With 37 days until the 2026 World Cup, we continue looking back at spectacular goals from tournament history. Today's feature comes from the 2006 Germany World Cup semi-final between Germany and Italy.
The move began with a minor miracle. Cannavaro somehow overcame a 22-centimeter height disadvantage to win a header against Mertesacker in the dying seconds of stoppage time. He immediately charged from his own penalty area, bravely heading Podolski's ball away to launch Italy's counter-attack.
Twelve seconds later, the ball was in Jens Lehmann's net. Substitute Alessandro Del Piero, with a clever assist from Gilardino, elegantly slotted home to seal a 2-0 victory and send the Azzurri into the World Cup final. Del Piero recalled being fortunate to have many incredible memories in his career, but none compared to that goal against Germany. The moment remains unforgettable, bringing back powerful and joyful emotions from a magical night.
