At the end of 2022, under the bright lights of Qatar, Lionel Messi finally lived the moment he had imagined his whole life. After years of pressure, frustration, and extremely painful runner-up finishes, the Argentine captain exceeded all expectations on football's biggest stage to give his country the perfect ending—and fulfill his own destiny. This story, based on a report by Ryan Tolmich, is an episode of Icons—GOAL's podcast that revisits the last ten World Cups through the moments, characters, and controversies that defined them, bringing back, with intensity, the spirit of each tournament.

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Kylian Mbappé was only nineteen when he turned the 2018 World Cup into his personal announcement to the world — breaking France’s records, matching feats last seen in Pelé’s era, and powering Les Bleus to a title that felt like the beginning of something historic. This episode, based on the feature written by Krishan Davis, is part of Icons — a GOAL podcast that revisits the last ten World Cups through the moments, characters, and controversies that defined them, bringing the spirit of each tournament vividly back to life.

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In 2014, Germany not only won the World Cup on Brazilian soil—it left behind one of the most powerful and unexpected symbols of unity that football has ever seen. Beyond the unforgettable semi-final victory against the hosts, a match that shocked the world, a red and black jersey came to represent something deeper than victory or defeat. This story, based on a report written by Nino Duit, is one of the episodes of Icons—a GOAL podcast that revisits the last ten World Cups through the moments, characters, and controversies that defined them, bringing back the spirit of each tournament.

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The 2010 World Cup was chaos, noise, heartbreak, and pure spectacle — a tournament that shaped football’s modern era in ways few could have predicted. This story, based on the feature written by Steve Blues, is one of the episodes of Icons — a GOAL podcast that revisits the last ten World Cups through the moments, characters, and controversies that defined them, bringing the spirit of each tournament vividly back to life.

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A few nights transformed Fabio Grosso from an outsider to national hero. From his decisive left-footed strike against Germany to his perfect penalty in the final in Berlin, Grosso’s is an incredible story of humility, courage, and destiny. This story, based on the feature written by Federico Zanon, is one of the episodes of Icons — a GOAL podcast that revisits the last ten World Cups through the moments, characters, and controversies that defined them, bringing the spirit of each tournament vividly back to life.

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Amidst a cloud of tension, before a World Cup semi-final, Brazil's star player made a simple decision that went down in history. This episode, inspired by a special report by Tauan Ambrosio, is part of ICONS — GOAL's podcast that revisits, from unique perspectives, the last ten World Cups, reviving the spirit of the greatest tournament of all.

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At the 1998 World Cup, a shy midfielder from the city of Marseille became the face of a new nation, transforming pain into pride and silence into legend. This story, based on a report by Naim Beneddra, is part of Icons, a GOAL podcast that revisits the last ten World Cups from unique perspectives, bringing back the spirit of the tournament.

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From stadium anthems to sweltering afternoons in packed arenas, the summer of 1994 marked the moment football - or soccer - truly crashed the American party. It was the World Cup that changed everything: where global passion met US showtime, and two sporting cultures began to merge. This story, based on the feature written by Tom Hindle, is part of Icons, a GOAL podcast revisiting the last ten World Cups from unique perspectives, bringing the spirit of the tournament back to life.

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On a magical night in Rome, as Germany celebrated their third world title in 1990, one man quietly stepped away from the chaos. Franz Beckenbauer - hands in his pockets, gold medal around his neck - walked alone across the Stadio Olimpico pitch, lost in thought while his players rejoiced. This story - inspired by the feature written by Filippo Cataldo - is one of ten episodes in Icons, a GOAL podcast revisiting the last ten World Cups from a unique perspective, to bring the spirit of the tournament back to life.

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Maradona’s brilliance was written in jerseys hastily bought from a street market.

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