FIFA World Cup: Memorable Moments and History

Highlights

• June 11: The World Cup opens in Mexico City.
• June 12: Canada earns its first World Cup point following a 1–1 draw with Bosnia and Herzegovina.
• June 13: Qatar earns its first World Cup point in a 1-1 draw with Switzerland.
• June 14: Curaçao becomes the smallest nation to compete in the World Cup, and Livano Comenencia scores the country’s first goal in the tournament. The team’s head coach Dick Advocaat becomes the oldest manager of a national team in World Cup history.
• June 15: Cabo Verde makes its tournament debut and earns its first World Cup point with a 0-0 draw against Spain.

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  June 16: Argentina’s Lionel Messi becomes the oldest player to score a World Cup hat trick in a 3–0 win against Algeria. Jordan makes its tournament debut and Ali Olwan scores the team’s first World Cup goal in a 3–1 loss against Austria.
• June 17: Uzbekistan makes its tournament debut and Abbosbek Fayzullaev scores the country’s first World Cup goal. Democratic Republic of the Congo’s (DRC) player Yoane Wissa the country’s first World Cup goal and helps it earn its first point in the tournament during a 1–1 draw with Portugal.
• June 20: 100th goal of the 2026 World Cup is scored by Cody Gakpo of the Netherlands in a match against Sweden. The 1,000th match in World Cup history is played between Tunisia and Japan. Curaçao earns its first World Cup point with a 0-0 draw against Ecuador.
• June 21: Cabo Verde’s Kevin Pina scores his team’s first World Cup goal during a 2–2 draw with Uruguay.
• June 22: Messi overtakes Germany’s Miroslav Klose as the World Cup’s all-time top goal scorer. The France vs. Iraq group-stage match, delayed by more than two hours at halftime, is the first one in the tournament’s history to be affected by inclement weather conditions.
• June 23: Portugal’s Cristiano Ronaldo becomes the first man to score in six diffferent World Cup editions.
• June 24: Morocco’s Ismael Saibari becomes the first African player to score goals in three consecutive World Cup matches.
• June 25: The World Cup records its highest-ever single-day tournament attendance of 426,834 spectators.
• June 27: Lionel Messi becomes the first player to score in seven consecutive World Cup matches. DRC defeats Uzbekistan 3–1, marking its first World Cup win.
• June 28: A tournament-record 215 goals are scored during the 2026 FIFA World Cup’s group stage.
• June 30: France becomes the first team to score three or more goals in five consecutive World Cup matches.
• July 5: Ahead of the United States vs. Belgium round of 16 match, FIFA rescinded the suspension against American forward Folarin Balogun, who was to serve a one-match ban after being shown a straight red card during the United States vs. Bosnia and Herzegovina round of 32 clash. The Royal Belgian Football Association (RBFA; organization administering football in Belgium) criticized the reversal, arguing that FIFA’s own disciplinary statutes did not allow suspensions because of straight red cards to be appealed.
• July 19: The final will be played at the New York New Jersey Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey.

Tournament firsts

This is the first World Cup in which:

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• 48 teams are competing
• there are three cohosts (Canada, Mexico and the United States)
• teams are playing more than 100 matches and a round of 32
• there is a three-time host or cohost (Mexico)
• a stadium is hosting matches in three editions (Mexico City Stadium/Estadio Azteca)
• three red cards were issued in the opening match
• three players (Mexico’s Guillermo Ochoa, Argentina’s Lionel Messi, and Portugal’s Cristiano Ronaldo) are competing in a sixth World Cup
• Canada is hosting the men’s edition
• Brazil is playing under a foreign coach (Italy’s Carlo Ancelotti)
• more than two (nine) African nations advanced to the knockout stage
• Bosnia and Herzegovina, Cabo Verde, Canada, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Côte d’Ivoire, Egypt and South Africa advanced to the knockout stage
• the all-time FIFA World Cup attendance record was surpassed during the group stage
• the total attendance has passed five million
• Germany lost a penalty-shootout (vs. Paraguay in the round of 32 on June 29)
• Norway won a knockout stage match

