ESPN official http://soccernet.espn.go.com/world-cup/columns/story?id=742215&cc=4716&ver=global World Cup First XI: World Cup legends Very few players become legends of the game without making an impact at the World Cup. Injuries and limited team-mates can be restrictive given the nature of the tournament, with perhaps only George Best and Alfredo Di Stefano considered among the all-time greats despite failing to appear at football's biggest tournament, so Soccernet takes a look at the top XI players who have made their mark on the biggest stage. Pele (Brazil): The definitive World Cup icon, Pele won the World Cup with Brazil at just 17 years old in 1958, was part of the side that retained the trophy in 1962 and was then a key player in the victorious 1970 squad that is widely considered the greatest football team in the history of the game. It was a time when referees liked to let the game flow, and he was mercilessly assaulted by his opponents game after game, but he still scored an incredible 77 goals in 92 appearances for his country. Diego Maradona (Argentina): His substance abuse was a black mark on his playing career and his latest coaching stint is doing little for his legacy, but Maradona remains a legend around the globe for his breathtaking talent with a football. Maradona (and his Hand of God) took a decent but unspectacular Argentina side to glory in 1986 and then near single-handedly took a far less impressive side back to the final in 1990. He remains the greatest rival to Pele's crown and received substantially more votes from the general public in the one-off FIFA Player of the Century award. Eusebio (Portugal): A European Cup winner with Benfica and scorer of 319 goals in 313 games in the Portuguese league, Mozambique-born Eusebio made his mark on the world stage in 1966 when Portugal ended Brazil's hopes of clinching the Jules Rimet Trophy for the third time in succession. He was a quick and powerful attacker with skill in abundance, and scored an incredible nine goals at the World Cup in England. Considered by many to be second only to Pele during his 60s heyday - a big compliment indeed considering the competition from the likes of George Best, Gerd Muller and Bobby Charlton - he ended his career with 41 goals in 64 appearances for his country. Johan Cruyff (Netherlands): His attacking ideals have shaped the modern Barcelona team and, after playing the starring role as the Dutch came within a whisker of the 1974 World Cup, he is the player most closely associated with Rinus Michels' 'total football' model. As a revolutionary trick, the 'Cruyff turn' looks almost quaint now, but it was just one of the many skills in his formidable armoury along with his remarkable awareness, control and accuracy. Netherlands' 2-1 defeat to West Germany in the '74 final came as something of a surprise given the effectiveness of their total football, and it was apparently down to fears over a kidnapping that Cruyff missed the 1978 tournament in Argentina. Franz Beckenbauer (West Germany): Beckenbauer started his career as a midfielder, but became renowned worldwide for his talent as a libero (sweeper), where his ball-playing abilities, combined with his ability to read the game, helped him become synonymous with the role. He scored four goals as the West Germans reached the 1966 final and was part of the side that finished third at the 1970 World Cup. Der Kaiser was made captain of the national team the following year and they went on to win the 1972 European Championship and the 1974 World Cup. Beckenbauer's leadership qualities and winning mentality extended to managing West Germany to success at the 1990 tournament, becoming the first man to win the World Cup as player and coach. Ferenc Puskas (Hungary): "Look at that little fat chap," an unidentified England player is reported to have said before they met Hungary in 1953. "We'll murder this lot." Hungary, of course, won 6-3 at Wembley that day and The Galloping Major' hit a brace. "We didn't know about Puskas," Sir Bobby Robson later admitted. Puskas stood out in a team of greats, and it is fair to suggest he might have been a 1954 World Cup winner had it not been for injury. He was part of the side that won 9-0 and 8-3 against South Korea and West Germany respectively, scoring three goals along the way. But an injury hindered his progress and though Hungary beat Brazil and Uruguay in his absence, he was not fully fit when he played