LONDON - Brazil's 1970 World Cup winning team have been voted the best of all time in a global poll of experts conducted by World Soccer magazine.
The greatest goal of all time was judged to be Diego Maradona's mesmerising second against England in Argentina's 2-1 quarter-final victory
in the 1986 World Cup quarter-finals in Mexico City.
The vote for the greatest match of all time completed a hat-trick for events that took place in World Cups in Mexico.
The experts opted for the 1970 semi-final in Mexico City in which Italy beat West Germany 4-3 after extra time.
World Soccer described Brazil's 1970 winners as "more than a team", adding: "the Brazilian side that won the 1970 World Cup in such style have become a myth, a team to be held up as the ultimate exponents of the beautiful game".
The second best team of all time was named as the Hungarian side of 1953 and the third best the Dutch side that lost the 1974 World Cup final to West Germany.
The AC Milan side of 1989-90 finished fourth, the highest-ranked club side. Real Madrid 1956-60, who won five successive European Cups, were voted sixth.
While Maradona topped the goalscorers' poll for his second against England, Marco van Basten's goal against the Soviet Union in the Netherlands' victory in the 1988 European Championship final was voted the second best.
Zinedine Zidane's stunning volley for Real Madrid in their 2002 Champions League final victory over Bayer Leverkusen was voted the third greatest of all time.
Following the Italy-West Germany semi-final as the best match was Liverpool's penalty shoot-out victory over AC Milan in the 2005 Champions League final. Real Madrid's 7-3 win over Eintracht Frankfurt in the 1960 European Cup final was voted the third greatest match.
- REUTERS
