WORLD CUP

LEGENDS
Once every four years, the greatest players and teams
from around the globe come together in a celebration
of the beautiful game. Packed with colour, excitement,
passion and drama, the World Cup has the world glued
to their televisions as the biggest names in football
dazzle and wow on the ultimate stage. From Pelé and
Maradona to Ronaldo and Moore, some of the most
iconic names in the history of football are synonymous
with the World Cup.
In this book you’ll ind a host of fascinating features on
the aforementioned legends, as well as the Magniicent
Magyars of the 1950s and the best side never to win
the World Cup – the Cruyf-inspired Dutch team of the
1970s. We also bring you the 50 greatest players to
grace the tournament and take you on a journey back
through some of the World Cup’s most memorable
moments – both good and bad. Enjoy!
WORLD CUP
LEGENDS Future PLC Richmond House, 33 Richmond Hill,
Bournemouth, Dorset, BH2 6EZ

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World Cup Legends First Edition

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 CONTENTS
50 EUSÉBIO NETS FOUR 68 GEMMILL’S
8 One of the all-time greats stakes his
claim as a World Cup legend
WONDER GOAL
The underdogs triumph as Scotland

50 GREATEST 52 MARACANAZO
defeat the Netherlands

WORLD CUP The story of Brazil’s devastating defeat in

the 1950 World Cup inal
70 10 LEGENDARY
WORLD CUP
PLAYERS
We look back at 50 of the best players to
56 TOP 10: COACHES
grace world football’s biggest stage GOALKEEPERS Meet some of the most iconic and
groundbreaking managers to win
Ten of the best goalkeepers to have
football’s ultimate prize
graced the world stage

24 THE FIRST 58 TWO ICONS 78 TOP 10: WORLD CUP

CHAMPIONS SWAP SHIRTS CELEBRATIONS
Uruguay etch their name in history as the From backlips to dances, we pick out
Brazil’s Pelé and England’s Bobby Moore
inaugural World Cup’s winners the most iconic celebrations in the
swap shirts in a famous show of respect
competition’s history
26 PELÉ
The rags-to-riches tale of the World 80 GAZZA IN TEARS
Cup’s most iconic star An emotional Paul Gascoigne wins
the fans’ hearts
34 THE BATTLE OF
SANTIAGO 82 ZIDANE
The story of the two inals that deined
Chile and Italy do battle in the
Zinedine Zidane
tournament’s most violent match

36 TOP 10: SCORERS 90 RIJKAARD VS

We take a look at the World Cup’s
all-time leading goalscorers
VÖLLER
A bitter rivalry spills over to showcase
football at its worst
38 LEGENDS OF THE
’66 WORLD CUP 60 “MARADONA WAS
Relive England’s famous victory as told

MARADONA AT HIS PEAK FOR

by those who were there

From the glory of 1986 to the shame of

1994, we explore the highs and lows of the THE 1986 WORLD
Argentinian hero’s World Cup career
CUP IN MEXICO”
6
 WORLD CUP LEGENDS

112 TOP 10… WORLD

CUP KITS
The World Cup’s most vibrant,
memorable and iconic kits

114 BECKHAM LOSES

HIS COOL
England’s golden boy becomes a
villain in an instant

116 FRANZ
BECKENBAUER
The footballer nicknamed ‘Der Kaiser’
leads West Germany to glory in 1974

122 BERGKAMP’S
“ZIDANE SAW RED BRILLIANCE
The Dutch master scores one of the
AND PAVED THE World Cup’s greatest goals

WAY FOR ITALY” 124 TOP 10: THE LOWEST

POINTS IN WORLD
CUP HISTORY
Ten of the most controversial
moments in the tournament’s history

132 TOP 10: WORLD

CUP UPSETS
We look back at ten of the biggest
World Cup shocks

134 STARTING IN STYLE

Lahm’s wonder goal gets the party
started at the 2006 World Cup

92 TOTAL FOOTBALL
AND THE BIRTH OF 136 SPAIN’S TIKI-TAKA
THE MODERN GAME REVOLUTION
The story of Spain’s 2010 World Cup
The story of the best side to never lift winners and how they changed the way
football’s most prestigious prize the game was played forever

96 TOP 10: WORLD 140 SUÁREZ SEES RED

CUP GOALS Football’s arch villain is sent of
A selection of the World Cup’s most for a game-saving handball
memorable strikes and scorers
142 TOP 10: FUTURE
98 THE MAGNIFICENT LEGENDS
MAGYARS 106 We try to predict the next generation
Charting the rise and fall of football’s of World Cup legends

