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Sarah Taylor scored a third successive half-century and became the second player after Charlotte Edwards to score 2000 runs in the format as England sealed the three-match series against South Africa 2-1

Firdose Moonda21-Feb-2016
ScorecardSouth Africa were in early trouble during the deciding match when Anya Shrubsole struck twice in two balls•Getty ImagesSarah Taylor scored a third successive half-century and became the second player after Charlotte Edwards to score 2000 runs in the format as England sealed the three-match series against South Africa 2-1. Taylor anchored a relatively straightforward chase – the first time England have batted second in the series – after captain Edwards opted to bowl first under cloudy skies and England restricted their opposition to 131 for 4.England took advantage of the swing on offer and reduced South Africa to 6 for 3 in the second over before Mignon du Preez and Lizelle Lee built the recovery. They shared an 89-run stand for the fourth wicket to engineer a strong comeback – Lee’s unbeaten 69 off 61 balls was a career-best – but South Africa’s score on a good pitch and a fast outfield, never looked enough.South Africa’s problems started early when Tash Farrant, the left-armer making her first appearance in the series, had Trish Chetty stumped down the leg side off a wide. In the next over, Anya Shrubsole found movement and bowled Dane van Niekerk, who was playing in her 50th T20I, and Marizanne Kapp with successive inswinging deliveries. She was not far away from a hat-trick with another full and straight delivery to Lee but a thin inside edge saved the batsman.Lee kept her composure and rebuilt steadily with her captain, du Preez. They complemented each other well with Lee the aggressor and du Preez the accumulator. The ninth over was the most profitable with Lee taking 15 runs off Jenny Gunn before offering a chance. Lee was on 30 and hit the last ball of the over to long off but Heather Knight could not hold on.South Africa still had work to do at 49 for 3 at the halfway stage. Du Preez shifted gears and helped by some ordinary fielding from England, started to speed up the scoring rate. South Africa managed 26 runs in three overs before Farrant was brought back to quieten things down.With not even 100 on the board and only four overs left, South Africa’s urgency grew. Du Preez was run out by a direct hit after a trying to steal a second off a Knight fumble and it was up to Lee to finish strongly. She reached 50 off 51 balls immediately after du Preez was dismissed and played a part in South Africa scoring 35 runs off the last three overs. They still ended with the lowest first-innings score of the series and would have known it would be tough to defend.England were into their task early when Amy Jones climbed into overpitched deliveries from Shabnim Ismail. She scored 14 runs off the first over before Ismail had her caught behind. But, as was the case in Cape Town when South Africa made the early breakthrough, it brought England’s best pair together but this time it was not for too long. While Taylor scored freely, Edwards could not get away and gifted deep square leg a catch to give South Africa some hope, although with Taylor at the crease, England could always feel safe.Taylor went aerial with confidence and was strong on the drive and cut. With Knight playing a supporting role, England were well on their way. Taylor brought up fifty off 33 balls and thoughb Knight was dismissed off the next ball England needed just 40 off 58 balls.South Africa claimed a few consolation wickets – van Niekerk took a stunning one-handed return catch in her follow through to dismiss Taylor and Ismail bowled Nat Sciver and Danielle Wyatt with full deliveries in the same over – but England reached the target with 4.3 overs to spare. Tammy Beaumont, who had been moved down from opening to the middle, played confidently to finish unbeaten on 21.

Shardul Thakur extended his match haul to eight to knock Saurashtra out for 115 and seal Mumbai’s 41st Ranji title

The Report by Shashank Kishore in Pune26-Feb-2016
Scorecard and ball-by-ball details4:29

