2010: Holland v Spain. Classic, please!
2006: Italy 1-1 France. It wasn't very good, this, although you have to hand it to Marco Materazzi, who enjoyed the sort of emotional rollercoaster Brazil's Felipe Melo went on this year against the Dutch, only Marco's had more than one up. Great closing montage by ITV, though, and it's not often you can say that.
2002: Brazil 2-0 Germany. England beat Germany 5-1 in the qualifiers. Germany responded by reaching the final despite being hilariously useless. You have to hand it to them. Brazil were too good, though, Ronaldo scoring twice. He must surely regret that clown's haircut, though. What a way to tarnish your legacy.
1998: France 3-0 Brazil Holland, surely the best side at France 98, threw this World Cup away, losing to Brazil in the semi finals. Everyone was happy enough with this result, mind, as there was a new name on the trophy. There'll be more of this today, one way or the other.
1994: Brazil 0-0 Italy. Brazil won this one on penalties. Or did Italy lose it? Dreadful final, anyway, though if one man deserved to lift the World Cup this year it was Roberto Baggio. Such a shame the wonderful Barry Davies, commentating on the big one for the first and last time, was lumbered with this terrible affair.
1990: Argentina 1-0 England. That would surely have been the score had Bobby Robson's side converted all their penalties against West Germany in the semi, Diego Maradona scoring a last-minute winner by strolling past Peter Shilton whistling, with the ball tucked under his arm like a newspaper. As it was, the Germans won the dullest final of all, 1-0.
1986: Argentina 3-2 West Germany. This isn't quite so glamorous, what with it being a picture of Sergio Batista being stripped to his grundies by a lunatic fan who should probably be up before the beak for reasons various. Still, what a final, eh.
1982: Italy 3-1 West Germany. Bit annoyed I couldn't get a picture of Enzo Bearzot wearing his stunning white blazer with gold buttons. But all pictures of this World Cup are beautiful; it's got a certain cooked glamour no other tournament has. Shame hosts Spain were making a show of themselves at it.
1978: Argentina 3-1 Holland. Some serious bad luck for the Dutch here, Rob Rensenbrink hitting the post in the dying seconds of the game. No country has come closer to winning a World Cup yet failed to win one. Still, never mind Holland, it all meant Cesar Luis Menotti could become the coolest World Cup winning manager of all. I like to picture him sitting in one of these spherical white plastic chairs, fag and long G&T on the go, bossa nova on the stereo, idly flicking through some socialist literature as he glances out of his apartment window over the River Plate, while beautiful women breeze past him in long billowing chiffon dresses, occasionally catching his eye. I digress.
1974: West Germany 2-1 Holland. The first of the Netherlands' heartbreakers. They were outplayed in the final, though, no matter what the legend says: in the second half, the Germans had a good goal ruled out for a preposterous offside, and had a clear penalty turned down. Of course, Germany's first goal wasn't a penalty, so it sort of levels out I suppose. It was a British referee having a shocker, incidentally. Oh Jack Taylor! How could you!
1970: Brazil 4-1 Italy. This tournament should be remembered for the supernova genius of Clodoaldo, who scored in the semi, gave away a goal in the final with an insouciant backheel, set the move which led to the famous Carlos Alberto goal (sort of pictured) in motion, then did the square root of bugger all for the rest of his career. But it isn't. There's no justice.
1967: Scotland 3-2 England. Alf Ramsey's side couldn't hold onto their title for very long. His Scottish counterpart Bobby Brown took all of one match to mastermind this one-goal thrashing, Jim Baxter famously playing keepy-upp... OK, yes, this is pathetic.
1966: England 4-2 West Germany. Here's a question: why doesn't Roger Hunt follow the ball in, instead of waving his arms around like a US car-lot inflatable? Saved everyone involved a whole lot of trouble and heartache, that would have, and then some.
1962: Brazil 3-1 Czechoslovakia. Garrincha had got himself sent off in the semi, but for some reason was allowed to play in the final. Eh? He went on to achieve bugger all in the game, mind, but still. Not very memorable, this one, though Czech keeper Viliam Schrojf did have a minor nervous breakdown midway through the second half.
1958: Brazil 5-2 Sweden. Nils Liedholm put the Swedes ahead after four minutes. Much good the early lead did them: Brazil ran out 5-2 winners, Vava and Pele scoring two each at the Rasunda Stadium, Coronation Street, Stockholm.
1954: West Germany 3-2 Hungary. Here's a story about some British officials cocking things up big style. The Germans had come from two down to lead hot favourites Hungary with five minutes to go; this is hero Helmut Rahn scoring his first. Ferenc Puskas equalised with seconds left on the clock, but referee Bill Ling and his linesman Mervyn Griffiths called it offside. Oh Britain! How could you!
1950: Uruguay 2-1 Brazil. Spain were in a final pool along with this pair and Sweden, but didn't win a game and got tanked 6-1 by Brazil to end up in fourth place, or bottom, depending on how charitable you're feeling. Anyway, this isn't about them: here's Alcides Ghiggia sending Brazil into the abyss, the most dramatic goal in a final, ever, no question.
1938: Italy 4-2 Hungary. Bumbling Benito Mussolini sent a message to the Italians before this game. "Vincere o morire!" it read. Win or die. After the game, Hungary's defeated keeper Antal Szabó said: "I may have let in four goals but at least I saved their lives." Nice try, loser, but the note was just a rallying cry in the vernacular along the lines of "win or bust". In other news, will you look at the lift on Pozzo's bouffant!
1934: Italy 2-1 Czechoslovakia. The Italians needed this late equaliser by Raimondo Orsi to force extra time, during which Angelo Schiavio scored the winner. In the foreground, Italian boss Vittorio Pozzo can be seen hopping around like a loon. He'd been hanging around the Czech net all game to put keeper Frantisek Planicka off. Has Jose Mourinho tried that one yet?
1930: Uruguay 4-2 Argentina. Here's Hector Castro - who only had one hand, having clumsily lopped the other off operating an electric saw while working as a chippy - scoring Uruguay's fourth. Winning keeper Enrique Ballestrero was only in the team because first-choice Andres Mazali had been thrown out of the squad for nipping off home to "see" his wife. Oh me, oh my, those stereotypically hot-blooded Latins
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