Tim Cahill's World Cup goal will go down in history: how it ranks

Australia's Tim Cahill scored a stunning volley in the 3-2 defeat by the Netherlands

Tim Cahill scores a wonderful volley for Australia, but is it the best ever World Cup goal? (Getty images)

Australia may be all but out of the tournament after losing to the Netherlands but Tim Cahill's stunning volley will go down in World Cup history

LIVE: Follow the latest news as England play Uruguay, plus Colombia v Ivory Coast and Japan v Greece

The former Everton midfielder, now at New York Red Bulls, scored a magnificent left-footed volley which hit the underside of the crossbar before bouncing over the line.

Cahill picked up his second yellow card of the tournament, meaning he will miss Australia's final game, and it could well be his final World Cup game as Australia are all but out of the tournament.

If this is his last ever appearance, there will probably never be a better way to bow out.

But is Cahill's strike truly the best the World Cup has ever seen? It's a hotly-debated topic, and here we take a look at some of the best strikes in World Cup history.

Carlos Alberto (Brazil) - 1976

Widely recognised as one of the greatest strikes in World Cup history, Carlos Alberto still speaks with great pride when reminded of this effort against Italy. With the score at 3-1, Rivellino plays a pass into Pele, who finds the onrushing Carlos Alberto, and he fires home from the edge of the area.

Diego Maradona (Argentina) - 1986

If there was ever a solo goal to represent an individuals' ability, this was it. Diego Maradona may have marred his reputation with the infamous 'Hand of God' goal against England, but nobody can deny him this one. Picking up the ball on the halfway line, Maradona skips past four players before rounding the goalkeeper and sliding his effort home. Now known as 'Goal of the Century'.

Esteban Cambiasso (Argentina) - 2006

The ultimate team goal scored by the most unlikely player on the pitch. Cambiasso, a defensive midfielder, finished off one of the greatest team moves in history, consisting of 26 passes between the Argentinian team. Argentina went on to beat Serbia and Montenegro 6-0, but this goal was the obvious highlight.

Dennis Bergkamp (Netherlands) - 1998

Bergkamp has been credited with one of the Premier League's all-time greatest goals with his strike against Newcastle, and this effort was certainly close to matching it. As Holland took on Argentina in a World Cup quarter-final, the game was heading towards Golden Goal before Frank de Boer's long punt forward was beautifully brought down by Bergkamp. He skips past a defender with a delicate touch and fires an effort into the top corner.

Andres Iniesta (Spain) - 2010

Perhaps not the tidiest goal the World Cup has ever seen, but certainly, it was one of the most significant. As a tight stalemate between Spain and Holland headed for penalties, Cesc Fabregas found Iniesta unmarked on the edge of the box and, as the ball bobbled up, Iniesta took his time and volleyed past Maarten Stekelenburg to hand Spain their first ever World Cup crown.