The viewership numbers for football matches can vary depending on various factors such as the teams involved, the significance of the match, and the global interest in the sport at the time accounts up in making a football match the most viewed football match in history. While it’s difficult to provide an exact ranking,
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Here are Top-5 most viewed football matches in the history
5. Italy vs France 2006 World Cup Final
The 5th most viewed football match is the FIFA World Cup final 2006 which took place between Italy and France with total views of around 715 Million.
The match will also be remembered for a controversial incident involving Zinedine Zidane, the iconic French midfielder. In the second half of extra time, Zidane headbutted Italian defender Marco Materazzi after allegedly being insulted. Zidane received a red card and was sent off, marking a sad note in his farewell match as it was his last professional game.
Despite the drama, the match ended in a 1-1 draw after extra time, leading to a penalty shootout.
David Trezeguet, a French forward, missed the crucial penalty for France, which ultimately proved to be the deciding factor. Italy won the penalty shootout 5-3 as Fabio Grosso, a relatively unknown player at the time, became a pivotal figure in Italy’s success. In the tense penalty shootout, he took the last penalty kick and calmly scored past French goalkeeper Fabien Barthez.
Since then the downfall of Italy at the World cup stage began as in 2010 they got eliminated from the group stage, same story in 2014 World cup and in the next two editions of the world cup 2018 and 2022, Italy didn’t even qualify for the world cup despite being Euro’s winner in 2021. May be Zidane curse? Who knows?
4. Spain vs Netherlands 2010 World Cup Final
The 4th most viewed football match is the FIFA World Cup final in 2010 which took place between Spanish national team and the Netherlands with total views of around 909 Million.
In the 2010 FIFA World Cup final held in Johannesburg’s Soccer City stadium, Spain defeated the Netherlands 1-0 in extra time to claim their first-ever World Cup title. The match was intense and featured several significant moments and the top of them all is the winning goal was scored by Spanish midfielder Andres Iniesta in the 116th minute, just 4 minutes before the end of extra time. His shot found the back of the net, securing the victory for Spain in the 4th most viewed football match.
The game remained goalless throughout regulation time, leading to extra time. Both teams had opportunities, but the Dutch forward Arjen Robben’s shots were thwarted by Spanish goalkeeper and captain Iker Casillas.
Interestingly, the outcome of the final was correctly predicted by an octopus named Paul, who had gained fame for accurately predicting previous World Cup match results. Paul’s prediction record for the 2010 tournament remained perfect, standing at 100 percent.
3. Argentina vs Germany 2014 World Cup Final
The 3rd most viewed football match is the FIFA World Cup final in 2014 which took place between the Argentina national team and Germany with total views of around 1.01 Billion.
In the 2014 FIFA World Cup final between Germany and Argentina, Germany emerged as the champions with a 1-0 victory. The teams had contrasting approaches, with Germany pressing high up the pitch while Argentina opted to sit back and play on the counterattack.
Although Germany dominated possession, it was Argentina who had the better opportunities to score. Gonzalo Higuain missed a clear chance after a mistake by German player Toni Kroos, and later had a goal disallowed for offside. Both teams found success on their right flanks, with Germany utilizing crossfield balls to Philipp Lahm and Thomas Muller causing trouble for the Argentine defense. Lionel Messi also created a chance from the right flank but couldn’t find a teammate to capitalize on it.
The second half had a slower tempo, with chances for both teams. Argentina started strongly, but Germany gradually regained control. Messi had a great opportunity to score but missed the target, and Andre Schurrle also had a chance but couldn’t convert it.
Schurrle played an influential role for Germany, providing pace and width on the left side. Mesut Ozil had a good game, operating in a narrower position and contributing to the team’s passing and link-up play. Argentina made a questionable substitution at halftime, bringing on Sergio Aguero for Ezequiel Lavezzi, which affected their width on the right side. Germany also had to make a forced substitution when Christoph Kramer left the pitch due to injury, with Schurrle replacing him.
