On 7 July 1990, World Cup hosts Italy finished third by beating England 2-1 in the third-place match. It was the last of goalkeeper Peter Shilton's record 125 caps for England, as he retired from international competition after the tournament.
Both Italy and England were eliminated on penalty kicks in the semi-finals with identical 1-1 (4-3) scores as Italy lost to Argentina and England to West Germany to set up their meeting in the consolation match.
Playing before a crowd of 62,628 at the Stadio delle Alpi in Turin, the two former World Cup champions had little to separate them until a mistake by Shilton (pictured) in the 71st minute. He stopped a shot on goal and set the ball down, not realizing that Roberto Baggio was right behind him. Baggio stole the ball away and passed it to fellow striker Salvatore Schillaci. As Shilton chased the ball, Baggio received a return pass from Schillaci in front of the open goal and knocked it home to put Italy up 1-0.
England equalized ten minutes later as a cross found midfielder David Platt in the box and he headed it into the net. But Schillaci put Italy back in front with an 86th-minute penalty kick after being tripped by England right-back Paul Parker just inside the box. It was his sixth goal of the tournament, making him only the second Italian player (after Paolo Rossi) to win the Golden Boot. Schillaci was joined at Juventus the following season by Baggio, and Platt eventually signed with the too in 1992.
Although it was Shilton's last match as an England player, he continued to play for various clubs until 1997.
On 6 July 1974, Poland achieved their best finish in a World Cup, beating Brazil 0-1 in the third-place match. The match-winning goal was provided by speedy right-winger Grzegorz Lato (pictured), the tournament's highest scorer.
Poland were playing in only their second World Cup ever, with the first ending after one match in 1938 - a 6-5 loss to Brazil at the end of extra time. They had won the gold at the 1972 Olympics, however, thus establishing themselves as World Cup contenders. And indeed, they breezed through the first round with wins over Argentina (3-2), Haiti (0-7), and Italy (2-1). In the second-round group stage, they beat Sweden (0-1) and Yugoslavia (2-1) to set up the final match of the round against West Germany, with the winner advancing to the Final. It was the only match of the tournament in which the Poles could not score, losing 0-1 to a 76th-minute goal from Gerd Müller.
Playing before a crowd of 74,100 at the Olympiastadion in Munich, both sides played an open attacking style that created a handful of chances each. But it was Lato who turned one of those chances into the match's only goal, as he received the ball in his own half and sprinted down the right side past the Brazilian defense to knock the ball past the keeper in the 76th minute. It was his seventh goal of the tournament, making him the only Polish player to win a World Cup golden boot.
Poland repeated their success with another third-place finish in 1982, but have since gone into decline, qualifying for only three of the eight World Cups since then.
On 5 July 1994, Italy staged a dramatic extra-time comeback win against Nigeria in the World Cup Round of 16, despite being down to 10 men. The hero of the day was forward Roberto Baggio (pictured), who would make headlines of a different kind later in the tournament.
Italy had been largely unimpressive in the group stage, finishing third in their group behind Mexico and Ireland. But the rules at the time allowed the top four third-place teams to advance and Italy - in fourth place - just made it. Nigeria, on the other had, won their group over Bulgaria, Argentina, and Greece.
Played before a crowd of 54,367 at Foxboro Stadium outside of Boston, the Round of 16 match appeared to going Nigeria's way, as winger Emmanuel Amuneke scored off a 25th minute corner kick that was poorly defended by Italy. The Azzurri's attack looked anemic for most of the match and Italy's fate appeared to be sealed by the ejection of midfielder Gianfranco Zola. Zola, playing in his one and only World Cup match, was sent off for elbowing Nigeria's Augustine Eguavoen, though replays suggested that the red card was not warranted.
The ejection spurred the Italians to action and, in the 88th minute, Baggio found the equalizer with a low driving shot from the top of the box. In extra time, Eguavoen conceded a penalty, bringing Italian defender Antonio Bennarivo down just outside Nigeria's 6-yard box. Baggio stepped up and converted the kick, sending the ball in off the left post for the win.
Italy eventually advanced to the Final where they lost to Brazil on penalties, with Baggio famously missing the Italians' last kick.
On 4 July 1954, West Germany won their first World Cup trophy, beating Hungary 3-2. The German victory ended Hungary's then-record unbeaten run of 31 matches and avenged an 8-3 loss to the Hungarians in the tournament's group stage. The German press dubbed the dramatic comeback win "the Miracle of Bern."
Playing in a heavy downpour before a crowd of 64,000 at the Wankdorf Stadium in Bern, Switzerland, the Hungarians looked likely to extend their remarkable streak after going up 2-0 against Germany in the first eight minutes of the Final. Forward and captain Ferenc Puskás put them up 1-0 in the 6th minute with a driving shot from about 10 yards; two minutes later, his fellow forward Zóltan Czibor doubled the lead in similar fashion.
