Twenty-four passes, and nearly every Argentina outfield player on the ball, before Esteban Cambiasso slotted it into the net. It came in the 31st minute of a group game against Serbia and Montenegro at the 2006 World Cup, and it is still one of the finest team goals the tournament has seen.
Riquelme, Crespo, Saviola and Sorin all played their part. The passing was so smooth it looked like a training-ground exercise, and Serbia could not get near the ball.
How do you score after 24 passes?
Patiently. Argentina kept the ball, moved it and waited for the opening, and Serbia chased shadows. When the chance finally came, Cambiasso finished with a calm side-foot into the corner, as if the goal were the least important part of the move.
Argentina went on to win 6-0, one of the most dominant group-stage displays in World Cup history. FIFA and many pundits rate this as the best team goal the World Cup has produced.
Cambiasso's name is on the scoresheet, but the goal belonged to the whole team from the first pass to the last. Every player was in sync, and every touch had a purpose. Call it total football, Argentine style. If you wanted to show someone how the game can be played, this would be a sensible place to start.
Tomorrow: number 16.
