Has anyone seen this ongoing vote/poll on the BBC?

Currently the "best world cup" results so far?

2014: 55.1%
1986: 18.2%
2006: 16.8%
2010: 9.1%

Best goals ever at a world cup:

2014 - 44.1%
1986 - 28.1%
1998 - 8.1%
2006 - 6.2%
1994 - 3.5%

So far from the results it appears pretty unanimous. But I've always argued that when judging whats the "best" current always wins. Always. People argued against me saying people are biased towards the past, blinded by nostalgia and rose tinted spectacles. But I don't find that to be the case.

For example Wayne Rooney's overhead was recently voted the greatest goal in premier league history, and thus probably therefore the greatest goal in English football history since the league began back in the 1800s (120+ years of football). But there's no way Wayne Rooney's goal was the greatest goal ever scored in this country, and I say that as a Man Utd, but it was only 2011, and that helps it IMO.

How on earth is 2010 WC the fourth best world cup ever? And 2006 the third best? Please.

People like to hark on about this WC having so many goals, but 1998 and 1994 had similar goals per game averages (2.71 and 2.67 respectively, this one is 2.69). So that can't be used to distinguish this WC from others WC.

1982 had 2.81 (therefore more) and had matches like Italy 3-2 Brazil, France 3-3 West Germany. Absolute classics. And that wasn't even in the top 5!

Most people who voted probably haven't seen the 1982 WC. 1990 was the first one I followed and 2006 was certainly the best one I have seen. It was amazing for the Germany v Italy semi-final and the France v Italy final alone.

Best underdogs at a WC:
2014 - 48.2%
2002 - 29.4%
1990 - 10.9%
2010 - 3.4%
2006 - 3.2%
1982 - 2.5%
1986 - 2.4%

Again strongly disagree with this one, 2002 should have won this by a mile, given we had France, Argentina, Portugal going out in the group stages, Italy and Spain both being knocked out by South Korea. A WC with Senegal, Turkey, South Korea, United States all reaching the quarters surely trumps this one which had almost every favourite winning their knockout matches respectively. The 8 matches in the R16 were all won by group winners.

Late drama:
2014 - 38.6%
1966 - 27.3%
1990 - 21.8%
2006 - 8.4%
1986 - 3.9%

This one I do somewhat agree with, I think WC 2014 is probably top 3 for this. A lot of late goals and statistically its backed up as such.

Ugh... the 2002 WC was just terrible. South Korea only got so far because of disgusting refereeing. The weakest German team of all time managed to crawl to the final by playing ridiculous teams. It was just horrific all round. The only light at the end of the very dark tunnel was the outcome. Brazil were deserving winners with Ronaldo on fire.

I didn't mind that World cup actually because I was doing my GCSE's at the time and I did well in them! Funny how ordinary WC's can be remembered as good if you were going through a good time in your life! But like I say there's absolutely no way 2014 had the best underdogs when we've had almost every favourite in the 14 knockout stages games winning.

Costa Rica were the only outright shock, and even then they only got the quarters because they played Greece. WC 1994 had Bulgaria defeating world champions Germany, 1998 had Croatia, 1990 had Cameroon. These teams did as well or better than Costa Rica and yet 2014 won it by a MILE.

The one thing I'll say in favour of 2010 is that it had a great winner. That was a fantastic Spanish team and they would have been a match for most winners of the tournament over the last 30 or 40 years.

Stats nerds ruin football.

Sorry, I can't help it. I absolutely love stats. Statto from fantasy football was my childhood hero I'll have you know!















No he wasn't really. But if there was vacancy for footballing statistician in any programme I should consider applying. My expertise and nerdiness cannot be wasted!

Everything Is The Best Ever Of All Time

2010 was the worst World Cup being watching since 1978

This is why I thought the 2002 World Cup was the worst ever by far... http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZPd8YmFcvtQ

Absolutely disgusting, corrupt refereeing. The only redeeming feature was that a good Brazilian team won. Everything else was absolutely terrible (including the final).

I didn't enjoy 2002 very much at all. A lot of the big teams were weak that year and we ended up with some really shitty sides reaching the later stages.

The early morning kick offs sucked as well.

A lot of people are nostalgic towards whatever was in fashion in their youth (I find), whether it's movies or music or football.

Another lot of people follow the newest trend and give much more importance to whatever is current or in fashion.

I think there are large groups of both but, judging by the results, it would seem there are more of the second type on this occasion. Either way they are both biased in their own way.

Another problem with these surveys is that everyone has different amounts of knowledge. One guy might only have seen two world cups yet he gets the same vote as someone who has watched the majority of every tournament since 1962. Public votes aren't worth much. It serves only to highlight the ignorance of the common viewer.

And another problem is people's memories. We are at the end of one world cup. The last one was 4 years previous so you'll remember less of that. The one before was 8 years ago so you'll remember even less of that. Etcetera. If you ask these questions to a large audience (who aren't all knowledgeable) immediately after a world cup then obviously the most recent tournament will win all the polls. Half the people voting probably haven't seen more than 3-4 world cups and probably remember very little of their earliest ones.

I've watched many games from world Cups going back to 1970 and can't remember much about ANY of them apart from the ones we lost in. I really can't see how you lot can be so specific about games from years ago

MY FAVOURITE WORLD CUPS OF WHAT I HAVE SEEN
1/ France 1998 (Croatia were the best underdogs)
2/ Brazil 2014
3/ South Africa 2010
4/ Japan - South Korea 2002 (good for underdogs)
5/ Germany 2006 which was shit

EUROPEAN CHAMPIONSHIPS
1/ England 1996
2/ Portugal 2004 (Greece were the best underdogs)
3/ Austria - Hungary 2008
4/ Poland - Ukraine 2012
5/ Holland - Belgium 2000 which was also shit

1970 World Cup for me. Some cracking football from all the 'usual suspects' and what has to be the greatest Brazilian team ever.

As for Rooney's overhead, that may or may not be the greatest in the history of the Premier League but you'll be hard pushed to find one to beat Trevor Sinclair's

Yes - 1970.

I was seven and it was my first.

I didn't knowingly see anything of 1966.

OMG is this a joke? How were WC 2006 and EC 2000 shit?!?!? My two favourite cups with the top teams on fire and the most amazing dramatic games ever!

SA 2010 was terrible.
Not sure how anyone could put it above Germany 2006. Started with Lahm's screamer and kept the excitement coming from there...

2002 was great, with S. Korea and Turkey being underdogs

94 for me was and is still my favourite World Cup, so many iconic players, plus on of the best individual goals by that Saudi player.

2010 was a poor World Cup with few outstanding or notable games. Not forgetting:
BZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZ!!!!!

I was just going to ask why the BBC were doing a poll on the World Cup during the Euro's but then I notuced....

That poster is probably basing it on the team they support and how well they did, as you are, but I agree more with you, 2006 wasn't a bad tournament.
2000 was one of the best, if not the best European Champipnships and the 2010 World Cup was undoubtedly the worst evet.

The best world cup I have seen was 1970 which also had the best England team I have ever seen play (better, for me, than the 1966 team); very closely followed by the 1974 world cup, and the magnificent Dutch team (and a cracking, somewhat unlucky team from Scotland).