‘Heartening to see young Mumbai players deliver’ – Hattangadi

The Ranji Trophy final was delicately poised at the start of the third day. By lunch, it was dead and buried. Mumbai’s first-innings lead was 33 when No. 11 Balwinder Sandhu joined Siddhesh Lad; by the time they finished, 33 became 136, aided by poor catching and defensive tactics from Saurashtra. Whatever happened after that was a futile attempt at damage control as Mumbai knocked the stuffing out of Saurashtra and sealed their 41st Ranji Trophy title with an innings win.Having allowed Mumbai to score 371 from 268 for 9, Saurashtra suffered a top-order brain freeze. Their batsmen fell just like they did in the first innings, getting drawn forward without feet movement, the bat coming down late to find the edge and bring the slip cordon into play. Cheteshwar Pujara resisted Mumbai for a while, making 27, but his struggle at the crease was hard to miss, before Shardul Thakur’s lifter had him fending to gully. At 67 for 5, halfway into the day, the end was near. The moment Mumbai were waiting for duly arrived, shortly after tea, as the Saurashtra lower order crumbled in the face of sustained attack from Thakur, who walked away with five wickets. Saurashtra were bowled out for 115 in 48.2 overs.Things could have perhaps been a lot different had Lad, who went on to make 88, not been reprieved on 24 at first slip by Pujara. At that stage, Mumbai’s lead stood at a marginal 36. What unfolded from there on was the kind of show you expect from a side that has been there and done that. Lad chipped away at the runs with authentic cricketing shots. When Lad hit Jaydev Unadkat for four sixes to four different corners of the ground, Saurashtra were left searching for answers.Lad, scrawny and not associated with big hits, effortlessly switched gears, after Iqbal Abdulla’s dismissal in the first over of the day. Pujara, standing in as captain, in place of Jaydev Shah, who had picked up a niggle, switched to a defensive mode at the first sign of aggression.Lad used the opportunity to pinch singles and farm the strike. As the partnership grew, Sandhu displayed confidence and gave able support to his more accomplished partner. Lad hit eight fours and five sixes; the highlight being the six over cover point off the front foot.Unadkat, who had respectable figures of 3 for 61 off 18 overs before the dropped catch, bore the brunt of Lad’s belligerence as Saurashtra’s defensive tactics played into Mumbai’s hands. Unadkat’s next six overs went for 54. This meant that Mumbai’s lead swelled to 100 and beyond. By the time Lad fell to an attempted heave that was well taken by Sheldon Jackson running in from long-on, the momentum was firmly with Mumbai. Sandhu went on to pocket his highest score, an unbeaten 34, the result being the highest tenth-wicket stand for Mumbai in Ranji Trophy history. Lad and Sandhu added a 92-ball 103 together, breaking the previous best of Ashok Mankad and Sushil Sanghvi in 1967.Saurashtra’s fragility against the moving ball was again exposed in the second dig, on a surface where there was enough to keep the pacers interested throughout the day. While there wasn’t much they could have done to the good balls, their loose attempt at chasing deliveries that could be left alone, best exemplified by the shot played by Shah, hastened the end. Aditya Tare, who was in his first full season when Mumbai last won the title, completed the circle by leading his team to glory.

Twelve days after the World T20 proper began, the parallels between India and Australia will end – only one team will make it through to the semi-finals

