'past perfect tense' or 'present perfect tense': Which one should I use in the following context?
The FIFA World Cup is one of the greatest shows on Earth. Of all the FIFA World Cups I have watched, the 2014 competition is the most memorable for me. The goal that Rodriguez scored is my favourite goal ever. I have/had never seen a goal like that before.
Here I want to mean that I hadn't seen a goal like that before and I haven't seen one since then.
Best Answer
"I had never seen a goal like that before" places the entire statement back in 2014 when you saw the goal. "I have never seen a goal like that before" places the entire statement in the recent past, and cannot refer to a goal you saw back in 2014. Neither form allows you to express both that the goal was remarkable when it happened and that is has not been surpassed since then.
Actually, your explanatory sentence "I hadn't seen a goal like that before and I haven't seen one since" is one way a native speaker might express your meaning. Another is "I've never seen another goal like that one", and related forms.