The Top 5 players in the world in every 5-year period

https://www.bigsoccer.com/threads/team-of-the-year-1930-2016.2039582/

 

It's difficult to be sure going back so far of course. I know some guys think/thought if him as contender for top Argentinian left winger (but I think Orsi, Loustau etc are preferred by some others). Naming only 2 players it'd maybe be a big call I think, but Argentina's absence from World Cup wouldn't help gauge things I suppose (Moreno made a big impact in second half of 30s already I believe too).

 

I see Isaias gave a link already, but just in case you had meant 'team' as in club team (I guess not now, but maybe thought so when I saw your post at first):
club of the year | BigSoccer Forum

I'll carry on with my 2.5 year attempts for 1980s and 1990s anyway now, then potentially add more (later ones - I was already stretching it to try the early ones I did, although just naming two players anyway and mixing ideas/tallies from that other thread Isaias showed you with a few ideas I picked up of my own outside that also - I voted only from 1950 onwards on that thread as I guess you'd see if you looked in detail, but Tom and others did vote from earlier times) another time.

 

July 1979-December 1981: Diego Maradona, Zico, Karl-Heinz Rummenigge, Michel Platini, Paulo Roberto Falcao, Socrates, Jan Ceulemans

January 1982-June 1984: Michel Platini, Zico, Diego Maradona, Kenny Dalglish, Johan Cruyff, Glenn Hoddle, Paulo Roberto Falcao

July 1984-December 1986: Diego Maradona, Michel Platini, Preben Elkjaer, Ruud Gullit, Jean Tigana, Marco van Basten, Gary Lineker

January 1987-June 1989: Marco van Basten, Ruud Gullit, Diego Maradona, Franco Baresi, Dragan Stojkovic, Romario, John Barnes

July 1989-December 1991: Lothar Matthaus, Franco Baresi, Marco van Basten, Paul Gascoigne, Enzo Scifo, Dejan Savicevic, Michael Laudrup

January 1992-June 1994: Michael Laudrup, Roberto Baggio, Paolo Maldini, Romario, Dennis Bergkamp, Eric Cantona, Gheorghe Hagi

July 1994-December 1996: George Weah, Dejan Savicevic, Paolo Maldini, Jurgen Klinsmann, Matthias Sammer, Jari Litmanen, Ronaldo Nazario

January 1997-June 1999: Ronaldo Nazario, Zinedine Zidane, Luis Figo, Dennis Bergkamp, Raul, Rivaldo, Andriy Shevchenko

 

Brazil winning the 1949 South American Championship is an empty achievement in my opinion. Uruguay C team, no Argentina, playing on home soil which was a huge advantage historically in the competition, and they still lost to Paraguay on the last day and needed a playoff to win. The only comparison between winning this tournament and Argentina winning the three consecutive tournaments in the mid 40s is they were all called the South American Championship. Brazil winning the Pan American Championship in 1952 was a much higher achievement than the 49 SAC.

 

Definitely. Many tend to forget that in 1982 Juve bought Platini for a comparatively small amount of money. He was not yet perceived as best in the world material. Personally I'd add Soctrates (voted South American player of the year in 1983). Only in 1984 Platini overtook him.

 

Brazil were cofavorites with England. They were hosts of a weak tournament.

Read the match reports for the Yugoslavia game, they did not smash everyone. They smashed Spain and a Sweden team without its best players, good teams, not great. The Spain performance is the impressive one in my eyes. But this is not an impressive run to the final. You compared them earlier to Hungary in 1954. Hungary beat the best teams in the world in 54 on the way to the final, Brazil certainly did not.

Obviously post 47 Argentina lost its top players to Colombia and removed itself from competitive international football in any meaningful way until well into the 50s.

The idea that Brazil was THE FIRST national team to ever have a star studded team top to bottom is a strange idea. It might have been Brazil's first team of this kind, but honestly was it any more star studded than the team that lost in 46? Was it more star studded than any of the Argentina teams from the 40s? Those teams had a whole second string a star forwards and halfbacks that could not start in most tournaments. Was it more star studded than Uruguay in the 20s? And these are just South American teams. The Wunderteam, Pozzo's Italy, the Wembley Wizards, England in 1899, England in 1948...