The Preview by Brydon Coverdale26-Mar-2016Match factsSunday, March 27, 2016
Start time 1930 local (1400 GMT)Big PictureAnd so, here it is. The last game in Group 2, a straight knockout match between India and Australia. They have arrived here not via long and winding roads, but short and parallel ones. Both lost their opening games of this tournament to New Zealand. Both beat Pakistan. And both scraped home against Bangladesh, though not without some palpitations. Now, 12 days after the tournament proper began, the parallels will end, with one of these teams to move through to the semi-finals.Not that everything has been the same for these two teams. India’s selectors have stuck firm throughout the tournament, using the same 11 players in every match so far. Australia have made changes in every match and have used 14 of their 15 squad members, with fast bowler Andrew Tye the only man yet to be chosen.Australia were similarly unsettled when these two teams met in a three-match series in Australia in January, India using only 11 players (the same 11 from this World T20) and Australia trying a whopping 19 different men. There’s flexible and then there’s frantic, and it’s not clear which Australia have been in T20 cricket recently. They lost all three games to India in that series, yet have done enough to get themselves one match from a World T20 semi-final.The last time India played at home to Australia in a world event was the quarter-final of the 2011 World Cup, when MS Dhoni’s men triumphed in Ahmedabad. They went on to win that tournament at home, one of the greatest moments in Indian cricket. If they are to repeat that success in the World T20, they must first get through this quasi quarter-final.Form guide(last five completed matches, most recent first)India: WWLWWAustralia: WWLWWIn the spotlightHandling spin has never been a strength of Australia’s, and Ravindra Jadeja will turn the ball away from a batting order heavy on right-handers. Jadeja is India’s leading wicket taker in this tournament (though with only four to his name that may not be saying much) and will hope to find whatever turn there is in a Mohali pitch expected to be on the slow side.James Faulkner occupies an extremely important role for Australia in this tournament, his batting key during the late stages of an innings and his bowling offering an important point of difference, as Australia’s only left-arm seamer. His use of the slower ball earned him a five-for against Pakistan, and at the same venue he would be dreaming of the same kind of performance against India.Team newsIndia have not changed their side so far in the tournament; don’t expect them to start now. An unchanged XI is almost certain.India (probable) 1 Rohit Sharma, 2 Shikhar Dhawan, 3 Virat Kohli, 4 Suresh Raina, 5 Hardik Pandya, 6 MS Dhoni (capt & wk), 7 Yuvraj Singh, 8 Ravindra Jadeja, 9 R Ashwin, 10 Jasprit Bumrah, 11 Ashish NehraAustralia have ummed and ahhed in this tournament, unsure whether to stack the team with allrounders or trust the specialists, and their batting order has been constantly changing according to the team balance. It is just possible the batting group may stay the same for this game, though Nathan Coulter-Nile must be under pressure to retain his spot in the attack having failed to take a wicket in three games this tournament.Australia (possible) 1 Usman Khawaja, 2 Aaron Finch, 3 David Warner, 4 Steven Smith (capt), 5 Glenn Maxwell, 6 Shane Watson, 7 James Faulkner, 8 Peter Nevill (wk), 9 Adam Zampa, 10 John Hastings/Nathan Coulter-Nile, 11 Josh Hazlewood.Pitch and conditionsThere were plenty of runs in the Mohali pitch against Pakistan when Australia made 193 for 4, and spin played less of a role than it has at some venues. A slowish surface is again expected, and it must be noted that by the time the men walk out for the toss the pitch will already have been used for 40 overs, with the India Women and West Indies Women playing on the same pitch in their match earlier in the day. The forecast for Sunday is good.Stats and trivia India have won the past five T20s between the sides, with Australia’s last win having come at the 2012 World T20 in Sri Lanka Against Pakistan, James Faulkner became the first Australian to claim a five-wicket haul in a T20 internationalQuotes”This format requires you to be at the top of your focus and concentration for 120 balls with the bat and on the field as well. That’s the only thing we can look to do.””I suppose that’s what I’ve learnt over my whole career – it is a very important game but really you’ve just got to put it in the context that it’s just another game.”

Ben Foakes admitted Surrey have struggled to adapt to the standard of Division One cricket over the opening couple of days of the season

