negrete's brilliant scissor kick against Bulgaria in the round of 16 of the 1986 World Cup un- leashed immense joy among a home crowd who nine months earlier had suffered a devastating quake that killed at least 10,000 people. "I still live off that goal. Kids who did not watch me play know me for that moment. What you do during a World Cup is en- graved in everyone's memory." To see the footage of the goal: (http:// dpaq.de/ROv4E) 3) PELE AGAINST SWEDEN IN SWEDEN 1958 That World Cup marked the birth of one of the two greatest legends in global football history, Pele, as he led Brazil to their first World Cup title when he was only 17. The most beautiful moment in that tournament was his fantastic goal in the final against hosts Swe- den, including his move to chip the ball over midfielder Bengt Gustavsson, which was to be- come a legendary World Cup im- age. To see the footage of the goal: (http://dpaq.de/JGbNc) 2) CARLOS ALBERTO AGAINST ITALY IN MEXICO 1970 That Brazil side with five play- makers – Pele, Gerson, Tostao, Rivelino and Jairzinho – has been described as the best team in World Cup history. The 1970 World Cup final against Italy, which the South Americans won 4-1, was the best possible exam- ple of such total football, and Carlos Alberto's goal perfectly summed up the magic in Bra- zil 's play: patience, qualit y, in- telligence, cover and sacrifice. To see the footage of the goal: (http://dpaq.de/HLQkD) 1) DIEGO MARADONA AGAINST ENGLAND IN MEXICO 1986 Diego Maradona's second goal against England in the quarter- finals of the 1986 World Cup is the most famous goal in World Cup history. It is the clearest example of perfection in foot- ball so far. "The moment the ball went in, I knew it would be a turning point for Maradona. In fact, I told Diego that after- wards in the showers: 'That's it, you have just sat on the same spot as Pele'," Jorge Valdano recalled. To see the footage of the goal: (http://dpaq.de/kfGTc) DPA Diego Maradona's second goal against England in the quarter-fi nals of the 1986 World Cup is the most famous goal in World Cup history. Photo by: Sven Simon - dpa Download the MaltaToday App now