The wonder goal – Michael Owen, England 2-2 Argentina, Round of 16 It was clear from his earliest days that Michael Owen was a very special talent. A prolific scorer at all levels as a junior, he made his debut for Liverpool’s senior team aged only 17 yrs 143 days, a game in which he […]
Category: world cup
The best and worst of the World Cup – 2002 South Korea/Japan
The Saipan incident – Roy Keane and Mick McCarthy It took the Republic of Ireland many, many attempts before they managed to qualify for the World Cup. Indeed, it was 13th time lucky when they finally made it in 1990 under the singular leadership of Jack Charlton. When Charlton led them again to the finals […]
The best and worst of the World Cup – 2006 Germany
The moment of madness – Zinedine Zidane, Final, 9 July 2006 One of the greatest footballers of all-time, Zinedine Zidane was a midfield playmaker who could do everything. Blessed with immense skill, great vision and a unquenchable desire to win, he dominated the midfield, making every team he played for both dangerous and difficult to […]
The best and worst of the World Cup – 2010 South Africa
The ghost goal – England 1-4 Germany, Round of 16 Not for the first time in their history, the England team that turned up to World Cup 2010 was less than the sum of their parts. A squad featuring ten players who had or would go on to win 50 caps or more (including four […]
The best and worst of the World Cup – 2014 Brazil
The national catastrophe – Brazil 1-7 Germany, Semi-Final Football is massive across the world but nowhere is it more massive than Brazil. It’s more than a game in Brazil, it’s an integral part of the country’s national identity. In 2014, with the World Cup hosted on home soil, expectations were high that the Canarinho would […]
The best and worst of the World Cup – 2018 Russia
Four of the best moments from the 2018 World Cup and four of the worst. England’s win on penalties, a great final and Neymar’s antics
The best and worst of the World Cup – 2022 Qatar
The 2026 World Cup begins in the US, Mexico and Canada on the 11th June 2026. To get you in the mood I’ll be picking out some of the best and worst moments from all of the recent competitions. Qatar 2022 was a tournament that began with modest expectations, but delivered, on the footballing side […]