in the final and they lost the match 3-2. Even without that crowning glory, Puskas is remembered as a supremely talented player with perfect control, a great burst of pace and an unparalleled left foot. Gerd Muller (West Germany): When Muller arrived at Bayern Munich in 1964, coach Zlatko Cajkovski had been sceptical of his physique. "What am I supposed to do with a weightlifter?" he asked, later affectionately referring to him as "kleines dickes Muller" or "short fat Muller". Still, the striker had a spectacular talent for goalscoring, hitting 68 in 62 appearances for his country. England saw their 1970 World Cup campaign brought to an untimely halt as Muller struck in extra-time to secure a 3-2 victory and he finished the competition with an impressive ten goals. In 1974, Netherlands fell victim his talent as he grabbed the winning goal in that year's final and, having already hit three in the tournament, he established himself as the World Cup's all-time leading scorer, a record that stood for over two decades. Giuseppe Meazza (Italy): Current world champions Italy clinched their first two titles in 1934 and 1938, and inside-forward Meazza was the star of the show. He was the George Best of his day, a talented and stylish showman who could create and score goals of timeless invention and was famed for his habit of stopping ahead of the goalkeeper, inviting him to come for the ball and then taking it around him before placing the ball into the empty net. Meazza scored just twice at the 1934 tournament and once in 1938 - a penalty in the semi-final against Brazil when he famously had to hold his shorts up with one hand during his run-up due to an elastic issue - but he remains an icon of Italian football. He scored 245 goals in 350 appearances during a 13-year spell with Inter before an injury cut his career short. The San Siro stadium was renamed the Stadio Giuseppe Meazza in his honour in 1980. Ronaldo (Brazil): A player who, in his prime, boasted great pace, close control, the ability to ghost past defenders and a phenomenal strike-rate, Ronaldo became the World Cup's all-time leading goal-scorer in 2006 and should rightly be considered one of the greats of the game. Having failed to make an appearance as Brazil won the 1994 World Cup, he made his mark with four goals in the 1998 tournament before - for reasons still unknown - he was left out of the team for the final and then reinstated shortly before kick-off as France won the game 3-0. Whatever actually went on that day, Ronaldo had the chance to make amends four years later as he hit eight goals - including two in the final against Germany - as Brazil clinched the trophy for the fifth time. In 2006, he overtook Gerd Muller as he struck his 15th World Cup goal. Zinedine Zidane (France): Zidane marked his name in the competition's history in 1998. Technically brilliant with exceptional control, he scored the first two of France's goals in the 3-0 win over Brazil, both headers from corner kicks, and exhibited the full range of his skills to a global audience. Injury blighted hopes in 2002 as France exited at the group stage, but his 2006 swansong encapsulated the career of a sublimely talented but always temperamental playmaker: he was the pivotal figure in the group stages before famously headbutting Italy defender Marco Materazzi in the chest and seeing red in the final. Arguably the best playmaker to have kicked a ball, his skills will live longer in the memory of dedicated followers of the sport than his indiscretions. Lev Yashin (Soviet Union): Brave, athletic and commanding, Yashin is widely considered the best goalkeeper of all-time and he had a particular talent for stopping penalties. The secret of his success has gone down in legend: "Before a game I smoke a cigarette to calm my nerves and then toss back a strong drink to tone up the muscles." In addition to a host of domestic trophies with Dynamo Moscow, he won the 1956 Summer Olympics and 1960 European Championship with Soviet Union. He earned universal acclaim at the 1958 World Cup as they reached the quarter-finals and, while he did not have his best tournament in 1962, he won the Ballon d'Or the following year, remaining the only goalkeeper to have done so. He went on to play a central role as Soviet Union reached the semi-finals in 1966 and, having lost 2-1 to Portugal in the third-place play-off, Eusebio later hailed Yashin as the greatest goalkeeper he had ever faced.