The Germans, however, quickly fought back. In the 10th minute, forward Max Morlock (pictured) slid feet-first to meet a low cross, knocking the ball past the Hungarian keeper, then striker Helmut Rahn scored an 18th-minute equalizer. After those furious high-scoring twelve minutes, the match settled down and the teams remained level at the break and through most of the second half.
But six minutes from full-time, Rahn netted again to give the Germans their first lead with a powerful shot from the top of the box in the 84th minute. Puskás appeared to draw Hungary level with a sliding shot in the 89th minute, but the referee ruled him offside and disallowed the goal.
On 3 July 1974, the Netherlands secured their spot in the World Cup Final by beating defending champions Brazil 2-0 in the second round.
The Netherlands and Brazil were the last to meet in their second-round group, both having already beaten fellow group members Argentina and East Germany, meaning that the winner would reach the Final. The Dutch were led by captain and reigning European Footballer of the Year, Johan Cruyff. Ostensibly a center forward, Cruyff had the freedom to roam the pitch in the Oranje's Total Football system, which abandoned positional rigidity for a free-flowing dynamic style. Brazil, meanwhile, relied on veteran midfielder Jairzinho, who had scored seven goals in the previous World Cup, second only to West Germany's Gerd Müller.
As befitting their shared attacking style, the two sides exchanged close chances in an attacking first half, but neither team was able to find the back of the net. That changed shortly after the break, as Dutch midfielder Johan Neeskens stormed into the box to latch onto the end of a Cruyff cross and chip it over the Brazilian keeper in the 50th minute. Cruyff doubled the lead fifteen minutes later with a leaping right-foot volley.
Brazil's efforts to mount a comeback were undone by the 84th-minute ejection of defender Luis Pereira for an uncharacteristically clumsy tackle.
The Netherlands advanced to the Final, where they lost 2-1 to West Germany.
On 2 July 1982, South American titans Brazil and Argentina clashed in the World Cup, with the Brazilians emerging as 3-1 winners in the second round match-up to send the defending champions home.
Meeting in the second round group stage, it was a must-win game for the title-holders, who had already lost their first second-round match to Italy, 2-1. But Brazil quickly took charge of the match, as playmaker Zico scored an 11th-minute goal off a free-kick. Argentina keeper Ubaldo Fillol saved the kick, but the deflected ball hit the bar and fell in the path of Zico, who tapped it home. Striker Serginho (pictured) doubled the lead with a header in the 66th minute, then Júnior added a third goal in the 75th minute.
The tournament ended ten minutes later for Argentina's Diego Maradona, playing in his first World Cup. After a high challenge by Brazilian substitute Batista against Argentina defender Juan Barbas, Maradona kicked Batista in the midsection and was ejected. Despite being down to ten men, however, Argentina striker Ramón Díaz scored an 89th minute consolation goal to end the match at 3-1.
The match eliminated Argentina, but Brazil followed soon after, losing to eventual champions Italy 3-2 in their final match of the second round. Argentina got their revenge in 1990, as they eliminated Brazil in the Round of 16.
On 1 July 1990, England needed an extra-time penalty kick to beat Cameroon in the World Cup quarterfinals, 3-2. It was a painful end to the tournament for Cameroon, who had been seven minutes away from becoming the first African side to reach the World Cup semi-finals.
It was the second consecutive extra-time match for both sides, with Cameroon getting past Colombia 2-1 thanks to two Roger Milla goals while England squeaked by Belgium 1-0 with a 119th-minute goal from David Platt, making his first World Cup appearance. Both goalscorers featured in the quarterfinal matchup.
It was an energetic, attacking match, full of scoring chances for both sides, but Platt, making his first start in the tournament, sent England ahead with a 25th-minute header. Trailing 0-1 at the break, Cameroon introduced Milla at the start of the second half and he instantly built momentum for his side, leading to two goals in quick succession by Emmanuel Kundé (61', pen.) and Eugène Ekéké (65') to put Cameroon up 1-2. But in the 83rd minute, England striker Gary Lineker was tripped in the box and converted the ensuing penalty kick to level the match at 2-2.
Both sides continued to attack in extra time, but the match was decided by yet another penalty, as Cameroon keeper Thomas Nkono tripped a charging Lineker to concede the spot kick. Lineker converted it to send England through to the semifinals where they lost to West Germany on penalties, prompting Lineker's famous quote: "Football is a simple game; 22 men chase a ball for 90 minutes and at the end, the Germans always win."
On 7 July 1990, World Cup hosts Italy finished third by beating England 2-1 in the third-place match. It was the last of goalkeeper Peter Shilton's record 125 caps for England, as he retired from international competition after the tournament.
