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Favourite World Cup...

That; and the quality (of the tournaments, not necessarily football) has been declining, at least since 1998. I think that's partly due to the lack of romance and mystery, now all the players are so well know since they've all come into European club football. There used to be much more wonder about exotic unknown nations.

Germany Brasil at the last world cup will live long in the memory. I'll be happy if this world cup gives us a game like that.

I kind of miss teams and players being a mystery going into the tournament. All of the best players end up in Europe now, there is so much football on TV and styles of play are more uniform, so we get less surprises.
 
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Italy 90 is my least favorite WC. Found it incredibly boring, with lots of defensive and low scoring games, and very few stand out moments. You lot from England probably have fond memories because it's one of few world cups where England was actually decent/managed to meet expectations.
 
It seems that nearly everyone's favourite world cup is the first one that they properly remember
no, I remember being on a summer school trip down to swanage, and watching my team get beaten by the hosts in the final :(

1978 Argentina v Holland, little did I know two legends would be coming our way ...:D
 
It’s here! It’s here!

Happy World Cup day everybody!

I’ll watch game one at work but I’ve booked tomorrow off to dive in. Surprisingly excited by Morocco - Iran.
 
Italy 90 is my least favorite WC. Found it incredibly boring, with lots of defensive and low scoring games, and very few stand out moments. You lot from England probably have fond memories because it's one of few world cups where England was actually decent/managed to meet expectations.

There were a lot of really great players at their peaks there - Maradona, Baggio, van Basten, Gullit, Matthaus, Klinsmann, Lineker and Gazza. Brazil had a poor side, but the 4 semi-finalists and the Dutch were all very strong teams.

It also marked the first breakout of Africa as a 3rd major footballing continent.
 
There were a lot of really great players at their peaks there - Maradona, Baggio, van Basten, Gullit, Matthaus, Klinsmann, Lineker and Gazza. Brazil had a poor side, but the 4 semi-finalists and the Dutch were all very strong teams.

It also marked the first breakout of Africa as a 3rd major footballing continent.
And despite of all the high profile players, it was largely a disappointing tournament for the neutral fan.
 
For me, 1986 World Cup was the best as there were so many outstanding teams like Brazil, France, Argentina, Soviet Union, Belgium, Denmark and Spain. The Final where Argentina defeated W.Germany 3-2 was also one of the best in history.
 
It seems that nearly everyone's favourite world cup is the first one that they properly remember

I have some memories of 1970, but 1974 was the first I remember well. England not being there and Holland not winning make it stand out less. Repeat in 1978. Which leaves me without a clear favourite. I think it easier to say 1990 and 2010 were the worst for different reasons.

  • Match - France vs Brazil '86 (unbelivable game, played in 45° heat!)

Perhaps this makes my worst moment. I was living in Philadelphia and only a few games were being screened. This was one of them and a game to look forward to. I think it was on at something like 4pm locally so I'd been into work and came back anticipating the game.

But the Phillies were playing baseball in the slot beforehand. The game went to 17 innings and ended in time for the last ten minutes of the football. It was so frustrating watching the stupid baseball.
 
I have some memories of 1970, .

That was a great W/C, the England game against Brazil was one of the best i have ever seen. Moore was immense ( even Pele said he was the best he had played against), the save by Banks which is still considered one of the best ever. The final against Italy was a walk in the park for Brazil and i still believe that Brazil team was the best i have ever seen.
 
That 1990 England v cameroon match, i remember was on the other side of the world and woke in the middle of the night to see david platt score that amazing spin and volley from the free kick. Then Cameroon...

That was vs Belgium. Gazza chipped it to Platt for that beautiful spin volley.

Platt scored a header against Cameroon.


 
Just wondering, how many World Cups everyone here have followed or watched in their lifetime ? I started to watch a few matches in the 1982 and 1986 World Cups while still in school. After that started to watch all the matches from the 1990 World Cup onwards.

Despite what people say, World Cup is bigger than politics and the world as it brings the whole world together. You just cannot simply ignore or boycott the World Cup as everyone will follow or know others who follow the World Cups in their lifetime.:p
 
I watched some games with my uncle and dad in -82, but don't remember much of that as I was only 5. 86 was epic. I had lots of WC posters and still have some of them.
 