According ESPN official ，only two brazilian in World Cup legendsele Ronaldo,So easily;FENOMENO ronaldo was second brazilian ever
Ronaldo is a god to Dagoods ,RONALDO is a god to me ,RONALDO is always a GOD to all world three hundred million ronaldo fans http://r9naldo.net/vb/showthread.php?t=19214&page=3 http://www.ronaldo.ru/index.php?page=2009biog.htm http://www.ronaldohome.com/ http://ronaldoinworldcup2010.com/home.php http://ronaldoinworldcup2010.com/comments.php
I understand most of you try to explain, I feel your point of view is completely reasonable so I'm not trying to discredit it, actually, I think Nilton Santos could be considered the best, as could be Maldini, Roberto Carlos or Facchetti... isn't an exact science so I can't show concretely that Roberto Carlos is the best, as I believe by impression because my own conclusions (quite similar as you describe do yours). I tried to do a good research by many eras, so I don't feel I was a 1990's/2000's lover exactly , in spite I'm younger than you (I'm 22), but I think it's difficult to discuss this point in a high discussion because also is the position of older people that tends to think past was always better than present, the legends are used to growing with time, the old articles sound more poetic due to the need to transmit what now transmit the visual media... finding a balance sounds quite subjective.
The FACT is that you clearly stated Ronaldo was the protagonist of that World Cup for Brazil when that simply was never the case; antihero perhaps but protagonist certainly not. How on earth could he be when he was never heralded or even mentioned as the principal driving force behind that team? More to the point, since when has a protagonist been mocked and ridiculed for their performance? So what if he scored 3 goals? It doesn't hide the FACT that he still played awfully and virtually the whole of Brazil and the entire footballing world seems to accept that FACT apart from yourself. There's also no way in hell you can call Ronaldo dangerous in that quarter final against France, he was entirely subdued by the likes of Thuram and the rest of the French defence. Now, please, enough of your Rafa FACTs. [ame="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-ZpPOikJwYY"]YouTube- Rafael Benitez Rant About Ferguson (Full Uncut Press Conference)[/ame]
Oh yeah, so did Ze Roberto score all the goals that O Fenomeno did? NOPE! DInho and Kaka' what did they do? ZIP!!! Adriano? what did he do? NADA! O FENOMENO outshone those clowns, for sure! FACT! The entire squad played awfully but R9 outpeformed the so called other Brazilian "stars"! Are you on medication or something? He was the only one attacking the French defence, had a shot on goal and should have seen the look Barthez (he soiled his pants) and then he got knocked down/fouled outside the box and of course DINHO missed both FKs! He was the only attacking player who actually tried to attack, you could tell he was pissed OFF unlike DInho who was smiling for the cameras like a fcuking f@g! "Yeah dude cawagunnnnnnnnnga surf-up dudes" with his faggy smile like everything is ok, no biggie I just got my a$$ handed by me by Zidane! And of course he went out partying as soon as he arrived home!!! FACT!
HE outshone in those 4 years where they played together (a man who had gone through 3 knee surgeries) outshone the other so called "galacticos" FACT! Remember that 1997 ALL-STAR game RONALDO (captain) of the WORLD XI team vs Europe (Zidane was the captain)???> Do you? R9 2 goals - 2 assists Zizou - 1 assit
Oh yeah ... those 2 very important goals against Japan and the one against Ghana. We were never going to lose or even tie Japan with or without Ronaldo. The only important goal was against Ghana which was handed to him on a platter by Kaka and a stupid high off-side trap played by Ghana. BTW ... Ronaldinho was never going to score many goals playing in the deep midfield position. He didn't shine, but he put players in great positions with his passes. So don't bring up these BS stats. You should watch games for a change instead of looking up Youtube highlights.
OMFG You're actually bringing up stats from a charity game to prove a point That alone should get your account suspended !!!