RONALDO
irst revolutionary force
144 KILLING THE DREAM
104 BAGGIO MISSES After a nightmare in 1998, Ronaldo was Germany send Brazil crashing out of the
Italy’s talisman sends a crucial penalty Brazil’s hero just four years later World Cup with a 7-1 thrashing
over the bar

7
 WORLD CUP LEGENDS

50 GREATEST WORLD
CUP PLAYERS
Hundreds of players have appeared at the World Cup since it began way back in 1930,
but over the past 88 years some have stood out more than others

O
ne of the most exciting To that end, we have players But that’s not to say our
things about the World with sublime skill, and others top 50 is in any way anaemic;
Cup is seeing some who are so solid in defence chances are any one of these
of the globe’s very best that almost nothing will get players would make it into
footballers strut their stuf past them. If anything, it’s a any team the world has ever
on the biggest stage of all. disappointment that we didn’t assembled, club or country.
It’s a joy to watch footballers in get to see all of the greats: had All have shown brilliance or
their prime perform to the best George Best, Alfredo Di Stéfano, made their mark on the World
of their ability, and while the George Weah and Ryan Giggs Cup in ways that will always
most skilful teams don’t always played in the tournament, for stick in the mind, and as such,
win, talent generally inds a instance, they would certainly we present them here in no
way to shine. have made the list. particular order.

8
 50 GREATEST WORLD CUP PLAYERS

LIONEL MESSI
01 The feat of winning the World Cup has so far
eluded Messi and his nemesis, Portugal’s Cristiano
Ronaldo. But Messi has arguably earned his place here by
virtue of being the inest player during the 2014 tournament
in Brazil. He was on the losing team in the inal, but bagged
four man-of-the-match awards and won the Golden Ball.

Arguably the modern

game’s greatest player,
Messi is yet to win a
World Cup

CARLOS ALBERTO TORRES

02 Regarded as one of football’s inest defenders, Carlos Alberto
missed out in 1966, but captained Brazil in the inal of the 1970
World Cup. A pass by Pelé in the 86th minute gifted him the golden
opportunity to hammer home the fourth and inal goal against Italy. It’s still
considered one of the best goals ever scored in the tournament.

ROBERTO CARLOS
03 A mainstay of the Brazilian team
going into three World Cups,
Carlos’s skill at left-back helped his team
reach the inal in 1998. But while they
lost against France 3-0, the number six
emerged victorious four years later. All in all,
he ended up playing an impressive 17 World
Cup matches.

ROGER PAUL
MILLA BREITNER
04 Roger Milla retired
from international
football in 1987, having
05 Breitner made 14
appearances for West
Germany and scored four goals
made his irst World Cup over two tournaments. None
appearance for Cameroon of these were more important
ive years earlier. But he than the 25th minute penalty to
came out of retirement equalise against the Netherlands
aged 38 in 1990, scoring in Munich in 1974, paving the
four World Cup goals and way for eventual victory and West
enthralling fans with his Germany’s second World Cup. He
corner lag dance. He played also scored in the inal of 1982, but
again in 1994, becoming the on this occasion ended up on the
oldest goalscorer at 42 when losing side, as Italy defeated West
he put one past Russia. Germany 3-1.

9
 WORLD CUP LEGENDS

LEV YASHIN LILIAN

06 It’s no surprise to
see Soviet Union THURAM
goalkeeper Yashin appear on
the oicial 2018 Russia World
Cup poster. His dominance
07 The defender only scored
twice for France, but
what important goals they were.
between the sticks saw him Finding his team 1-0 down against
shout instructions at his Croatia in the 1998 semi-inal, he
defence and collect crosses of equalised within a minute before
the line in a manner that was bagging the winner in the 70th
unique at the time. He ended up minute. He went on to become a
playing 12 times in four World world champion, adding a European
Cups, keeping four clean sheets. Championship two years later.

KARL-HEINZ
RUMMENIGGE
08 Although Rummenigge lost
two inals – in 1982 and 1986
– the winger was impressive
in both tournaments. He scored a
hat-trick against Chile in the 1982
group stages, and grabbed a goal
in the 1986 inal as West Germany
attempted to get back into the game
against Argentina. He scored nine
World Cup goals in 19 appearances.

