Classic: The 10 most memorable epic battles in the long history of football

Not everyone remembers the first football game they watched, but there are always some games in our minds worth savoring repeatedly. These are usually the matches of our favorite club or national team. However, some games have stories that are so engaging that you can’t look away even if your home team is not on the court. They became a turning point in football history, transforming the sport and engraving the players’ names in the eternal hall of legend. This is exactly the game we are going to talk about.

Here you will see wonderful goals, great reversals, revolutionary tactical decisions, the collision of legendary superstars, the suspense that lasts to the last second, and the surging emotions. These are not only the finals of the Champions League and the World Cup, but also classic battles that will be forever engraved in our memory.

In the greatest match selection in football history, experts always mention Liverpool's final against Milan, Italy's semi-final against West Germany in 1970, and the recent final against Argentina against France in the World Cup in Qatar. But that's not all. Here are our top ten peak matchups.

10. England 3-6 Hungary, Friendly match, 1953

This is the first heavyweight showdown to be named "War of the Century", although it has no significance for any championship. The only thing that was concerned at that time was the honor of the founding country of modern football (England), who were challenged by the Olympic champion (Hungary). Englishman Herbert Chapman revolutionized the game with his 3-2-5 formation in the 1930s, but the world has moved forward, and this game is proof of it.

The Hungarians not only had superstars (Puskash, Chibor, Kochis), but they also brought about a tactical revolution. When the English laughed at Puskas, who was slightly fat, Chideguti became a key player in changing the situation and staged a hat trick. Cidiguti is a new type of striker who is good at running without the ball and always appears in unexpected positions by the English.

The Times wrote: "The English woke up and found themselves in a strange world, a world where red ghosts sprinted through. At least, the Hungarians in bright red jerseys looked like this in their skilled and powerful offense." If you want to see how a specific game shows the football revolution, this is the game.

9. Manchester United 4-3 Real Madrid, in the first leg of the 2002/03 Champions League quarter-finals, Real Madrid won 3-1 at home. But at Old Trafford, we witnessed a visual feast that would make any kid fall in love with football. In the second leg, Solskjaer started instead of Beckham. The incident of flying boots hitting Beckham's face after the match against Arsenal is still vivid in my mind, but the Champions League semi-finals seat is in danger. Perron, who was injured for a long time and failed to shine in England, also made a substitute.

The first half ended 1-1, but then the roller coaster-like plot began. When Ronaldo scored a hat trick to rewritten the score to 3-2, even those who believed in the miracle the most began to shake. When the Brazilian was replaced, the audience raised a standing ovation. "Ronaldo destroyed us. People all over the stadium stood up and applauded him, and that kind of applause was usually left to Manchester United players. Manchester United fans know the ball, and it was their honor to watch Ronaldo play. That night, I was particularly proud of them when I saw the fans responding to Ronaldo with their arms raised and applauded," Beckham later recalled.

Beckham's appearance changed the game. The "heartthrob" scored twice and said that his subsequent penalty against Real Madrid was the best goal in his career. Real Madrid players reminded Beckham that he would play for them soon, while angry David tried to score the third goal. He failed to score again, but he did make a successful transfer to Madrid.

8. Argentina 2-1 England, the 1986 World Cup quarterfinals

This game gave birth to two of the most famous goals in World Cup history, both scored by Maradona. The game took place four years after the end of the Falkland Islands War. The Argentines completed their revenge on the football field, and they admitted that the satisfaction of the victory even exceeded that of the final championship.

In the scorching sun, the game itself is by no means the best in history before an event occurs. England defender Hodge kicked the ball into the air when he cleared the ball in his penalty area. Maradona has never been a header, but this time it doesn't matter, "The Hand of God" determines everything. Neither Tunisian referee Ali bin Nasser nor Bulgarian lineman Bogdan Dochev saw the handball. Both ended their referee careers soon after.

"My teammates were obviously confused. I told them to hug me or the referee would not have made a goal valid. Some people said we were robbing the English. I replied with a proverb: Stealing thieves can be completely forgiven," Maradona recalled.

The Mandela effect also appeared after the game, because Maradona did not directly say the "Hand of God" goal; his words were slightly different: "There is one point of this goal, the hand of God, and the other is Maradona's head."

Maradona's second goal was pure magic, which is the greatest goal in World Cup history and perhaps even the entire football history. In 9 seconds, Diego passed four players (Billsley, Reed, Butcher and Fenwick), followed by goalkeeper Hilton. The Argentinian ran 44 steps, touched the ball with his left foot 12 times, and his top speed reached 14.4 km/h.

