Football: an artistic ballet where each goal is a symphony

Imagine... A stadium in turmoil, thousands of eyes hanging on a ball that seems to defy the laws of gravity. A flash of genius, a hint of magic, and the deafening silence that precedes the explosion of joy. One goal, just one, capable of freezing time and engraving its memory in the collective memory.

Football is much more than just a sport. It's an artistic ballet where every dribble, every pass and every shot tells a story. And at the heart of this spectacle, the goal stands like an apotheosis, a perfect symphony where the harmony between technique, beauty and emotion reaches its climax.

Today we invite you on an extraordinary journey through the 10 most beautiful goals in the history of football. Timeless masterpieces that have left their mark and thrilled fans around the world. Gestures of breathtaking technicality, striking beauty and incomparable emotional power.

But this journey does not end there. We will also explore the 5 most memorable goals of the last 5 years. Moments of pure magic which resonated in the world of football and which confirm the capacity of this sport to surprise us and transport us into a world of unique emotions.

To establish this ranking, we took into account several criteria: the technical difficulty of the gesture, the aesthetics of the goal, its importance in the context of the match and the emotion it aroused.

So, fasten your seat belts and get ready to thrill to the rhythm of these 15 exceptional goals. Let yourself be captivated by the magic of football and discover these masterpieces which have forever marked the history of this magnificent sport.

Top 10 most beautiful goals in history

10. Diego Maradona – Argentina vs England (1986 World Cup)

  • The context: An electric quarter-final between two rival nations, in an electric atmosphere.

  • The goal: A devastating slalom from Maradona, dribbling past six English players before scoring with the left.

  • The Beauty: A fantastic ride, combining speed, technique and a sense of purpose. A symbolic goal for Argentina, just after the “hand of God”.

  • The emotion: A moment of pure madness in the stadium, followed by a legendary celebration.

  • Testimonials: “The goal of the century” for Pelé, “a masterpiece” for Michel Platini.

9. Zinedine Zidane – Real Madrid vs Bayer Leverkusen (Champions League 2002)

  • The context: An indecisive Champions League final, facing a tough German team.

  • The goal: An acrobatic volley with the left foot in extension, on a cross from Roberto Carlos.

  • Beauty: A gesture of rare precision and power, of perfect aesthetics.

  • The emotion: A goal which gave victory to Real Madrid and which marked the history of the Champions League.

  • Testimonials: “The best goal in the history of the competition” for Arsène Wenger.

8. Marco van Basten – Netherlands vs USSR (Euro 1988)

  • The context: A semi-final of the Euro against the Soviet ogre.

  • The goal: An acrobatic volley with the right foot in extension, on a cross from John van't Schip.

  • Beauty: A gesture of rare fluidity and elegance, of surgical precision.

  • The emotion: A goal which propelled the Netherlands to the final and which marked the history of European football.

  • Testimonials: “A perfect goal” for Johan Cruyff.

7. Pele – Brazil vs Sweden (1958 World Cup)

  • The context: A World Cup quarter-final against a favorite Swedish team.

  • The goal: An extraordinary hat-trick from Pelé, including a clever lob on the Swedish goalkeeper.

  • Beauty: A demonstration of talent and genius, at only 17 years old.

  • The emotion: A goal which revealed Pelé to the whole world and which marked the beginning of his legend.

  • Testimonials: “The best player of all time” for Diego Maradona.

6. Diego Maradona – Argentina vs Belgium (1986 World Cup)

  • The context: A World Cup round of 16 against a talented Belgian team.

  • The goal: Another incredible dribble from Maradona, eliminating several Belgian defenders before scoring.

  • Beauty: A crazy race punctuated by a feint and an unstoppable strike.

  • The emotion: A goal which confirmed the genius of Maradona and which led Argentina to the final victory.

  • Testimonials: “A magical goal” for Franz Beckenbauer.

5. Roberto Carlos – Brazil vs France (1997 French Tournament)

  • The context: A friendly match between two major football nations.

  • The goal: A curling free kick from Roberto Carlos which deceives Fabien Barthez and which ends in the top corner.

  • Beauty: An improbable trajectory that defies the laws of physics.

  • The emotion: A goal which shook the stadium and which marked the history of free kicks.

  • Testimonials: “The best free kick I have ever seen” for David Beckham.

4. Ronaldinho – FC Barcelona vs Villarreal (Liga 2006)

  • The context: A La Liga match against an eye-catching Villarreal team.

  • The goal: A curling free kick from Ronaldinho which deceives the goalkeeper and which ends in the top corner.

  • Beauty: A precise trajectory and an incredible effect.

  • The emotion: A goal that made the Camp Nou vibrate and which marked the history of FC Barcelona.

  • Testimonials: “A football magician” for Samuel Eto'o.

3. Dennis Bergkamp – Arsenal vs Newcastle (Premier League 1998)

  • The context: A championship match against Newcastle, crucial for the title race.

  • The goal: An extraordinary sequence from Bergkamp, controlling the ball with his chest before scoring with a left-footed cross shot.

  • Beauty: Unparalleled technique and an extraordinary vision of the game.

  • The emotion: A goal which gave victory to Arsenal and which is considered one of the most beautiful in the history of the Premier League.

  • Testimonials: “A goal from another planet” for Thierry Henry.

2. Zlatan Ibrahimovic – PSG vs Bastia (Ligue 1 2013)

  • The context: A championship match against Bastia, while Ibrahimovic has his back to goal and 40 meters from the cages.