14 Famous World Cup Goals

1. Maradona’s “Hand of God”

2. Geoff Hurst’s Ghost Goal

3. Benjamin Pavard’s Perfect Strike

4. Teen Prodigy Pelé

5. James Rodríguez’s Wonder Volley

6. Maradona’s “Goal of the Century”

7. Roberto Baggio’s Brilliance

8. Dennis Bergkamp’s Sublime Touch

9. Richarlison’s Spinning Scissor Volley

Uruguay 1930

• July 13: The first FIFA World Cup began in Uruguay with only 13 teams. France vs. Mexico and the United States vs. Belgium were held simultaneously, becoming the first matches. France’s Lucien Laurent scored the first World Cup goal.
• July 15: During the Argentina vs. France match, Brazilian referee Gilberto Rêgo blew the whistle early, signaling the end of the fixture in the 84th minute instead of the 90th. The players, who had left the field, were recalled and played the final six minutes after a delay.

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  July 30: Hosts Uruguay beat Argentina 4–2 in the final to win the first men’s World Cup.

Italy 1934

• Footballer Luis Monti completed one of the tournament’s most unusual personal feats by appearing in World Cup finals for two different countries, playing for Argentina in 1930 and then Italy in 1934.
• March 25: Italy played and won a World Cup qualifier, becoming the only host country ever to have to play in a qualifying tournament, as future hosts were automatically granted a slot in the main World Cup.
• May 24: Despite Mexico already having qualified for the main World Cup, FIFA ordered the team to face off against a late-entering United States in a sudden-death playoff in Rome three days before the World Cup began. Mexico lost the match and was replaced in the main draw by the United States.
• May 27: Egypt became the first African and first Arab country to appear at a World Cup.
• June 7: Germany’s Ernst Lehner scored against Austria 25 seconds after kickoff, setting the fastest-goal mark in World Cup history at the time.

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  June 10: Italy defeated Czechoslovakia in the final to win its first title and become the first champion from Europe.

France 1938

• March: Austria was removed from the final roster after the Anschluss, handing Sweden a bye in the first round.
• June 5: The Dutch East Indies (now Indonesia) became the first Asian team to appear at a World Cup and also became the only national team to play only one match at the World Cup (since the tournament was played in a straight knockout format). The team lost 6–0 to Hungary in its lone match in 1938 and has never qualified for the main tournament again.
• June 5: Brazil defeated Poland 6–5. Polish footballer Ernst Willimowski became the only player to score four goals in a World Cup match and still be on the losing team.
• June 19: Italy beat Hungary 4–2 in the final and became the first team to win back-to-back World Cups, as well as the first team to win two World Cups.

1942–46

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• The World Cups scheduled for 1942 and 1946 were canceled because of World War II.
• Because of the hiatus, Italy reigned as the world champion for a 16-year span until the tournament resumed in 1950, despite having only won two World Cups (1934 and 1938.

Brazil 1950

• The World Cup returned after a 12-year hiatus.
• India qualified for the World Cup but withdrew before the main tournament, in part because of financial and logistical difficulties.
• June 29: The United States shocked England 1–0.

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  July 16: The Uruguay vs. Brazil final match at the Maracanã Stadium, Rio de Janeiro, drew the largest crowd for any football match in history. Uruguay scored an upset 2–1 win over Brazil to earn its second World Cup. The match became known as the “El Maracanazo” (the Maracanã smash).

Switzerland 1954

• Hungary scored 27 goals in the tournament, which is the highest number of goals scored by a team in a single World Cup.
• January: After the Spain vs. Turkey (Türkiye) qualification playoff was inconclusive, a blindfolded schoolboy, Luigi Franco Gemma, drew lots to decide which team would advance to the World Cup. Turkey won the lucky draw and made its tournament debut.
• June 26: Austria beat Switzerland 7–5 in what was the highest-scoring match in men’s World Cup history.
• June 27: The Hungary vs. Brazil match is known as the “Battle of Bern,” one of the most violent and unsportsmanlike matches in tournament history.
• July 4: West Germany (now Germany) beat favorites Hungary in the final match, called the “Miracle of Bern,” to win its first World Cup.

