Best World Cup semifinal match ever?

The World Cup is creeping up on us, so let's get some voting going..

In your opinion, what’s been the greatest World Cup semi-final of all time??

My absolute highlight was watching Germany shut down Brazil and all their circus act. Honestly, my only regret is that Neymar wasn't on the pitch for that one; seeing his disappointed face would have been pure gold. Don't get me wrong, I don't have anything against Brazil—I actually have a soft spot for them—but they played some absolutely atrocious football during that World Cup. To make matters worse, they managed to knock out a beautiful Colombian side, and frankly, the refs were totally rigged against them. I'm telling you, this upcoming World Cup is going to be fucking chaotic.

That much is obvious. Sevilla 1982, France vs. Germany. That was the first time at a World Cup where penalties actually decided who moved on. You had Schumacher's attempt to take out Batiston—then Tresore and Gires's goals to make it 3:1 in the first half of extra time. Then Rummenigge comes on and scores to make it 3:2... then Fischer's scissor kick to pull it to 3:3.......legendary penalty shootout and Amoros...
A legendary match that definitely had more "soul" than just a game.

Listen up, because I'm telling you right now: England and Egypt are hitting the semifinals in 2018, and it's gonna be Belgium versus Portugal in the final. Our guys might scrape their way to the quarterfinals, but they're getting knocked out by Egypt right after.

I wasn't even around back then, but looking at that footage, the West Germany-Italy match from 1970 definitely earns that title.

Look, it’s not like I was sitting there in my underwear or anything, but if I had to pick, I’d go with that West Germany vs. France match from Sevilla 1982. Just based on the clips and all the drama and old grudges that came out of it, plus that weirdly mystical vibe surrounding that magical night at the Pizjuan...

The game had everything—crazy comebacks, absolute stunners of goals, legendary solo runs, heroes, heartbreak, villains, and the kind of wild finish you just can't make up.

Italy vs Germany in 2006—hands down one of the best World Cups ever, especially with crazy Zidane in the mix. But man, that specific game? The tension was off the charts. It was absolutely insane. And that Italian unity? You just knew they were taking the whole thing home after that

Some of these matches have wandered completely off course on this thread, ranging from 2010 all the way back to 1990...

I was just a kid in elementary school back in '98, so my memory of those games is a bit fuzzy. I mostly rely on watching the replays now. Looking at the list of matches I’ve revisited, that Netherlands-Uruguay game was an absolute banger. I can't bring myself to vote for Germany, though. Sure, they absolutely dismantled Brazil, but it wasn't even a contest. It was just Germany running wild; there was zero suspense. Honestly, after those first 45 minutes of pure chaos, it actually got kind of boring.

graniteotter6 said:Some of these matches have wandered completely off course on this thread, ranging from 2010 all the way back to 1990...

Honestly, I have no clue what you were even trying to say there. I'll just chalk it up to old-age dementia—though we should probably decide if it's yours or mine first...

I’d also be siding with that '82 semifinal everyone was talking about. No other game even comes close when you look at it through those lenses. A distant second? Maybe Bulgaria-Italy from '94. Mostly because I was rooting for the Slavic brothers back then, against those always-hated Digić guys.

If we're talking about Euro semifinals, though, it’s gotta be France-Portugal from '84. But yeah, those ones from '88, '92, and '96 are right up there too.

Samuel Lopez9 said:Honestly, I have no clue what you were even trying to say there. I'll just chalk it up to old-age dementia—though we should probably decide if it's yours or mine first...

I’d also be siding with that '82 semifinal everyone was talking about. No other game even comes close when you look at it through those lenses. A distant second? Maybe Bulgaria-Italy from '94. Mostly because I was rooting for the Slavic brothers back then, against those always-hated Digić guys.

If we're talking about Euro semifinals, though, it’s gotta be France-Portugal from '84. But yeah, those ones from '88, '92, and '96 are right up there too.

What do you mean "hard to figure out"? Just talk about the games listed in the poll.

