Which FIFA World Cup final have you cared most about the result of?

[scratchmonkey]

And while it might have been a shock at the time, looking at the lineups later, we now know that was an extremely strong French side, even with Leboeuf replacing Blanc.

[G-Man]

62

90 - Would have been very happy if either Italy or Argentina had won. Am still angry about the final.

What are you angry about? That Argentina were so poor and negative? The better team won -- on the day and in the tournament -- and that team included only one truly objectionable player. So that should soothe your 32-year-old anger.

[Jah Womble]

I'm not sure how anybody (bar their own people) would've been behind that Argentina team of 1990. Outside of the emergence of the exciting Caniggia, there was nothing positive or even particularly likable about that side - particularly in the final where they were indisciplined and generally dreadful.

[Sporting]

Sometimes football defies logic. I wanted them to win.

[Kevin S]

I would have thought nerazzurri like ursus arctos would have revelled in Klinsi's, Matthäus' and Brehme's success too?

[MyPieBurntMyMouth]

No strong opinions on the winner of 1990, but Brehme scoring the winner with a penalty with five minutes to go with his 'wrong' foot is the coolest thing any footballer has ever done. I love him.

I'm aware he was almost perfectly two-footed, but it's an incredible thing.

[Sporting]

No strong opinions on the winner of 1990, but Brehme scoring the winner with a penalty with five minutes to go with his 'wrong' foot is the coolest thing any footballer has ever done. I love him.

I'm aware he was almost perfectly two-footed, but it's an incredible thing.

Indeed:

"Brehme's most distinctive skill was the fact that he was one of the few players in the world who was genuinely ambidextrous, and could play with both feet equally well, making him very valuable as an outfield player; his ability with either foot led his national team manager Franz Beckenbauer to state: "I have known Andy for 20 years and I still don't know if he is right or left-footed".^[1][3][11] He was well known for taking penalties (although not exclusively) with his right foot and taking free kicks and corners with his left foot; this made him quite an unpredictable player to read during matches.^[1][11] Although he was reportedly naturally left-footed, it is believed that Brehme felt that his right foot was actually more accurate than his left, but that he had a more powerful shot with his "weaker" left foot.^[3][11] This was shown when, in the 1990 World Cup final, Brehme took the spot kick that won West Germany the trophy, with his right foot."

[Greenlander]

This list may or may not be correct, I’m not particularly great at remembering large swathes of World Cups:

1978 – my first ever WC memory is watching Scotland against Peru at my aunt and uncles in their rumpus room. I don’t remember the politics and think I rooted for Argentina in the final.

1982 – Watched loads, was definitely Italy.

1986 – I had a tele in my room and watched just about every game between not really revising for my O’ Levels. By the time of the final they were over and we’d headed off to my grandparents in Bermuda. While we never really watched TV there woe betide if you disturbed my Grandma during The Young and the Restless. The final was on TV, it must have been an American stream, but Sunday’s were a big family day where just about every relative I had went out for lunch on Uncle Ted’s boat. I do recall lazing on the floor catching some of it while my mum rounded us all up and I’m pretty sure it was the last 20 minutes. Whatever England thought about Maradona at this point I was Argentina.

1990 – Had watched pretty much the whole thing in the Union bar at Huddersfield Poly until the semi-final back at my parents, but guess what, Bermuda again by the final Sunday Didn’t watch, didn’t care. Went out and massively added to my already massive overdraft by drinking well expensive Amstel.

1994 – Again managed to watch large chunks and definitely wasn’t the final I wanted but had been fascinated Dunga and his resolute negative style throughout so leant towards Brazil.

1998 – Junior Greenlander wasn’t supposed to arrive this early and it was just as well I’d not taken up the tickets for Jamaica v Croatia game as the following day Mrs G’s waters broke six weeks early no doubt due to the excitement generated by England’s win against Tunisia. Four days later he’d still not made his debut so we were called back in to speed things up. History records he was born just before a one-nil between Nigeria and Bulgaria and though I continued to watch pretty much most of the games between hospital visits, fortunately just ten minutes up the road. By the time of the final he was home and we were at my parents. He still wasn’t right, pretty much vomiting up any milk he drank and though I wanted France to win and it was on in the background I didn’t really care.
Footnote: eventually a locum identified the inability to hold his drink as pyloric stenosis and that 4lb 15oz tot now dwarfs me standing around 6ft4. And he's not into football.

2002 – Working. Didn’t watch the final and wasn't bothered.

2006 – Working. Had recently been to Italy and wore a cheap Italia t-shirt I'd bought on the streets of Rome just to wind up the French lorry drivers. Enjoyed my evening immensely.

2010 – Yep, working again. Who won it?

2014 – My shift pattern seems to coincide with the World Cup final. Can’t remember.

2018 – Guess, though this time I was Team France. The ships crew were in a good mood.

