⚽ I · Wonder Goals
The goals that rewrote what a human body could do with a ball. From Pelé's teenage masterclass to Maradona's slalom of the century to Saviola, Owen and James Rodríguez — the strikes that survive on loop forever.
Part of World Cup
19 moments in this segment.
- — Pelé's flick-and-volley in the 1958 final. A 17-year-old Pelé flicks the ball over a Swedish defender with his first touch and volleys it home before it lands — the goal that announced the greatest player of all time to the world, in the final, in Sweden.
- — Teófilo Cubillas's outside-of-the-boot free kick. Peru's Teófilo Cubillas curls a free kick into the net with the outside of his right foot against Scotland — a signature of one of the great World Cup talents of the 1970s.
- — Arie Haan's 35-yard thunderbolt vs Italy. The Netherlands' Arie Haan unleashes a swerving shot from fully 35 yards that flies past Dino Zoff — one of the great long-range World Cup goals, repeated days later against the same keeper.
- — Rensenbrink hits the post in the final's last minute. With the 1978 final level in the last minute of normal time, Rob Rensenbrink's shot beats the keeper and strikes the inside of the post — centimetres from winning the Netherlands the World Cup before Argentina prevailed in extra time.
- — Éder's flick-and-volley vs USSR. Brazil's Éder flicks the ball up with one foot and volleys it on the turn into the top corner against the Soviet Union — one of the signature strikes of the beloved 1982 side.
- — Manuel Negrete's scissor-kick vs Bulgaria. Mexico's Manuel Negrete meets a lay-off with a full scissor-kick volley that flies into the corner in front of a roaring Azteca — routinely listed among the most beautiful World Cup goals ever scored.
- — Maradona's Goal of the Century vs England. Four minutes after the Hand of God, Maradona collects the ball in his own half and dribbles past five Englishmen and the keeper across 60 metres to score what FIFA later voted the Goal of the Century — the two faces of genius in a single afternoon.
- — Roberto Baggio's solo goal vs Czechoslovakia. A young Roberto Baggio plays a one-two and dribbles through the Czechoslovak defence to score a sublime solo goal at Italia 90 — the moment that turned the Divine Ponytail into a national idol.
- — Oleg Salenko scores five in one match. Russia's Oleg Salenko scores five goals in a single World Cup match against Cameroon in 1994 — still the only player ever to do so, and a record that helped him share the tournament's Golden Boot.
- — Saeed Al-Owairan's solo run vs Belgium. Saudi Arabia's Saeed Al-Owairan picks the ball up inside his own half and slaloms past half the Belgian team to score one of the great solo World Cup goals — the "Maradona of the Arabs" sending his nation into the second round.
- — Michael Owen's teenage rocket vs Argentina. An 18-year-old Michael Owen takes the ball in his own half, accelerates past two Argentine defenders and lifts it into the corner — the goal that made an England superstar overnight in St-Étienne.
- — Bergkamp's touch-turn-finish vs Argentina. In the dying minutes of the quarter-final Dennis Bergkamp kills a 60-yard pass dead with one touch, slips past Ayala with the second and dinks it home with the third — three perfect touches that put the Netherlands into the semis.
- — Ronaldinho's lob over Seaman vs England. Ronaldinho floats a free kick from 40 yards over a stranded David Seaman and under the bar in the 2002 quarter-final — a strike forever debated as cross or shot, that sent Brazil towards the title.
- — Maxi Rodríguez's extra-time volley vs Mexico. Maxi Rodríguez chests down a crossfield ball and lashes a left-foot volley into the far top corner in extra time — the goal that beat Mexico and the strike many call the best of the 2006 tournament.
- — Robin van Persie's flying header vs Spain. Van Persie launches himself horizontally to meet a long Daley Blind ball and loops a diving header over Iker Casillas from distance — the "Flying Dutchman" goal that ignited a 5-1 demolition of the reigning champions.
- — James Rodríguez's chest-and-volley vs Uruguay. James Rodríguez chests the ball down on the edge of the box, swivels and lashes a dipping volley off the bar and in — voted the goal of the 2014 tournament and the strike that crowned him its golden boot.
- — Benjamin Pavard's side-on volley vs Argentina. Benjamin Pavard, a right-back, sweeps a first-time side-on volley from the edge of the box that curls into the far top corner — voted the goal of the 2018 tournament in a chaotic 4-3 win over Argentina.
- — Pelé's first World Cup goal vs Wales. In the quarter-final a 17-year-old Pelé controls the ball with his back to goal, flicks it past a defender and stabs it home — his first World Cup goal, the only goal of the game, sending Brazil through against Wales.
- — Richarlison's bicycle kick vs Serbia. Richarlison juggles the ball up with one touch and finishes with a full bicycle kick against Serbia — instantly hailed as one of the goals of the 2022 tournament.
