They think it’s all
“My first and most vivid World Cup memory was watching England win the tournament and I am very pleased I am of a generation that can say they saw England win the World Cup. I was nine and watched with my dad and an uncle in a house of a friend of theirs who was a painter and lived smack bang opposite Stamford Bridge. I still remember the drama of the day on black and white TV, the contortions displayed by my father and uncle when West Germany equalised late in the game to take it into that history-making period of extra-time. I will, as I always do, be watching again this year, but the athletics season is now in full swing so my coverage like 1966 will be on television – but probably in colour and HD.”
RAFA NADAL,
“For me, the final of 2010. I was in the stadium in South Africa.” “My World Cup memories are all about England. The first must be 1998 against Argentina. I watched it in London with my great friends Iain and Andrew. That goal by Owen, Beckham’s sending off and going out on penalties – a great game and ever so close, I really believed that was England’s year. The second that sticks out is Italia 90, also a disappointing result – but what an amazing World Cup. That semi- final against West Germany, I was very young but I remember it well with Gazza (left) the hero of the tournament, getting the yellow card and then England going out on penalties. Lots of pride but also tinged with disappointment.” “It has to be 1982 when Italy (left) won the World Cup. I was 11 living in Sardinia with my mates all around. We were in a group with Brazil and Argentina and we beat them both. And the defeat of Brazil 3-2 was very special. Great players like Paolo Rossi...it was amazing. As a young kid from Italy it meant a lot. It was also great when we won it in 2006 [they beat France in Berlin]. This year I might have to support England.”
EDDIE JONES,
He said: “I remember Japan hosting the 2002 World Cup. They got to the round of 16 but went out to Turkey. The Japan manager was Philippe Troussier, a French guy, who did the post-match interview and was that emotional, he was crying. He was speaking in French, so the interpreter came up and obviously had to do it in Japanese and he just burst into tears too – exactly the same thing. It was one of the sporting moments that sticks in my head.”
PADRAIG HARRINGTON,
“It would have to be Ray Houghton’s goal that beat Italy in 1994 – a hooked leftfooter from 25 yards followed by a celebration somersault (left). Those 1990 and 1994 teams changed the whole idea of football in Ireland. We’d had better teams before that but we hadn’t had teams that performed.”
RORY McILROY,
“Northern Ireland haven’t played in a World Cup since