GIUSEPPE
MEAZZA
09 The Italian national team,
blessed with proliic goalscorer
Meazza’s talents, won two consecutive
World Cups. Nicknamed ‘Il Genio’ (‘The
Genius’), he scored the only goal against
Spain in the 1934 quarter inal en route to
Rummenigge victory (subsequently being named the
scored 45 goals in
95 appearances tournament’s best player), and he captained
for West Germany
Italy to a 4-2 win over Hungary in 1938.

10
 50 GREATEST WORLD CUP PLAYERS

GORDON OLIVER
BANKS KAHN
10 As one of the best
goalkeepers to
grace a football ield,
11 Even
though
Kahn was named
Banks played in every in the Germany
game for England World Cup
during the 1966 squads in both
World Cup. Emerging 1994 and 1998,
victorious, he would he only became
prepare for games by the irst-choice
chewing gum, spitting goalkeeper in
on his hands and 2002. By keeping
smoothing them over. He ive clean sheets
England’s Banks is
could then lick his palms and only letting in three goals (two in the inal
remembered for making one to make them sticky against Brazil), he was awarded the Golden Ball
of the greatest World Cup
saves in 1970 against Pelé as opposition players – the only goalkeeper ever to have achieved this
headed his way. feat to date.

Boniek scored four goals at

the 1982 World Cup and made
the Team of the Tournament

ZBIGNIEW BONIEK
12 Boniek played at great speed,
displaying skilful and clever
movement, and proving himself to be a
good passer of the ball. He appeared in
three World Cups: 1978, 1982 and 1986. But
his crowning glory was smashing three past
Belgium in the second stage of the 1982
tournament, helping Poland to an eventual
third place.

11
 WORLD CUP LEGENDS

GIANLUIGI Baresi was one of

the greatest defenders

BUFFON in world football

13 With 175 caps, goalkeeper Bufon

has not only played more games
for Italy than any other footballer; he has
appeared in ive World Cup tournaments
(1998, 2002, 2006, 2010 and 2014,
playing in the latter four). His inest was
the winning year of 2006, setting a record
for conceding just two goals in seven
matches with ive clean sheets.

DANIEL
PASSARELLA
14 Passarella is considered to be
Argentina’s greatest defender, but
he could also score lots of goals. Calm and
collected, he captained the 1978 winning
team and, although he missed the
tournament due to illness, he was named for
1986, making him the only Argentinian to be
in both of the country’s winning squads.

FRANCO BARESI
15 Defender Baresi won the 1982 tournament with Italy, and while he came third in
1990, he was named in the FIFA World Cup All-Star Team. He became captain in
1994, but despite missing a penalty in a inal Brazil won, simply being there was surprising
considering that he underwent surgery to his knee just three weeks before.

12
 50 GREATEST WORLD CUP PLAYERS

Klose holds the

record for the most
MIROSLAV
KLOSE
goals scored at World
Cup inals

16 When striker Klose retired

from international football
on 11 August 2014, he did so a very
happy player. After all, just months
before, Germany had won the World
Cup for the irst time since 1990.
Klose had also scored in the 7-1
drubbing of Brazil in the semi-inal,
which saw him become the World
Cup’s all-time top scorer with 16
goals, just edging Ronaldo. That was
his record-breaking fourth World
Cup semi, and the goal (in addition
to the one he scored against Ghana)
put clear daylight between him
and Gerd Müller as Klose became
Germany’s top goalscorer.

FERENC PUSKÁS Zidane was France’s hero

17
in the 1998 inal, but was
Hungary’s influential captain Puskás dramatically sent of in the
2006 inal against Italy
was easily the best player in the 1954
World Cup. He was also part of one of the
greatest sides the tournament has ever seen.
As a talented inside left, this stocky player
would practise his ball skills by juggling
with a tennis ball, and his amazing shooting
prowess was on display in the very irst game.
He scored two of the nine goals against South
Korea, and helped Hungary to the inal. But
despite Puskás opening the scoring, they were
beaten 3-2 by West Germany. Still, the man
they called the Galloping Major due to his role
in Hungary’s army epitomised the ‘Mighty
Magyars, and his thunderous left foot will
never be forgotten.

ZINEDINE ZIDANE
18 Zidane won the World Cup with France in 1998, and he was certainly no bit-part
player. He scored twice in the 3-0 inal defeat of Brazil in front of a home crowd at the
Parc des Princes in Paris, and while they were his only goals, it added the World Cup to one
of the most enviable honours lists in football. What set him apart was his composure with
the ball and his knack of being able to pierce defences at the right moment. His passing was
impeccable and his passing and dribbling crisp. The World Cup victory saw his face projected
on the Arc de Triomphe.

