Top 10 World Cup Legends

2018 FIFA World Cup Russia draws near, we’ve taken you through our all-time best jerseys, the top goals and our most anticipated matches, and today, we turn our attention to the legends of all legends. These 10 men are immortals — the finest ever to do it on the game’s greatest stage. They’ve lifted cups. They’ve set records. They’ve become national heroes and international icons. Stars of today — Lionel Messi, Cristiano Ronaldo, Neymar Jr. and the like — will aim to join them this summer. Who will stamp their name to the next top 10? We’ll see. But these are our all-time top players now, and, possibly forever:

Diego Maradona, Argentina

 

 

 

 

 

Don’t ask an Englishmen. Just watch for yourself. Yes, that was a handball. No, it doesn’t blemish what Diego Maradona achieved in 1986 and nearly every time he wore his La Albiceleste shirt.
El Pibe de Oro played in four FIFA World Cups and captained that famed ’86 side to the podium as the tournament’s best player. He scored the Goal of the Century, and, were it not for Pelé, he’d be our player of the century, too.

Ronaldo, Brazil

 

 

 

 

 

If this was a list of bad haircuts, and trust us, that list could be forthcoming, Ronaldo would be the unquestioned No. 1.  Ronaldo netted 15 goals across three tournaments in dominant style.
He won two World Cups and reached the final in 1998, when he captured the Golden Ball and also completely changed the footwear game by rocking the now famous Nike Mercurial in full and glorious color.

 Zinedine Zidane, France

 

 

 

 

 

Were it not for a rush of blood in 2006, this list might see Zizou at the head, but (see what we did there? Nope? Us either) he’s good value at fifth.
What many unfortunately forget, especially those casual every-four-year fans, is that Zidane came out of international retirement to take a Les Bleus team from the brink of failed qualification to within one failed penalty kick of ultimate glory.
Not only that, but Zidane achieved all-time status in 1998 when he powered France to its first and only cup, on home soil no less, with a brace in the final to vanquish the Brazilians.

Cafu, Brazil

 

 

 

 

 

There’s a reason that Cafu is called upon to appear at nearly every FIFA World Cup Draw; The dude is straight-up class personified. Among all the superstars to wear the Selecao shirt, none have done it as often as Cafu, who can boast 142 caps.
A fixture at right back, Cafu played in four FIFA World Cups, is the only man to appear in three straight finals and won the thing in 1994 and 2002. Case closed.

Gianluigi Buffon, Italy

 

 

 

 

 

When you look up “legend” in the dictionary, especially if it’s an Italian dictionary and says “legend,” you’ll find this picture. Well, maybe not, but you darn well should.
Gianluigi Buffon stands the test of time and passed the test of every shot from open play at 2006 FIFA World Cup Germany.
He kissed the Cup after besting the French on penalties, and he achieved a stunning 453 minutes in goal without conceding. The performance earned him a second-place finish in the Ballon d’Or voting that year, the highest by a goalkeeper since Lev Yashin won it in 1963.

Pele, Brazil

 

 

 

 

 

How long do you have? OK, good. Before there was Michael Jordan, there was Pelé. If you were a great car salesman, you were considered the Pelé of car sales.
Among his unfathomable 1,281 goals in 1,363 career games, he netted a still-record 77 for his country, while claiming three FIFA World Cups — as many as Spain, France and England combined.
It all started in 1958, when, as a 17-year-old star nursing a bum knee, he was both the youngest player ever to compete in a final and bagged a winning brace to boot.
Cruyff once famously said that Pele was the only player who, “surpassed the boundaries of logic.”
To not have him at No. 1 would put logic in question, as well.

Franz Beckenbauer, Germany

 

 

 

 

 

The groundbreaking Libero, Franz Beckenbauer had a habit of achieving things involving the word “only.”
Der Kaiser is the only player to win the World Cup as a captain and as a manager, having done in 1974 and 1990, respectively. As long and as proud as Germany’s soccer tradition is, they’ve won the Cup four times, and half of those have been with Beckenbauer front and center.

Johan Cruyff, Holland

 

 

 

 

 

To start, the guy has a move named after him — the "Cruyff Turn." Ronaldinho doesn’t have that. Few do. The three-time Ballon d’Or winner was at his best for his country, where his perfect blend of ingenuity and athleticism was like watching art in motion.
He revolutionized the game with a Total Football approach that got the Oranje to back-to-back finals and status as the greatest team to never win the event.

Miroslav Klose, Germany

 

 

 

 

 

He’s the  World Cup goalscorer.En route to the 2014 FIFA World Cup Brazil crown, Klose bagged his record-breaking 16th goal to surpass Ronaldo. None of them came from outside the 18, Covering the event as a pundit that year, fellow legend Rio Ferdinand told the BBC that Klose, “doesn’t excite you outside the box, but he’s a pure goalscorer. When the ball comes into the box, he comes alive.”

Lothar Matthaus, Germany

 

 

 

 

 

The captain of Germany’s 1990 FIFA World Cup Italy™ winning side, Lothar Matthaus also holds the all-time caps record for Die Nationalmannschaft with 150 appearances.
He played in five tournaments, more than any other outfield player, and in 25 matches, more than anyone.