Lingker scored a goal, but England failed to tie the score. If you want to appreciate pure genius at a glance, just watch this game.

7. Manchester City 3-2 Queen's Park Rangers, 2011/12 Premier League, round 38

93:20 has become an iconic number for Manchester City, because that is the time when Aguero breaks through the Queen's Park Rangers goal. Manchester City's two heroes have the same points. Manchester City have a better goal difference (+8), but their opponents are fighting for relegation. Manchester United plays Sunderland without desires.

After taking the lead at Manchester City, QPR not only equalized the score, but also took the lead 2-1. "After 1-1, fear numbed our legs. We froze, thinking about how high the punishment is," Dzeko said. By the 90th minute, Manchester United, who defeated Sunderland, was already the champion.

10 players (Joey Patton was sent off) QPR is leading Manchester City toward a heroic victory. Time passed by minute by minute, and Dzeko and Balotelli came on as substitutes, which worked. Manchester City's 19th corner kick brought results, and Dzeko scored a header. But the draw still means the Red Devils will win the championship.

"I played like an amateur player. Nothing went smoothly. All my attempts failed. It felt like I had two left feet. I wanted to do my best to help the team. But I quickly felt that I was a burden," Aguero recalled his performance at the beginning of the game.

In the last few minutes, Balotelli was the calmest one. He didn't think too much and pushed the ball to Aguero, but the Argentinian thought a lot: "In those two seconds, a few thoughts flashed through my mind: How to deal with it? Will there be a foul? I waded through Taivo and felt the ball hit my right leg. In the microseconds, I faced the choice: keep moving forward or fall down, counting on the penalty. The contact was slight, so I continued to dribble. Then I got the opportunity I had been waiting for. I had to grab it, so I shot with all my might and pray for good luck to come."

This was Balotelli's first and last assist in that Premier League season, and the last goal of the whole season, which happened in the 93rd minute.

If you haven't seen it yet, check out the most epic ending in Premier League history.

6. Liverpool 4-0 Barcelona, ​​2018/19 Champions League semi-finals

Barcelona easily defeated Klopp's team in the first leg (3-0). Messi also created an excellent opportunity for Dembele to score a fourth goal in the last few seconds, but the Frenchman failed to seize it. Anfield's optimism was not much left, Salah and Firmino were absent, and no one expected to turn the tables. This is what anyone else thinks, but not Liverpool's.

Suarez and Coutinho returned to the place where they were worshipped, but felt the greatest hostility. Origi's quick goal helped Liverpool, and the game became a masterpiece of his career. But Barcelona entered the break with a two-goal advantage. Then came Wijnaldum's magical two minutes, who turned the situation around with two goals and equalized the total score. Then there was Arnold's famous corner kick, who seemed to be leaving the ball to Shaqiri... but unexpectedly, he quickly passed the ball to Origi.

"There is only one secret: Origi is the perfect striker to complete this reversal. He is the calmest person in the world football world. He is always calm, and I have never seen him nervous," Arnold recalled.

If you need confidence and blessing, just look at this game.

5. Italy 3-2 Brazil, in the 1982 World Cup group stage, Santana's Brazil team would rank first. "Everyone can play the ball the way they want as long as the main task is done. It sounds strange, but it works. Everything is done by wisdom and improvisation. I play on the wing, center, last defender, defensive midfielder, and it depends on what happened in the game. Even if we can't win the World Cup, we will turn the formation from 4-2-4 to 4-3-3 and change everything that was invented before," said Socrates, the captain known as the 'philosopher'.

Socrates, Zico and Falcao, a philosopher, an artist and a sculptor, jointly shaped the football style of the "Samba Legion". "They aren't like people on this planet. Brazil in 1982 was the best team I've ever seen. They can know their place on the court even if they blindfolded their eyes," said Rossi, who played a hat-trick in that game.

Rossi responded to Socrates and Falcao's goals, while Berzot's pragmatic style of play changed football, especially in Brazil. Since then, every Brazilian coach has considered the results first, sacrificing beautiful football. That's why Brazil won the World Cup in 1994, even though it was a much less-watched team. "We played with a smile, we had an amazing team. Then Rossi scored three goals with three touches. Football as we know it died that day," Socrates concluded.

If you want to see a collision of worldviews, you have to watch this game.

4. Manchester United 2-1 Bayern Munich, 1998/99 Champions League final

Before the concept of "Ferguson Time" appeared, its origins can be traced back to that night at the Camp Nou. Bayern controlled the game confidently, and Basler led 1-0 after scoring the goal. "I always say that I actually won the Champions League. After all, I was replaced in the 89th minute!" Basler joked later, but the remaining time was enough to subvert everything.

