REVEALED: Top 10 most popular goals of all time: From Lionel Messi’s mesmerising solo runs from deep to Cristiano Ronaldo’s outrageous acrobatic efforts, everyone has an opinion on the greatest goals ever scored. Narrowing down the world’s best player is difficult enough, so deciding on a single greatest goal or most popular goals of all time seems to be an impossible challenge.
However – eager to answer this age-old question experts took to YouTube to find the most popular goals ever scored, and the potential earnings that each video could be producing.
REVEALED: Top 10 most popular goals of all time
| Rank | Goal | Views | Potential Earnings (£) |
| 1 | Diego Maradona vs. England (1986) | 19,012,161 | £28,846 |
| 2 | Gareth Bale vs. Liverpool (2018) | 16,910,841 | £25,547 |
| 3 | David Beckham vs. Greece (2001) | 15,867,095 | £24,065 |
| 4 | Gareth Bale vs. Barcelona (2014) | 14,251,296 | £21,615 |
| 5 | Sergio Aguero vs. QPR (2012) | 12,678,563 | £19,231 |
| 6 | Papiss Cisse vs Chelsea (2012) | 11,753,153 | £17,825 |
| 7 | Troy Deeney vs. Leicester (2013) | 10,872,132 | £16,490 |
| 8 | Neymar vs. Honduras (2016) | 10,592,242 | £16,065 |
| 9 | Zlatan Ibrahimovic vs. LAFC (2018) | 10,169,566 | £15,425 |
| 10 | Lionel Messi vs. Getafe (2007) | 9,805,332 | £14,878 |
Diego Maradona is the most popular goals of all time with his majestic 1986 solo strike, which prevented England from progressing to the semi-finals of the World Cup. While his first goal of the match was the incredibly controversial “Hand of God,” it’s his second that is repeatedly watched, with more than 19,000,000 views, potentially worth £28,846.
With 16,910,841 views, Gareth Bale’s acrobatic strike against Liverpool in the 2018 Champions League final takes second place in the top 10 list of most popular goals of all time. Only three minutes after coming off the bench, Bale scored an incredible bicycle kick to put Real Madrid up 2-1, in what many fans consider to be the greatest goal in the competition’s history.
David Beckham takes third place with his pivotal free kick against Greece, garnering 15,482,673 views, and potential earnings of £24,065. This goal may be held in such high regard as it came with a guarantee that England would qualify for the 2002 World Cup, making it a fond memory for millions of English fans.
Gareth Bale’s goal against FC Barcelona comes in fourth place with a total of 14,251,296 views. The Welshman cemented his place in Madrid history with his winning goal against fierce rivals Barcelona in the Copa del Rey final in 2014. The goal exemplifies everything Bale’s game was about, running from his own half and even off the pitch before returning to the field and slotting the ball home.
In fifth place, with 12,678,563 views, is arguably the most famous goal in Premier League history, Sergio Aguero’s title-winning goal for Manchester City in the dying seconds of the season. Just missing out on the top five is Pappis Cisse’s wonder strike against Chelsea in 2012 which received 11,753,154 views and was named goal of the season that year.
Additionally, these videos could result in massive profits, with just the top 15 generating an estimate of over £250,000 – so there’s all the more reason to celebrate those game-changing goals!
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