The Greatest Goals of all time

According to the Telegraph and world soccer.com.

20. Helmut Rahn83 mins, West Germany 3 Hungary 2, World Cup final, July 4, 1954
19. Gerd Muller 106 mins, West Germany 3 England 2, World Cup quarter-final, June 14, 1970
18. George Best84 mins, Manchester United 2 Sheffield United 0, October 2, 1971
17. Roberto Baggio78 mins, Italy 2 Czechoslovakia 0, World Cup first round, June 19, 1990
16. Michael Owen 16 mins, Argentina 2 England 2, World Cup second round, June 30, 1998
15. Esteban Cambiasso31 mins, Argentina 6 Serbia & Montenegro 0, World Cup first round, June 16, 2006
14. Dennis Bergkamp90 mins, Holland 2 Argentina 1, World Cup quarter-final, July 4, 1998
13. Rivaldo 89 mins, Barcelona 3 Valencia 2, Spanish League, June 17, 2000
12. Ryan Giggs109 mins, Manchester United 2 Arsenal 1, FA Cup semi-final, April 14, 1999
11. Ricky Villa76 mins, Tottenham 3 Manchester City 2, FA Cup final, May 14, 1981

10. Lionel Messi 28 mins, Barcelona 5 Getafe 2, Spanish Cup semi-final first leg, Camp Nou, Barcelona, April 19, 2007

9. Diego Maradona 63 mins, Argentina 2 Belgium 0, World Cup semi-final, Azteca stadium, Mexico City, June 25, 1986

8. Ferenc Puskas 22 mins, Hungary 6 England 3, friendly, Wembley, November 25, 1953

7. Carlos Alberto 87 mins, Brazil 4 Italy 1, World Cup final, Azteca stadium, Mexico City, June 21, 1970

6. Archie Gemmill 68 mins, Scotland 3 Holland 2, World Cup first round, San Martin stadium, Mendoza, June 11, 1978

5. Pele 55 mins, Brazil 5 Sweden 2, World Cup final, Rasunda stadium, Stockholm, June 29, 1958

4. Saeed Owairan 5 mins, Saudi Arabia 1 Belgium 0, World Cup first round, RFK stadium, Washington DC, June 29, 1994

3. Zinedine Zidane 44 mins, Real Madrid 2 Bayer Leverkusen 1, Champions League final, Hampden Park, Glasgow, May 15, 2002

2. Marco Van Basten 53 mins, Holland 2 Soviet Union 0, European Championship final, Olympic stadium, Munich, June 25, 1988

1. Diego Maradona 54 mins, Argentina 2 England 1, World Cup quarter-final, Azteca stadium, Mexico City, June 22, 1986

The grandeur of Diego Maradona's second goal against England was almost overshadowed by the furore about the cheating cheek of his first, in one of the most contextually dramatic World Cup ties of all time.
Argentina, inspired by their captain, were favourites to win the trophy and in pursuit of sporting revenge for national humiliation in the Falklands/Malvinas war. Maradona said later: "It was as if we blamed the England players personally for all the suffering of the Argentinian people."
The first half was goalless, then Maradona punched his side ahead with the incompetent compliance of Tunisian referee Ali Bennaceur and his linesman.
Four minutes later Maradona struck again, after a fabulous 10 seconds. Fed by Hector Enrique, Maradona turned through 180 degrees out on the right, on the halfway line, before slipping between Peter Reid and Peter Beardsley.
Next he sped inside centre-back Terry Butcher and fended off a challenge from Terry Fenwick, who had been distracted by the lurking presence of the advancing Jorge Valdano. Maradona slalomed on deep into the penalty box, waited for Peter Shilton to step from his line then dummied left before stepping right to slip the ball past the keeper and over the line just as the recovering Butcher launched another, vain tackle.
England pulled a goal back through Gary Lineker but Argentina hung on to win and proceeded to take the title.
England manager Bobby Robson fumed that Maradona would not have been granted the space in which to score his second goal had he not been "gifted" the first by such inadequate refereeing.
Later Robson acknowledged: "His second was a goal of staggering brilliance. There was no lack of discipline on our part, no errors, just the genius of one player who went through half our team to score. I thought that was the end."
Maradona said: "It was the goal you dream of as a kid. Whenever I see it run again on television I still cannot believe I managed to score it. Actually, five years earlier on a European tour with the national squad, I had set off on a similar raid against England at Wembley. But that time I had sidefooted the ball wide when the goalkeeper came out. Maybe, subconsciously, I remembered that moment and, this time, got it right."

I still maintain it was poor defending. Make your own mind up (sorry everyone):



Messi's interpretation (at no.10) is superior in my England opinion. Freakishly similar to Messi's fellow Argentinian's goal:



Though, for me, nothing beats Carlos Alberto's goal (at no.7) (except a cracker I scored once in mate's back garden 6 years ago in Suffolk).



Full descriptions and videos of the top ten can be found here