Who has scored the most beautiful goal ever in the sport of soccer? It’s a tough question, there have been amazing goals in the sport, scored off of a corner, via dribble, or a powerful shot from an impossible angle.
From a free kick to a bicycle kick, there are all kinds of goals and many ways to put the ball in the back of the net. The following list will showcase ten experts who know what it takes to come up with big goals: from Lionel Messi and Diego Maradona to Zlatan Ibrahimovic, here are ten goals to watch over and over again.
In 2004 while playing for Ajax, Zlatan Ibrahimovic scored an amazing goal using his dribbling skills. Receiving the ball from just outside the 18 yard box, Ibrahimovic cuts past two defenders and then slips by a third to put the ball in the back of the net. The announcer even admits the goal by the big Swede is something out of Diego Maradona.
Ibrahimovic would become known for some out of this world goals, the striker stands at a towering 6ft 5in but has the stealth of a cat—or in his case, a lion. One of the most talented strikers of all time, Ibrahimovic has been a major contributor to clubs like AC Milan, Inter Milan, PSG, Barcelona, LA Galaxy, Juventus, and Ajax.
Known as a solid right back or midfielder, Carlos Alberto was not known for his scoring touch but rather his hard work. Nonetheless, in the 1970 FIFA World Cup final against Italy, that magical Brazil side that had Clodoaldo, Gérson, Jairzinho, Roberto Rivelino, Tostão and Pelé would win the final.
In the 86th minute and up 3-1 Brazil would set up the fourth goal with an impressive team build up. Eventually after dominating the ball in their end of the field, Pelé would receive the ball at the edge of the box and lay it off to the on running Carlos Alberto. The team goal would seal Brazil’s third World Cup title for one of the best teams in FIFA World Cup history.
The now President of Liberia, George Weah, was a fantastic soccer player and a powerful striker. In 1996 while playing for AC Milan, Weah captures a ball off of a Verona corner kick in his own box. Then he sprints down the field and dribbles past two defenders in the center circle. Eventually, he manages to push through the rest of the defenders, and scores an amazing goal.
George Weah would eventually win his second Serie A title with Milan, which without question was the best moment of his career, scoring 58 goals in 147 matches for the club.
Considered by many to be the UEFA Champions League final with the best goals, the match between Real Madrid and Bayer Leverkusen was a tight affair until Roberto Carlos won a challenge on the left side of the attack. Somehow the Brazilian was able to put in a cross which landed squarely on the position Zinedine Zidane was standing.
The French World Cup winner hit an amazing half volley that erupted the Glasgow crowd that witnessed the final. Real Madrid would go on to claim the Champions League, and Zidane continued to cement his place as one of the best players of his generation.
The Premier League has always been known for amazing goals, and this strike by Arsenal goal scorer Dennis Bergkamp is right up there. In a 2002 league match against Newcastle United, the dutchman flicks a ball over a defender and enters the penalty area to score a cheeky goal.
While it may seem easy, the skill factor required to chip the defender and stay calm in front of goal with an oncoming goalkeeper shows why Bergkamp was one of the best at his position for many years.
Known for having a rocket in his foot, Roberto Carlos has scored some amazing goals in his career but few defied gravity like this one: in a friendly match against France in 1997, Brazil was playing France in a lead up to the 1998 World Cup. At one point of the match a foul was called in favor of Brazil.
Roberto Carlos lined up the ball and Fabien Barthez placed his wall, then the Brazilian took a massive shot with a strange spin that not only got through the wall, but angled and got past Barthez. This remains one of the most head scratching goals you will ever see.
A career cut short by a devastating injury, Marco Van Basten was one of the world’s most prolific goal scorers. The AC Milan striker was one of the most talented players in football history. In the 1988 Euro Cup Van Basten scored a volley considered by many to be the best ever. In that Euro Cup the Netherlands won the final and Van Basten tas the tournament’s top scorer.
The Netherlands striker played only for domestic giants Ajax, and AC Milan in Italy’s Serie A, scoring 219 goals in 281 matches. Despite trying to make comebacks, he retired in 1995. Still, he was among the best goal scorers of his generation—which included the likes of Romario and Gabriel Batistuta.
An out-of-this-world goal by the Sweden goal scorer in a friendly against England in 2012. Zlatan Ibrahimovic would score his no-look bicycle kick in a match that Sweden was already winning 3-2. The moment of truth happened when England goalkeeper Joe Hart badly headed a ball out of the area and Ibrahimovic karate kicked the ball into the back of the net.
The shock in the stadium was incredible and erupted on the amazing goal scored by the former Manchester United, Inter Milan, and Los Angeles Galaxy striker. This is still considered one of the best goals in a friendly match ever.
Lionel Messi is a god at Barcelona, and during his time at the club he was a human highlight reel scoring 672 goals for FC Barcelona. During the 2007 season, Messi would pull off a Diego Maradona when he scored an amazing goal dribbling past the Getafe defenders from the midfield circle on the right flank.
Messi at full speed dribbled past the midfielders, then defenders, and finally the goalkeeper before placing the ball in the back of the net. The Camp Nou went into a frenzy and Messi was just starting to write the chapters of greatness he’d achieve at Barcelona.
Perhaps the greatest goal in soccer history was scored by one of its greatest players ever… Diego Maradona. After “cheating” by scoring the infamous “hand of god” goal by using his fist to punch the ball into the net to give Argentina a 1-0 lead in the 1986 FIFA World Cup quarterfinal, the Napoli legend would score a goal for the ages.
On a bad pitch in the altitude of Azteca Stadium in Mexico, Maradona would get the ball in midfield; and with 11 touches in only 11 seconds, he would dribble past every England player that was coming after him. While falling to his side, Maradona would pass the ball past the England goalkeeper for an incredible second goal for Argentina.
The match played after the 1982 Falklands War was a match that meant a lot to the Argentines. Maradona, the team captain, put the national team on his back and won the match and 1986 World Cup for his country. Maradona’s goal against England is considered by many the “Goal of the Century.”
There have been other great wonder goals in the history of soccer, scored by such great players as Ferenc Puskás, Josef Bican, and David Beckham.. These goals on our list are truly breathtaking and well worth watching again and again.
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