Sweden 1958

• France’s Just Fontaine scored 13 goals in 6 matches, setting a single-tournament scoring record that still stands.
• June 11: Brazil vs. England became the first scoreless match in World Cup history.
• June 29: Brazilian footballer Pelé became the first teenager, and youngest player ever, to score in a World Cup final.

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  June 29: Brazil beat Sweden 5–2 in the final to win the World Cup for the first time.

Chile 1962

• June 2: Chile vs. Italy became the infamous “Battle of Santiago,” one of the most violent matches in World Cup history.
• June 2: Czechoslovakia’s Václav Mašek scored against Mexico after 15 seconds, setting a new fastest-goal record that stood until 2002.
• June 10: West Germany and Yugoslavia met in the World Cup quarterfinals for a third consecutive time, having played against each other in 1954 and 1958 as well.
• June 17: Brazil beat Czechoslovakia 3–1 in the final to retain the title.

England 1966

• World Cup Willie became the first official tournament mascot.
• July 19: North Korea beat Italy 1–0 in one of the greatest shocks in World Cup history.
• July 23: Portugal overturned a 3–0 deficit against North Korea to win 5–3, with star Portuguese footballer Eusébio scoring four times in the match.
• July 30: Geoff Hurst scored the first hat trick in a World Cup final.

• 

  

  July 30: England beat West Germany 4–2 after extra time to win its first World Cup, though there has been a fierce debate over whether Geoff Hurst’s controversial second goal actually crossed the line. At the 2010 World Cup, a similar goal-line refereeing decision went Germany’s way against England. (See below “Lampard’s ghost goal.”)

Mexico 1970

• 1969: The Central American qualifying tournament was held against the backdrop of the so-called Soccer War between El Salvador and Honduras, with both countries engaging in a short-lived but intense military conflict a few weeks after competing against each other in the World Cup qualifiers.
• Yellow and red cards were introduced to the World Cup.
• June 17, 1970: Italy beat West Germany 4–3 after extra time in the semifinal known ever since as the “game of the century.”

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  June 21: Brazil beat Italy 4–1 in the final to win a third title and earned permanent possession of the Jules Rimet Trophy.

West Germany 1974

1 of 2

2 of 2

The FIFA World Cup Trophy, which replaced the Jules Rimet Trophy, was awarded for the first time.

• June 14: Australia became the first Oceanian team to appear at a World Cup.
• June 22: East Germany beat West Germany 1–0 in a politically charged fixture in Hamburg during the Cold War. This was the only time the two teams played against each other at the World Cup.
• June 22: In a match against Brazil, the Zaire (Democratic Republic of the Congo) football team had been told by the country’s president, Mobutu Sese Seko, not to lose by more than four goals. With 15 minutes left to play and trailing 2–0, Brazil was awarded a free kick in a scoring position. Unconventionally, Zaire defender Mwepu Ilunga ran out from the defensive wall and kicked the ball away before the game was restarted in an attempt to run down the clock. Zaire ultimately lost the match 3–0.
• June 22: During the Australia vs. Chile group stage match, referee Jafar Namdar showed Australian player Ray Richards two yellow cards but neglected to show the automatic red card to eject the player from the game. Richards became the first footballer to continue playing despite being shown two yellow cards. He was sent off after fourth official Clive Thomas alerted the referee. A similar incident occurred at the 2006 World Cup.
• July 7: West Germany beat tournament favorites the Netherlands 2–1 in the final to win the World Cup. Referee Jack Taylor made history by awarding both the first and second penalty kicks in World Cup final history, one each to the Dutch and West German teams.

Argentina 1978

• June 11: Scottish player Archie Gemmill scored a brilliant solo goal for Scotland against the Netherlands. Collecting the ball on the right side of the pitch, Gemmill cut inside on his left foot, skipped past three Dutch defenders, and buried a curling shot in the back of the net.
• June 21: Argentina’s 6–0 win over Peru became one of the most controversial results in World Cup history, with suspicions of match fixing lingering decades later.
• June 25: Argentina beat the Netherlands after extra time in the final to win the World Cup for the first time.

