What is the greatest sporting match of all time?

B20

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Been let's of discussion of best athletes across all disciplines, but what about matches?

Off the top of my head:

  • Rumble in the jungle - Ali vs Foreman
  • The Thrilla in Manila - Ali vs Frazier
  • Wimbledon 2008 final - Federer vs Nadal
  • Germany vs Brazil - 7-1
  • Miracle on Ice - USA vs USSR
  • Greg Lemond winning Tour de France 8 second ahead of Fignon after trailing him by 50 seconds before the final stage.
  • Usain Bolt’s beating his own 100m world record in Beijing, raising his arms in victory with 20m to go.
 
World Cup Final 2022 was pretty epic. Could be recency bias but I see it going down as one of the greatest finals of all times.
 
Florida Man said:
World Cup Final 2022 was pretty epic. Could be recency bias but I see it going down as one of the greatest finals of all times.
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I was thinking the same - why would Germany Brazil be there? Such a one sided game.

Probably not right up there but Australia vs South Africa 99 cricket WC semi final was great.
 
For pure brilliant boxing I think Arturo Gatti vs Micky Ward I is up there as my favourite, I mean any of the trilogy is great but the first was unbelievable.
 
Would love to nominate the 99 CL final but I suppose that wasn't so much a great match so much as a great ending to a match at the end of an amazing season/story line.

England ODI world cup win (2019?) is also a favourite of mine. Again though, the match was a bit tame until the last few overs when it went nuts.

It's difficult for me to think of matches which don't involve a team I support as there is less emotional investment so they don't have the same impact. But, for pure drama, and trying to be objective, probably Liverpool winning in Istanbul. The most ridiculous underdog comeback on the biggest stage.
 
Greatest matches (or best I suppose) that I've seen, no real order:
  • Federer v Nadal, Wimbledon ?2008?
  • Bolt winning the Olympics and annihilating the world record while slowing down and chest thumping.
  • Liverpool vs AC Milan CL final ?2004?
  • Leeds 4 Liverpool 5 1990/91 (Ok this is not like the others)
  • England vs New Zealand Cricket WC final 2019
  • England vs Australia Edgbaston 2005
  • England vs Australia Headingly 2019
  • Corrales vs Castillo ?2006?
  • Hendry vs White World Championship final (18-17)
 
West Germany - France in 82 World Cup semi.

3-3 and West Germany won 5-4 on pens… fantastic game of football, Forster, Breitner, Rumenigge, Tresor, Platini.

Pace and quality of the game/players tends to gets forgotten because of Schumacher’s attempted murder of a Battiston.

“Teeth knocked out, damaged vertebrae, broken ribs? …. nah, play on, no foul”
 
Not quality wise, but Wimbledon final between Ivanisevic and Rafter had something special (apart from being played on Monday).
 
Jesse Owen’s at the olympics and SpongeBob’s halftime show. Hard to choose between them.
 
Florida Man said:
World Cup Final 2022 was pretty epic. Could be recency bias but I see it going down as one of the greatest finals of all times.
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I agree, fantastic game and one of the best finals. Just pure drama from the time France scored until the end.
 
Bolt Beijing was special but I think London 2012 was even better imo.

That's the fastest 100m final ever - the first time he was ever under pressure by someone. And he still won by a 1/10th of a second.
 
B20 said:
Germany vs Brazil - 7-1
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A game with such drastic disparities between the sides surely can’t be the greatest ever. I like the Italy - West Germany 1970 semi-final personally, it’s hard to beat that.
 
Ryder Cup "miracle of Medinah"was pretty special.
Usain Bolt 2008 Olympics.
 
The Cat said:
Italy v Brazil '82. Really upset me that one though.
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Good call, was 9 at the time and I can still remember it like yesterday. That match has had a lasting impact on my memory.

In my conscious life time..

Bolt’s performances stand out, but so does Johnson in the 400m in Atlanta. 2008 Wimbledon final, but also the 2 Borg McEnroe finals in the 80’s. Several Tiger Woods majors, and Michael Jordan almost every final he played in. Most of Mike Tyson’s early fights were astonishing, up until 1988ish anyway. Headlinlgy Ashes test 2019 was incredible. Special mention for the Barca game in 1984, and the ‘99 final against Munich.
 
