The most iconic World Cup ‘Goals of the Tournament’: Who will take the crown in Qatar 2022?

The most iconic World Cup ‘Goals of the Tournament’: Who will take the crown in Qatar 2022?

▌The 2022 FIFA World Cup saw many explosive spectacular goals, some of which may earn the prestigious Goal of the Tournament award, joining winners like James Rodriguez and Benjamin Pavard. ▌

Introduced in 2006, the Goal of the Tournament award is determined by a public vote, giving fans the chance to crown the most memorable goal. Top10 Casinos used YouTube viewership data to look back at previous winners of the award and predict which player is most likely to take home the crown in 2022.

If you decide to use this research, we would appreciate a link tohttps://www.top10casinos.com/ who commissioned the data.

Contenders for Goal of the Tournament 2022

Please see the full data table here.

Richarlison de Andrade – Brazil vs Serbia. Qatar 2022 – 6,938,398 views

 With almost 7 MILLION YouTube views,Richarlison’s goal against Serbia marked an explosive start to Brazil’s World Cup campaign and has amassed more views than any other goal in our list. The 25-year-old took a pass from Vinivius Junior, before hitting a spectacular bicycle kick and cementing a 2-0 victory for Brazil.

Many fans dubbed the jaw-dropping moment ‘the best goal of the World Cup’ despite the goal happening in the early weeks of the tournament – and with this many views, it’s safe to say it’s a strong contender for this year’s Goal of the Tournament.

 Lionel Messi – Argentina vs Mexico. Qatar 2022 – 5,132,130 views

 We can’t talk about Qatar 2022 without mentioning this one. Securing 5,132,130 YouTube views is the World Cup champion, aka Lionel Messi’s goal against Mexico which saved them from the brink of elimination in the tournament. The talisman fired his first Qatar 2022 goal home in the 64th minute, in a “blink and you’ll miss it” moment which marked the start of a goal-fuelled journey for Argentina, leading them to becoming this year’s champions.

Kevin Mbappe – France vs Poland – 2,849,020 views

Another name that’ll be remembered from Qatar 2022 is KylianMbappe, who scored eight goals in this year’s tournament. Two of his goals were scored against Poland, he scored the first in the 74th minute with such finesse and power, building on Olivier Giroud’s first in the game.

However, what made this match magical was Mbappe’s second goal, he got himself inside the box surrounded by defenders, and without much thought launched the ball into the top-right corner and launching France into the quarter finals. Fans have viewed the 23-year old’s goals against Poland over 2.8 MILLION times and will surely become part of the World Cup canon.

 Marcus Rashford – England vs Wales. Qatar 2022 – 1,370,934 views

Rashford’s strike in the 68th minute of the England vs Wales game marked England’s 100th World Cup goal. In an incredible display of footwork and poise, Rashford launched a ferocious strike straight through Wales keeper Danny Ward’s legs and into the net, making history for England and delighting fans across the country.

Rashford’s 100th goal has gained an impressive 1.3 MILLION views on YouTube, with the number increasing by the second. Could this stunning goal secure England their first Goal of the Tournament award? Fans will have to wait and see..

Of course, all the goals in our list have a very long way to go before catching up to perhaps the most iconic goal in World Cup history, the ‘hand of God’ scored by Maradona in the 1986 Argentina vs England quarter finals. This controversial yet unforgettable goal has amassed a staggering 17,601,019 YouTube views.

Previous Goal of the Tournament Winners: Which had the most views?

Benjamin Pavard – France vs Argentina. Russia 2018 – 6,012,756 views

Pavard’sstunning strike against Argentina in 2018 helped France to level the playing field at 2-2, before his team went on to secure a 4-3 victory. More than three million fans voted in the poll to determine the Goal of the Tournament, with Pavard coming out on top, thanks to his incredible outside-of-the-boot volley. The goal helped to launch France to the finals, where they celebrated a 4-2 win over Croatia.

Pavard’s goal also claims the top spot when it comes to YouTube views, with more than 5 million fans coming back to relive the unforgettable moment time and time again.

James Rodriguez – Colombia vs Uruguay. Brazil 2014 – 2,877,608 views

Rodriguez secured Colombiaa place in the quarter finals at the 2014 World Cup in Brazil after scoring a spectacular volley against Uruguay. The midfielder started out with his back to the goal, before turning around to fire the ball straight off the underside of the crossbar and into the net in the perfect demonstration of skill and timing. The goal was later described by Uruguay manager ÓscarTabárez as “one of the greatest goals the World Cup has ever seen.” With over 2.8 million views on YouTube, it’s clear the fans agree.

Maxi Rodriguez – Argentina vs Mexico. Germany 2006 – 686,285 views

 Described by Maxi Rodriguez as ‘a career highlight’, his extra-time match winning goal against Mexico in the Germany 2006 World Cup was one for the history books. After a series of passes, the ball went to Rodriguez, who bounced it off his chest before launching it into the goal at lightning speed. Despite being scored more than sixteen years ago in 2006, it’s clear that this goal has staying power in the minds and hearts of fans, racking up more than 600 thousand YouTube views.

Diego Forlan – Uruguay vs Germany. South Africa 2010 – 156,383 views

Although it wasn’t enough to secure the win for Uruguay against Germany, Diego Forlan’sbreathtaking goal and stunning display of technique netted him the coveted Goal of the Tournament award in 2010. This World Cup was well known for the now infamous Jabulani ball, with experts concluding that the ball may have been ‘too round’ to fly straight, making Forlan’s mastery over it even more impressive. Although this goal ranks lowest on our list, it still commands an impressive viewership with over 100 thousand YouTube views.

We really hope you find this study useful. If you decide to use this research, we would appreciate a link to https://www.top10casinos.com/ who commissioned the data.