I vaguely remember '74.
I was 5/6 and a misguided aunt bought me a full Scotland strip and football boots.
It felt like it weighed a ton. The embroidered badge and Umbro sleeve stripe alone weighed more than me.
Can still remember buying the boots at Robertson stores at the Tron in Glasgow.
Happy days.
 
I vaguely remember '74.
I was 5/6 and a misguided aunt bought me a full Scotland strip and football boots.
It felt like it weighed a ton. The embroidered badge and Umbro sleeve stripe alone weighed more than me.
Can still remember buying the boots at Robertson stores at the Tron in Glasgow.
Happy days.

half my family are Scots so I had a few shirts when I was younger, I loved the mid 90's tartan one but the badge did cause nipple rub
 
1966 Everything was great, I was the right age just turn 19, got to go to 4 games, a totally forgetable opener against Uruguay, two other group games and the semi against Portugal.

West Germany had a great team and played some terrific football as did Hungary.

Pele was kicked out of the competition by all the teams that played Brazil.

North Korea were the shock team, beating Italy and leading 3-0 against Portugal in the quarter final before losing 5-3, Eusabio was scoring goals for fun.

The final was low key with both sides cancelling each other out, I think Germany made a big mistake putting Beckenbaur on a man marking role on Charlton, their game missed his drive.

After the match went down to the playground in my mates flats and relived the game in a 20 a side game. Then down the pub to get legless and pull a bird.
 
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World Cup, Spain, 1982

Camera: Nikon FM2 with MD-11 winder.
Lens: Nikkor 24mm f2
Film: Kodak Tri-X 400 asa, push to 1600 asa.

Brazil 2-1 Soviet Union.

Image shows Brazil's Junior leaping onto the shoulders of Eder who had just scored the winning goal in the second half of their opening group game in Sevilla.

I only got onto the pitch for the second half as complications with my press credentials delayed me past kickoff. Could only access the pitch at half time. crossing the moat on two 2x10 boards with an Alsatian snapping at my heels as its handler laughed as I scrambled over. I was lucky enough to get a coloured bib for the end Brazil was attacking. This shot was on one of two rolls I handed in to the Associated Press editor, who had no idea that some unknown Canadian university student was working for them.

Cropped into a vertical image, it made the front page of Brazil's O Globo newspaper the next day. The entire front page. I did alright freelancing, making about US$2,000 in game shooting fees and at least that again selling file photos back in Canada.

Still in university, I got my credentials by working as overnight picture editor for a wire service that let me chat often with staff at the London bureau as morning was breaking in Britain. Good relationships formed over a year and they wangled an extra photo pass for me.

Took my girlfriend - now my wife - and we stayed on the south coast of Spain, about 60 miles from Malaga, in the little town of Salobrena, where we had free use of a villa owned by my wife's relations in a condo complex. I covered the Brazil, USSR, Scotland and New Zealand group in the first round, then into Madrid for the remainder. She'd get a ticket to stand at one end but had her backside constantly pinched. Went home after the group stage.

But Salobrena was a treat. Great view of the ocean, courtyard pool had topless French women lounging about, fabulous seafood, paella and wines. Terrifying little commute along the cliff-side coastal road to Malaga, crazy drivers passing us all the time on bends.

Hilarious sight of Scots fans in Malaga chucking frisbees about on the beach in their kilts, snorting at any suggestion they rub on some sun screen: "Tha's fer girls" they'd scoff. Turned into absolute lobsters the next day or two, shivering under wet towels to sooth their scorched skin.

Northern Ireland camp was great to cover. One big laugh the entire time, local kids running about the pitch taking on the WC team. Gerry Armstrong was always very nice to speak with.

The Bernabeu was something else. I still remember vividly walking through an access gate onto the pitchside area and smelling the sharp aroma of freshly cut grass, everything around shimmering in the afternoon heat. The stands just looked so intimidating.

Had a great time, a successful trip and got to cover the '86 World Cup in Mexico because of that.
 
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