"Basler and Mattus left as if they had won an Oscar," Stam wrote in his autobiography. There are only a few minutes left before the game ends. Even Schmeichel rushed into the penalty area and competed for the corner kick taken by Beckham, but the hero was not him. Manchester United scored two goals in a row within 103 seconds. Sheringham and Solskjaer are not even the team's main striker, but this is their time to shine. Two goals turned the world around when Beckenbauer was coming down from the stands to prepare for the award ceremony.

3. Liverpool 3-3 AC Milan (3-2 penalty kick), 2004/05 Champions League final

There are too many words and discussions about the Istanbul final, enough to fill a few books. “This is a wound that is still bleeding. They wrote that we started celebrating at the halftime break. That's a lie. Maldini was the first to say that even if he fell behind 0-3, Liverpool would not give up. We remind each other of this," Shevchenko said.

"When Rafa (Benitez) walked into the locker room, he said: 'Quiet. Traore. Go take a shower, Haman, you go play one of the three guards. ’He wants Harman and Alonso to be on guard against Kaka, while Luis Garcia and I try to fight Pirlo. He also hopes that Seedov will retreat as well. The formation becomes more like 3-4-2-1. We haven't played like this before, but Benitez's determination inspired us because at least we had a plan," Gerrard said.

This plan worked: after falling 0-3 in the first half, Liverpool scored three goals in a row. Then Dudek saved Shevchenko's shot. "How did I save that? A little intuition, a little training, and the sacred hand of Pope John Paul II, who is from Poland and died just a month before the final,” Dudek explained. The Pope was with him in the penalty shootout, so Milan had no chance. It was a great game that was definitely worth watching, especially if you are not a fan of the Ross and Blacks.

2. Italy 4-3 West Germany, 1970 World Cup semi-finals

In football, there were several games called "The Battle of the Century", but this even had a commemorative nameplate at the Aztec Stadium in Mexico City. Italy led 1-0 until the 90th minute, Schnelinger equalized the score. But in overtime, a goal frenzy began so much that everyone forgot that they were playing "chain defense". Five goals were scored in overtime.

Riva and Rivera scored key goals, and Ged Muller scored twice for Germany. Due to the heat of the game, Italian goalkeeper Albertosi threw away his gloves and threw out Muller and Schiller's powerful shots with bare hands. Beckenbauer kicked for nearly an hour with a broken collarbone injury, because both substitutions were used up.

"Overtime is like a fight between two boxers who are unstable, unable to protect their heads, and punch each other," recalled journalist Harry Valerian. "When it was over, I fell to my knees, and Riva and Bonensenia ran towards me. Trust me, at that moment, their kiss was sweeter than Sofia Roland and Laurobalijdda’s kiss,” Rivera joked after the game.

This game is like a fine wine, and it’s fragrant.

1. Argentina 3-3 France (4-2 penalty kick), the memory of the 2022 World Cup final

The memory of the Qatar final is too fresh to be reinterpreted, but Argentina and France are likely to have played the most exciting final in World Cup history.

It has everything: a collision of two geniuses, an incredible reversal and a dramatic penalty shootout. Here are the epic heroes: Mbappe and Messi; there is also a "drama": Emiliano Martinez. At the same time, there is almost no blame for referee Mazinac, which is It is rare in a final with three penalty kicks. The drama of the match, the level of both sides and the status of this final made it top our list. Greatness often takes time to see clearly, but this match can be classified as epic. What made the greatest match?

Looking at this list, we see that it is not only the trophy that has been fought for, but also the drama, the history of the participants, the legendary performance and the overall atmosphere. England and Hungary The example of Leicester shows that even a friendly match can be a classic.

There are also some legendary matches that failed to enter the top ten. These include the "Berne Miracle" in the 1954 World Cup final, when Germany defeated Hungary in an upset, creating a huge upset. There is also the legendary battle between Germany and France at the 1982 World Cup, which reversed in overtime and won the first penalty shootout in World Cup history. La Coruna's shocking reversal against strong Milan in the Champions League, and the 2006 World Cup final between France and Italy.

How can we forget Germany's 7-1 victory over Brazil in 2014 and Barcelona's epic comeback against Paris Saint-Germain in 2017? Any of these games is enough to make our list.

It is these football blockbusters that make us love football, let us retell the progress of the game in the bar, let us remember where you were when Zidane was overhead, or where you were when Ramos broke the Atletico Madrid goal in the last second of the game.

Which game do you think is the greatest game in football history?