13
 ROBERTO RIVELLINO
19 Brazil’s number 11 was one of the stars of the 1970
World Cup, and he was renowned for his powerful
left foot – something he said was a gift from God.
Operating on the left side of midield, he became known
as ‘Patada Atómica’ (‘Atomic Kick’), and his devastating
ability was highlighted by his bending free kick against
Czechoslovakia. This level of skill also left fans of East
Germany open-mouthed in 1974 when he blasted the ball
through a small gap in their defence during Brazil’s opening
second round game. But Rivellino, who also played in
1978 when Brazil came third, was just as good at dribbling,
employing a technique dubbed the ‘Elastico’, or feint.

FRANZ
BECKENBAUER
20 Pelé was full of praise for
Beckenbauer, famed for his
stylish defending and ability as captain
of West Germany. He inluenced the
nation both on and of the pitch as his
country secured the World Cup in 1974,
and winning the World Cup in 1990
as manager.

GARY LINEKER
21 Lineker knew
how to ind the
net. As England’s most
successful World Cup
striker with ten goals Zof made his
Italy debut in 1968
to his name, his clinical and went on win 112
approach to the game saw him shoot six caps for his country

past opponents in the 1986 tournament

(winning him the Golden Boot) and grab a
further four in 1990. Three of those goals
came in a blistering irst-half hat-trick
DINO ZOFF
against Poland in the inal group game
of 1986, and it only cemented the
22 Zof was aged 40 and 133 days when he lifted the World Cup trophy for Italy on 11
July 1982 against West Germany – the oldest player to win the tournament. As Italy’s
irst-choice goalkeeper and captain during that summer, he kept two clean sheets and made
reputation of a player known not only as
a jaw-dropping reaction save in the second round against Brazil, ensuring his team preserved
‘Mister Nice Guy’, but as a footballer with
their 3-2 lead and progressed. Zof was named in the All-Star team, and he was heralded as 1982’s
pace and an uncanny ability to ind space
best goalkeeper. He also appeared in the previous three World Cups, keeping three clean sheets
in front of goal.
in 1978 as Italy came fourth.

14
 50 GREATEST WORLD CUP PLAYERS

ROBERTO
BAGGIO
RONALDINHO 24 In the USA in 1994, Baggio
had the tournament of his
life, and it earned him the Silver
Ball as the second best player. The
23 Starring alongside Ronaldo and
Rivaldo, Ronaldinho was part
of a fearsome trinity that seemed
forward was undoubtedly Italy’s top
dog, scoring ive goals and helping his
almost destined to win Brazil the country reach the inal. This, however,
World Cup in 2002. His curling free is when Baggio’s shine dimmed. After
kick from 40 yards in the quarter-inal a 0-0 draw with Brazil after extra time,
saw England’s David Seaman loundering the game went to penalties. Baggio
as the ball loated into the top-left needed to score to keep Italy in with
corner of the goal. But he will also be a chance, but he put the decisive kick
remembered for the joy he seemed to get high over the bar and into the crowd,
from football and the freedom he appeared leaving him distraught and Brazil
to have with the ball at his feet. Able to champions. Even so, he also scored
instantly change pace and pass without a in the 1990 and 1998 tournaments,
glance, he back-passed and step-overed his making him the only Italian to bag
way to glory. goals in three World Cup tournaments.

Cannavaro was one

of a long line of world
class Italian defenders
FABIO
CANNAVARO
25 As captain, acclaimed defender
Cannavaro led Italy to
victory in the 2006 World Cup inal,
impressing fans by providing an almost
impenetrable solidness at the back
(Italy let in just two goals during open
play all tournament). His strength,
positional sense, awareness and timing
earned him the nickname ‘Il Muro di
Berlino’ (‘the Berlin Wall’) and this highly
athletic player, who was as good in the air
as he was on the ground, even went on
to become the FIFA World Player of the
Year; the irst defender to win the award.
All in all, this tenacious player made 18
appearances over four World Cups.

15
 WORLD CUP LEGENDS

RIVALDO
26 Think of
Rivaldo, and you
immediately conjure up
images of his bending
free kicks, tricky
feints and intricate
dribbling. You may also
think about that match against Turkey
in 2002 when the ball hit his arm and
he fell to the loor clutching his face –
earning opponent Hakan Ünsal a red
card. Cheating aside, there is no doubting
Rivaldo’s skill, and it ultimately helped
earn him and his Brazil team a World Cup
victory that year.