C'mon, PerúFC, I gave you no poetry. Just concrete data: Paolo Maldini: 1990 - semifinal 1994 - runnerup 1998 - quarterfinal 2002 - round of 16 Nilton Santos: 1950 - runnerup (didn't play) 1954 - quarterfinal 1958 - champion 1962 - champion Brazil 5 WC titles (NS played 3 & contributed to 2: 67% of efficacy) Italy 4 WC titles (PM played 4 & contributed to none: 0% of efficacy) There I’ll come when I’m a man With a camel caravan; Light a fire in the gloom Of some dusty dining-room; See the pictures on the walls, Heroes, fights and festivals; And in a corner find the toys Of the old Egyptian boys.
Poetry is color TV, videotape & all the UEFA'S audiovisual paraphernalia. [ame="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q9VQRdsW-eg"]YouTube- UEFA CHAMPIONS LEAGUE INTRO 2008-2009 HD[/ame] Adorned by all that there is no how not to get 'pretty in the picture'.
Nobody knows that for sure and it’s not as easy as it looks. Do you remember what happened shortly after R9’s goal? Adriano tried to mimic R9’s same very move (R9 was wide open and should have passed the ball to him) but he couldn’t. As of result; he failed miserably and ended up looking silly! Nope, of course he wasn't going to score many goals. He's never been a big time scoring threat to begin with. BUT I didn't expect him to do better than just one assist FACT!
I also pointed out those 4 years during their RM days . Also in 98 when he was CHOSEN Serie A player of the year yes over ZIDANE. In 08 O FENOMENO was chose SERIE A PERFORMER/PLAYER of the decade over the likes of: ZIDANE, Baggio, Maldini, sheva, [insert name here] FACT!
I don't care if it was before or after another "FACT" you pointed out ... just bringing it up in any serious context makes you look stupid ... FACT
Ronaldinho set Ronaldo up at leasat 3 times during the Japan game ... had he scored he would have had 3 assists ... FACT. Ronaldo's header goal started with Ronaldinho's great cross to Cicinho ... FACT. This is fun ... I can just say FACT at the end of anything I say and people will get my point ...
Take it easy kingkong1 , I wasn't referring you specifically, just about the point you referred about the preference of the youth that believes contemporary players are insormountable being also the group that tends to deify the old players by their legends. About your concrete data, it's correct, but I think we've to be agree that short statistics are by far insufficient, also being football a collective sport try to compare individual players by trophies won with their teams is vague at this level. Also you should consider you're only taking the statistics of their national teams in final phases of World Cups, being most of his career developed at club level. Maldini won 7 Serie A's, 1 Coppa Italia and 5 Supercoppa Italia's; 5 UEFA Champions League's, 5 UEFA Super Cup's, 2 Intercontinental Cup's and 1 FIFA Club World Cup. Was also considered Best Under-21 European Footballer of the Year, including in the Best Team of the 1994 World Cup, 1996 and 2000 European Championship, voted the Best Player of the final of 2003 UEFA Champions League, voted Best Serie A Defender in 2004, including in the UEFA Team of the Year 2003 and 2005, considered UEFA Champions League Best Defender in 2007... all about the biggest level, all concrete data, so concrete as vague to determine if by his largest amount of achievement was better than Nilton Santos.
it's funny as people TOTALLY miss understanding: SUPPOSITION = FACT - FACT: Ronaldinho was AWEFUL at that WC06 despite fully fit and was the best player of the world entering that tournament! 1 ASSISTwas FACT/5games is FACT - SUPPOSITION: OK, Ronaldinho made some passes to Ronaldo - well for 90minutes, that's expectedly he would do. Now IF (and ONLY IF) Ronaldo could have scored those 3 chances ... Ronaldo would win Goldenboot , and for those goals would be Roanldo's contribution! FACT: those 3 chances were not like a GIFT that Ronaldo mis-hit. nor a square pass to Ronaldo with just the GK or empty net to beat! GOSH I could tell you Cicinho had made more passes than Roanldinho in that game! FACT: Now let5;s forget, the STats ok. Did Roanldinho win any Man of MAtch (over 5games playing)? ZERO FACT: Zeberto got only 1 goal (much lesser stats than Ronaldo) but he got 2 man of matches - meaning he played 2 best games
huh? YEah he passed him the ball because his circus tricks got him nowhere and was about to lose the ball! That's more like a desperation pass FACT! [ame="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MIXpeo0ckTU"]YouTube- Ronaldo(rest of the world ) Vs Zidane (europe) 1997[/ame] Ronaldo owning ZIzou! What was Zizou doing back in 96 or 97? Selling roasted peanuts outside Delle Alpi; begging for a contract, that's what!
