I think there are many reasons people of a certain generation consider it the best:

For many it was the first they followed - 86 wasn’t so easy as a teenager or child due to the time difference while 90 was in Europe. World cups are always more engaging when you are young without responsibilities and without having “gone through” them before. The romance is far stronger.

The story of course as England got to a semi-final and were knocked out dramatically on penalties - England’s first penalty shootout at a World Cup, and the whole drama of Gazza’s yellow card etc.

The fact that England didn’t qualify in 94, and many didn’t watch much again due to time difference. So slightly younger people will offer 98 as the best tournament.

And finally, and seriously I don’t think this should be underestimated, the whole Nessun Dorma thing. What a genial choice of music for the tournament! To this day every time I hear it I think of the 1990 World Cup.

Posted By: Legacy Fan on May 29th 2026 at 09:30:33

Message Thread

NBTTT - Italia 90 (Other Football) - norwaay, May 29, 09:07:01
- but it changed football ... (Other Football) - ghostof barry butler, May 29, 11:15:43
- This is quite a nice, simple analysis of why people remember Italia '90 fondly (Other Football) - Ottosson Foxtrot, May 29, 10:41:08
- England - Belgium (Other Football) - Under soil heating, May 29, 10:28:28
- What is a 'good' world cup though? (Other Football) - Knitted Jesus, May 29, 10:11:23
  - That’s what I said pretty much (Other Football) - APB, May 29, 11:04:39
    - Ah yes, but yours was specific to that tournament (Other Football) - Knitted Jesus, May 29, 11:10:14
      - Oh yes I see you say that in your 2nd post. Great minds (n/m) (Other Football) - Knitted Jesus, May 29, 11:44:32
  - Or maybe norwaay is right and we all have very little understanding of football (Other Football) - Ken Dodds Dads Dog, May 29, 10:17:36
    - Again - the question was "what was the best World Cup" not "what was your favourite" (Other Football) - norwaay, May 29, 10:32:46
      - Wow! (n/m) (Other Football) - Ken Dodds Dads Dog, May 29, 10:45:06
        
        I know right? (n/m) (Other Football) - norwaay, May 29, 10:48:41
      - ... (Other Football) - jamesward, May 29, 10:41:06
        
        ... (Other Football) - norwaay, May 29, 10:47:23
- It was the end of the jumpers for goalposts era and before football was ruined by sky tv (n/m) (Other Football) - Chris Peacock, May 29, 09:57:11
  - And before Pep made footballers into robots (n/m) (Other Football) - jamesward, May 29, 10:04:43
- Football-wise it may have lacked some elements (Other Football) - APB, May 29, 09:50:39
  - That feeling of involvement and optimism is what stays with people (Other Football) - APB, May 29, 09:54:19
- The aesthetics of Italia '90 were fantastic - New Order and Pavarotti, great stadia, (Other Football) - Ottosson Foxtrot, May 29, 09:45:07
  - Absolutely. (Other Football) - Garry Brooke, May 29, 10:45:56
  - POTD (n/m) (Other Football) - norwaay, May 29, 09:53:25
  - I always thought it was because Everton won the league (Other Football) - jamesward, May 29, 09:46:55
- Are you ok? (Other Football) - SCC 28, May 29, 09:32:22
  - I'm great, thanks. (Other Football) - norwaay, May 29, 09:35:05
- I think there are many reasons people of a certain generation consider it the best: (Other Football) - Legacy Fan, May 29, 09:30:33
  - 94 was great too tbf (Other Football) - SCC 28, May 29, 09:36:42
    - Let down by the final, but a far better tournament than 1990 (Other Football) - norwaay, May 29, 09:37:57
    - 94 final was rubbish though (n/m) (Other Football) - jamesward, May 29, 09:37:34
      - Most finals are tbf (n/m) (Other Football) - SCC 28, May 29, 09:39:18
        
        Yep, Milk Cup final was shit (n/m) (Other Football) - jamesward, May 29, 09:40:31
- It was a rubbish world cup. Everyone knows this. (Other Football) - Tricky Hawes, May 29, 09:29:17
  - Some sanity at last. (n/m) (Other Football) - norwaay, May 29, 09:35:31
- It’s the nostalgia factor (Other Football) - JoeyDeacon, May 29, 09:22:29
  - Yep best World Cup ever (Other Football) - SCC 28, May 29, 09:37:40
    - Probably a communist plot (n/m) (Other Football) - paulg, May 29, 09:43:32
      - The only other country to bid for the 1990 World Cup was the Soviet Union, so ... maybe? (n/m) (Other Football) - Ottosson Foxtrot, May 29, 10:39:21
        
