We’re hoping for better on Sunday…

A rematch of the 1986 final, four years earlier, was won by Argentina (3-2) with a recital from the magician Maradona. However, the revenge match, the first in history between two consecutive finals, had a very different feel in Rome. The Argentinians, uninspired throughout the tournament (2 wins in 7 matches), were reduced to 9 men, and Germany won thanks to a late penalty (85th minute) that put everyone out of their misery.

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Argentina became, at the time, the first team in history not to score in a final, at the end of a match widely regarded as one of the ugliest finals in history, in one of the worst World Cups in history.

1994: Brazil – Italy (0-0, 3-2 on penalties)

A great World Cup brought to a close by one of the least exciting finals. Brazil, no longer really representative of Joga Bonito at that time, faced the ultra-solid Italy of the Maldini-Baresi pairing, and the final was decided on penalties.

Then came Roberto Baggio’s well-known missed kick, a tragic moment that handed the title to Brazil. In a huge, packed Rose Bowl, the stars on the pitch, Italy’s defensive masterclass, and the drama of the first penalty shootout in World Cup final history lent a certain prestige to the final, but the match fell short of expectations.

📸 OMAR TORRES – AFP or licensors

You may remember it: it was the peak of Spanish football, the crowning moment for Barça’s golden generation, the Xavi-Iniesta duo, and legends like Casillas, Sergio Ramos, and Puyol… Yet the final was disappointing.

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The match was choppy, marked by De Jong’s huge kick to Xabi Alonso’s chest (no card!). Despite Spain’s slick play and Robben’s bursts forward, the game remained closed until Iniesta gave the Spaniards their first star at the end of extra time.

📸 Michael Steele – 2010 Getty Images

2014: Germany – Argentina (1-0 a.e.t.)

After humiliating Brazil in the semi-final (7-1), Germany faced Messi’s Argentina. The match was tightly contested, with neither side able to make a difference until extra time, when little prince Götze enabled the Mannschaft to secure its fourth star. The final proved to be forgettable for many neutral spectators.

2002: Brazil – Germany (2-0)

Brazil’s fifth star was led brilliantly by its magical trio of Ronaldo, Ronaldinho, and Rivaldo. The Brazilians did not have to dig deep in the final, where Oliver Kahn was the only German to shine.

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Ronaldo, with his legendary haircut, scored a brace in a somewhat forgettable match, but it remains the last World Cup won by Brazil. Since then, the Seleção has faced more challenging periods.

📸 ANTONIO SCORZA