Spain 1982

• June 15: Hungary beat El Salvador 10–1, the only double-figure score by a team in men’s World Cup finals history. During the match Hungary’s László Kiss scored the fastest hat trick in World Cup history, scoring in the 69th, 72nd, and 76th minutes. Kiss was also the first player to achieve the feat as a substitute player.
• June 16: Algeria beat West Germany 2–1 on its World Cup debut—one of the greatest upsets in tournament history.
• June 21: During the Kuwait vs. France group stage match, the Kuwaiti team claimed it had heard a whistle and stopped playing, which allowed France to score a goal. The Kuwaiti players walked off the pitch in protest when the referee refused to disallow the goal. Sheikh Fahad al-Ahmed al-Jaber al-Sabah, a prince of Kuwait and president of the Kuwaiti football association, descended to the pitch from the stands and spoke with the referee, following which the goal was disallowed before the resumption of play.
• June 25: The West Germany vs. Austria match was dubbed the “disgrace of Gijón” for the lackluster display. Both teams tacitly refused to use attacking play for most of the match in order to preserve a favorable result that would allow them both to advance to the knockout stage at the expense of Algeria. The match changed the way the World Cup scheduled its fixtures, with the final group games played at the same time to prevent collusion between teams.
• July 8: West Germany defeated France 3–3 (5–4) in the first World Cup match ever decided by a penalty shoot-out.
• July 11: Italy beat West Germany in the final to claim a third world title. Italian forward Paolo Rossi had gone straight from being suspended for match fixing to being selected for the World Cup squad. He emerged as the tournament’s top scorer and played a large part in helping his country win the title.

Mexico 1986

• Mexico became the first country to host the World Cup twice.
• The Mexican wave was performed at a World Cup for the first time, thereafter becoming globally associated with football.
• June 22: On the eve of the quarterfinal against England, Argentina had to scramble for a suitable dark kit, and the improvised blue shirts worn by the players during the match became famous.
• June 22: Diego Maradona scored both the “hand of God” goal and the “goal of the century” against England in one of the most famous individual performances in football history. (Read “Was Maradona’s ‘Hand of God’ Goal Legal?”)
• June 29: Argentina beat West Germany 3–2 in the final and lifted its second World Cup.

Italy 1990

• Ireland reached the quarterfinals without winning a match in regulation time, drawing in its three group stage matches and winning the first knockout round match in a penalty shoot-out.
• June 23: Cameroon beat Colombia and became the first African side to reach the World Cup quarterfinals.
• July 4: Footballer Paul Gascoigne bursting into tears on camera during England’s semifinal defeat against West Germany became one of the tournament’s most famous moments.
• July 8: West Germany beat Argentina 1–0 in the final and won a third World Cup.

The United States 1994

• June 17: American singer Diana Ross famously missed a ceremonial penalty kick at the opening ceremony.
• June 26: Bulgaria ended a World Cup winless streak stretching back to the 1962 tournament with a 4–0 win against Greece. The Bulgarian team advanced to the semifinals, and forward Hristo Stoichkov was one of the tournament’s top goal scorers, along with Russia’s Oleg Salenko.
• June 28: Oleg Salenko scored five goals for Russia against Cameroon, setting a men’s World Cup record for most goals scored by a player in a single match that still stands.
• June 28: Cameroonian player Roger Milla became the oldest scorer in World Cup history at 42.
• July 1: Diego Maradona tested positive for the drug ephedrine during the tournament and was immediately suspended. He never played an international match for Argentina again.
• July 2: Colombian footballer Andrés Escobar was murdered in Medellín days after scoring an inadvertent own goal against the United States. (Read “Was Andrés Escobar Killed for Scoring an Own Goal?”)
• July 17: Brazil and Italy played the first goalless World Cup final, which became the first final decided by a penalty shoot-out. Italy’s Roberto Baggio missed his penalty, and Brazil won a fourth title.