MARIO ZAGALLO
27 Winning the World
Cup twice as a player
(in 1958 and 1962) is always
a triumph, but doing so Hurst made his name
with a hat-trick in the
twice as a manager and 1966 World Cup inal
against West Germany
assistant manager is
something else. To that end, left-winger
Zagallo is about as ingrained in Brazil’s
success over the years as anyone could be,
and he deserves the accolades he receives,
even though some said he was fortunate
to be playing. On the pitch, he was well-
known for his runs from deep and his
GEOFF HURST
versatility. He also displayed tenacity and a
never-say-die spirit. Favouring tireless hard
work as well as style, he scored in that 1958
29 Hurst had only debuted for England against West Germany on 23 February 1966 –
just months before the World Cup began – and he only gained a place in England’s
starting World Cup line-up in the quarter-inal against Argentina after Jimmy Greaves
5-2 defeat of Sweden. became injured. He scored in that game and went on to set up a goal for Bobby Charlton in the
semis, and impressed manager Alf Ramsey so much that he was given a place in the inal. Hurst
repaid the faith by cancelling out Helmut Haller’s opening goal, but the game ultimately went
JOHAN into extra time. Hurst struck twice more to win the day.

NEESKENS
MARIO KEMPES
28 The Dutchman was a fantastic
tackler and a dead ball specialist.
He took part in two World Cup campaigns, 30 Argentina’s explosive attacker scored two
against the Netherlands in the 1978 World Cup
with the Netherlands cruelly losing out in inal, which not only eased them to victory, but saw
the inals of both 1974 and 1978. him end the tournament as both the top goalscorer
(with six) and the best player. Those who watched him
play would agree that his shot was devastating, and his
calmness under pressure most noticeable. Yet he was
also far from unassuming, playing with panache and
becoming instantly noticeable for his personal style as
well as his fast, on-pitch touches. For Argentinians he
was a national hero, although the country crashed out
in the second round of 1982 – a tournament that saw the
introduction of Diego Maradona.

16
 50 GREATEST WORLD CUP PLAYERS

Matthäus captained
West Germany to World
Cup glory in 1990, their
irst title since 1974

ZICO
31 Referred to as the ‘white Pelé’, Zico
was a creative attacking midielder
whose eye for goal and technical skill
were put to particularly good use in
1982. His goals helped Brazil win against
Scotland, New Zealand and Argentina, so
it was a shame for him that his country did
not progress further than the second round. LOTHAR MATTHÄUS
In some ways it was a disappointment
perhaps only matched by his goal in the 32 No other outield footballer has played in as many World Cup tournaments as
Matthäus (ive) nor, for that matter, as many games (25). Making his debut in
1982, he went on to man-mark Diego Maradona to perfection four years later – even earning
opening match of the 1978 World Cup being
ruled out. Still, such was his worth, Brazil praise from the Argentinian himself. But it was in 1990 when he truly shone, captaining West
worked hard to get him it after a serious Germany all the way to victory and making amends for losing the previous inal.
knee injury in 1986. In that tournament, he Matthäus played the game as a box-to-box midielder, demonstrating a keen eye for setting
came on as a second-half substitute in the up chances, an ability to move at remarkable speed and good positional sense. He refrained
quarter-inal against France. Unfortunately, from taking a penalty in the inal when his stud came loose, but Franz Beckenbauer, who was
he missed a penalty, and Brazil crashed manager in 1990, nevertheless called him the perfect player, and it was diicult to disagree. He
out to France. There was no faulting his excelled even when switching to a sweeper role in 1994, and his excellence saw him named in
prodigious work ethic, however. the squad for 1998.

GERD MÜLLER
33 Nicknamed ‘Bomber der Nation’ – or
‘the Nation’s Bomber’ – West German
striker Müller scored 14 goals in the two
World Cups in which he appeared (1970
and 1974). He quickly became an icon
for winning the 1974 World Cup with a
decisive goal in the 43rd minute against the
Netherlands. Just as memorable was his
winning goal in the quarter-inal of 1970
against then-world champions England, who
were 2-0 up after 49 minutes. West Germany
fought back to draw level before Müller struck
the winner in extra time.
He would startle opponents with a rapid
burst of pace over a short distance, and would
throw his short body into the air above taller
players to accurately head a ball. Many an
opposing footballer could only watch as he
turned tightly with great balance, yet he was
also humble and reserved even in victory.