George Dobell at Trent Bridge11-Apr-2016
ScorecardJackson Bird made new-ball inroads which started a tough day for Surrey•Getty ImagesBen Foakes admitted Surrey have struggled to adapt to the standard of Division One cricket over the opening couple of days of the season.Foakes, the Surrey and England Lions keeper, top-scored for his side but was unable to prevent them conceding a first innings lead of 221 against Nottinghamshire. Surrey, promoted this season after two years in Division Two, were subsequently obliged to follow-on before they were given some respite by poor weather that cut more than 20 overs from the day.Conceding that the Nottinghamshire seamers constituted “the best attack I’ve faced,” Foakes – playing the first Division One match of his career – also accepted that, with bat and ball, Surrey had been outplayed over the first two days.”It is a step up,” he said. “There were a lot of good balls around and a couple of poor shots. Notts bowled really well and just hammered away at a length.”You’ve got to value your wicket more in Division One but there were a lot of good balls and you’ve got to admit we were generally outplayed today. It’s the best attack I’ve faced.”It’s probably a 280-ish sort of wicket, but on day one they scored too many. There wasn’t one day last season when we bowled with that lack of consistency. Today we needed one guy to stand up and none of us did.”Foakes was one of those with little reason to chastise himself. Defeated by a fine delivery from Harry Gurney that swung in and nibbled away off the pitch, he was caught behind after an innings containing some elegant stokes but also some watchful defence. Kumar Sangakkara was also the recipient of a fine delivery that forced a stroke and nipped away to take the edge of the bat.But several of their team-mates – not least Jason Roy and Arun Harinath – may reflect that, having established themselves, they played a part in their own downfall. Roy, who made all 28 of his runs in boundaries, had demonstrated admirable patience in waiting for the correct ball to attack but appeared to lose patience and attempted to whip a straight one through midwicket.Harinath’s eyes lit up when he received a wide delivery but, in attempting to hit it too hard, Harinath – both feet off the ground – edged to slip. Rory Burns will also regret a footless prod at one angled across him that he could have left.While Jackson Bird finished as the highest wicket-taker – he finished off the innings in successive balls and started the Surrey second innings on a hat-trick – Jake Ball was probably the pick of the bowlers. Watched by ECB coaches Kevin Shine, who was especially impressed, and Graham Thorpe, Ball swung the ball both ways and gained steep bounce from an understandably sluggish surface. Reinforcing the view that he has added pace over the winter, Foakes rated him – and the unfortunate Gurney – as the quickest members of the attack.Gurney might have had several more wickets but saw Greg Smith dropp two chances at third slip – neither completely straightforward – to reprieve first Sangakkara (on 27) and then Roy (on 4). Gurney himself then missed an easier chance off Brett Hutton at mid-on when Tom Curran had 16. Nottinghamshire also failed to take a run out chance offered by Foakes on 38 – Chris Read and Bird combining to miss the opportunity – though it did not cost them.Still, to have fared so well despite such errors can only bode well. And with Alex Hales, James Taylor and Stuart Broad all becoming available – for a while at least – in the coming weeks, there is reason for some optimism at Trent Bridge.It was probably bound to take Surrey time to acclimatise. They won only one game in their last season at this level – and that against Derbyshire, the other relegated team – and are learning the level of consistency and discipline required. They have the quality to adapt, but lack a bit of experience and a bit of patience.There was some encouraging news for Surrey. Zafar Ansari, the left-arm spinning all rounder, has been named in the club’s second XI team to play in a match starting on Wednesday. It will be his first appearance since he suffered a broken thumb in the Championship match against Surrey towards the end of the 2015 season. The injury, coming just hours after he was named in the England Test squad to the UAE, kept him out of the series. Surrey hope he may be available for their next Championship match, which is against Somerset and starts on April 24.Foakes’ performance is also noteworthy. It is clearly a little premature to be thinking of him as an international player of the near future – he has only just become a first choice keeper at county level – but he has out-kept the ever-impressive Read in this match and, having taken the gloves for the Lions, might be considered first reserve to Jonny Bairstow while Jos Buttler is away at the IPL. If Bairstow were to suffer an injury, therefore, Foakes could find himself promoted earlier than anticipated. It wouldn’t be ideal, but he does look an unusually promising player.

The Manchester City winger is officially the quickest player currently playing in England's top-flight, according to Premier League statistics

The Premier League has revealed the fastest players in the Premier League, with a Manchester City star coming out on top.

Germany international left winger Leroy Sane tops the list with a top speed of 35.48 kilometres per hour, meaning he can outstrip any defender in the league.

