In World Cup final week, we just had to ask Jonathan and Rob to decide on the best World Cup finals of all time - and they certainly delivered.

From Uruguay in 1930 to Qatar in 2022, there's no better way to whet your appetite for Sunday evening than by taking a trip down memory lane with the guys.

From the drama of that very first final in 1930, to the political tension and selection intrigue of Hungary’s defeat to Italy in 1938, they trace how the World Cup final quickly became a stage for far more than just football.

Along the way they revisit the heartbreak of the 1950 Maracanazo, the tactical and cultural significance of West Germany’s win over the Netherlands in 1974, and the extraordinary scale of the 1954 Miracle of Bern, when Hungary’s great side were denied by West Germany. They also reflect on the modern classic of Argentina v France in 2022.

Will we have another classic on our hands in 2026?

00:00 Uruguay 4–2 Argentina (1930)

17:45 West Germany 2–1 Netherlands (1974)

30:15 Uruguay 2–1 Brazil (1950)

40:55 Italy 4–2 Hungary (1938)

47:50 Argentina 3–3 France (2022)

54:55 West Germany 3–2 Hungary (1954)

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Jonathan Wilson and Rob Draper pick their favourite World Cup quarterfinals while previewing the upcoming last-eight: Portugal’s 5–3 comeback against North Korea at Goodison Park in 1966, highlighting Eusébio’s peak display, disputed refereeing, and the enduring Middlesbrough bond with the North Korean team; Germany–Argentina in 2006 as a pivotal step in Klinsmann’s cultural and tactical reset with Löw, Lehmann’s sock note in the shootout, and debate over Pekerman’s substitutions; and Argentina–Netherlands in 2022, remembered amid Grant Wahl’s death, for Messi’s pass, a record 18 yellows, a late Weghorst equaliser from a worked free kick, and a combustible shootout and aftermath. Wilson also covers Italy–Spain in 1934 as Mussolini’s World Cup’s key test and Draper adds Italy–Brazil 1982 and France–Brazil 1986 as defining classics.

00:00 Quarterfinal Classics Setup

00:47 Portugal vs North Korea 1966

03:40 Goodison Shock and Comeback

08:32 Eusebio Takes Over

10:10 Legacy and Middlesbrough Bond

16:19 Germany vs Argentina 2006

17:20 Klinsmann Revolution Explained

23:27 Match Drama and Lehmann Note

26:11 Argentina vs Netherlands 2022

30:33 Battle of Lusail Chaos

34:48 Penalties And Tragedy

36:04 Mussolini World Cup Clash

41:41 Replay And Brutality

42:58 England Debate Sunderland Joke

44:43 Rossi Sinks Brazil 1982

49:50 Romance Dies Guardiola Inspired

51:57 France Brazil 1986 Classic

57:43 Shootout Controversy Carlos Story

01:00:31 Legacy And Wrap Up

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Throughout the World Cup Jonathan Wilson and Rob Draper are recording weekly live Q&As, exclusively for our Patreon subscribers.

This week, all eyes were on England's win over DR Congo, sparking a debate on their reliance on Harry Kane. A worry, or a strength? There's a look at Marcelo Bielsa's Uruguay, a debate on what's happened to Germany, and so much more in this week's World Cup mailbag.

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• The World Cup Collection - dissecting every tournament since 1930.
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