Most memorable World Cup?

[AbovetheI]

In your lifetime.

For me it was 2006. The only World Cup I've been to so ill be a little biased towards it. Gr8 atmosphere over there and the weather was amazing in Frankfurt.

Most people at work are saying Italia '90, but I was only 3

[barelylubedcock]

1994, I was 13 and it was, imo, the last one where you only really knew about 20 players from the rest of the world before the tournament. Plus no England so great fun to watch random late night football.

I would reckon most people would pick either the one from their early teens for that reason or the one from their late teens because it was the first one they got utterly shanted watching. I was 17 for 1998 and 2002 was a) in the middle of my finals and b) in the morning.

[BR2]

1966.
Went to two England games.
Nobody thought we had the slightest chance of winning but the final was the day when the world (or,rather,England)stopped.
The most memorable game for me was the one between Italy and Brazil at the world cup in Spain-in fact with Northern Ireland also massively exceeding expectations that tournament runs 1966 close in my eyes.
Argentina winning theirs was great to watch.

[AbovetheI]

1994, I was 13 and it was, imo, the last one where you only really knew about 20 players from the rest of the world before the tournament. Plus no England so great fun to watch random late night football.

I would reckon most people would pick either the one from their early teens for that reason or the one from their late teens because it was the first one they got utterly shanted watching. I was 17 for 1998 and 2002 was a) in the middle of my finals and b) in the morning.

I vaguely remember the opening ceremony when Diana Ross missed a stupidly easy penalty during her song.

And the mascot was caked Striker

[barelylubedcock]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MPbJLG65iMg

[Sanguine]

Italia '90 for me, I was 9 at the time. Cameroon's shock win, Mark Wright's header, Platt's volley, Lineker bagging us a place in the semis, Baggio's brilliant solo effort, Enzo Scifo, Toto Schilacci, Ireland's shoot-out win over Romania, Rijkaard/Voeller spitting incident, Chris Waddle's miss and a pointless third-place playoff.

[Handsome Man]

Italia '90 for me, I was 9 at the time. Cameroon's shock win, Mark Wright's header, Platt's volley, Lineker bagging us a place in the semis, Baggio's brilliant solo effort, Enzo Scifo, Toto Schilacci, Ireland's shoot-out win over Romania, Rijkaard/Voeller spitting incident, Chris Waddle's miss and a pointless third-place playoff.

+1 to all that

Nessun Dorma, Des saying that only 3 teams could win the world cup and we were one of them, Gary Lineker telling us all Gazza would cry, Gazza, Scotland losing badly, World in Motion, 5-3-2

[TBM]

Italia '90 for me, I was 9 at the time. Cameroon's shock win, Mark Wright's header, Platt's volley, Lineker bagging us a place in the semis, Baggio's brilliant solo effort, Enzo Scifo, Toto Schilacci, Ireland's shoot-out win over Romania, Rijkaard/Voeller spitting incident, Chris Waddle's miss and a pointless third-place playoff.

Basically this ^^

[Sanguine]

Was also the first football I'd ever watched in colour. We had an old black and white thing with a dial, I remember watching Butcher's famous game against Sweden and not really appreciating all the blood until the papers the next day. My Dad went out a week before the World Cup and bought a little Hitachi TV so we could enjoy the football in colour.

[Wimb]

98 or possibly 2002.

[soggy biscuit]

98 holds good memories for me as it was my first pub watched world cup. Hazy memories of the games but just excitement that was beyond much of what I had seen before.

94 was gr8 for the reasons 'Lubedcock stated earlier. My eyes were opened to these magicians Hagi & Stoichkov, why had no one told about them before??

Now a world cup is full of players you already know and watch weekly in a, on the whole, higher standard competition (CL)

[Ark Royal]

Definitely 70 for me. Pele at the peak of his career leading the greatest team ever and attempting things on the field not done before or since; Gerd Muller scoring for fun; Luigi Riva's fantastic left peg and mental goal celebrations; the emergence of Teofilo Cubillas (my favourite destroyer of Scottish defensive walls); Ladislav Petras scoring for Czechoslovakia against Brazil and crossing himself; Jairzinho - still the only player to have scored in every game in a World Cup final tournament; and every time I see it, I STILL expect Jeff Astle to score against Brazil - and he never does.

[Tony Le Mesmer]

Cant beleive people are mentioning Italia 90. By far and away the worst world cup ever. The football was awful, littered with low scoring games, penalty shootouts, and cheating. Ireland got to the 1/4s without winning a game and scoring 2 goals The stadiums were half empty. The only good bit about it was that foul on Cannigia. One of the best football moments ever.

I liked Japan/Korea 2002. Packed pubs at 7am just wont be repeated. Some great games and Ronaldo winning the cup after 2 years out injured.

[retro_royal]

Italia '90 for me, I was 9 at the time. Cameroon's shock win, Mark Wright's header, Platt's volley, Lineker bagging us a place in the semis, Baggio's brilliant solo effort, Enzo Scifo, Toto Schilacci, Ireland's shoot-out win over Romania, Rijkaard/Voeller spitting incident, Chris Waddle's miss and a pointless third-place playoff.

The English kicked the shit out of the Paddys too. I was only 7 but cheered our hoolies on loud and proud when watching the news.

[TBM]

Cant beleive people are mentioning Italia 90. By far and away the worst world cup ever.

But when its the first world cup you actually remember all of, it holds a special place in my heart

I only remember bits of 86, as i was only 6 years old

[Avon Royal]

1986 for me. Probably still have the panini stickers somewhere.

[creative_username_1]

1966.
Went to two England games.
Nobody thought we had the slightest chance of winning but the final was the day when the world (or,rather,England)stopped.
The most memorable game for me was the one between Italy and Brazil at the world cup in Spain-in fact with Northern Ireland also massively exceeding expectations that tournament runs 1966 close in my eyes.
Argentina winning theirs was great to watch.

Was that the game with Paulo Rossi/Zico etc. Think it was 3-2 to the Italians. The first ever game of football i watched as kid. May have
set the bar too high as i assumed all games were like that, made me stop playing with my lego for a bit

[Barry the bird boggler]

78 was good. Scotland being thoroughly embarrassing in the games they supposedly Were going to win and the West Germany v Austria fiasco

82 wasn't bad but the tournament was marred by the damn stupid round robin second round.

86 was entertaining but ruined by the cheating Maradonna

90 was really good for all the shock results but the final itself was probably the worst ever

94 was probably the worst tournament overall, just so terribly dull - and American

Generally all the finals since then have been ruined by the media hype over how wonderful England are and the total predictability of what happens. Korea/Japan in 02 was probably the best overall of those.

Therefore think I'll say 1974 back in the days when football was just a game - exactly as it should be - and all the hype and wall to wall Sky type crap was absent.

[Jerry St Clair]

The answer to this is, basically, any World Cup that took place during your childhood.

So, Mexico 86 and Italia 90 for me.

[From Despair To Where?]

1982. The first World Cup that I remember but there seemed to be such a colourful tournament with so many talking points

Cameroon going out in the group stage without losing a game
England looking good for once
Algeria beating West Germany
Kuwaitis going a bit bonkers
David Narey's goal v Brazil
The traditional Scottish implosion
The Germany-Austria non aggression pact
Record scores (Hungary 10 El Salvador 1)
Northern Ireland beating Spain with 10 men
Maradona disgracing himself
THAT Italy - Brazil game
Schumacher - Battiston
A genuainely great final
Vein popping goal celebrations (Falcao, Tardelli)