{"id":43789,"date":"2026-04-12T05:39:12","date_gmt":"2026-04-12T04:39:12","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.mansionbet.com\/blog\/?p=43789"},"modified":"2026-04-20T05:48:27","modified_gmt":"2026-04-20T04:48:27","slug":"the-five-greatest-world-cup-finals-of-all-time","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.mansionbet.com\/blog\/sports\/the-five-greatest-world-cup-finals-of-all-time\/","title":{"rendered":"The Five Greatest World Cup Finals of All Time"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Photo by Wikimedia Commons 2.0<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Few sporting events bring the world to a standstill in the way that a FIFA World Cup final does and since 1930, it has been viewed as the pinnacle of the global footballing calendar.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Played out every four years, with the hopes of two nations resting on one game, World Cup finals tend to be dramatic and frenetic affairs.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Inevitably, there can only be one winner in these scenarios and with two countries giving their all to be etched into footballing immortality, the stakes are always sky high in World Cup finals.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

This tends to have one of two impacts on the final match itself.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

With so much on the line, both teams can become inhibited and play to \u2018not lose\u2019, making the match very cagey and tense.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The other, is one that plays into the hands of many World Cup betting sites<\/a>, is that both teams sense this is their one shot at glory and free-flowing, attacking football is on the agenda from the first minute to the last.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

However, the game itself pans out, is ultimately irrelevant in the context of the whole tournament, with lifting the FIFA World Cup trophy the ultimate objective for every country involved in the tournament.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Yet, there have been some incredible World Cup finals over the past century or so, which will live long in the memory for all who witnessed them and here is a rundown of the five greatest World Cup finals of all time:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

France 1 \u2013 1P Italy (Italy won 5-3 on penalties)
2006 FIFA World Cup, Germany<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Iconic moments define World Cups and the 2006 FIFA World Cup in Germany will always be remembered for Zinedine Zidane\u2019s input.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The legendary Frenchman had been the match winner as France lifted their first World Cup on home soil eight years earlier, netting a brace as they beat Brazil in the final.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Fast forward to 2006 and Zidane had announced that his glittering career with France was coming to an end, after the final against Italy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

True to form, Zizou opened the scoring for les Blues, with Marco Materazzi responding for the Italians.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The game\u2019s key flash point came late on however, as Materazzi was seen provoking Zidane verbally and uncharacteristically, Zidane reacted, headbutting the big Italian defender with all his might in the chest.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Zidane was sent off, setting the stage for one of the most poignant images in sporting history, as he walked past the iconic World Cup trophy in the tunnel.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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