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Spectators are getting ready for one of the biggest football events ever as the 2022 FIFA World Cup draws near. As the tournament approaches, we take a journey down memory lane and look back at some of the most memorable events from previous FIFA World Cups.
1950: Highest-attended match in World Cup History
To begin our list, in 1950, Brazil hosted the FIFA World Cup and made it all the way to the championship game. This was the most attended game in World Cup history, with a record total of 173,850 admissions booked for the event as crowds crowded the historical Maracana Stadium in Rio de Janeiro.
Unofficial estimates, such as those of people who got into the stadium without tickets, suggest that there were more than 200,000 spectators at the game. Of course, this number is nowhere near as good as those spectators choosing to watch the World Cup 2022 free livestream for obvious reasons.
What makes this number impressive is that this is not only the highest total ever for a FIFA World Cup match, but for any football match in history.
1958: The most goals in a single game in the World Cup
Looking back to the 1958 World Cup, so much has evolved relative to what we witnessed in Russia 2018, and perhaps what’s ahead in this WorldCup22. In retrospect, it’s easy to see that the world was a very different place when this French striker accomplished what is now considered one of the greatest athletic feats in history.
Courtesy of: https://youtu.be/R8Sktmmd3xE
In France’s six summer matches in Sweden, Fontaine scored 13 goals. It holds the high-water mark for the greatest number of goals scored in a single World Cup competition. Surprisingly, that World Cup was Fontaine’s only appearance at a World Cup.
1974: The Cruyff’s Turn was born
The next topic is one that has widespread familiarity among diehard football followers. To humiliate the Swedish defense coached by Jan Olsson, Johan Cruyff was famous for his feigned shot in which he drew the ball under his thigh and then switched directions in a twisting twirl.
Courtesy of: https://youtu.be/eD-2JFLBVVY
Even Olsson, who was the very first and best-documented Cruyff’s Turn victim, laughs when he watches a video of himself being fooled by Cruyff’s dummy at the 1974 World Cup. While Cruyff’s Turn isn’t the first of its kind, it did shock fans and punters alike which rightfully earns it a spot on this list.
1986: The Hand of God
Diego Maradona is without a doubt one of the best footballers of all time, having often defied convention. The fact that he did it on a global platform, though, is what truly distinguished him from other outstanding players. It was not only done but also accomplished with theatrical flair, by Maradona.
At halftime of the quarterfinal match at the 1986 World Cup, the score was 0-0 between Argentina and England. The term comes from when an errant English clearance let the ball roll into England’s 18-yard box, where a leaping Maradona tapped it in with his palm.
Courtesy of: https://youtu.be/oB-q_v_gGvY
1994: Oleg Salenko’s Smash Record
Russian forward Oleg Solenko set the tone for the 1994 tournament when he scored five goals as Russia thrashed Cameroon 6-1 in a group game. Solenko is the sole player in FIFA World Cup history to score five goals in a single match.
It’s not wrong to hope that the current World Cup 2022 fixtures Singapore time would catch us off guard in beating this smashing record.
Courtesy of: https://youtu.be/H1Kk0wMeDWs
Oleg Solenko scored six goals in his World Cup campaign, and his scoring streak has yet to be interrupted. Even more surprisingly, despite just playing on the group stage, he ended up sharing the golden boot with another player.
2006: The infamous wink by Cristiano Ronaldo
Cristiano Ronaldo and Wayne Rooney, then both of Manchester United, faced off against each other in a 2006 quarterfinal match between Portugal and England. Rooney thought he had been fouled as he became sandwiched between Portugal’s Ricardo Carvalho and Petit. Kicking out at Carvalho on the ascent.
The official noticed and didn’t approve. Even Cristiano Ronaldo noticed, and he was not pleased. Ronaldo sprinted over to the official and pleaded with him to eject Ronaldo’s club friend. It appeared to be successful, as Rooney was shown the red card.
Courtesy of: https://youtu.be/EJM_oDSCYuc
As he stepped away from the scuffle, cameras recorded Ronaldo winking at his colleagues on the sidelines in what appeared to be a gesture of appreciation for a well-done job.
Closing thoughts
The World Cup 2022 is evidently leading up to something big and exciting, with some even being extremely optimistic that this would not only reignite the enthusiasm of football fans after years of the pandemic. Football punters are eager to keep a close eye on the best World Cup betting odds 2022 is all set for the football spectacle to come.
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