The World Cup is the pinnacle of football and has created some of the greatest moments in the history of the sport.
Most have come in regular time but plenty have come in the most dramatic fashion in extra-time.
We’ve taken a look at 10 of the most dramatic extra-time goals in World Cup history below.
Mario Manduzkic – 2018
- Game: Croatia vs England
- Stage: Semi-final
After Ivan Perisic had cancelled out Kieran Trippier’s stunning free-kick, the 2018 semi-final between Croatia and England went to extra time.
It took until the 109th minute for the winner to be found, and it was Mario Mandzukic who got the goal. The striker reacted quicker than John Stones to a bouncing ball in the box to fire past Jordan Pickford. It was a goal that fired Croatia to their first-ever World Cup final, breaking English hearts at the same time.
Mandzukic scored another two goals in the World Cup final, but Croatia fell to a 4-2 defeat to France.
Klaus Fischer – 1982
- Game: West Germany vs France
- Stage: Semi-final
West Germany’s 1982 win over France is undoubtedly the most dramatic and controversial semi-final in World Cup history. It’s often remembered for German goalkeeper Harold Schumacher’s horrific challenge on Patrick Battiston that left the defender unconscious and badly injured.
Away from that, there were four extra-time goals in a thrilling 3-3 draw. Klaus Fishcer’s strike in the 108th minute completed the Germans’ comeback from two goals down.
West Germany went on to beat France 5-4 on penalties to reach yet another final, though they did lose to Italy
Ahn Jung-hwan – 2002
- Game: South Korea vs Italy
- Stage: Last 16
This was another hugely controversial World Cup clash. There was a South Korean missed penalty, a very questionable Francesco Totti red card, several Italian missed chances and a rare golden goal winner.
Seol Ki-hyun had already scored with two minutes left to level things up after Christian Vieiri’s opener, taking the game to extra-time. But the golden goal rule was in play, and both teams knew that one more goal would seal a spot in the quarter-finals. Ahn Jung-hwan was the man to score it for South Korea, beating Gianluigi Buffon with an 116th-minute header.
South Korea — co-hosts of World Cup — became the first Asian side to reach the quarter-finals of the tournament. Ahn, however, saw his contract at Italian club Perugia terminated by owner Luciano Gaucci the very next day.
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Fabio Grosso – 2006
- Game: Italy vs Germany
- Stage: Semi-final
Italy fans only had to wait until the next World Cup for happier extra-time memories. The Azzurri faced hosts Germany in a titanic semi-final clash in 2006, but it was goalless after 90 minutes.
It looked set to be goalless after 120 too, but Fabio Grosso curled home a stunning left-footed shot past Jens Lehmann in the 119th minute. The Dortmund crowed were silenced, but for the pockets of Italians who were in wild celebration.
Alessandro Del Piero added a second but it was Grosso’s night and fittingly he scored the winning penalty in the final shootout against France.
Mario Kempes – 1978
- Game: Argentina vs Netherlands
- Stage: Final
The 1978 World Cup final between Argentina and Netherlands brought a few firsts for moments that we’d see again further down the line. Mario Kempes was the first of three Argentines to score an extra-time goal in a World Cup final. And it was the first of two finals the Dutch would lose in extra-time.
As the game approached half-time of extra-time, Kempes danced through the Netherlands’s defence before tapping into an empt net, after Jan Jongbloed had blocked his initial shot. It was Kempes’ second goal of the game and Daniel Bertoni sealed the 3-1 victory later on, leading Argentina to their first World Cup triumph.
Lionel Messi – 2022
- Game: Argentina vs France
- Stage: Final
After Kempes and Maradona had lifted the famous trophy in 1978 and 1986 respectively, Argentina were forced to wait an agonising 36 years for their third crown.
It came in Qatar with Lionel Messi perhaps ending the debate on who the best ever player is with a tour de force run in the knockout rounds.
The playmaker had already scored from the spot in the first-half as Argentina took a 2-0 lead against defending champions France. But after Les Bleus spectacularly rallied, Messi was needed again, smashing home a rebound from a Hugo Lloris save in the 108th minute.
Kylian Mbappe – 2022
- Game: Argentina vs France
- Stage: Final
France’s rally was almost single-handedly courtesy of Kylian Mbappe, who became just the second player ever to score a World Cup final hat-trick.
After striking twice in two minutes to bring the game to extra-time, the striker took the final to penalties with a nerveless spot-kick (his second) to cancel out Messi’s goal 10 minutes earlier.
He scored again in the shootout but not all of his teammates did, making him perhaps the unluckiest runner-up in football history.
Mario Gotze – 2014
- Game: Germany vs Argentina
- Stage: Final
Messi and Argentina’s joy in 2022 was made even sweeter by the agony in Brazil eight years prior.
In a tense final, there was nothing between Argentina and Germany, who were contesting a remarkable third final against one another.
Substitute Mario Gotze was the difference maker in the end, smashing a volley past Sergio Romero in the 113th minute to secure a fourth crown for Germany and a first as a unified nation.
Andres Iniesta – 2010
- Game: Spain vs Netherlands
- Stage: Final
Four years prior, another midfielder struck even later to seal a dramatic 1-0 final win.
Andres Iniesta always had the penchant for a big goal. None came bigger than his driven shot past the Netherlands’ Maarten Stekelenburg in Johannesburg in 2010 that helped Spain to their one and only World Cup title.
Iniesta’s celebrations made the goal all the more memorable, taking off his jersey to reveal a tribute to Dani Jarque, who had tragically passed away from a sudden heart attack 10 months prior.
Geoff Hurst – 1966
- Game: England vs West Germany
- Stage: Final
Take your pick here with Georgg Hurst being the only player ever to score two goals in extra-time of a World Cup final. As well as the first to score a hat-trick in the showpiece event.
After Wolfgang Weber forced an additional 30 minutes with a late, late goal, Hurst first struck in the 101st minute with possibly the most controversial goal in World Cup history. It’s still inconclusive if the ball went over the line.
His second goal was less controversial as the England striker hammered the ball into the top corner with one of the last kicks of the game, sparking the iconic commentary line “They think it’s all over… it is now!”.
It sealed his hat-trick and England’s only-ever World Cup.
Sixty years on, will anyone add their name to the illustrious list of World Cup extra-time heroes?