Barry Mcguigan vs Eusebio Pedrosa
Denis Taylor vs Steve Davis the final black in the early hours
Phil Taylor vs RVB at the Circus Tavern Taylor lost the toss threw for the bull hit 25 Barney used it as a marker and hit the bull so he threw first and went on to win the match.
 
amolbhatia50k said:
Absolute classic
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What stuck in my mind probably the most is the look of Ivanisevic’s father in the stands. I have never seen somebody so tense and subsequently so relieved and happy in a matter of seconds. It was trully epic.
 
Giggsy PO said:
What stuck in my mind probably the most is the look of Ivanisevic’s father in the stands. I have never seen somebody so tense and subsequently so relieved and happy in a matter of seconds. It was trully epic.
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I wanted Rafter to win as he was my favourite player at the time but the drama in that last set was something else.
 
Also Higgins vs White semi final of 1982
The best clearance of 69 by Higgins in the penultimate frame. That blue to the green pocket and got the cue ball with every trace to get in position defied belief. Also went on to win it and was the first I seen to beckon his wife and child beside him to share those moments. Now it's so common place and expected.
 
sallycinnamin said:
Also Higgins vs White semi final of 1982
The best clearance of 69 by Higgins in the penultimate frame. That blue to the green pocket and got the cue ball with every trace to get in position defied belief. Also went on to win it and was the first I seen to beckon his wife and child beside him to share those moments. Now it's so common place and expected.
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I was thinking along those lines as well, except I'd have gone for the 82 final. Higgins was essentially "the people's champion" and Ray Reardon, after dominating the 70s was coming to the end of his career at the top. Because of the emergence of Steve Davis, there was a good chance it would be the last chance for either of them to win it all. Great drama.

Another snooker moment is the 85 final between Davis and Dennis Taylor and the black ball finish in the final frame.

Phil Taylor, when he was a complete unknown, demolishing Eric Bristow in the 1990 World final was another standout match even though the result wasn't close. All the way through, you kept expecting Bristow to come back and it just never happened.
 
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charlton66 said:
Phil Taylor, when he was a complete unknown, demolishing Eric Bristow in the 1990 World final was another standout match even though the result wasn't close. All the way through, you kept expecting Bristow to come back and it just never happened.
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A definite changing of the guard, though Bristow at the end of his career, for a few years in the mid 80s he was almost untouchable….

… which makes the 83 world final even more of a surprise where a qualifier called Keith Deller kept winning, knocking out John Lowe and Jocky Wilson.

Gets to the final v Bristow, deciding leg and Bristow has bullseye to win, but takes the 18 as percentage shot with Deller on 138. Three darts - treble 20, treble 18, double 12 and Deller wins it as a qualifier and beating the top three in the world in the final three rounds. One off
 
charlton66 said:
I was thinking along those lines as well, except I'd have gone for the 82 final. Higgins was essentially "the people's champion" and Ray Reardon, after dominating the 70s was coming to the end of his career at the top. Because of the emergence of Steve Davis, there was a good chance it would be the last chance for either of them to win it all. Great drama.

Another snooker moment is the 85 final between Davis and Dennis Taylor and the black ball finish in the final frame.

Phil Taylor, when he was a complete unknown, demolishing Eric Bristow in the 1990 World final was another standout match even though the result wasn't close. All the way through, you kept expecting Bristow to come back and it just never happened.
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I remember all those as I am a massive darts and snooker fan. Never fully appreciated the levels of brilliance of Steve Davis when I was a teenager it not so much passed me by its just I was always rooting for White, Higgins or whoever he happened to be playing. Sometimes the greatest match doesn't have to necessarily be a comeback it can be a demolition. You mentioned Taylor v Bristow and the tables were turned on Taylor when Rob Cross took him out in his final match at the Ally Pally.

That 85 final was never repeated. How far behind Denis was given all Davis was winning. Went into the early hours and that final black.
Some fantastic memories.
 
Personally:

United vs. Bayern '99
Luton vs. Coventry Playoff Final
McGregor vs. Diaz 1 (him vs. Alvarez and Khabib up there too)
World Cup Final 2022
Federer vs. Nadal Wimbledon 2008
 
Personal one that sticks out in the memory is France beating New Zealand in the ‘99 rugby World Cup semifinal.

Massive underdogs playing with unbelievable passion and flair, encapsulated everything about French rugby in that era - world class one week, bag of shit the next week
 
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