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| Host nation: Qatar Dates: 20 November-18 December Coverage: Live on BBC TV, BBC iPlayer, BBC Radio 5 Live, BBC Radio Wales, BBC Radio Cymru, BBC Sounds and the BBC Sport website and app. Day-by-day TV listings – Full coverage details |
Only one country can lift the men’s football World Cup every four years – indeed only eight nations have ever achieved that honour.
But does the best team always take home the trophy? There have been some magical sides down the years that have, for varying reasons, fallen just short of claiming the game’s ultimate prize.
From the Dutch masters of Total Football in the ’70s, through the brilliant Brazilians of the ’80s to the modern-day Belgian bridesmaids.
But which nearly-nation is the best team not to win the World Cup? That’s the topic discussed by Gary Lineker, Alan Shearer and Micah Richards in the latest Match of the Day: Top 10 podcast.
You can listen to the podcast on BBC Sounds and have your say by ranking your choices at the bottom of this page.
Belgium 2018 (Richards: 10, Shearer: 5)
Belgium led the Fifa world rankings heading into the 2018 World Cup in Russia and showed mettle to come from 2-0 down to beat Japan 3-2 in the last 16 before dispatching Brazil in the quarter-finals. However, they failed to reproduce that form in the semi-final, exiting tamely with a 1-0 defeat by eventual champions France.
Richards: They had some top players but I think there were better teams at the time player for player. I didn’t think they had enough.
Shearer: We have been saying for a while Belgium could win something with the players they have had like Lukaku, De Bruyne, Hazard.
Argentina 2006 (Richards: 9, Shearer: 9)
With then-teenager Lionel Messi their new talisman, Argentina produced some superb football to reach the 2006 quarter-finals in Germany, scoring one of the all-time great World Cup team goals with a 24-pass move in a 6-0 drubbing of Serbia and Montenegro, but were beaten on penalties in the last eight by the host nation.
Richards: Hernan Crespo, what a goalscorer. Riquelme, remember him? Now, that’s a proper player.
France 1982 (Richards: 8, Shearer: 10)
Michel Platini’s France had some silverware to show for their swaggering, stylish football of the early 1980s as they won the 1984 European Championship on home soil. But the ‘Big One’ evaded them, their best chance going begging in 1982 when they lost to West Germany on penalties after a 3-3 thriller.
Lineker: I would have had them really high because they were such a good team. I would say they were robbed in the semi-final against Germany. They were unbelievably good, outplaying Germany and walking it and then the goalkeeper [Harald] Schumacher came out and smashed [Patrick] Battiston, no red card, the Germans came back and won on penalties.
England 2002 (Richards: 7, Shearer: 8)
Often labelled England’s ‘Golden Generation’, Sven-Goran Eriksson’s charges memorably thrashed Germany 5-1 in Munich in qualifying, then beat old rivals Argentina in the group stages in Japan. Michael Owen put them ahead against Brazil in the quarter-final only for Ronaldinho’s lob of David Seaman to break Three Lions’ hearts again.
Richards: I had Sven at Man City and I loved him, he gave you all the confidence but maybe didn’t give them that extra they need.
Shearer: That was meant to be the generation. They had some top players. Drew with Sweden and drew with Nigeria in group games. Did the players like Sven?
France 2006 (Richards: 6, Shearer: 6)
Les Blues squeezed through the group stage in Germany but grew into the tournament as Zinedine Zidane’s brilliance helped eliminate Spain, Brazil and Portugal in successive knockout rounds, only for the mercurial playmaker to be sent off for headbutting Marco Materazzi near the end of extra time in the final as Italy triumphed on penalties.
Richards: That was a really good team, Zidane and [Patrick] Vieira, what players. [Lilian] Thuram was a proper player as well.
England 1990 (Richards: 4, Shearer: 7)
In Sir Bobby Robson’s swansong as England manager, the gutsy Three Lions reached their first semi-final since winning the tournament in 1966 but the curse of the penalty shootout would strike for the first time against West Germany to leave Paul Gascoigne, and plenty of other onlookers, in tears.
Lineker: I thought we could go and win this, particularly as the tournament progressed. Gazza was young and in his prime and I honestly think with a fully-fit Bryan Robson we would have won the World Cup in either 1986 or 1990. We went close though.
Shearer: Were the best days gone for a few of the players?
West Germany 1986 (Richards: 5, Shearer: 4)
The West Germans, including a young Lothar Matthaus and Rudi Voller, reached the second of three successive World Cup finals by beating Michel Platini’s France in the semi-finals in Mexico but lost 3-2 to a Diego Maradona-led Argentina in the final, despite coming back from 2-0 down at one stage.
Lineker: There was a lot of talk that Diego won it on his own but they were a really good team. Diego made them favourites to win that final though. I remember watching that final praying Diego wouldn’t score because I got six goals and he got five. Well done West Germany for not letting Diego score, meaning I won the Golden Boot.
The Netherlands 1974 (Richards: 3, Shearer: 2)
With Johan Cruyff leading their Total Football revolution, the Netherlands swept into the 1974 final in style, thrashing Argentina 4-0 and beating Brazil 2-0 en route. Cruyff famously won a penalty, converted by Johan Neeskens, before opponents West Germany had touched the ball but the host nation fought back to win 2-1.
Lineker: It was like my second World Cup and it was the time you started to realise about Total Football. Cruyff was like a coach in that team. I remember watching that ‘Cruyff turn’ and thinking ‘woah’.
Brazil 1998 (Richards: 1, Shearer: 3)
With Ronaldo, Bebeto and Rivaldo leading the line, 1994 winners Brazil seemed to have a great chance of retaining their crown in France four years later. They beat the Netherlands on penalties to reach the final but fitness and health concerns over Ronaldo overshadowed a shock 3-0 loss to the host nation.
Richards: I used to love Dunga, he kept the midfield together. That was some team.
Shearer: They had some top players but France battered them.
Brazil 1982 (Richards: 2, Shearer: 1)
Brazil swept aside their opening group-stage opponents in Spain but were victims of the oft-forgotten second group stage – a concept soon abandoned. In a ‘Group of Death’ they beat arch rivals Argentina 3-1 but were eliminated by Paolo Rossi’s hat-trick in a thrilling 3-2 defeat by eventual champions Italy.
Shearer: Zico, Socrates, Falcao, some proper players.
Lineker: One problem, they didn’t have a centre forward. The rest of the team was unbelievable. They played Italy, the match was fantastic, and Brazil battered them but Italy scored three. Zico was unbelievable.
