The 2022 FIFA World Cup saw many explosive spectacular goals, some of which may earn the prestigious Goal of the Tournament award, joining winners like James Rodriguez and Benjamin Pavard.
Introduced in 2006, the Goal of the Tournament award is determined by a public vote, giving fans the chance to crown the most memorable goal. Top10 Casinos used YouTube viewership data to look back at previous winners of the award and predict which player is most likely to take home the crown in 2022.
Contenders for Goal of the Tournament 2022
| Rank | World Cup | Goal of the Tournament: Top Contenders for 2022 | YouTube view count |
| 1 | Qatar 2022 | Richarlison, Brazil vs Serbia | 6,938,398 |
| 2 | Qatar 2022 | Messi – Argentina vs Mexico | 5,132,130 |
| 3 | Qatar 2022 | Wout Weghorst, Netherlands vs Argentina | 3,429,138 |
| 4 | Qatar 2022 | Mbappe – France vs Poland | 2,849,020 |
| 5 | Qatar 2022 | Mbappe – Argentina vs France | 2,325,250 |
| 6 | Qatar 2022 | Rashford – Wales vs England | 1,370,934 |
Richarlison de Andrade – Brazil vs Serbia. Qatar 2022 – 6,938,398 views
With almost 7 MILLION YouTube views, Richarlison’s goal against Serbia marked an explosive start to Brazil’s World Cup campaign and has amassed more views than any other goal in our list. The 25-year-old took a pass from Vinivius Junior, before hitting a spectacular bicycle kick and cementing a 2-0 victory for Brazil.
Many fans dubbed the jaw-dropping moment ‘the best goal of the World Cup’ despite the goal happening in the early weeks of the tournament – and with this many views, it’s safe to say it’s a strong contender for this year’s Goal of the Tournament.
Lionel Messi – Argentina vs Mexico. Qatar 2022 – 5,132,130 views
We can’t talk about Qatar 2022 without mentioning this one. Securing 5,132,130 YouTube views is the World Cup champion, aka Lionel Messi’s goal against Mexico which saved them from the brink of elimination in the tournament. The talisman fired his first Qatar 2022 goal home in the 64th minute, in a “blink and you’ll miss it” moment which marked the start of a goal-fuelled journey for Argentina, leading them to become this year’s champions.
Kevin Mbappe – France vs Poland – 2,849,020 views
Another name that’ll be remembered from Qatar 2022 is Kylian Mbappe, who scored eight goals in this year’s tournament. Two of his goals were scored against Poland, he scored the first in the 74th minute with such finesse and power, building on Olivier Giroud’s first in the game.
However, what made this match magical was Mbappe’s second goal, he got himself inside the box surrounded by defenders, and without much thought launched the ball into the top-right corner and launched France into the quarter-finals. Fans have viewed the 23-year-old’s goals against Poland over 2.8 MILLION times and will surely become part of the World Cup canon.
Marcus Rashford – England vs Wales. Qatar 2022 – 1,370,934 views
Rashford’s strike in the 68th minute of the England vs Wales game marked England’s 100th World Cup goal. In an incredible display of footwork and poise, Rashford launched a ferocious strike straight through Wales keeper Danny Ward’s legs and into the net, making history for England and delighting fans across the country.
Rashford’s 100th goal has gained an impressive 1.3 MILLION views on YouTube, with the number increasing by the second. Could this stunning goal secure England their first Goal of the Tournament award? Fans will have to wait and see..
Of course, all the goals in our list have a very long way to go before catching up to perhaps the most iconic goal in World Cup history, the ‘hand of God’ scored by Maradona in the 1986 Argentina vs England quarter-finals. This controversial yet unforgettable goal has amassed a staggering 17,601,019 YouTube views.
Previous Goal of the Tournament Winners: Which had the most views?
| Rank | World Cup | Goal of the Tournament: Previous Winners | Views |
| 1 | Russia 2018 | Benjamin Pavard, France vs Argentina | 6,012,756 |
| 2 | Brazil 2014 | James Rodriguez, Colombia vs Uruguay | 2,877,608 |
| 3 | Germany 2006 | Maxi Rodriguez, Argentina vs Mexico | 686,285 |
| 4 | South Africa 2010 | Diego Forlan, Uruguay vs Germany | 156,383 |
1. Benjamin Pavard – France vs Argentina. Russia 2018 – 6,012,756 views
Pavard’s stunning strike against Argentina in 2018 helped France to level the playing field at 2-2 before his team went on to secure a 4-3 victory. More than three million fans voted in the poll to determine the Goal of the Tournament, with Pavard coming out on top, thanks to his incredible outside-of-the-boot volley. The goal helped to launch France to the finals, where they celebrated a 4-2 win over Croatia.
Pavard’s goal also claims the top spot when it comes to YouTube views, with more than 5 million fans coming back to relive the unforgettable moment time and time again.
2. James Rodriguez – Colombia vs Uruguay. Brazil 2014 – 2,877,608 views
Rodriguez secured Colombia a place in the quarter-finals at the 2014 World Cup in Brazil after scoring a spectacular volley against Uruguay. The midfielder started out with his back to the goal, before turning around to fire the ball straight off the underside of the crossbar and into the net in the perfect demonstration of skill and timing. The goal was later described by Uruguay manager Óscar Tabárez as “one of the greatest goals the World Cup has ever seen.” With over 2.8 million views on YouTube, it’s clear the fans agree.
3. Maxi Rodriguez – Argentina vs Mexico. Germany 2006 – 686,285 views
Described by Maxi Rodriguez as ‘a career highlight’, his extra-time match-winning goal against Mexico in the Germany 2006 World Cup was one for the history books. After a series of passes, the ball went to Rodriguez, who bounced it off his chest before launching it into the goal at lightning speed. Despite being scored more than sixteen years ago in 2006, it’s clear that this goal has staying power in the minds and hearts of fans, racking up more than 600 thousand YouTube views.
4. Diego Forlan – Uruguay vs Germany. South Africa 2010 – 156,383 views
Although it wasn’t enough to secure the win for Uruguay against Germany, Diego Forlan’s breathtaking goal and stunning display of technique netted him the coveted Goal of the Tournament award in 2010. This World Cup was well known for the now infamous Jabulani ball, with experts concluding that the ball may have been ‘too round’ to fly straight, making Forlan’s mastery over it even more impressive. Although this goal ranks lowest on our list, it still commands an impressive viewership with over 100 thousand YouTube views.
Methodology:
Top10 Casinos (https://www.top10casinos.com/) sought to determine the most iconic Goal of the Tournament winners in World Cup history,
- To achieve this, a seed list was created using each winner of the Goal of the Tournament award since its creation in 2006.
- Top10 Casinos then sourced YouTube videos per prize-winning goal, finding the most-viewed video of each.
- Top10 Casinos then ranked the data in order of views, from most to least viewed.
- All data was obtained by Top10 Casinos on 19th December 2022 and is subject to change.