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David Narey’s only international goal came on a sweltering evening in Sevilla in 1982, when his long‑range screamer put Scotland ahead of a legendary Brazil side. The strike, set up by Graeme Souness and John Wark, remains one of the most celebrated moments in Scottish football history, even as Brazil rallied to win 4‑1. Narey’s Decisive Goal Against Brazil in the 1982 World Cup The match started with Scotland leading 1‑0 after Narey’s 25th‑minute effort, a powerful drive that beat keeper Waldir Peres. The goal was praised by commentators as “tremendous” and “spectacular”. Scotland’s lineup featured versatile players like Narey, who could operate in midfield, defence and at right‑back. Manager Jock Stein introduced Narey after the opening win over New Zealand, replacing captain Danny McGrain at right‑back. The goal came from a diagonal ball into the box, nodded by John Wark before Narey struck it. Match Statistics and Goal Difference Impact Despite the early lead, Brazil equalised through Zico and eventually won 4‑1, eroding Scotland’s goal difference – a crucial factor for the final group match against the USSR. Final score: Brazil 4 – 1 Scotland. Scotland’s goal difference after the match: –2. Brazil’s goal scorers: Zico (free‑kick), Oscar (header), Eder, Falcão. Jimmy Hill’s “Toe‑Poke” Comment and Its Cultural Fallout BBC commentator Jimmy Hill described Narey’s strike as a “toe poke”, a phrase that ignited a long‑running fan backlash. The remark was taken as disrespect, leading to chants of “We hate Jimmy Hill” and novelty T‑shirts at later tournaments, including France 1998. Hill later defended the comment, claiming the technique was a skill. The incident inspired an Edinburgh Fringe play titled “The Toe Poke”. A Scottish football podcast, “Toe‑Poke”, continues to reference the episode. Legacy of the Goal in Scottish Football Lore While the goal did not change the tournament outcome, it cemented Narey’s place in Scottish folklore. The story is revisited in books such as *We Made Them Angry* and remains a touchstone for discussions about Scotland’s 1982 World Cup campaign. Annual retrospectives highlight the goal as a “splendid” moment in Scottish sport. Fans and historians view the incident as a symbol of Scotland’s brief brilliance against a footballing superpower.

The Rise of Michael Olise Michael Olisé is probably the best creative player in the world at the moment. He racked up 26 assists for Bayern Munich last season. It was his shift into a more central role that transformed France’s game against Senegal from drab slog to impressive victory. Olise's Unique Playing Style The confidence he always had at Crystal Palace has evolved at Bayern into a graceful fluency. In a hugely talented France side, Olise is the standout, the player who it feels might carry them to the World Cup. Yet he is something of an anomaly. A Shift in French Football's History It’s not just that he was born in White City, west London, and grew up loving cricket (his father was British-Nigerian and his mother French-Algerian), or even that, like his former Palace teammate Eberechi Eze, he spends much of his spare time playing chess. It’s that, unusually in this France side, he plays with a sense of freedom and joy. He has not yet submitted fully to Didier Deschamps’s tactical yoke, nor been curdled by his own celebrity. As such, Olise represents a key faultline in history of French football. French Football's Evolution At the 1982 World Cup, France were renowned for their carré magique, the magic square of Michel Platini, Jean Tigana, Alain Giresse and Bernard Genghini. They actually played as a midfield four only in the semi-final defeat by West Germany but Seville became a myth, an idea. France may have lost on penalties despite leading 3-1 in extra time, an agonising defeat in which Patrick Battiston was knocked unconscious by Toni Schumacher, but they had played with panache, and that was French football. The Future of French Football France have a four at this World Cup who could be similarly great. It’s easy to imagine the pundits of a couple of decades’ time leaning back with a warm chuckle, and shaking their heads as they remember Ousmane Dembélé, Kylian Mbappé, Desiré Doué and Olisé, three great products of the French academy system and a bloke who started off at Hayes & Yeading, and got his big break playing for Reading (albeit he also had stints in the academies of Arsenal, Chelsea and Manchester City). Imagine a team with that level of attacking talent all on the pitch at once. How could any defence ever have coped with them?