A great goal is a moment of art under pressure. We ranked them on difficulty, beauty and the size of the stage — the strikes that still raise the hairs decades later.

1. 1

   Diego Maradona vs England

   1986 World Cup

   A sixty-yard slalom past half the England team — voted the goal of the century, and rightly so.

2. 2

   Marco van Basten vs USSR

   Euro 1988 final

   A volley from the tightest angle imaginable, struck on the biggest stage.

3. 3

   Zinedine Zidane vs Bayer Leverkusen

   2002 Champions League final

   A left-foot volley of pure technique to win Real Madrid the European Cup.

4. 4

   Roberto Carlos vs France

   1997 Tournoi de France

   A free kick that bent so far it seemed to defy physics — still studied today.

5. 5

   Carlos Alberto vs Italy

   1970 World Cup final

   The perfect team goal, finished by the captain, by the greatest side ever assembled.

6. 6

   Dennis Bergkamp vs Newcastle

   2002 Premier League

   A flick, a pirouette and a finish of impossible imagination at St James’ Park.

7. 7

   Lionel Messi vs Getafe

   2007 Copa del Rey

   A near-replica of Maradona’s 1986 masterpiece, by a teenager just beginning.

8. 8

   Maradona vs Belgium

   1986 World Cup

   Overshadowed only by his England goal days earlier — another mazy semi-final classic.

9. 9

   Saeed Al-Owairan vs Belgium

   1994 World Cup

   A lung-bursting solo run from inside his own half to stun Belgium.

10. 10

    Esteban Cambiasso vs Serbia

    2006 World Cup

    Twenty-four passes ending in a first-time finish — the most beautiful team move of the modern game.

A LeaguePaper editorial ranking — opinion, offered for argument.