Summary
GIVEMESPORT has ranked the 10 greatest goals in football history.
The ranking factors in technique, occasion, pressure, and pure, unfiltered magic.
Zinedine Zidane's balletic Champions League final goal against Bayer Leverkusen epitomizes his legendary status as a big-game player, while Lionel Messi features twice.
Some goals are worth more than a thousand words. They freeze time, rewrite history, and get replayed for generations. Whether it’s a last-minute stunner under the weight of the world, a solo masterpiece that leaves defenders looking like paid actors, or a strike that defies physics and defines an entire legacy, the greatest goals in football aren’t just about hitting the back of the net - they’re about how, when, and why they mattered so much to those left lifting their jaws from off the floor.
In this piece, we dive into football’s most unforgettable finishes, factoring in technique, occasion, pressure, and pure, unfiltered magic. Of course, the World Cup, Champions League, and Europe's most captivating domestic leagues take centre stage, as do icons like Diego Maradona, Lionel Messi, and Zinedine Zidane - names forever etched into football’s most cinematic moments, for better or for worse.
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10 Lionel Messi vs Athletic Bilbao
Copa del Rey final, 2015
Lionel Messi
The sight of Lionel Messi - the greatest footballer of all time - dropping deep to receive the ball, then twisting, turning, and darting past defenders before calmly placing it into the back of the net is so familiar it’s almost routine. So much so, he earns two spots in this article.
In the 2015 Copa del Rey final, he turned three Athletic Bilbao players into spectators, fooling them into lunging at shadows as they tackled nothing but air. Moments later, he rifled a strike past a helpless goalkeeper at the Camp Nou - a goal that felt more akin to a signature than a statement as the Argentine proved yet again just how extraordinary he is.
9 George Weah vs Verona
Serie A, 1996
George Weah
“One moment of good fortune in midfield … then #5 gives him the matador treatment," commentary said to describe George Weah's powerful solo goal against Verona in a 1996 Serie A game.
On September 8, 1996, AC Milan trailed 1-2 when Verona’s corner fell harmlessly into Weah’s path inside his own penalty box. With calm confidence, he took the ball into his stride and embarked on a breathtaking 90‑metre run - a coast‑to‑coast drift past stunned defenders who lunged for air.
At midfield, despite two foes converging simultaneously, he pirouetted free and accelerated into the final third. As Milan supporters held their breath, Weah unleashed a rip‑roaring right‑footed strike into the far corner, past a goalkeeper that couldn't believe he had the energy to bury his opportunity after seemingly using up his entire tank on his way to Verona's penalty area.
8 Zlatan Ibrahimovic vs England
International friendly, 2012
Sweden's Zlatan Ibrahimovic celebrates with his arms aloft after scoring against England.
In a truly bizarre international friendly that saw England debuts handed to the likes of Steven Caulker, Ryan Shawcross, Carl Jenkinson and even Wilfried Zaha - who would later declare for Ivory Coast - it was a Swede who stole the show. Zlatan Ibrahimovic had already bagged a hat-trick by the time he capped off an imperious performance with a goal from another planet in terms of gravity.
A long ball pumped down the pitch had brought goalkeeper Joe Hart out to try and clear but, being outside his area, he could only win a weak header which nevertheless went over Ibrahimovic. However, that posed no problems for the forward, who re-adjusted his body and struck an overhead kick from all of 25 yards out which made it in, despite a desperate lunge from Shawcross against the backdrop of a crowd more stunned than anything else.
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7 Carlos Alberto vs Italy
World Cup final, 1970
Carlos Alberto
Carlos Alberto’s goal in the 1970 World Cup final is often seen as the perfect example of jogo bonito. The move began deep in Brazil’s half and involved eight players in total across nine passes, showcasing teamwork, control, and intelligent movement. Each pass built anticipatory momentum until Pele calmly laid the ball off for Alberto, who struck it first time into the bottom corner.
It was a goal created through tedious patience, skill, and understanding - hallmarks of Brazil’s footballing identity. More than just a finish, it represented the fluid, expressive style the South American nation has become dearly known for. Decades later, it still stands as one of football’s greatest team goals as the country remains the most successful in World Cup history.
6 Lionel Messi vs Getafe
Copa del Rey semi-final, 2007
Lionel Messi
In April, 2007, in a Copa del Rey semi-final at Camp Nou, a 19‑year‑old Messi picked up the ball just inside his own half. With staggering speed (the move involved 55 metres being covered in less than 12 seconds) and close control, he dribbled past five Getafe defenders - Paredes, Nacho, Alexis, Belenguer, and the goalkeeper Luis Garcia - before slotting home from a tight angle.
