Years and years, goals and goals, people come, people go... Football world never lack of stories, but only the classics can last forever. We will give you a ride to the most memorable football moments. Welcome to All Football GODLIKE column.
Many football fans around the globe associate René Higuita’s name with one moment at Wembley in 1995. The Colombian’s goalkeeping career consisted of so much more than flamboyant saves and that audacious scorpion kick, and most Colombians consider him to be one of the most technically gifted goalkeepers – some even suggest players in general – the country has ever produced.
Despite playing just one season of club football outside the Americas, his name is known across the world and he has provided a platform for the modern ball-playing goalkeeper.
THAT 'Scorpion Kick'
It was a non-descript friendly, trundling along without excitement or incident in front of a miserable Wembley crowd of just over 20,000.
England, trying to work forwards from the crushing disappointment of not making the 1994 World Cup, were failing to break down their resolute Colombian opponents.
Then, out of nowhere, came an 'I was there' moment of breath-taking audacity destined to be imitated in school playgrounds and on park pitches, and replayed on YouTube, for years to come.
Debutant Jamie Redknapp attempted to launch a cross into the Colombian box but the trajectory was askew and instead it sailed towards the fuzzy-haired and eccentric figure of Rene Higuita in the Colombian net.
The linesman had raised his flag for an offside, though the referee hadn't noticed, and it was the simplest thing in the world for Higuita to reach out and catch the ball and restart the game.
That, however, was not his style. Instead, Higuita dived forward and, with his back arched like a scorpion's tail pre-sting, flicked up both of his heels with perfect timing to clear the ball.
Wembley gasped and millions watching on had a new hero. Two decades on and Higuita is still a household name - known forever as the man who invented football's 'Scorpion Kick.'
The game fizzled out to a wholly predictable 0-0 draw - this England was far removed from the one that would perform so thrillingly at Euro 96 nine months later - yet it would remain in posterity for Higuita's antics.
Higuita’s long, frizzy hair and bushy moustache characterised his unconventional and heart-racing style of play. Even if he was the man between the sticks, in many a game he was the most talented footballer on the pitch – and he wasn’t afraid to show it.
He combined a sweeping role with flair, becoming a national hero for the way he played the game with such joy and adventure; so much joy and adventure that he rewrote the role of a goalkeeper and remains unique to this day for his mazy dribbles past opposition players, his one-twos with teammates and his scoring record that betters that of most defenders.
But who was 'El Loco', and what became of the madcap No. 1 when he finally hung up his gloves?
Higuita's start to life between the posts was just as unorthodox as the rest of his career. The Medellin native was originally a striker and, as a teenager, was top scorer in his school team. An injury to the side's keeper, however, forced him into the net, and he showed such aptitude for the role that he made the position his own.
That outfield influence stayed with him throughout his time in football, though, manifesting itself most notably in his outrageous dribbling skills, which he often employed to torment opposing strikers from deep.
At the tender age of 23, Higuita helped Atletico Nacional to their first-ever Copa Libertadores title, the last line of defence in a team directed by Francisco Maturano and boasting players of the calibre of Andres Escobar, Leonel Alvarez and Luis Perea; essentially, the bulk of the Colombia squad that would play at the 1990 and 1994 World Cups.
The 1990 edition saw the Cafeteros reach the last 16, with Higuita hailed as one of the stars of the tournament, but a failed attempt to dribble past Roger Milla allowed the veteran forward to score the goal that sent Cameroon through to the quarter-finals instead.
Higuita's madcap keeping in Italy, however, had far-ranging implications. Hypnotised by how he played his way out of trouble when receiving the ball from defenders, rather than picking the ball up as was the norm, FIFA took his antics into account when discussing and implementing the back-pass law, a motion that has helped make the modern game far faster and more entertaining for spectators.
In an indirect way, the shot-stopper helped contribute to the chain of events that made football one of the biggest businesses on the planet.
With 41 goals over a career that spanned 24 years, 12 clubs and five countries, Higuita also ranks alongside Jose Luis Chilavert, Rodrigo Ceni and Jorge Campos as one of history's most prolific No.1s.