There was a brief moment in soccer history when extra time felt like the big reveal in a movie thriller. One mistake, one moment of genius and the outcome was know instantly. That was the era of the golden goal.

Why was the golden goal used in soccer?

Introduced by FIFA in 1993, the rule was designed to make extra time more exciting. Instead of playing the full 30 extra minutes, the game would end immediately when someone scored. Sudden death, basically, though FIFA preferred the sexier term “golden goal.”

The idea sounded brilliant on paper. At least if you don’t think too much about the repercussions. FIFA hoped teams would attack more, aiming to avoid the perceived “lottery” of the penalty shootouts, and this would produce unforgettable drama. And to be fair, it absolutely delivered in some iconic moments.

But there weren’t many, and there was another side to it: pragmatism.

The golden goal and the World Cup

The FIFA World Cup only used the golden goal rule twice: in 1998 and 2002.

Here are the four golden goals scored in men’s World Cup history:

• Laurent Blanc for France vs Paraguay in 1998
• Henri Camara for Senegal vs Sweden in 2002
• Ahn Jung-hwan for South Korea vs Italy in 2002
• İlhan Mansız for Türkiye vs Senegal in 2002

Blanc’s winner in Lens became the first golden goal in World Cup history. France looked stuck until the 114th minute, when the defender smashed home from close range and instantly sent the hosts through, just six minutes from the end.

But arguably the most famous may have been Ahn Jung-hwan’s towering header against Italy in 2002. South Korea erupted, Italy crashed out, and the fallout became legendary. Ahn’s club owner at Perugia reportedly ripped up his contract the next day after accusing him of “ruining Italian football.”

The final golden goal ever scored at a men’s World Cup came just days later. Türkiye’s İlhan Mansız half-volleyed home in the 94th minute against Senegal in the 2002 quarterfinals, ending the game immediately and sending the Turkish side into the semifinals.

Why did FIFA get rid of the golden goal?

Ironically, the reason why the golden goal was fairly quickly removed from the game is because its effect was the opposite to the desired one. Too may teams became too scared to attack.

Instead of creating wild end-to-end battles, with fans grabbing popcorn at the end of 90 minutes, the golden goal often made players ultra-cautious. The pragmatism led players to prioritise not conceding the instant loser rather than push for the winner. Extra time started looking tense and nervous rather than dramatic. FIFA even experimented with a “silver goal” system, where games ended after the first extra-time period if one team was ahead, but that did not last either. I can see a parallel with Arsene Wenger’s proposed change to the offside rule.

In 2004, football’s lawmakers officially scrapped both ideas and returned to the traditional format still used today: full extra time, then penalties if needed.

We should maybe remember that more often than not ‘The Beautiful Game’ doesn’t need a makeover.

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