The goal drew instant comparisons to Maradona’s 1986 “Goal of the Century”, and even his Argentine compatriot himself expressed admiration for the youngster's brilliance. The magical solo goal transformed Messi from a promising talent into a global icon. Deco called it “the greatest goal I have seen in my life,” while fans around the world were left speechless by its audacity and artistry by someone so young.
5 Zinedine Zidane vs Bayer Leverkusen
Champions League final, 2002
Zinedine Zidane
As one of football’s greatest big-game players, it’s no surprise Zinedine Zidane ranks somewhere on this list. Front and centre in some of the beautiful game’s most iconic moments, his Champions League final goal against Bayer Leverkusen in 2002 becomes more breathtaking with every replay - a strike that pairs perfectly with Puccini’s "Nessun Dorma*"* from Turandot for full dramatic effect.
It’s as close to ballet as you’ll ever see on a football pitch, and we’re still amazed Zidane could even walk properly after pulling off that hyperextended, hip-defying winner at Hampden Park. Little did everyone know that it would be just another notch in the belt of many folkloric Champions League nights for the Frenchman, who is one of the only people to ever win the showpiece tournament as both a player and a manager.
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4 Gareth Bale vs Liverpool
Champions League final, 2018
Real Madrid's Gareth Bale kisses the Champions League trophy.
Despite Gareth Bale and Real Madrid not really getting along, with the Welshman later claiming he preferred golf to football thanks to his constant battle with the impatient Spanish press, he still came up with some era-defining goals. While his white-hot sprint against Atletico Madrid is eye-watering in its incredulity, his first goal in the 2018 Champions League final, two minutes after coming off the bench, is frankly ridiculous.
His flying bicycle kick against Liverpool in 2018 is pure, bombastic and a fitting goal with which to crown any team. And while perhaps Loris Karius had a night to forget in Kiev, there was nothing he could do about Bale's top-drawer finish as the stadium seemed to hush into disbelief rather than erupt in expectation that Los Blancos would be crowned European champions once again.
3 Roberto Carlos vs France
Le Tournoi, 1997
Roberto Carlos Brazil 1998
Roberto Carlos’ legendary "banana kick" against France in 1997 stands as one of the most iconic goals in football history - a moment where physics seemed to bow to genius. Nicknamed “The Bullet Man” for his ferocious power and velocity, the Brazilian full-back lived up to the moniker with a strike that remains unmatched in its audacity and execution. From 35 yards out, Carlos struck the ball with the outside of his left foot, sending it on a seemingly impossible, curling trajectory around the wall and into the net, all while defying the logic of angles and aerodynamics.
What makes this goal so unforgettable is not just the outcome, but how cleanly and violently it was hit. It wasn’t just a free kick - it was easily the most well-struck ball in football history, a goal so surreal that it’s still studied today. In one swing, Carlos redefined what was physically possible on a pitch. In this instance, the moment didn't lead to any success of any form, but that's just how incredible it was that context wasn't needed for it to rank as high as it has.
2 Marco van Basten vs USSR
European Championship final, 1988
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When veteran Arnold Mühren launched a looping cross from the left flank, the ball soared 40 yards through the Munich air, landing at Marco van Basten’s feet on the far edge of the box - at an angle so sharp it looked more of a geometric problem than a goalscoring chance. Surely, even a two-time Ballon d’Or winner couldn’t make something of it?
But the “Swan from Utrecht” had other ideas. With the outside of his right foot, he struck it first time with venomous precision, sending it arcing over the world’s best keeper at the time, Rinat Dasayev, and into the top corner. The goal of goals - one that crowned the Dutch kings of Europe in 1988, their first and only major international triumph, delivered, in part, by Van Basten’s outrageous sense of possibility.
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1 Diego Maradona vs England
World Cup semi-final, 1986
Argentina's Diego Maradona in action during the 1986 World Cup semi-final match against Belgium
Diego Maradona’s “Goal of the Century” against England at the 1986 World Cup remains the greatest goal ever scored - not just for its technical brilliance, but for the sheer emotion and symbolism it carried. In just under 11 seconds, Maradona picked up the ball in his own half, slalomed past five England players with balletic close control, and calmly slotted past Peter Shilton. Every touch was purposeful, every movement oozed genius and proved his reputation as football's greatest-ever dribbler.
It was a moment where skill, courage, and imagination collided. The goal transcended sport - it became a cultural statement, a source of pride for Argentina in the shadow of the Falklands War, and a lasting monument to Maradona's unique artistry. No other goal so perfectly captures the essence of football: beauty, drama, and defiance from someone who knew he was the main character.
All statistics courtesy of Transfermarkt (correct as of 26/06/2025)