The 22-year-old, signed from Schalke in 2016 for £37 million, has been in remarkably productive form this term, scoring 12 goals in all competitions and providing 15 assists in all competitions, with Pep Guardiola’s men poised to win the Premier League and still in the Champions League, where they will face Liverpool in the quarter-finals.

Fellow City star Kyle Walker also makes the list, after burning up the right flank with the champions-elect, along with a number of surprising inclusions.

A total of five defenders make the top 10, along with just one striker.

Michael Regan10Jamie Vardy | Leicester City | 35.09 km/hAdvertisementGetty9Laurent Koscielny | Arsenal | 35.11 km/h8Kiko Femenia | Watford | 35.12 km/hENJOYED THIS STORY?

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Getty7Oliver Burke | West Brom | 35.13 km/h

The latest Soccerex 20 Under 21 Report values the game’s best young talent, with the combined total topping €1 billion for the first time

The last 12 months have seen transfer fees rocket and records set, with Neymar’s €222 million (£198m/$258m) move to Paris Saint-Germain setting a new benchmark.

The ‘Neymar Effect’ is also in evidence in the latest 'Soccerex 20 Under 21 Report' which values players born on or after January 1, 1997.

Using the Football Value Index compiled by Prime Time Sport, the report takes into account the player’s age, position, current club, contract length, market value perception, international caps, minutes played, goals, injuries and technical quality from a variety of sources to arrive at a final valuation.

The combined total of the top 20 players has now surpassed €1bn (£892m/$1.2bn), a 66 per cent increase on 12 months ago, while there are five players who still command a place high on the list for a second year running.

Getty Images=19. Cengiz Under | Roma | €31.9m (£28.5m/$37.1m)The Turkey winger joined Roma in a €13 million deal in the summer of 2017 and he enjoyed a positive first season at Stadio Olimpico, scoring in the Champions League last-16 tie against Shakhtar Donetsk.AdvertisementGettyimages=19. Allan Saint-Maximin | Nice | €31.9m (£28.5m/$37.1m)Following loan spells at Hannover and Bastia the winger left Monaco permanently last summer to join Nice, where he demonstrated his dribbling skills and undoubted natural talent on a more consistent basis.Getty Images18. Houssem Aouar | Lyon | €34.5m (£30.8m/$40.1m)The midfielder enjoyed his breakthrough season in 2017-18, establishing himself as a key figure for Lyon. He has already been linked with the likes of Liverpool and Barcelona, and it seems likely he will eventually join the list of players who have left Lyon for big fees.ENJOYED THIS STORY?

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Getty Images17. Patrick Cutrone | Milan | €35m (£31.2m/£40.7m)Despite a summer of lavish spending by Milan in 2017, it was a homegrown product who made the biggest impact up front in the 2017-18 season. Drawing comparisons to former Milan striker Filippo Inzaghi, Cutrone averaged a goal nearly every three games in Serie A and also made his senior Italy debut.

The highest-rated players in the Spanish top flight have been revealed for this year's edition of the best-selling video game

Getty Images27Frenkie de Jong – Barcelona – Rating: 85

79 PAC88 DRI64 SHO76 DEF84 PAS76 PHYAdvertisementGetty26Koke – Atletico Madrid – Rating: 85

68 PAC82 DRI75 SHO74 DEF86 PAS79 PHYGetty Images25James Rodriguez – Real Madrid – Rating: 85

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Getty24Saul Niguez – Atletico Madrid – Rating: 85

70 PAC81 DRI78 SHO78 DEF79 PAS78 PHY

GOAL breaks down how the World Cup hopefuls are doing in the postseason.

One of the most unique aspects of Major League Soccer is the league's schedule. And that schedule makes things extra weird in a year where the World Cup's schedule is different than usual.

With the World Cup starting in November, several MLS-based U.S. men's national team stars will have gone over a month without playing a competitive fixture by the time they land in Qatar. Compare that to their counterparts in Europe, who will be playing right up until the weekend before players head to the fall tournament.

