The top ten World Cups of all time?

Subjective, of course, and hard for a consensus to be met by everyone.

But here are GIVEMESPORT's thoughts on the matter, and while most World Cups between 1930 and 1962 might feel hard done by, we've narrowed our choices down to the tournaments that sit this side of the global television revolution. 

READ MORE: What are the 2022 World Cup groups?

The top 10 World Cups of all time

10. 2006

Italy won the World Cup for the first time since 1982, when cast beneath the controversial cloud of the Calciopoli scandal that would see Juventus initially demoted to Serie C. A siege mentality and the tactical acumen of Marcelo Lippi prevailed in an explosive final against France, which was settled on penalties, and featured Zinedine Zidane’s jaw-dropping headbutt to the chest of Marco Materazzi, the two goalscorers in regulation play. Ironically, it was David Trezeguet who missed from 12 yards to open the door to Italian success. Trezeguet had scored the decisive golden goal for France, against Italy six years earlier, in the 2000 European Championship final. 

9. 2002 

The first World Cup to take place away from Europe and the Americas, South Korea and Japan raised the bar in terms of organisational skill and futuristic stadia. A tournament littered with high-profile early exits and shock results, the holders France were joined through the swift departure door by Argentina, Portugal, and soon enough by Italy too, while the Netherlands didn’t even qualify. Ronaldo and Brazil made up for their trauma of four years earlier by beating Germany in the final, while the co-hosts also excelled, with South Korea making the semi-finals and Japan the last-16. The USA reached the quarter-finals, as did the impressive debutants, Senegal. 

8. 1998

France finally got their hands on the World Cup, succeeding on home soil largely without a striker. Zinedine Zidane was the star of the show despite nursing a two-match ban for his sending off against Saudi Arabia, while mystery and folklore still surround Ronaldo’s initial absence from Brazil’s team sheet for the final. The Netherlands were excellent throughout, with Dennis Bergkamp scoring one of the finest World Cup goals of all time against Argentina, in the last eight. Croatia won admirers with their run to the semi-final, as Davor Šuker won the Golden Boot ahead of Gabriel Batistuta and Christian Vieri, and the global phenomenon of both Michael Owen and David Beckham were born.  

7. 1966

England’s finest hour, they won their only major senior honour in the men’s game with a 4-2 victory over a Franz Beckenbauer-inspired West Germany at Wembley. Jimmy Greaves missed out, as Geoff Hurst grabbed a hat-trick, but controversy still reigns over the legitimacy of his second goal, the goal that put his team 3-2 up. Blessed by the presence of Portugal and Eusébio, who defeated Italy’s conquerors, the magical North Korea in the quarter-finals, the main in-tournament controversy surrounded Brazil’s early exit and the brutal approach that was meted out to Pelé. The build-up to the finals was mired by a boycott by African nations over their lack of qualification places. 

6. 1978

A tournament that was played out beneath the shadow of a brutal military junta that was led by Commander Jorge Rafael Videla, the 1978 World Cup was one of the most politicised finals ever. With games taking place within listening distance of sinister detention centres, Argentina’s success as hosts comes with an everlasting scar. Guided by the free-thinking and chain-smoking César Luis Menotti, a precocious 17-year-old by the name of Diego Maradona was left out of the squad, as Mario Kempes scored the goals to take his nation to glory, defeating a talented but Cruyff-less Netherlands in the final. 

5. 1974 

The World Cup where Totaalvoetbal came up narrowly short of the prize, the tournament was won by a pragmatic West Germany, who were also the host nation. The Netherlands earned their place in World Cup infamy alongside the Mighty Magyars of 1954, as the greatest World Cup winning team that never was. Powered by Rinus Michels on the touchline and Johan Cruyff on the pitch, the Oranje should have prevailed, but they were arguably undone in the final by their own arrogance. Just as in 1954, it was the more focused and disciplined West Germans who stole the honours. This after The Netherlands had won a brutal de facto semi-final against a Brazil armed with violent intent.  

4. 1990 

To a soundtrack of Nessun Dorma, Des Lynam effortlessly guided us through the summer of 1990 and England’s semi-final, penalty shootout heartbreak. A World Cup that offered far more style than substance, Italian stadia looked space-age, while the kits were resplendent. Toto Schillaci caught the imagination, Roberto Baggio occasionally took the breath away, but Brazil were too Europeanised. Ireland rode the crest of a wave, Scotland predictably self-destructed, Cameroon bewitched everybody, and West Germany shocked nobody by being the best team and the eventual winners, against an aggressive Argentina. 

3. 1982 

Spain faceplanted as hosts, winning only one of their five games and losing to a Northern Ireland that were inspired by a 17-year-old Norman Whiteside, a player who had more World Cup appearances to his name than club ones by the time his nation returned to Belfast. A magical Brazil conspired against themselves in the second-round group stages, and their conquerors Italy took full advantage, as Paolo Rossi lifted himself from personal purgatory to win the golden boot. Marco Tardelli provided us with his iconic celebration to a stunning goal in the final against a villainous West Germany, after Toni Schumacher rendered Patrick Battiston unconscious in a magnificent semi-final against France. Zico, Platini, a chastened Maradona, an unbeaten but eliminated England, 1982 had it all.   

2. 1986

Mexico and the summer of 1986, a tournament that was meant to take place in Colombia, the new hosts only stepped into the breach three years prior to the big kick off, a nation that suffered a devastating earthquake in September 1985, from where they pieced together a World Cup that was at times held together by Sellotape. Precarious satellite links, hazy images and commentaries that sounded as if broadcast from the surface of the moon, it all provided an ethereal aura to a tournament dominated by Diego Maradona, but also empowered by the likes Platini, Elkjær, Laudrup, Francescoli, Careca, Belanov, Ceulemans, Butragueño, and Lineker. Skill and controversy abounded; the Hand of God was born. A tournament blessed with a magnificent final, that was won with a late goal from Jorge Burruchaga. 

1. 1970

Mexico again, and the World Cup that all others are measured by, it was the tournament that gave us ‘that save’ and ‘that tackle’ from Gordon Banks and Bobby Moore respectively, it also provided arguably the greatest team goal the World Cup has ever seen, by Carlos Alberto for a Pelé inspired Brazil that were utter perfection from start to finish, a collective that even made an artform from their missed chances. Added to this, there was a seven-goal semi-final between the sophisticated Italy and the fluid and attacking West Germany that was christened The Game of the Century, the ten goals of the Golden Boot winning Gerd Müller, the stylish and evocative Peru, an underappreciated Uruguay, plus England’s quarter-final capitulation in León. The first World Cup transmitted in colour, Mexico ’70 was a tournament where the old-world order met the new and it delivered the ultimate winner.