Before we reveal the greatest World Cup goal of all time, one argument has to be dealt with first. Who was the better World Cup performer, Diego Maradona or Pelé?
On one side, the Argentine who could beat an entire team on his own. On the other, the Brazilian who did things with a football that nobody had imagined before. Both men owned the tournament in their own way, and both changed how football was played.
What the record says
- Pelé: 12 World Cup goals across four tournaments (1958, 1962, 1966, 1970) and three titles
- Maradona: 8 World Cup goals across four tournaments (1982, 1986, 1990, 1994) and one title
- Pelé's 1970 side is widely considered the greatest team ever; Maradona's 1986 campaign is widely considered the greatest individual performance
- Maradona scored both the Goal of the Century and the Hand of God in the same match against England in 1986, while Pelé's dummy against Uruguay and his header in the 1970 Final rank among the most creative moments the tournament has seen
So who wins?
There is no wrong answer here. Pelé had the longevity: three World Cups, 12 goals, and moments of beauty that went beyond sport. Maradona had the intensity: one tournament, in 1986, where he was so far ahead of everyone else that it felt slightly unfair on the opposition.
Both will be remembered as long as the World Cup is played. Tomorrow, the number one goal of all time, and one of these two men scored it.
Tomorrow: the number 1 World Cup goal of all time.