Not really, it only works when Dagoods does it and do you know why? Because I am Dagoods - Enough Said!
Make that: Remember that 1997 ALL-STAR game RONALDO (captain) of the WORLD XI team vs Europe (Zidane was the captain)???> Do you? R9 2 goals - 3 assists Zizou - 1 assit
Fué ‘sin querer, queriendo’, huh? lol … Sure, Who doesn’t deify one’s own generation?... WCs are not ‘short’!... In fact they are longest tournaments of the world. WCs actually start only one year after the end of the last Cup and take at least 2 years of relentless competition before it gets to the final phase (WCQs). The WC in itself is only the tip of the iceberg. Check in YouTube: Nilton Santos has 3 (THREE) short clips in the site. One of the game against Austria in 58 (that I posted), another of the last game of his career in 1964 & the last this one against England also in 1958: http://www.youtube.com/canalniltonsantos#p/u/3/_opvDS9nSew Now check in how many Maldini appears. If you consider invalid comparing them by titles, how do you want Nilton Santos’ cause to be defended? By account of the elders that you consider biased?... Poetry?... Besides stats are concrete data. NS career was proportionally as relevant club wise as Maldini’s considering that the latter played in an epoch (late 80’s, 90’s, 00’s) in which Europe was much more structured in terms of continental club’s competition than the South America of the 40’s, 50’s,early 60’s. NS played in a time though in which the adversaries were Pelé’s Santos, Di Stéfanos Real Madrid, Puskas’ Honved, Kubala’s Barcelona, Altafini’s Juve, Eusébio’s Benfica, Djalma Santos’ Palmeiras, Trapattoni’s Milan, Beckenbauer’s Bayern München, Canhoteiro’s São Paulo, George Best’s MU, Zizinho’s Flamengo – ie, against the golden generation of world football ever – & besides its historical & devastating tournées in Europe Botafogo still won: Rio-São Paulo League:1962, 1964 Rio de Janeiro League: 1948, 1957, 1961, 1962 Torneio Municipal de Futebol do Rio de Janeiro: 1951 Torneio Quadrangular do Rio de Janeiro: 1954 Pentagonal interclubes do México: 1958 Torneio Internacional da Colômbia: 1960 6º Torneio Pentagonal do México: 1962 Quadrangular Íbero-Americano da Argentina: 1964 Being the Rio de Janeiro & São Paulo leagues of the epoch the strongest in the world (arguably of all times). Not to mention that NS touched for the 1st time in a ball as a pro in 1948, at the age 23 (!) because he was obliged by economic reasons to work from age 14 to 23 as a…waiter (!!!). Nonetheless he started out conquering the 1948 RJ League and 1949 Copa América titles & in 1950 already joined the Brazilian NT in the Cup. On the other hand Maldini (rich & well-fed son of a famous Italian player) started out as a pro at the age 16 & had all his youth to exclusively devote himself to the career. So it’s natural that club wise Maldini have a more intense career. Look, Perú, I know it’s a tough match, but as you can see above most of the concrete evidence seems to point to Nilton Santos. To corroborate that he was elected in 1998 (with Maldini having already reached his peak a long time before and having been for already 11 years on the road) for the FIFA All-Time 11 Of The Century: Yashin, Carlos Alberto, Bobby Moore, Beckenbauer, Nílton Santos, Cruyff, Platini, Garrincha, Pelé, Di Stefano e Maradona Sorry: with 8 (eight) pre-1970 players ...