 

I think in general I wouldn't be so quick to use team achievements as tie breaker, but yes for 1982 (or as per on IceBlood's thread using 1982 calendar year plus 1981/82 in combination) I would put Zico top I think, albeit I feel like Platini may be a bit overlooked sometimes re: that year/season (according to both himself and others it seems like maybe his best one for St Etienne - he took a btt of time to fully settle as Juve player I know though, and at World Cup he did ok or more than ok still, but less than Zico I'd say).

I wouldn't put Zidane over Ronaldo Nazario for '98 on the basis of Juve taking the Serie A title either though, so on that one not doing so favours the Brazilian player....

 

Maybe 'agree to disagree' (with respect/friendliness) on that mate. On 1950 World Cup favourites subject, I forget everything I read maybe (maybe I saw some other quote about Brazil being favourites over England, Italy despite the air disaster and Uruguay somewhere but I may be mis-remembering that one) one writer did put Brazil as favourites but said Sweden would have been (for him personally) if with all their players, and that Hungary were now maybe Europe's best (I guess he meant in that case discounting theoretical full-strength Sweden):
https://www.bigsoccer.com/threads/interesting-best-xi.325564/page-68#post-42437647
How much he was seeing of Brazil I wouldn't know of course (btw ignore that particular Austria vs Hungary video if you happened to see that part in my post about Zemen as I think I'd put the wrong game video in there in that post!):

I would perceive that Brazil were the best playing team in the world (though of course Uruguay managed to win in the end), although those big World Cup scorelines (on home soil but still emphatic/persuasive anyway) would have a lot to do with that (but footage can't really be used to judge properly). Another English commentator did imply (in 1962) that Brazil had been favourites pre-tournament though:
https://www.bigsoccer.com/threads/w...-the-tournaments.1945504/page-5#post-43609212
Maybe you're a bit harsh re: England - the USA game was a shock, but apparently the Brazilian fans appreciated the performance vs Spain and viewed England as unlucky in that game I know.

 

For my 2.5 year attempts (I speeded up the posting a bit so was taking less thinking time to be honest too!) I would have Socrates in mind to include for the 79-81 window and/or the 82-84 one to be honest (but I think the same re: Hoddle tbh even though as an International player for the NT he had made less of an impact - I put him in the latter one as it was). Maybe he had dipped slightly already in the immediate pre-Fiorentina period (but still he's at least a contender, among a good selection of possibles I think for that period)....

 

I've a hunch that Sunderland star Charlie Buchan might belong to this group (or very close).

Is there a chance for the brutally prolific Jimmy McGrory and Dixie Dean?

Only regarding Spain, I've doubts as to whether Josep Samitier didn't attain a higher status than Zamora during this period. Already settled in as centre-forward he looks like a heavy Catalonian star.

It's hard to make a comparison from South America, but apparently there was a major peak with Manuel Seoane in Independiente (he looks like Argentina's first major world star).

Regarding the division into 5-year periods, I think its likely that Uruguayans Héctor Scarone and José Leandro Andrade are somewhat disadvantaged, as both had their prime concentrated in the middle of the decade, split between the 2 periods.

 

He's little recognized today, but I think Giovanni Ferrari belongs in this tier, a star for Italy alongside Meazza and for Juventus alongside Orsi and Monti during I'l Quinquennio d'Oro.

Given the immense stature he achieved in South America, I'd think Arsenio Erico should be a sure pick (apparently, the biggest star in Argentine football, even over his teammate Sastre).

Could be "Charro" Moreno a viable option? Although he's better known as a 1940s figure, by this point he's already being hailed as one of South America's most extraordinary players.

Raymond Braine may well have been shortchanged. Although he overall fits better to the first 5-year period (1929-30 to 1933-34), his peak/consecration might actually be occurred during the second.

 

I've never been sure about rating Matthews highly during the English First Division's wartime suspension. I know there is still the Football League War Cup, but I understand there were many irregularities.

Would the young Zizinho have a place in this period? Having become an early Carioca idol with Flamengo, I wonder if he didn't reach a higher level than Leônidas himself for this moment.

Although I know Gren was one of the best, I'm surprised by how highly you rate him.

I'd have serious doubts about the possible inclusions of the Argentine Rinaldo Martino and Norberto Méndez (especially regarding "Mamucho", whose skills seem exceptional), while "Charro" Moreno goes through a dark period upon moving to Mexico (off the radar for many), but the seems to have mantained a high level after returning to River Plate.

