What is a 'good' world cup though?

This whole threat is effectively a debate over what 'good' actually means.

Even if you say it is about 'good' football then we won't completely agree on that. Many people say Man City are amazing - and they are on some metrics - but equally lots of people find then dull as f**k.

So I don't think that it is just nostalgia. I think that football is an emotional, cultural and social experience which transcends the actual football itself and means that it can be enjoyable and 'great' even if - by some supposedly objective measure - the football is crap.

Posted By: Knitted Jesus on May 29th 2026 at 10:11:23

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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