The 15 Best World Cup Players of All Time (Part 3)

G'day tribe. Today I will present the best five World Cup players of all-time. Before I begin, can you guess who they may be?

Check out the first part where I spoke about Paolo Rossi who was the hero of the 1982 World Cup and started off the list. Next was Michel Platini who won the Ballon d'Or three times in a row. Ferenc Puskas spearheaded the "Mighty Magyars" of Hungary, Just Fontaine scored 13 goals in a single World Cup and Miroslav Klose became the record holder with 16 goals at the World Cup.

In part two I wrote about Dutch hero Johann Cruyff, English World Cup winning hero Bobby Moore and also Pele's partner in crime Garrincha. Part of the list was German hero Gerd Muller and then 6th was a player most are familiar with in Zinedine Zidane.

Let's hit it with the top five!

3 (11).jpg

5. Lothar Matthaus


lothar-matthaus-world-cup

Lothar Matthaus is the fifth best World Cup player of all time. The German midfield maestro was both an offensive and defensive phenomenon.

Matthaus made a record 25 World Cup appearances across five tournaments. He famously dualled with Maradona in the 1986 and 1990 finals and traded tournament victories.

Lothar Matthaus lifts the World Cup. pic.twitter.com/W4G4OblMl5

— 90s Football (@90sfootball) June 5, 2022

Source

4. Franz Beckenbauer


beckenbauer-world-cup

Franz Beckenbauer won the World Cup as a player in 1974 and as a manager in 1990. He appeared in three World Cups for West Germany and was an intelligent and versitile defensive force.

Beckenbauer is credited with inventing the modern sweeper role and he's the only defender in history to win the Ballon d'Or twice.

3. Ronaldo


ronaldo-world-cup

Ronaldo is one of the greatest World Cup players of all time and certainly one of the best World Cup strikers ever. He played in four World Cup tournaments with Brazil and won two of those - 1994 and 2002.

At the height of his game Ronaldo was a ferociously strong striker. In 2006 he became the World Cup record goalscorer with his 15th goal, a record since surpassed by Miroslav Klose in 2014.

2. Diego Maradona


diego-maradona-world-cup

Argentinian hero Diego Maradona is the second best World Cup player of all time. He played 21 games across four tournaments and scored eight goals and provided eight assists.

The 1986 World Cup is what Maradona is most remembered for. His notorious “hand of God” and "Goal of the Century" goals separated Argentina and England in the quarter-final and they went on to defeat West Germany in the final.

On this day in 1986, Diego Maradona with the best World Cup performance in history. He scored the Hand of God and the Goal of the Century for Argentina vs. England at the World Cup. pic.twitter.com/DbqnpyZOyR

— Roy Nemer (@RoyNemer) June 22, 2022

Source

1. Pele


pele-best-world-cup-player

Pele is the best World Cup player of all time. Known for his exceptional power and accuracy with either foot, he was able to anticipate his opponents and had fantastic vision and intelligence when linking up with teammates.

He was an integral part of four of Brazil's World Cup squads and won an impressive three of those - 1958, 1962 and 1970. He finished with 12 goals and a record 10 assists from 14 World Cup appearances.

 

Where it all began! ⚽️🇧🇷

Pele’s first ever World Cup goal for Brazil at just 17 years old. He would go on to win 3 world cups, the only player to ever do so 🐐 pic.twitter.com/dACXU7Ea6l — Fanz (@fanzDAO) June 28, 2022

Source


THANK YOU FOR YOUR SUPPORT!

Wolfgang Sport started in 2017 as a way to connect my passion for American and British sports. Today it's evolved into a blockchain sports blog pushing the boundaries into the crypto world and embracing Web3 technologies.



0
0
0.000
8 comments
avatar

yep, no question about it. I would agree 100% Those legends definetly deserve the top spots. Great series! :)

0
0
0.000
avatar

Here with another bang, there is no argument about the top three, they were phenomenal on the pitch. So sad Maradona had to leave this world may his soul rest in peace

0
0
0.000
avatar

Congratulations @wolfgangsport! You have completed the following achievement on the Hive blockchain and have been rewarded with new badge(s):

You have been a buzzy bee and published a post every day of the week.

You can view your badges on your board and compare yourself to others in the Ranking
If you no longer want to receive notifications, reply to this comment with the word STOP

Support the HiveBuzz project. Vote for our proposal!
0
0
0.000
avatar

In the past, it seems like country colours were a huge deal because it was about pride and the game was purer.

0
0
0.000
avatar




This post has been added to the Rabona Curation Program!

We are curating Rabona-related content, as well as good quality football-related posts on Hive.

Learn more about the Rabona Curation Program


* * *


Manage your soccer club
Scout, train, and trade players
Build and expand your stadium
Become the champion

Rabona.io

0
0
0.000
avatar

Those legendary figures have earned their places at the very top. Even to this day, Maradona is my favorite player. Wonderful installments!

0
0
0.000
avatar

Kikiki Pele as a boy,he ran after the ball to "cuddle" it, such joy.
Interesting write-up pal.

Cheers

0
0
0.000
avatar

This is my first time hearing of Franz Beckenbauer and Lothar Matthaus they are indeed both exceptional. It amazes me Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi aren’t in the too 5 lists🤔. no doubt Pele is the best. Great Article.

0
0
0.000