Late in the game, both teams made further changes. Mario Gotze came on for Miroslav Klose, and Rodrigo Palacio replaced Higuain. Palacio had a chance to score but missed, while Gotze displayed excellent ball control and finished to score the winning goal for Germany.
In summary, Germany’s high pressing approach and dominance of possession prevailed over Argentina’s counterattacking strategy. Despite Argentina’s missed opportunities, Gotze’s goal secured Germany’s victory and their fourth World Cup title. One of the most heart broken match for Messi fans is one of the most viewed football matches in history.
2. France vs Croatia 2018 World Cup Final
The 2nd most viewed football match is the FIFA World Cup final in 2018 which took place between the French national team and Croatia with total views of around 1.12 Billion.
The French national team won their second World Cup title by defeating Croatia 4-2 in the final held in Moscow. This victory marked their first World Cup triumph since hosting the tournament in 1998. Didier Deschamps, the manager of the French team, was also the captain of the 1998 squad that famously defeated Brazil in the final, making him one of only three individuals to win the World Cup as both a player and coach.
The final match was filled with unexpected moments, including an own goal, a goalkeeper error, pitch invaders, and a standout performance from a teenage sensation. France took a commanding 4-2 win with goals from Antoine Griezmann, Paul Pogba, and Kylian Mbappe. Despite Croatia’s efforts, France managed to hold on to their lead and secure the victory. The team’s success was a culmination of their status as one of the favorites before the tournament began. Despite being one of the most viewed football match, this is one of the boring finals from fans point of view.
1. France vs Argentina 2022 World Cup Final (most viewed football match)
The 1st most viewed football match is the FIFA World Cup final in 2022 which took place between the French national team and Argentina with total views of around 1.5 Billion.
Argentina secured their first World Cup victory since 1986 by defeating France in a thrilling penalty shootout in the 2022 final in Qatar. The match, considered one of the greatest finals in World Cup history, saw France stage a remarkable comeback to force extra time before the shootout settled the result.
Lionel Messi opened the scoring for Argentina with a record-breaking penalty goal, followed by Angel Di Maria extending their lead. France struggled to respond and became the first team in a World Cup final to have no shots or touches in the opposition area during the first half. Kylian Mbappe sparked France’s late comeback, scoring from the penalty spot and then volleying a sensational goal to level the score.
In extra time, Messi netted his second goal by scrambling the ball over the line, but Mbappe once again equalized from the spot, completing a historic hat-trick in the World Cup final. The match ultimately went to a penalty shootout, where Argentina emerged victorious, with Gonzalo Montiel converting the winning spot kick. Emiliano Martinez’s saves and contributions, along with misses from Coman and Tchouameni, sealed the victory for Argentina.
This triumph marked Argentina’s third World Cup title and their first during the Messi era, completing a remarkable achievement in his illustrious career. Along with being the
Argentina secured their first World Cup victory since 1986 by defeating France in a thrilling penalty shootout in the 2022 final in Qatar. The match, considered one of the greatest finals in World Cup history, saw France stage a remarkable comeback to force extra time before the shootout settled the result.
Lionel Messi opened the scoring for Argentina with a record-breaking penalty goal, followed by Angel Di Maria extending their lead. France struggled to respond and became the first team in a World Cup final to have no shots or touches in the opposition area during the first half. Kylian Mbappe sparked France’s late comeback, scoring from the penalty spot and then volleying a sensational goal to level the score.
In extra time, Messi netted his second goal by scrambling the ball over the line, but Mbappe once again equalized from the spot, completing a historic hat-trick in the World Cup final. The match ultimately went to a penalty shootout, where Argentina emerged victorious, with Gonzalo Montiel converting the winning spot kick. Emiliano Martinez’s saves and contributions, along with misses from Coman and Tchouameni, sealed the victory for Argentina.
This triumph marked Argentina’s third World Cup title and their first during the Messi era, completing a remarkable achievement in his illustrious career. this match is not only the most viewed football match.