The top bits in these lists have become more or less set in stone by now, and the same choices keep coming up all the time.

Comments on the goals:

Maradona's is never going to be beaten. If sheer brilliance doesn't do it, the significance of the goal, the setting, the encapsulation of what a top player was like (together with its companion piece the Hand of God) will ensure top place for it every time.

Saeed Al Owairan's is there often mainly because of the 'had it been scored by a better-known player' etc effect. Hard to argue with that, but Ronaldo scored one of those solo goals for Barcelona against Compostela ten years ago that was even featured in a TV ad. But this was before Youtube, which is why Leo Messi is there.

Gemmill's is not very well known outside Britain. It keeps coming up in British lists but elsewhere it has got more reputation through the film 'Trainspotting' than through people's memories.

I'd rate Bergkamp's against Argentina much higher.

Was number 18 Best's best?

The Matches:

Lost of World Cup and Champìons' Cup here. Maybe we should come up with significant matches from the European Championships and the Copa América. I like the selection.

Teams:

Brazil 1970 are lucky they only played 6 games. What would it take to replace them at the top?

Denmark 1986? Beaten 5-1 by Spain in a World Cup second-round match. Good team, but the result wasn't there.

Manchester United 1999 I rate much higher. In fact I argue that they are the most succesful club ever over one season: that treble (and look at their rivals in both cups) plus the Intercontinental Cup later.

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