  • The goal: A monumental acrobatic return with the right foot which ends its course in the top corner.

  • Beauty: A gesture of rare audacity and precision, of stunning aesthetics.

  • The emotion: A goal that remains in the annals of Ligue 1 and which established Zlatan Ibrahimovic as an extraordinary player.

  • Testimonials: “An extraordinary goal from an extraordinary player” for Laurent Blanc.

1. Gareth Bale – Real Madrid vs Liverpool (Champions League 2018)

  • The context: A Champions League final against Liverpool, an indecisive and tense match.

  • The goal: An acrobatic volley with the left foot in extension, on a cross from Marcelo.

  • Beauty: A gesture of rare technicality and audacity, of visual perfection.

  • The emotion: A goal which gave victory to Real Madrid and which is considered one of the most beautiful in the history of the Champions League.

  • Testimonials: “A goal worthy of a final” for Jürgen Klopp.

This ranking, of course, only reflects our view and there are many other great goals that could have been included. Don’t hesitate to share your own choices and let us know the goals that stood out to you in the comments!

We will soon continue our exploration of the most beautiful goals by focusing on the 5 exceptional moments that have marked the last 5 years. Stay tuned to discover other football masterpieces!

Top 5 most memorable of the last 5 years

5. Son Heung-min – Tottenham vs Burnley (Premier League 2020)

  • The context: A Premier League match against Burnley, an important issue for qualification for the Champions League.

  • The goal: A 70-meter sprint punctuated by a curling left-footed shot that ends in the top corner.

  • The emotional impact: An extraordinary goal which gave victory to Tottenham and which marked the history of the Premier League.

  • Historical significance: A goal that confirmed Son Heung-min's status as one of the best strikers in the world.

4. Neymar Jr – Brazil vs Costa Rica (2018 World Cup)

  • The context: A World Cup match against Costa Rica, crucial for Brazil's qualification for the round of 16.

  • The goal: A curling free kick from Neymar Jr who deceives the goalkeeper and ends up in the top corner.

  • The emotional impact: A goal that liberated Brazil and allowed Neymar Jr to score his first goal in the competition.

  • Historical importance: A goal which marked the return to form of Neymar Jr after a long injury.

3. Cristiano Ronaldo – Juventus vs Atletico Madrid (Champions League 2019)

  • The context: A Champions League round of 16 second leg against Atletico Madrid, after a 2-0 first leg defeat.

  • The goal: An extraordinary hat-trick from Cristiano Ronaldo, including a monumental acrobatic return.

  • The emotional impact: A goal which allowed Juventus to qualify for the quarter-finals and which made Champions League history.

  • Historical significance: A goal that confirmed Cristiano Ronaldo's status as one of the best players in history.

2. Lionel Messi - FC Barcelona vs Liverpool (Champions League 2019)

  • The context: A Champions League semi-final second leg against Liverpool, after a 3-0 first leg defeat.

  • The goal: A curling free kick from Lionel Messi which deceives the goalkeeper and ends up in the top corner.

  • The emotional impact: A goal which gave hope to FC Barcelona and which allowed Lionel Messi to score his 600th career goal.

  • Historical importance: A goal which marked Lionel Messi's return to form after a difficult season.

1. Kylian Mbappé – France vs Argentina (2018 World Cup)

  • The context: A round of 16 of the World Cup against Argentina, an electric and indecisive match.

  • The goal: A 60-meter sprint punctuated by a left-footed cross strike which ends in the top corner.

  • The emotional impact: An extraordinary goal which gave victory to France and which marked the history of the World Cup.

  • Historical importance: A goal which revealed Kylian Mbappé to the whole world and which confirmed his status as a future football star.

This ranking, of course, only reflects our view and there are many other great goals that could have been included. Don’t hesitate to share your own choices and let us know the goals that stood out to you in the comments!

In conclusion, we have gone through together the 10 most beautiful goals in the history of football and the 5 most memorable of the last 5 years. Exceptional moments which left their mark and which thrilled supporters around the world.

Top 10 most beautiful goals in history:

  1. Gareth Bale (Real Madrid vs Liverpool, Champions League 2018)

  2. Zlatan Ibrahimovic (PSG vs Bastia, Ligue 1 2013)

  3. Dennis Bergkamp (Arsenal vs Newcastle, Premier League 1998)

  4. Ronaldinho (FC Barcelona vs Villarreal, La Liga 2006)

  5. Roberto Carlos (Brazil vs France, 1997 French Tournament)

  6. Diego Maradona (Argentina vs Belgium, 1986 World Cup)

  7. Pelé (Brazil vs Sweden, 1958 World Cup)

  8. Marco van Basten (Netherlands vs USSR, Euro 1988)

  9. Zinedine Zidane (Real Madrid vs Bayer Leverkusen, Champions League 2002)

  10. Diego Maradona (Argentina vs England, 1986 World Cup)

Top 5 most memorable of the last 5 years:

  1. Kylian Mbappé (France vs Argentina, 2018 World Cup)

  2. Lionel Messi (FC Barcelona vs Liverpool, Champions League 2019)

  3. Cristiano Ronaldo (Juventus vs Atletico Madrid, Champions League 2019)

  4. Neymar Jr (Brazil vs Costa Rica, 2018 World Cup)

  5. Son Heung-min (Tottenham vs Burnley, Premier League 2020)

And you, what are your favorite goals? Feel free to share your choices and comments below!