World Cup's 101 Most Memorable Moments: Jorge Burruchaga wins it for Argentina
By Doug McIntyre
FOX Sports Soccer Writer
Editor's note: Each day between now and the kickoff of the first match of the 2022 FIFA World Cup on Nov. 20, we'll unveil a different memory from World Cup history. The countdown from 101 continues with Jorge Burruchaga's match-winner.
The 1986 World Cup in Mexico cemented Diego Maradona's reputation as the greatest player on the planet; Argentina's little magician scored five times (including two of the most famous strikes in the sport's history), led the Albiceleste to their second title and was overwhelmingly voted the Golden Ball winner as the tournament's top player.
The only thing Maradona didn't do, it seemed, was score the World Cup-winner for his country. That honor instead fell to Jorge Burruchaga, who capped a wildly entertaining final by breaking a 2-2 tie against West Germany with just four minutes of regular time remaining.
The Germans, trailing 2-0 deep into the second half, had stormed back. They had marked Maradona out of the game to that point, with Lothar Matthäus never more than a yard away from his fellow No. 10. And they had all the momentum following Rudi Völler's 83rd minute strike in front of more than 114,000 spectators at Estadio Azteca.
Burruchaga changed all that with one slick run and finish after receiving a slick seeing-eye pass from — who else? — El Diego.
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Jorge Burruchaga scored the goal that won Argentina the World Cup in 1986.
One of the leading soccer journalists in North America, Doug McIntyre has covered United States men’s and women’s national teams at multiple FIFA World Cups. Before joining FOX Sports in 2021, he was a staff writer with ESPN and Yahoo Sports. Follow him on Twitter @ByDougMcIntyre.