France 1998

• Croatia reached the semifinals in its World Cup debut, and Croatian forward Davor Šuker won the Golden Boot awarded to the top goal scorer.
• June 28: French footballer Laurent Blanc scored the first golden goal (an extra-time goal that ends a match, with the team that scores declared the winner) in World Cup history.
• June 30: David Beckham’s red card against Argentina became one of the defining controversies of the 1998 tournament, and England was eliminated on penalties after the match was drawn 2–2.
• July 12: France beat Brazil 3–0 in the final and won its first World Cup. Brazilian forward Ronaldo, one of the best players of the tournament, was hospitalized hours before the final and almost didn’t play in the match. His subpar performance on the night is often cited as one of the main reasons for Brazil’s loss.

South Korea and Japan 2002

• This was the first World Cup held in Asia and the first cohosted by two countries.
• April 11, 2001: Australia beat American Samoa 31–0 in a World Cup qualifying match, which remains the largest margin of victory in an international football match.
• May 31, 2002: Senegal made its World Cup debut and beat reigning champions France 1–0 in the opening match of the tournament.
• June 29: Turkish player Hakan Şükür scored after 11 seconds against South Korea in the third-place playoff, still the fastest goal in World Cup history.
• June 30: Brazil beat Germany 2–0 in the final, and Ronaldo completed his redemption story by scoring both goals to help Brazil win a record fifth title.

Germany 2006

• June 22: Referee Graham Poll infamously showed Croatian player Josip Šimunić three yellow cards during the country’s group stage match against Australia. (See above Australia vs. Chile at the 1974 World Cup.)
• June 26: Switzerland was eliminated on penalties in the first knockout round against Ukraine, despite not having conceded a single goal in regulation time during the tournament.
• July 9: In his final international match, France’s Zinedine Zidane was sent off after headbutting Italian player Marco Materazzi in the final. Zidane still won the Golden Ball, awarded to the tournament’s most valuable player. Italy won the final on penalties and claimed a fourth World Cup.

South Africa 2010

• June 11: South Africa became the first African country to host the World Cup.
• June 27: During the England vs. Germany Round of 16 match, English player Frank Lampard’s shot hit the crossbar and bounced behind the goal line before German goalkeeper Manuel Neuer collected the ball. However, neither the referee nor the linesman awarded England the goal and, as goal-line technology had not been implemented at the time, the on-field decision stood. England went on to lose the match 4–1. The incident has been christened “Lampard’s ghost goal.”
• July 2: Uruguayan forward Luis Suárez deliberately blocked a shot with his hand to prevent a goal in the quarterfinal. Ghana’s Asamoah Gyan missed the resulting penalty, and Uruguay later won the match in a penalty shoot-out.
• July 11: Spain beat the Netherlands after extra time and won the World Cup for the first time.

Brazil 2014

• Goal-line technology was used at the World Cup for the first time.

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  June 13: Dutch forward Robin van Persie scored with a “flying header” in a 5–1 victory against reigning champions Spain. It became one of the signature images of the tournament.
• June 28: Colombian player James Rodriguez’s volley against Uruguay became one of the defining goals of the tournament.
• July 8: Germany beat Brazil 7–1 in the semifinal, producing one of the most shocking scores in football history.
• July 13: Germany beat Argentina in the final and claimed a fourth World Cup.

Russia 2018

• The video assistant referee (VAR) system was used at the World Cup for the first time.
• June 27: Germany became one of the rare defending champions to go out in the group stage, and it was the first time a German team had ever been eliminated in the group stage of a World Cup.
• July 15: France beat Croatia 4–2 in the final and won its second World Cup. French forward Kylian Mbappé became only the second teenager, after Pelé, to score in a World Cup final.

Qatar 2022

• This was the first World Cup staged in the Middle East and the first men’s World Cup to be played in November and December.
• November 22: Saudi Arabia’s 2–1 comeback win over Argentina became one of the biggest shocks of the modern World Cup era.
• December 10: Morocco became the first African team and the first Arab team to reach the World Cup semifinals.

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  December 18: Argentine footballer Lionel Messi won the title in his fifth World Cup competition, beating France 3–3 (4–2) on penalties after a draw in regulation time. France’s Kylian Mbappé scored a hat trick in the final, becoming the second player to do so after England’s Geoff Hurst.