Greatest Goals in World Cup History: Top 20 Ranked

From Maradona's Hand of God to Mbappe's World Cup Final strikes, these are the 20 greatest goals ever scored on football's biggest stage. Each goal changed history.

The "Goal of the Century" saw Diego Maradona collect the ball inside his own half, beat five England players and goalkeeper Peter Shilton, covering 60 meters in 10.6 seconds with 11 touches. The goal combined extraordinary close control at maximum speed, feints that left defenders on the ground, and a finish of remarkable composure. It was voted the greatest goal in World Cup history by FIFA's official poll, receiving 73% of the vote.

Brazil's fourth goal in the 1970 Final against Italy is considered the greatest team goal in football history. A flowing sequence of nine passes involving seven different players culminated in Pele's lay-off to Carlos Alberto, who thundered a right-foot drive into the bottom corner. The goal encapsulated Brazil's jogo bonito philosophy and remains the benchmark for collective attacking excellence.

Great goals share common elements: technical difficulty, the significance of the moment, the quality of the opposition, and the element of surprise. A tap-in to win a World Cup Final is historically important but not technically great. Conversely, a spectacular strike in a group stage dead rubber lacks the dramatic context. The truly greatest goals combine both—exceptional skill deployed at the most critical moments.

With expanded teams and more matches, the 2026 World Cup offers unprecedented opportunity for goal-scoring brilliance. The North American venues, with their large, pristine pitches, favor the kind of open, attacking play that produces spectacular goals. With Mbappe, Haaland, Vinicius, and Yamal all at or near their peak, the ingredients for new "Greatest Goal" contenders are firmly in place.