        Not a country; an evil empire. (n/m) (Other Football) - paulg, May 29, 12:04:20
- You have the brain of a nematode worm (Other Football) - Charles21, May 29, 09:21:39
  - 🎯 (n/m) (Other Football) - SCC 28, May 29, 09:34:40
  - I must have missed your tenure as an invertebrate neurologist (Other Football) - norwaay, May 29, 09:27:03
    - How on Earth is 2010 not bottom of that list FFS (n/m) (Other Football) - Ottosson Foxtrot, May 29, 10:46:26
      - Yeah 2010 was probably the only one I've seen that compete for the wooden spoon with 1990 (n/m) (Other Football) - norwaay, May 29, 10:48:13
        
        Far worse than 1990 IMO (Other Football) - Ottosson Foxtrot, May 29, 10:54:56
        
        It was also a winter tournament - no real colour (n/m) (Other Football) - norwaay, May 29, 10:56:06
  - ☝️✅ (n/m) (Other Football) - Ken Dodds Dads Dog, May 29, 09:24:05
    - Fancy following that up with the USA shambles (n/m) (Other Football) - Charles21, May 29, 09:25:35
      - Er 94 was great (n/m) (Other Football) - SCC 28, May 29, 09:38:31
        
        Weirdly I remember those older world cups (Other Football) - jamesward, May 29, 09:39:48
        
        Same with FA Cup finals etc (n/m) (Other Football) - norwaay, May 29, 09:41:54
        
        Yes, the '79 FA Cup final is seared into my memory like it was yesterday (Other Football) - jamesward, May 29, 09:44:56
        
        89 and 90 were actually great tbf (n/m) (Other Football) - SCC 28, May 29, 09:44:54
- But that's the reason people on here have it as their best World Cup (Other Football) - jamesward, May 29, 09:18:51
  - The question was clear: "What’s the best ever of all time World Cup?" (Other Football) - norwaay, May 29, 09:24:09
    - Ah, but define 'best' (Other Football) - jamesward, May 29, 09:55:26
      - ... (Other Football) - norwaay, May 29, 10:34:04
      - 🎯 (n/m) (Other Football) - Ken Dodds Dads Dog, May 29, 09:58:55
        
        Retire norwaay (n/m) (Other Football) - Chris Peacock, May 29, 10:00:20
        
        *thread closed* (Other Football) - jamesward, May 29, 10:06:13
  - Yep some great drama, sweaties losing to Costa Rica, RoI exploits (Other Football) - Ken Dodds Dads Dog, May 29, 09:22:40
  - Semi final probably my most memorable international (Other Football) - paulg, May 29, 09:22:21
    - Gazza's tears, Lineker turning to Robson and saying 'have a word' (Other Football) - jamesward, May 29, 09:31:31
  - Football in this country had also been in a pretty dark place (Other Football) - jamesward, May 29, 09:21:23
    - Strong argument that Italia 90 was the rebirth of football in England (Other Football) - JoeyDeacon, May 29, 09:24:22
      - And that’s something else to blame it for (n/m) (Other Football) - APB, May 29, 09:42:05
        
        So basically this thread tells me (Other Football) - SCC 28, May 29, 09:46:50
      - And longer shorts (n/m) (Other Football) - Ken Dodds Dads Dog, May 29, 09:37:57
      - Indeed (Other Football) - SCC 28, May 29, 09:33:52
      - VMT (n/m) (Other Football) - jamesward, May 29, 09:32:51
- It was the tournament I most enjoyed (Other Football) - paulg, May 29, 09:12:53
  - I was 19, it was great for many reasons (Other Football) - norwaay, May 29, 09:17:18
    - You iz well old grandpa (n/m) (Other Football) - Charles21, May 29, 09:23:31
      - Probably forgotten how great it was (n/m) (Other Football) - paulg, May 29, 09:44:43
        
        😆 (n/m) (Other Football) - norwaay, May 29, 10:51:12
        
        I slightly remember 74....! (Other Football) - paulg, May 29, 11:48:15
        
        Bloody immigrants (Other Football) - jamesward, May 29, 12:14:45

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