Then, there is also René Pontoni, who during this period appears to have been a magnificent centre-forward for San Lorenzo and Argentine national team, until he was injured in 1948.

It's hard for me to believe that, during this flourishing period for Argentina, there wasn't a single one in the top 5, even considering the conflict that would mark the end of an era with the 1948 strike.

I believe the other major star of that period would be Ademir de Menezes, highly prolific in Carioca football and on the international stage (although part of his peak shifts to the early 50s).

 

During this period, my uncertainty regarding the 5th spot would center on József Bozsik, Nándor Hidegkuti and Fritz Walter. I think anyone could accompany the other 4.

Although... I've a major question as to whether Alfredo Di Stéfano couldn't already be included in this group. He was already a superstar in Colombia and that period includes until his first season for Real Madrid. He's sometimes overlooked at this time because he was playing in a pirate league, though one of a high competition level.

On the other hand, László Kubala's peak deserves an honorable mention. He seems to have taken a long time to recover from the subsequent tuberculosis (and possibly never so high again).

I believe young Omar Sívori is a must-include, even ahead of his teammate Charles. An early star in Argentine football with River Plate and on the international stage, he also made a stunning start in Italian football (even though he won the Ballon d'Or in the next period).

And despite the great status Wright achieved in his late career, I believe Julinho or Garrincha, either of the Brazilian wingers, could be strongest candidates (perhaps Julinho filling better the period).

 

Even though he remained a world-class star until early 60s, I'd likely question whether Di Stéfano still had the punch to make the top 5. I'd think his chances are higher for the first half of the 50s.

Interestingly, I think his teammate Ferenc Puskás has a better chance (wasn't he in better form during that latter stage of both their careers?). Quite apart from being a goal-scoring machine across all competitions, it seems to me that he mantained his level of playing even better.

I can see why Garrincha might be left out, about his fast decline after the 1962 World Cup, but I question whether he couldn't make the cut based on his high prime during the middle of the period and his historic moment in the World Cup.

From what I've seen, I'd consider it very likely someone often overlooked: Uwe Seeler. In my view, he was a goalscoring machine with extraordinary skills in his absolute prime. I'd feel hard to rate Masopust ahead of him, despite his starring role in the World Cup and his solid years during Dukla's golden era.

My honorable mentions would go to the Brittish attackers Jimmy Greaves and Denis Law. Sívori and Charlton, not so far away probably. Nor Yashin.

There is another forward who had a brief run, but was extraordinary during this period: Coutinho. Pelè's teammate in Santos is sometimes indistinguishable from Pelé himself in highlights from those years

Looking back at those years, I'd say that Eusébio strikes me as the greatest phenomenon in Europe and Best, as the greatest talent of those years over Charlton himself (who I think have a strongest case in a long term.

I'd say Tostão has a strong case (perhaps over Albert). He burst onto the scene as a rising star of Brazilian football, at times even overshadowing Pelé himself. He showed great promise.

A great showing by the young Johan Cruyff in Ajax, but I don't know if it will be enough. The same for young Beckenbauer and Gerd Müller, while Rivera would also warrant an honorable mention, but he doesn't seem ideal for a specific 5-year period, as his prime was spread out.

 

Wasn't that the period of peak Jimmy Greaves and Denis Law? Scopelli talks very highly about law on that period for example

 

I'd include Günter Netzer in this period. He is perhaps overlooked because he was partially overshadowed by Overath in the German national team (due to a tactical setup), but I believe he was one of the most brilliant playmakers/deep-lying playmakers in Europe ever and the star of a generational team.

Even regarding Simonsen, I'd cite the Argentines Ricardo Bochini and Mario Kempes at their prime here as examples of more exceptional talent. Or even, perhaps, Daniel Passarella.

I also think Johan Cruyff has a stronger case, even if he might have been in decline from 1978 onwards (I feel people forget Cruyff was really an amazing player with Barcelona, despite not being all that successful about titles).

Platini's time at Nancy could earn an honorable mention.

I feel that Rivellino would have some trouble fitting into a precise 5-year period, but he could be in the second (better in the middle of the decade, like Elías Figueroa, another complicated case in those terms).