1998 :  Dennis Bergkamp, Holland v Argentina

• Number 10

  The Argentinians may well have been tired after their exertions in the previous round against England, but that could not take anything away from the goal which ultimately sealed their fate. With a matter of minutes remaining and the match seemingly heading for extra-time, Dennis Bergkamp struck in clinical fashion.

  He caught out the opposing defenders in stealing into the box but much of the credit must go to Ronald de Boer's superb long pass which dropped perfectly towards the Arsenal man. In one movement Bergkamp controlled the ball and volleyed it into the net to send the Dutch through to the semi-finals in style.

1990 :  Roberto Baggio, Italy v Czechoslovakia

• Number 9

  Roberto Baggio was expected to shine on home soil, and first impressions were that the brilliant forward had not been affected by the groaning weight of home expectation. The Italians had got off to a poor start in struggling to get past the United States and goalscoring was becoming a problem.

  Baggio reminded his team-mates how to do it with an almost arrogant ease. Italy were a goal up against the Czechs thanks to Schillaci when Baggio erased any lingering doubts 12 minutes from time. He dribbled almost casually past two opposition defenders, cutting in from the right flank during his mazy run before shooting low past Stejskal in the Czech goal.

1958 :  Pele, Brazil v Sweden

• Number 8

  Pele was just 17 in 1958 but he wasted little time in putting his outrageous talents on show to the world. The Brazilian team in that competition was as good as any that nation has produced before or since, and Pele's goal, which gave them a 3-1 lead, is equally unsurpassed. He beat Swedish defender Parlin down the right to chest down Nilton Santos' cross, flipped the ball over Gustavsson with his thigh and volleyed low and clinically past goalkeeper Svensson.

  Pele fittingly rounded off the 5-2 rout with a close-range header in injury-time, but it was strike number one which had stolen the show.

1978 :  Archie Gemill, Scotland v Netherlands

• Number 7

  Scotland had lost to Peru and drawn with Iran, so what chance did they have of winning by the three clear goals they needed to progress against tournament favourites Netherlands? That they could not quite pull off the impossible eclipsed a sterling effort which they capped with one of the best goals in any finals tournament.

  Archie Gemmill picked up a loose ball on the right of the Dutch box, drew Jansen, skipped over Krol's flailing tackle, pushed the ball through Poortvliet's legs and lofted it over advancing goalkeeper Jongbloed. Scotland led 3-1 and, albeit briefly, the impossible was within their grasp.

1966 :  Carlos Alberto, Brazil v Italy

• Number 6

  Carlos Alberto rounded off a dream Brazilian performance with a mouthwatering strike four
  minutes from the end in Mexico City. Brazil's front five, including Jairzinho and Pele, had delighted crowds with their sublime skill but Alberto's strike was a reminder that they could produce searing power too.

  Pele played a square pass into the right channel 25 yards from goal and up charged Alberto from his right-back position where, without breaking his stride, he hammered the ball past static Italian keeper Enrico Albertosi.

1978 :  Arie Haan, Holland v Italy

• Number 5

  Haan had scored from long range in an earlier round against West Germany, but saved his most preposterous effort for the 76th minute of Holland's deadlocked semi-final clash with Italy.

  Haan cued up from somewhere approaching 40 yards and shot rocketed past stunned Italian keeper Dino Zoff. It carried the orange-shirted playmakers confidently into their second consecutive final but sadly for Haan, all the spectacular goals in the world could not make up for the agony of losing once again.

1998 :  Michael Owen, England v Argentina

• Number 4

  Teenage sensation Michael Owen came of age with a wonder goal on the biggest stage of all. Owen had been unsettling the Argentinians all through the second round match so when he received the ball on the halfway line from David Beckham a buzz of expectation ran through the crowd.

  The Liverpool youngster surged towards goal, catching the opposition defence flat-footed, and bearing down on his target. Drawn slightly out towards the right, Owen finished his run by smashing home the goal of the 1998 tournament.

1994 :  Said Owairan, Saudi Arabia v Belgium

• Number 3

  Said Owairan ensured the footballing minnows of Saudi Arabia left with their heads held high and one of the greatest goals of World Cup history in the bag.

  Only five minutes had elapsed of the Saudi's second group match against Belgium when midfielder Owairan picked up the ball deep inside his own half. Quite why he elected to keep running and running is not clear, but his confidence was not misplaced. He beat four Belgian players before blasting the ball past Michel Preud'homme.

1986 :  Diego Maradona, Argentina v Belgium

• Number 2

  Who said his effort against England was one in a million? As if to prove the point, Diego Maradona did the same again in Argentina's next match, their semi-final against the Belgians. Once again Maradona rode three tackles, this time rounding off the inevitable by juggling the ball to his left foot and shooting coolly past Belgian goalkeeper Jean-Marie Pfaff.

1986 :  Diego Maradona, Argentina v England

• Number 1

  Arguably the best goal in World Cup history, and it came just four minutes after the most controversial, when Diego Maradona punched Argentina's opener over the head of Peter Shilton. Second time around it was much better.

  Maradona picked up a pass close to the halfway line and dribbled his way around three sets of flailing England limbs, before dummying Shilton, plopping the ball into the back of the net, and racing off to celebrate.