Top 10 World Cup Games

This quarter-final from USA 1994 burst into life during the second half. It was the teams’ first competitive meeting since 1974, and Brazil wanted to avenge that year’s semi-final defeat. Brazil, playing in their changed jersey of blue, uncharacteristically needed a quick counterattack to take the lead, with Bebeto taking full advantage of Frank Rijkaard’s sloppy pass to play in Romario for the finish. And when Bebeto himself rounded the goalkeeper to give his side a two goal cushion — and then showed the world the wonderful baby-cradling dance with which players who’ve recently become dads have since celebrated scoring — the game appeared over. Not so. Within a minute, Holland halved the deficit thanks to Denis Bergkamp’s stunning solo effort. Ten minutes later, they thought they should have been awarded a penalty after the ball hit the hand of Marcio Santos. But from the ensuing corner, Aron Winter beat the goalkeeper Taffarel to the ball and the sides were level. Extra-time loomed but Brazil’s winner came from an unexpected source: Defender Branco struck a sumptuous 25-yard free kick into the far corner, but he was only playing that day as a replacement for Leonardo, who was suspended because of an earlier red card against the United States.

See pictures of the Pope in Brazil.