[Rogin the Armchair fan]

Reflecting on the thread, I think the only one where I have been genuinely neutral (in the sense of 'couldn't care less') is the 2006 one. I expected France to win, but as the game crept on, and especially after Zidane's flukey Panenka penalty that he totally fucked up, I wanted that wholly uninspiring Italy side to do it. It was a bit of a thing, in the mid 2000s, for frankly shite teams to be winning stuff - Porto and Liverpool winning the Champions League, Greece winning Euro 2004 - so it just sort of fitted in, somehow.

[Nesta]

2006 is the only one I've been actively disappointed by the result. I guess I was vaguely aware of 1986 final happening, even had my folks put it on for ten minutes before I got bored and went to play transformers, and knew Maradona was a cheating wrong'un, but I can't really count that.

[seand]

1990 is the first I remember and the one I was most invested in. I half followed Mexico 86 and was a devout Maradona fan and Argentina fan.

I can't really fathom how anyone can watch sport without picking a competitor to support, but that's probably another thread

[E10 Rifle]

1978 - wanted Netherlands (lost)
1982 - wanted Italy (won)
1986 - wanted Argentina (won)
1990 - wanted West Germanny (won)
1994 - wanted Brazil (won)
1998 - wanted France (won)
2002 - wanted Germany (lost - but would've been hilarious if the last old-school dour Germany team had upset the corporates' sweethearts)
2006 - wanted France (lost)
2010 - wanted Spain (won)
2014 - wanted Germany (won)
2018 - genuinely not fussed

[DCI Harry Batt]

1990 is probably the one I saw most of, in my life.

[Flynnie]

1994: don't really remember who I wanted to win. Probably Italy because Baggio but I honestly fell asleep during the game.
1998: Definitely France
2002: Germany, just because I was already a contrarian about Brazil, but I wasn't bothered about it in the end because Brazil were so clearly better
2006: Definitely Italy, I hopped on the bandwagon after spending a pretty fun 4th of July in North Beach (the Italian district of San Francisco) in a mob of people watching the semifinal, which was obviously the best game of that World Cup
2010: Definitely Netherlands as I was there for the final, taking advantage of my auntie being there. I went to the parade in Amsterdam when they came back. Kind of funny in retrospect to see the Dutch media disown that team... honestly, probably emblematic of the push/pull of erudite Amsterdammers who loved Cruijff's Ajax and the farmboys/working stiffs of the provinces who hate the latter and are fine with agricultural football.
2014: Neutral, probably slight lean towards Argentina as it's been a while
2018: Definitely France

[Flynnie]

1990 is probably the one I saw most of, in my life.

How come international football isn't your bag? You've got to be the only dedicated football fan I know of who doesn't care, but doesn't care in your specific way. Obviously you like Wimbledon but you've never struck me as a Scouse not English type (by which I mean someone so wrapped up in their club that international football just gets in the way). Of course your objections to England and Qatar are duly noted, but how come in other circumstances not as a neutral, or supporting another country you have some tenuous connection with.

[MyPieBurntMyMouth]

How come international football isn't your bag? You've got to be the only dedicated football fan I know of who doesn't care, but doesn't care in your specific way. Obviously you like Wimbledon but you've never struck me as a Scouse not English type (by which I mean someone so wrapped up in their club that international football just gets in the way). Of course your objections to England and Qatar are duly noted, but how come in other circumstances not as a neutral, or supporting another country you have some tenuous connection with.

Not going to speak for Tonton, but I think I may have a similar view.

In one way I love international football. I have watched (during lockdown) every minute of almost all of the World Cups available online, I used to go and watch Scotland home games regularly, I loved the old Euros and I still enjoy the lower end of the Nations League.

However, for me, the World Cup has drifted off into the Disneyfication of football. I went to Russia for a week to the 2018 tournament as I'd always wanted to go to one. But, like my experience at Euro 2012, I found it quite dispiriting. It's a soulless, joyless corporate event that I can't ever imagine choosing to attend again. After I returned home from my week at it, I basically lost interest and barely watched any of the rest of the tournament. Similarly, I watched nothing of the Euros last year except the Scotland games. I basically watched nothing of Euro 2016 too, and now find myself hardly ever bothering to watch Scotland games either. Even as the team improves.

As I said, I love the old World Cups and the old Euros. But the modern versions turn me off. The teams aren't even that good, the organisers are awful, the event is corporate shite. Like the European Cup, for me, it's in the bin now. The World Cup will always be popular, and if other people enjoy it, good for them. I just don't think it's any good any more.

[NHH]

1982 - Italy, because the Germans broke my 8-year old heart by beating France after what Schumacher did

1986 - Germany, because hand of god

1990 - Germany, so I could maintain the notion that had England beaten Germany, they'd have clearly beaten Argentina

1994 - didn't care

1998 - France, because Nike were getting on my tits, and a win for Brazil felt like a win that would benefit shitbags like Teixera, and the fawning over the Brazilian team sets the tone for the next 20 years, or them being a team of Gods, rather a team from a football-mad country, and that flukey fucking free kick by Carlos yada yada

2002 - Germany, because by this time, I'd heard of 50% + 1, Oliver Kahn had dragged a really shit team to the final and had really impressed me, and everything about Brazil remained the same

2006 - Genuinely torn, as Zidane had dragged France to the final, it seemed, and was pictured smoking a few fags in the team hotel. That said, Germany had been beaten by Italy in the greatest game I'd ever seen on TV (still is) and so I'd transferred the German-luv to Italy.

