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Whether youre watching on TV or listening on the radio, commentators form an integral part of the football experience if you cant be in the ground itself.
Far more than simply telling us whats going on, the best of them evoke every emotion of the beautiful game in expert oratory.
Including famous lines delivered in English, Spanish and more, heres our pick of iconic pieces of commentary from throughout history.
Were used to commentators getting excited, but theres something extra special about their voices breaking in sheer disbelief at what theyve just witnessed it underscores that they are, ultimately, football fans just like us.
Darren Fletchers astonishment was palpable as Luca Moura completed a hat-trick deep into stoppage time to send Tottenham through to the 2019 Champions League final, their very first, at the expense of Ajax who had been 3-0 up on aggregate barely 40 minutes earlier.
Sometimes, the person next to the commentator on the gantry the co-commentator goes and steals the limelight.
Gary Neville did exactly that as Fernando Torres sent Chelsea to the 2012 Champions League final with a 91st-minute goal against Barcelona, uttering a noise that really only the audio can do proper justice.
Just 20 seconds passed between Anthony Knockaerts missed penalty for Leicester and Troy Deeneys decisive goal for Watford in the second leg of the 2012/13 Championship play-off semi-final.
As Vicarage Road reverberated in celebration, it was a miracle that Rob Hawthorne remained composed enough to aptly describe the sheer madness unfolding.
Peter Drury has made a living out of epic commentary lines, and were selecting this as the most iconic of the bunch.
In 2010, the World Cup came to Africa for the first time, and hosts South Africa sent their vociferous, vuvuzela-blowing supporters wild with the opening goal of the tournament lashed home by Siphiwe Tshabalala.
There were only seconds remaining when Clive Tyldesley said this after Ole Gunnar Solskjaers dramatic winner in the 1999 Champions League final, but he still took a risk.
If Bayern had equalised then won, thered have been an effigy of me hanging [in Manchester], the revered mic-holding maestro joked to FourFourTwo in 2024.
You dont need to speak Spanish to understand Andres Cantors reaction to his native Argentina winning the 2022 World Cup; the emotion in his voice says it all.
As Gonzalo Montiel dispatched the decisive penalty in the shootout against France in the final, Cantor appeared to be on the verge of tears of joy and who could blame him?!
In another notable example of the co-commentator taking centre stage, Andy Gray made clear his appreciation of Steven Gerrards qualification-clinching screamer for Liverpool against Olympiacos in the 2004/05 Champions League group stage.
Had the Reds not gone on to win the competition that season, Grays line surely wouldnt have remained quite so famous but they did, and its stood the test of time.
Dennis Bergkamp booked the Netherlands place in the 1998 World Cup semi-finals with one of the finest goals in the history of the tournament.
And Dutch commentator Jack van Gelder responded with some of the simplest yet most memorable commentary in the history of the tournament. Its fair to say no one was in any doubt as to who had got the goal.
This unforgettable line from the inimitable Brian Moore built up to one of the most incredible finales to an English top-flight campaign.
In the final game of the season at Anfield, Liverpool were moments away from retaining the First Division title but Michael Thomas had other ideas, sealing the 2-0 win Arsenal needed to be crowned champions for the first time since 1971.
Gordon Banks seemingly impossible save from Pele during the 1970 World Cup group stage is widely regarded as the best of all time.
Somehow, in reacting to that moment of brilliance in Guadalajara, Mexico, legendary BBC broadcaster David Coleman managed to strike the perfect balance between disbelief and matter-of-fact description.
Probably Paul Gascoignes finest club goal was his piledriver of a free-kick for Tottenham in the 1990/91 FA Cup semi-final at Wembley, a North London derby against Arsenal.
It can be hard to do such magic justice, but Barry Davies more than managed it with his most famous bit of commentary.
As Sky Sports main Premier League commentator for more than three decades, Martin Tyler got to call some pretty special moments.
But the most special was undoubtedly this: Sergio Agueros last-gasp match-winning, title-clinching goal for Manchester City on the final day of the 2011/12 season. You could have forgiven him for descending into pure gibberish, such were the unprecedented levels of drama.
Diego Maradona scored two famous goals against England in the quarter-finals of the 1986 World Cup, the second being arguably the greatest goal of all time.
El Pibe de Oros jaw-dropping solo at the iconic Azteca in Mexico City was certainly accompanied by some truly great commentary from Uruguays Victor Hugo Morales who called the Argentina captain exactly what he was: a genius.
In perhaps the biggest upset in FA Cup final history, Wimbledon beat hot favourites Liverpool to lift the trophy for the first time.
The Dons came out on top in a real clash of footballing styles at Wembley, which the much-missed John Motson summed up with his most indelible one-liner.
Margaret Thatcher never seemed to care much for football, so she probably wasnt overly bothered by Englands 2-1 1982 World Cup qualifying defeat to Norway in Oslo.
Nonetheless, Norwegian commentator Bjorge Lilleliens taunting of the then UK prime minister (in addition to Lord Nelson and heavyweight boxer Henry Cooper, among others) is the stuff of legend.
Geoff Hursts second goal in the 1966 World Cup final might be the most famous (did it cross the line or didnt it?), but his third to complete a hat-trick and make absolutely sure of Englands greatest triumph is equally, if not more, memorable.
Thats because of the accompanying commentary by Kenneth Wolstenholme, containing five words which become a staple of British popular culture: They think its all over!
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Tom Hancock started freelancing for FourFourTwo in April 2019 and has also written for the Premier League and Opta Analyst, among others. He supports Wycombe Wanderers and has a soft spot for Wealdstone. A self-confessed statto, he has been known to watch football with a spreadsheet (or several) open...