HISTORIC RANKING

The Commentaries
that Made History

The voices that turned a goal into poetry. The commentators who made millions of people cry in front of a radio.

1

"¡Barrilete cósmico! ¿De qué planeta viniste para dejar en el camino a tanto inglés, para que el país sea un puño apretado gritando por Argentina?"
Maradona's goal against England · Mexico 1986

The most epic voice in Latin American radio. His commentary of Maradona's "Goal of the Century" against England is the most listened-to in the history of Spanish-language football. Four decades narrating World Cups, and it still gives you chills.

Listen to this commentator's radio

Radio La Red D Sports

2

"¡Campeones del mundo! ¡Campeones del mundo! ¡Argentina, campeones del mundo!"
Final Argentina vs. Netherlands · Argentina 1978

Director of Radio Rivadavia and host of "Fútbol de Primera" for decades. He narrated Argentina's first and second World Cup championships. His deep and passionate voice was the soundtrack for an entire generation of fans.

Listen to this commentator's radio

Radio La Red D Sports

3

"¡GOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOL!"
Every goal of every World Cup since France 1998

The commentator of the world's longest "Goal" shout. Born in Argentina but turned into the voice of football for Latinos in the United States, his "gooool" on Telemundo became legendary. Guinness confirmed he sustained the shout for 15 seconds.

Listen to this commentator's radio

ESPN West Palm Fox Sports Radio

4

"É pentacampeão! Brasil! O mundo inteiro chora de alegria!"
Final Brazil vs. Germany · Korea/Japan 2002

The voice of Rádio Bandeirantes for three decades. He narrated four World Cups and was elected best commentator in Brazil in 2002 and 2006. His style mixes poetry with speed: at goal moments, his voice rises three octaves without warning.

Listen to this commentator's radio

Rádio Itatiaia Rádio Bandeirantes

5

"¡Que no, que no, que no se puede… y se pudo! ¡México, mi querido México!"
Mexico's World Cup qualification · Qualifiers 2001

Forty years broadcasting football on W Deportes and Cadena Radio. The Estadio Azteca knows him by heart: he narrated every World Cup from Mexico 1986 to Brazil 2014. Retired in 2019, his nickname "El Voz" says it all.

Listen to this commentator's radio

W Deportes La Futbolera Radio

6

"¡Lo ganó Argentina! ¡Lionel Messi campeón del mundo! ¡Se terminó la espera!"
Final Argentina vs. France · Qatar 2022

The voice millions of Argentines chose to experience Qatar 2022. His commentary of the most dramatic final in history catapulted him to legend status. Host of ESPN Radio, he has spent more than 20 years narrating the biggest matches in Argentine football.

Listen to this commentator's radio

Radio La Red D Sports

7

"Iniesta, maestro de maestros, con el pie derecho hace justicia a toda una nación."
Iniesta's goal in the final · South Africa 2010

Thirty years at Cadena SER narrating Spanish football with a poet's cadence. His commentary of Iniesta's goal against the Netherlands in the 2010 final won the Ondas Award for best sports commentator. He is known for never losing his composure, even in the 116th minute.

Listen to this commentator's radio

Radio Marca Cadena SER Madrid

8

"Zidane, deux fois! La France est championne du monde! Incroyable!"
Final France vs. Brazil · France 1998

For 25 years he was the voice of RMC Sport in France. His commentary of France's 1998 victory, with the Stade de France overflowing, is the most downloaded radio clip in French broadcasting history. He retired in 2008, but his voice still echoes in locker rooms.

Listen to this commentator's radio

BFMTV-RMC Radio Sports Roubaix

9

"They think it's all over… it is now! England are champions of the world!"
Tribute to Kenneth Wolstenholme's commentary · Wembley 1966

talkSPORT commentator for three decades, McAllister best kept alive the English commentary tradition: dry, precise, with humour that appears just when no one expects it. His five World Cups earned him the title of "Voice of the Nation" in 2014.

Listen to this commentator's radio

talkSPORT talkSPORT2

Frequently asked questions

What are the most memorable football commentaries in history?

The most memorable historic football commentaries include: Víctor Hugo Morales' 'El gol del siglo' by Maradona (Mexico 1986), Héctor Zárate's Colombia 5–0 Argentina, Teófilo Cubillas' goal narrated by the Peruvian radio, and Italy's 1982 World Cup with Nando Martellini's 'Campioni del Mondo'.

Where to find historic football commentaries?

You can find historic football commentaries on YouTube (searching by match and year), sports radio archives (Cadena SER, La Red, Radio Nacional), football history sites and on this page, which compiles some of the most iconic moments.

What happened with 'La Mano de Dios' in the World Cup?

'La Mano de Dios' (Mexico 1986) was one of the most controversial moments in World Cup history. Maradona deliberately handled the ball to score against England, and the commentator described it live. The play was later justified by Maradona as 'a little with the head of Maradona and a little with the hand of God'.

Which is the best football commentary in history?

There is no single 'best' commentary, but the most cited are: Víctor Hugo Morales' commentary of Maradona's second goal against England (Mexico 1986), Martellini's commentary of Italy's third World Cup (Spain 1982) and Andrés Cantor's 'Goool' in various World Cup matches.