Adam King6 said:What do you mean "hard to figure out"? Just talk about the games listed in the poll.

Ahaaaa!!!
The Tapatalk app isn't showing me any poll or the list of games or anything... just the posts.

I honestly don't get why the Netherlands-Uruguay match ended up showing up on this thread. 🤷

Samuel Lopez9 said:Honestly, I have no clue what you were even trying to say there. I'll just chalk it up to old-age dementia—though we should probably decide if it's yours or mine first...

I’d also be siding with that '82 semifinal everyone was talking about. No other game even comes close when you look at it through those lenses. A distant second? Maybe Bulgaria-Italy from '94. Mostly because I was rooting for the Slavic brothers back then, against those always-hated Digić guys.

If we're talking about Euro semifinals, though, it’s gotta be France-Portugal from '84. But yeah, those ones from '88, '92, and '96 are right up there too.

Netherlands-Germany, Netherlands-Denmark, and Germany-England. It’s a fairly obvious pattern for Euro semifinals. Netherlands-Germany is just a step behind those two. Netherlands-Denmark is pretty much on par with Germany-England.
Don't forget 2000—Italy-Netherlands was legendary. Another pattern there. Then 2008, Germany-Turkey, which fits the pattern too. 🤣 2012, 2016, and even 2004 felt like rather robotic semifinals. Interestingly, looking at those three tournaments, only the Germans are mentioned as semifinalists; the Dutch aren't even in the conversation. In 2016, it was a fairly easy loss to the hosts, and in 2012, it was to Italy. In both semifinals, they didn't even manage a shot on goal. Beat the Germans in the semifinal only to lose the final—that seems to have been the case for the last two Euros. ☕

As for the 1994 semifinals, I wasn't a fan of either. You had the blown-out Bulgarians and the routine Italians; the second half of that one was completely lifeless.

Adam King6 said:What do you mean "hard to figure out"? Just talk about the games listed in the poll.

🤣

What is there to debate among decent people when it's obvious who here just enjoys being contrarian?

Netherlands-Uruguay is a distasteful one for me, simply because I can't stand how Uruguay bullied them in Africa. They've left a bad taste in my mouth ever since. Someone might find that match great, but I don't, and the whole tournament was mediocre, much like 1990. Perhaps that's a bit of an overstatement, but it belongs on the list.

Elizabeth Mendoza said:I was just a kid in elementary school back in '98, so my memory of those games is a bit fuzzy. I mostly rely on watching the replays now. Looking at the list of matches I’ve revisited, that Netherlands-Uruguay game was an absolute banger. I can't bring myself to vote for Germany, though. Sure, they absolutely dismantled Brazil, but it wasn't even a contest. It was just Germany running wild; there was zero suspense. Honestly, after those first 45 minutes of pure chaos, it actually got kind of boring.

That's weird. I wasn't even seven years old during the World Cup in France, hadn't even started school yet, but everything from that tournament is still burned into my brain. Even after all this time, it feels like I'm remembering someone else's life.
And it’s not just about the matches or the goals. I remember exactly where I was watching every single game, who I was with, random comments from people at home, and my little brother's pessimistic predictions that always ended up leaving him totally bummed out. The smells, the anticipation, the vibe... it's hard to imagine a better summer to be a kid. For my generation, soccer became a full-blown obsession right then.
I remember that World Cup in France way better than the one in Brazil that wrapped up four years ago, and it'll always be my absolute favorite...

driftingfox66 said:I wasn't even around back then, but looking at that footage, the West Germany-Italy match from 1970 definitely earns that title.

For sure. People actually called it the Match of the Century or something like that.

