Maradona, Gazza and the World Cup stars who cried

Karan Tejwani

• 18 Nov 2022 08:45 GMT
• 5 min read

The World Cup can bring the emotions out of any star name and over the 92-year history of the tournament, many of the game’s greats have shed their emotions on the pitch.

Winning or losing for your country on the sport’s greatest stage brings out emotion like no other – the joy of making this the biggest triumph of one’s career or having to wait four years to renew a dream can be a daunting prospect.

Whether in victory or defeat, every World Cup has at least one star name shed their tears on the pitch and show the human side to their personalities.

READ: Five players who could break out at the World Cup

Here are five players who cried after World Cup matches.

Pele – 1958

Brazil legend Pele is probably the first footballer to cry on camera after the World Cup game and it’s not hard to see why – he had just become world champion with his country at 17.

He was a star that tournament, scoring twice in the final to cap off a brilliant summer and becoming the youngest player to score in a World Cup final – a record he still holds.

READ: Baggio, Lampard and the World Cup stars who missed in penalty shootouts

As he was paraded around the pitch after the final whistle, Pele was overwhelmed with emotion and it made for a few great images.

Diego Maradona – 1990

Diego Maradona went into the World Cup in 1990 full of confidence having gone all the way in 1986 and he was hoping to carry the run.

He had an eventful tournament – from a blatant handball to a starring role against Brazil to beating Italy in Naples, where he was a beloved son.

However, after Argentina lost the final in Rome, he couldn’t help but shed some tears as West Germany burst away in celebration.

Paul Gascoigne – 1990

England’s best finish after winning the World Cup in 1990 was their fourth-place placing in 1990 and the summer that year was a memorable one for many.

England reached the semi-final and heartbreakingly lost to eventual winners West Germany in the semi-final on penalties.

During the game, Paul Gascoigne, the England star, lunged into a challenge and earned a booking, meaning he would miss the final – however, England cruelly lost on penalties – but that didn’t stop Gazza’s tears after the yellow.

David Luiz – 2014

Brazil’s 7-1 defeat to Germany in the semi-final of 2014 is probably the most shocking result in the history of the tournament.

It comes as no surprise that many of the Brazilian players shed tears after the game having been humiliated in front of their home crowd.

David Luiz’s tears were the most prominent – he was the captain on the night and his emotions got the better of him post-match.

Neymar – 2018

Neymar has been the poster boy for Brazilian football for over a decade and his emotions got to him after his side’s group stage win over Costa Rica in 2018.

He flattered to deceive after his side’s opening game against Switzerland but after scoring in the second match, he fell into tears.

Later on, he revealed that the tears came as he remembered the challenges he had overcome to make it to the world stage.