The USMNT has a plan to counteract that, with Gregg Berhalter set to host a camp for those not taking part in the MLS playoffs' later rounds. But players' fitness and form will very much depend on the MLS postseason, with several USMNT regulars already seeing their seasons ended over a month before a ball is kicked in Qatar.

Here's a look at the USMNT representation in the MLS playoffs and what it will mean for the World Cup:

LAFCLAFC – Kellyn Acosta

One of the most star-studded teams in MLS history, LAFC claimed the Supporters' Shield and, with it, the top seed in the playoffs.

As a result, they earned a bye in the first round, and an extra week of rest before getting going. And, once they did, they won another instant classic against their rivals, the LA Galaxy, with Chicho Arango's last-gasp winner pushing LAFC into the conference final.

LAFC feature one USMNT regular, Kellyn Acosta, who is virtually a lock to back up Tyler Adams at the World Cup. It was Acosta who played in the corner that led to Arango's goal and, ultimately, LAFC's win.

Next Match: vs. Austin FC on Sunday

AdvertisementGettyCF Montreal – Djordje Mihailovic

Montreal took care of business in their opener, defeating Orlando City 2-0 with Mihailovic at the center of both goals. He scored their lone goal against NYCFC in the conference semifinal, too.

Unfortunately for Mihailovic, though, it was nowhere near enough.

CF Montreal fell 3-1 to the defending MLS Cup champions, ending a season in which the club defied many outsiders' expectations. It was a painful ending especially for Mihailovic as it was his last game for the club, with the midfielder set to join AZ Alkmaar this winter.

It could also spell the end of his World Cup hopes, slim as they are, as he'll have now games left to make a late push for a spot in Qatar.

Next match: Eliminated

Getty ImagesFC Dallas – Jesus Ferreira, Paul Arriola, Sebastian Lletget

FC Dallas survived a penalty shootout against Minnesota United, ensuring their three USMNT stars would get at least a second game.

However, they fell short against their local rivals Austin FC in the conference semifinal round, with the green side of Texas earning a 2-1 win at home.

That's bad news for Ferreira, who has suddenly gone six games without scoring. He's still the USMNT's likely starter in Qatar, but the U.S. would have certainly liked to have gotten another game or two out of Ferreira in these playoffs for him to find a goal.

As for Arriola, he very much remains on the bubble, although he's probably closer to in than out, while Lletget is almost certainly out of the picture.

Next match: Eliminated

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GettyNYCFC – Sean Johnson

The defending MLS Cup champions made short work of Inter Miami, winning 3-0 at Citi Field to begin their title defense. They did similar to CF Montreal, toppling them 3-1 in Canada for another statement went.

Johnson sealed another clean sheet for NYCFC in their playoff opener as he continues to push for the third goalkeeper spot in Qatar. And, against CF Montreal, he was solid again as NYCFC only conceded one late with the result already decided.

Next match: vs. Philadelphia Union on Sunday

Can new recruit Gabriel Jesus finally lift the 'curse' from Arsenal's infamous number 9 shirt?

The number nine jersey is considered to be one of the most coveted jerseys. It is generally handed to the lead striker at a club.

Great players like Ronaldo (Brazilian), Gabriel Batistuta, Robert Lewandowski, Bobby Charlton, Fernando Torres and Alfredo Di Stefano have donned the number nine shirts for their clubs and countries and have made the number an iconic one. But when it comes to Arsenal, the number nine shirt is often considered a cursed one.

Since 1998, when Croatian forward Davor Suker joined the club and took the number nine shirt, players who have worn the number have not really excelled at the club. From Julio Baptista and Eduardo to Alexandre Lacazette the number 9s of the Gunners could not reach the heights they were expected to reach. Eduardo's case though was unfortunate as he had started his Arsenal career brightly before a serious injury derailed him.

There are of course exceptions to this norm as players like Lukas Podolski did well while donning the number 9 shirt of Arsenal.

