Top 5 Matches of the FIFA World Cup to date

While the relative ‘minnows’ have been winnowed out by now, they generally gave as good as they got. The current Golden Boot race is turning out to be a real doozie, with Messi, Mbappe and Haaland followed closely by Harry Kane. With the Round of 16 matches almost over, I thought it would be a good time to rank my personal picks for the best matches of the tournament thus far.

5. Algeria 3-3 Austria (Group J Match)

This insane climax to Group J ensured both side’s qualification at the expense of Iran. Austria opened the scoring in the 28th minute, as mercurial Marko Arnautovic latched onto an Alaba pass before poking the ball home. Algeria levelled matters just before the break, with Rafik Belghali smashing the ball into the net after Mahrez had somehow kept the ball in play. Marcel Sabitzer got the 2nd half scoring underway with an excellent curling strike in the 54th minute. Algeria equalized in the blink of an eye, as Riyad Mahrez tapped in at the back-post after some wonderful work by Houssem Aouar. At that point, one would have thought that both sides would quietly go into their shells and play for the draw that they needed to qualify. Mahrez had other ideas, finding space in the 93rd minute before giving Algeria a seemingly insurmountable lead. But substitute Sasa Kalajdzic had an almighty impact on proceedings, putting a dagger into the hearts of Iranian hopes when he bundled in his header with virtually the final moment of the game.

4. Argentina 3-2 Cape Verde (Round of 32)

It’s easy to underestimate just how much Cape Verde brought to this year’s tournament. From FIFA’s perspective, they were a wonderful proof of concept for their extended 48-team tournament. And they almost pulled off the mother of all upsets, pushing Messi-inspired defending champs Argentina to extra-time in one of the most topsy-turvy affairs you will ever see. Fleet-footed wizard Messi gave the Argentines the lead in typically mesmerizing fashion, deftly killing Martinez’s searching long-ball before poking the ball past the rushing Vonzinha. Sublime. But Cape Verde hung in there, absorbing the body blows before a clever piece of interplay saw Deroy Duarte smash the ball past Emi Martinez. Lisandro Martinez appeared to have settled matters a few minutes into extra time, smashing the ball home after Cape Verde failed to deal with Messi’s corner. But Sidny Lopes Cabral produced a moment of a lifetime, scoring arguably the goal of the tournament with a long-range bullet from the corner of the box (it had shades of Kane against Arsenal in 2016). But Argentina somehow picked themselves up for one final surge, as Diney bundled the ball into his own net after yet another perfect corner from the Little Flea. Still, I don’t think anyone will ever forget the time that Cape Verde competed with giants.

3. Mexico 2-3 England (Round of 16)

English fans are a Jekyll and Hyde lot, ready to crucify the team when things go awry but capable of insane hyperbole when things go well (just look at the Southgate era). And you would think they won the World Cup after their sensational, backs-against-the-walls 3-2 win against Mexico. To be fair, England had it all against them at the Azteca. They were playing at altitude in an arena where Maradona had traumatized generations of English supporters with the Hand of God. And they had to deal with the deafening home support (not to mention they started a full hour earlier). They were on the back-foot for large portions of the first half, relying on the oft-erratic Jordan Pickford to bail them out with some fantastic saves. But Galactico Jude Bellingham was once again the man for the big occasion, scoring an emphatic first-half brace while also getting his foot stuck in at the other end. Julian Quinones gave the Mexicans some hope after thumping in a loose ball on the brink of halftime. Jarell Qunsah then committed footballing harikiri in the 54th minute, sent off for a patently ridiculous studs-up lunge. Captain Fantastic Harry Kane won and converted his own penalty just six minutes later to make it 3-1. Kane then donned the villain cap, fouling Guiterrez in the area which lead to a Jimenez spot-kick. Honestly, it looked like a matter of time till Mexico broke down Tuchel’s wall. But the Three Lions somehow held firm, prevailing 3-2 to book a quarterfinal clash with Norway.

2. Portugal 2-1 Croatia (Round of 32)

This was an instant classic, marking the end of this magnificent cycle of Croatian footballing talent (Modric is retired while I doubt we will see Perisic at another World Cup). The first half was a tactical stalemate, with Portugal controlling possession while Croatia looked to hit on the break. The game exploded into life in the 53rd minute, as veteran utility plater Ivan Perisic lashed home a low drive to give the Croatians the lead. CR7 thought he had equalized just moments later, skilfully killing a longball before dinking the keeper (Messi’s goal against Cape Verde was eerily similar). But VAR intervened after he was found to be fractionally offside. Ronaldo would equalize a bit later, converting from the spot to register his first World Cup knockout goal. Portuguese coach Roberto Martinez then made the bravest decision of the tournament, taking off a jaded Ronaldo in the 81st minute. And he would be rewarded for that bravery, as substitute Goncalo Ramos would head in from a wicked Rafael Leao cross to give Portugal a stoppage-time lead. Croatia then thought they had produced the ultimate escape as Gvardiol latched onto a loose ball at the back-post to make it 2-2. But VAR intervened in dramatic, somewhat controversial fashion, as Snicko apparently detected a slight touch off Palasic’s head in the buildup. It was a dramatic end to a match that briefly preserved Cristiano Ronaldo’s World Cup dreams.

1. Belgium 3-2 Senegal (Round of 32)

This match typified the blink-and-you-can-miss-it nature of this year’s finals. Senegal appeared to be cruising to victory after excellent goals from Habib Diarra and Ismaila Sarr. Belgium were at sixes and sevens, with Youri Tielemens and Leandro Trossard engaged in a furious on-field spat during the 2nd hydration break. It really looked like the death rattle of this so-called golden era of Belgian talent. The Lions of Teranga were perhaps guilty of being slightly complacent in the lead, impulsively looking to score a 3rd when holding onto possession would have probably been a better option. And they were made to pay in dramatic fashion, as super-sub Romelu Lukaku used all his experience to cleverly pull one back in the 85th minute. Aston Villa’s Youri Tielemans would head in a cross just three minutes later, shockingly levelling a tie that looked completely dead and buried. The match ended in dramatic fashion as VAR intervened to award a penalty for a foul on Tielemans. Tielemans would step up to convert, making it 3-2 with the latest recorded winning goal in World Cup history (124 minutes and 44 seconds).