Robert Torres said:That's weird. I wasn't even seven years old during the World Cup in France, hadn't even started school yet, but everything from that tournament is still burned into my brain. Even after all this time, it feels like I'm remembering someone else's life.
And it’s not just about the matches or the goals. I remember exactly where I was watching every single game, who I was with, random comments from people at home, and my little brother's pessimistic predictions that always ended up leaving him totally bummed out. The smells, the anticipation, the vibe... it's hard to imagine a better summer to be a kid. For my generation, soccer became a full-blown obsession right then.
I remember that World Cup in France way better than the one in Brazil that wrapped up four years ago, and it'll always be my absolute favorite...

I remember our games, especially those knockout rounds. Germany stands out. I even remember watching the players being greeted on TV, but the rest of the tournament is a total blur for me. Honestly, maybe you just have a better memory than I do.🤷

I can recall tiny little details without even needing to watch highlights. I remember the name Tor Andre Flo and how Brazil got wrecked in the group stage. I remember the Romanians and their blue hair. I remember Salas and Zamorano taking down Italy. Small stuff like that sticks, but remembering specific scores or match details? No way.

That summer, I mostly associate it with FIFA '99, Carnival de Paris, Adidas's Tricolore, and that rooster mascot.

My real, detailed memories don't really kick in until the Euro 2000.

Elizabeth Mendoza said:I remember our games, especially those knockout rounds. Germany stands out. I even remember watching the players being greeted on TV, but the rest of the tournament is a total blur for me. Honestly, maybe you just have a better memory than I do.🤷

I can recall tiny little details without even needing to watch highlights. I remember the name Tor Andre Flo and how Brazil got wrecked in the group stage. I remember the Romanians and their blue hair. I remember Salas and Zamorano taking down Italy. Small stuff like that sticks, but remembering specific scores or match details? No way.

That summer, I mostly associate it with FIFA '99, Carnival de Paris, Adidas's Tricolore, and that rooster mascot.

My real, detailed memories don't really kick in until the Euro 2000.

Same here, since we were born in the same year.

I remember Hakan Şükür, and the Romanians like Popescu, Dimitrescu, and Filipescu with those crazy hairstyles you mentioned.

I remember Valović's celebration against the Germans, the general vibe in the country, and the Carnival de Paris, of course. I might remember more if I watched some tapes.

I was born in '89, so I remember '98 in France pretty vividly. Honestly, I remember it better than any other World Cup since. If you threw random scores from that tournament at me, I could probably nail most of them. Brazil? Not so much.

That was actually the only tournament where I sat through all 64 matches. I’ll admit, I almost passed out during Paraguay - Bulgaria.

Elizabeth Mendoza said:I remember our games, especially those knockout rounds. Germany stands out. I even remember watching the players being greeted on TV, but the rest of the tournament is a total blur for me. Honestly, maybe you just have a better memory than I do.🤷

I can recall tiny little details without even needing to watch highlights. I remember the name Tor Andre Flo and how Brazil got wrecked in the group stage. I remember the Romanians and their blue hair. I remember Salas and Zamorano taking down Italy. Small stuff like that sticks, but remembering specific scores or match details? No way.

That summer, I mostly associate it with FIFA '99, Carnival de Paris, Adidas's Tricolore, and that rooster mascot.

My real, detailed memories don't really kick in until the Euro 2000.

How could I not remember when it was all brand new and exciting? I was soaking everything up like a sponge. Every single game was watched in dead silence with total focus. Nowadays, watching a soccer match feels like eating a kebab—just something you do reflexively, without thinking, without any real feeling, while a hundred other things are running through your head at the same time.

From that '98 run, I still remember Paraguay and that one crazy goalkeeper—he was taller than everyone else on the pitch and had so much ego he took all the free kicks and almost sank the Spaniards, though I think he hit the crossbar. I remember that team's tragic collapse in extra time against some scrappy hosts, Valderrama's spectacular chip, the way they played with Cuahtemoc Blanco like he was a circus act dancing through the field, Chile's duo Zamorano-Salas barely scraping through the group without a win, the celebrations from Brian Laudrup and Bob Vieri, those bright colored boots the Jamaicans wore, Bergkamp's clinical finish against the Argentines, and a hundred other things.