Scoring a goal in a FIFA World Cup final is every player’s dream. But in the history of the tournament, only 55 men have made that dream a reality.
As we near the 2014 World Cup final on Sunday, who will become the next man to score in the biggest game of them all? We will have to wait and see. However, for those who have scored in the final throughout history, it’s something they relive every day of their lives.
These are those special men, who have scored in a World Cup final, according to the ESPN documentary I Scored A Goal In A FIFA World Cup Final : Ghiggia (1950), Pele, Zagallo (1958), Masopust, Amarildo, Zito (1962), Hurst, Peters, Weber (1966), Boninsegna, Gerson, Jairzinho, Carlos Alberto (1970), Neeskens, Mueller, Breitner (1974), Kempes, Naninga, Bertoni (1978), Rossi, Tardelli, Altobelli (1982), Brown, Valdano, Rummneigge, Voeller, Burruchaga (1986), Brehme (1990), Zidane, Petit (1998), Ronaldo (2002), Matterazzi (2006), and Iniesta (2010).
Impressive list, but even more impressive is what these men have gone through to reach the ultimate achievement in their sport. Many of them began playing when they were very young, some played in the streets of their hometowns and dreamed of scoring a goal in the World Cup final.
When the referee blows the whistle at the Maracana on Sunday, a fierce battle will ensue with Argentina and Germany facing-off in the 2014 World Cup final. The pressure is immense on both sides, as they both try to prove they are there because they are the best.
Argentina hasn’t been to a World Cup final in 24 years and Germany is still looking to win their first World cup title after reunification in 1990. They came close in 2002, when they reached the final, only to lose to Brazil 2-0.
For many of those privileged enough to have scored a goal in a World Cup final, the moment is what dreams are made of and the feat accompanies them for the rest of their lives. In the history of the World Cup there has been 18 finals, with the 19th coming up on Sunday, so the chances of scoring in the final are slim.
Many of the teams that have reached the World Cup final come in with something to prove and the same can be said in the case of Argentina and Germany . Both teams have disappointed, but somehow they are the two that are still standing.
Who will score a goal on Sunday and add his name to the short but illustrious list? Will it be Messi, Muller, or Klose adding to his scoring record, or someone different? Whoever it is, he will become an icon that will live down in history as one of the few men to score a goal in the World Cup final.
[Image via Twitter ]