New signing Gabriel Jesus will be donning the shirt in the upcoming season after Lacazette's departure from the club this summer and Arsenal fans will hope that the curse gets over soon so that the Brazilian can deliver. The former Manchester City man has already scored seven goals in five pre-season matches which includes a hat-trick against Sevilla.

Getty1Alexandre Lacazette

The French forward joined Arsenal in 2017 for a then club record transfer fee of €53m plus €7m add-ons. He appeared in 206 matches for the Gunners where he scored 71 goals in five years. During his time with Arsenal, he won two titles, FA Cup 2019/20 and 2017 Community Shield.

Stint: 2017-2022

Trophies: FA Cup (1), Community Shield (1)

Verdict: AVERAGE

Advertisement2Lucas Perez

The Spanish forward’s stay with Arsenal was short-lived as he spent just one season at the club. He joined in 2016 and scored only seven goals in 21 appearances. Ahead of the 2017/18 season he was sent on loan to Deportivo La Coruna and was then sold to West Ham in 2018.

Stint: 2016-2018

Trophy: FA Cup (1)

Verdict: FLOP

Getty3Lukas Podolski

One of the best players to have donned Arsenal’s number 9 shirt in the 21st century is German winger Lukas Podolski. He joined the club in 2012 and spent two and half years at the club. In January 2015 he was sent on loan to Inter Milan for half a season and was sold ahead of the 2015/16 campaign. In the 82 matches he appeared for Arsenal, Podolski scored 31 goals and was an integral part of Arsenal's 2013/14 FA Cup winning side.

Stint: 2012-2015

Trophy: FA Cup (1)

Verdict: HIT

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Getty Images4Park Chu-Young

The South Korean joined Arsenal in 2011 and stayed until 2014 but in those three seasons, he had a couple of loan spells. He appeared in just seven matches for the club in one and half seasons and scored just one goal.

Stint: 20111-2014

Trophy: None

Verdict: FLOP

GOAL looks back at nine of the most memorable goal celebrations from World Cups past and present.

The World Cup is a festival of football. People from every corner of the globe coming together to play the world’s greatest and most unifying sport. Something so special that we’re only allowed one every four years. It reminds us why we call it .

Now, imagine scoring at one. Imagine all the hours you’ve put in during your life to reach that moment: scoring for your country. The training sessions as a kid, the long journeys to games in your parent’s car, the dedication needed to get into starting line-ups, the feeling of being called up to the national team for the first time.

When you add it all up, there’s no wonder that some of the most iconic celebrations of all time have come during World Cups. Here’s a rundown of our favourites.

Getty ImagesSiphiwe Tshabalala vs Mexico | World Cup 2010

“TSHABALALAAAA!!! GOAL BAFANA BAFANA! GOAL FOR SOUTH AFRICA! GOAL FOR ALL AFRICA!” The opening goal of the 2010 World Cup gave us one of the most perfect pieces of football commentary ever, and the South African team’s synchronised dance, a sort of remixed Macarena, gave Siphiwe Tshabalala’s incredible goal the celebration it deserved.

AdvertisementGetty ImagesBrian Laudrup vs Brazil | World Cup 1998

Scored against Brazil, sprinted off, slid to the floor, rested on his elbow like he was the very chilled-out subject of a life-drawing. The connoisseur's celebration.

Getty ImagesBebeto vs Netherlands | World Cup 1994

Having a baby is quite a big thing, but so is scoring a goal against the Netherlands in a World cup quarter-final. After rounding Netherlands goalkeeper Ed de Goey and rolling the ball into the back of the net, Brazilian forward Bebeto sprinted towards the sideline pretending to rock a baby. Teammates Mazinho and Romario followed, and the three players instinctively cradled together, all with massive smiles on their faces. Great.

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Getty ImagesRoger Milla vs Romania | World Cup 1990

"It was instinctive," Milla said years later of his celebration. “It was the sun that sent me there; it was a good place to dance on the pitch.” If you could move your hips like Roger Milla, you’d probably celebrate goals like this too, and his Makossa-style dance next to the corner flag is still one of Italia 90’s most famous images.