2010 - Netherlands, mainly because Spain were fucking boring, the footballing equivalent of a kid with a magnifying glass slowly burning immobile insects

2014 - Despite not wanting Ozil to get a medal for the temerity of missing against Brazil to make the scoreline in the semi 1-7 rather than the 0-8 is should have been, Germany all the way, more than any world cup in my life; it felt like one in the eye for the bloviating Premier League's ludicrous self-aggrandisement

2018 - didn't really care

[elguapo4]

1974 I'd fallen in love with West Germany and Bayern Munich ( I've since kicked both filthy habits, but as you will see, it took a while)

1978 Holland all the way, even as a 14 year old 6.0 v Peru was a massive fix.

1982 West Germany I was out for the Austria fix, and at the time I didn't realise how bad Battiston's injury was. I feel embarrassed now

1986 Argentina although old feelings came back when Voeller and Ruminigge scored

1990 West Germany

1994 Neutral, though slightly Italy

1998 France

2002 At my best mate's stag night. In bed after 4 O'clock, up at 9AM to watch it. Only remember one of Ronaldo's goal, nothing else

2006 Italy close one,but I found them a bit more likable.

2010 Neutral, spent most of the game chatting to a friend who surprisingly came back from Germany after about 20 years

2014 first one I missed since 1970. Didn't miss much by all accounts

2018 Croatia although I wasn't devastated when France won.

[Sam]

2014 - Despite not wanting Ozil to get a medal for the temerity of missing against Brazil to make the scoreline in the semi 1-7 rather than the 0-8 is should have been, Germany all the way, more than any world cup in my life; it felt like one in the eye for the bloviating Premier League's ludicrous self-aggrandisement

I'm interested by this comment. What was it about Argentina that meant they symbolised the Premier League's ludicrous self-aggrandisement? Only two of the starting XI and one of the subs were playing for English clubs at the time the game was played (all for Man City).

[ad hoc]

I'm interested by this comment. What was it about Argentina that meant they symbolised the Premier League's ludicrous self-aggrandisement? Only two of the starting XI and one of the subs were playing for English clubs at the time the game was played (all for Man City).

I assume the fact that of all the players in the Germany side that obliterated Brazil, the one who "failed" was the one in the Premier league

[jameswba]

I didn't think it had anything to do with Argentina at all. I thought it was a Germany/England comparison. But just about the only things I recall about that World Cup are that Germany won it, England went out at the group stage, and the 7-1.

[jameswba]

I went to Russia for a week to the 2018 tournament as I'd always wanted to go to one. But, like my experience at Euro 2012, I found it quite dispiriting. It's a soulless, joyless corporate event that I can't ever imagine choosing to attend again. After I returned home from my week at it, I basically lost interest and barely watched any of the rest of the tournament.

I wrote something on the Champions League thread expressing these exacts sentiments, only about the Champions League. I attended three games in its group stage 12 years ago and lost all interest in the competition thereafter. I still like international football, have adopted Slovakia as my team and go to a lot of their qualifiers and friendlies. However, it's not a great stretch to imagine losing this feeling if I should ever go to the final stages of a tournament.

[seand]

I can take or leave international football but my one experience of the World Cup finals was in 2006, and it was fantastic. I can see the corporatisation getting worse and worse, and it was noticeable then, but Germany is a real football country with a real football culture. The locals were into it, it was hugely cosmopolitan, friendly and fun. I guess it was easily and cheaply accessible to lots of the participants, transport was a dream, great football infrastructure, great national infracstructure in terms of hotels, transport etc. It's almost as if- bear with me here- hosting a World Cup in a football mad, tourist-friendly country is a good idea.

Can't wait to bring the kids to Euro2024

[1974ddr]

However, for me, the World Cup has drifted off into the Disneyfication of football...

As I said, I love the old World Cups and the old Euros. But the modern versions turn me off. The teams aren't even that good, the organisers are awful, the event is corporate shite. Like the European Cup, for me, it's in the bin now. The World Cup will always be popular, and if other people enjoy it, good for them. I just don't think it's any good any more.

D'you know, I think I might agree with that assessment. I can't imagine watching a 'Champions League' match- it's been years since I bothered, it might have been Man Utd and Bayern in 1999, maybe I never got over the shattering disappointment. Maybe I've watched one or two since. Nothing memorable though. And now FIFA is doing all it can to destroy the last bastion of international football.

[Jimski]

It was definitely the one in France for me. That team was properly multicultural and I liked the statement it made when they won. And also, you know, Brazil...