17
 WORLD CUP LEGENDS

Gazza bursts into tears

CAFU as England are beaten

by West Germany in the
1990 semi-inal

34 His country’s most capped

footballer with 142 appearances,
and it’s easy to see why. An amazing
full-back, Cafu could burst down the right
side of the pitch, essentially becoming an
attacking right-winger. When Jorginho was
injured in the 1994 inal, manager Carlos
Alberto Parreira had no worries putting
Cafu in to replace him, even though he’d
only made two appearances as a sub prior.
By the time 1998 rolled around, Cafu was
a irmly established international. Brazil
were beaten in the inal, but they had better
luck in 2002 when, as captain, Cafu led
them to a 2-0 victory over Germany. During
that tournament he was relentless, iring
past opponents en route to the trophy.

GARRINCHA
35 Manuel
Francisco
dos Santos, to give
his full name, won
the World Cup twice
– in 1958 and 1962 –
but it was the later
tournament that
made his name. PAUL GASCOIGNE
He stepped in for the injured Pelé and
rose to the occasion, so much so that he
was named the best player in 1962 and
36 Most remember Gascoigne – or Gazza – for the semi-inal in 1990 when he earned
himself a yellow card for a foul on West Germany’s Thomas Berthold and promptly
broke down in tears knowing that he’d be unable to play in the inal. In the event, England
became joint top goalscorer. didn’t make it that far, but the memory sticks, as does the feeling that such a great talent should
Garrincha’s strength was his strong have graced more than six games at a solitary World Cup.
control of the ball, amazing dribbling and Why? Simply because Gazza was one of England’s great talents. A lawed creative genius, he
powerful shooting. He was especially good played as an attacking midielder and his passing accuracy was superb, as was his protective
with free kicks and corners, and he’d relish skills on the ball, not to mention his great pace and strength. It’s really unfortunate that his
toying with opponents, not being afraid to of-ield activities clouded a great talent, but for many England fans he helped deine 1990. If it
show them up by displaying his talent to wasn’t for his assist to Mark Wright to get the winner against Egypt, England may never have got
the max. out of the group stage.

18
 50 GREATEST WORLD CUP PLAYERS

PAOLO ROSSI MICHEL PLATINI

37 Rossi’s preparation for the 1982 World Cup had
been far from ideal. He had just returned from
a two-year ban for his involvement in the 1980 betting
38 The French side of the
1980s was strong, and
this was in great part down
scandal, Totonero, which found many Italian football to the attacking midielder
players guilty of match-ixing, and he had only been on Platini. The team had learned
the pitch for three games. their lessons from 1978 when
Manager Enzo Bearzot wanted him, however, and they were knocked out at
so the number 20 started in the opening stalemate the group stage. Although they only scraped
against Poland. He came into his own during the second through the groups in 1982, Platini got on the
stage, scoring a hat-trick against Brazil. He then got two scoresheet against Kuwait and scored again
against Poland in the semis and opened the scoring in against West Germany in the semis, eventually
the inal as Italy beat West Germany 3-1. losing on penalties.
All was forgiven (although Rossi always denied being Platini was known to be one of the inest
involved in match-ixing), and Bearzot’s decision to passers of the ball. He was also a proliic
choose and then stick with him paid of handsomely. goalscorer, and he went on to lead France
But then Rossi was always intelligent, agile and proliic, and what he lacked in strength he through the 1986 groups, before scoring
made up for with incisive inishing and positional sense. His six goals in 1982 earned him the against Italy in the round of 16 and Brazil in
Golden Boot. the quarters, a game they won on penalties.

Charlton was a key part

of Alf Ramsey’s World
Cup-winning team in 1966

BOBBY CHARLTON
39 With his trademark combover blowing in the
wind and his name famous the world over,
the Busby Babe who survived the Munich air crash
in 1958 and established himself in Matt Busby’s
Manchester United was a key player for England
during the three tournaments in which he was
selected (he didn’t kick a ball in 1958, but starred in
1962, 1966 and 1970).
Of those, 1966 was the most memorable for obvious
reasons. He opened the scoring against Mexico in the
group stage, and got two against Portugal in the semis.
Most of all, though, crowds loved his thunderbolt
shooting, which he could perform with either foot, and
they adored his simple yet conident dribbling and the
passionate elegance with which he played. As arguably
the most gifted English football player in the team, he
carried himself with a sense of gentlemanliness, earning
the respect of both his fellow players and rivals.

19
 WORLD CUP LEGENDS

Eusébio wowed
the crowds during
the 1966 World Cup
in England

PAOLO MALDINI
41 Maldini is perhaps one of the
unluckiest of World Cup players.
He made 23 appearances for Italy in 1990,
1994, 1998 and 2002, but failed to win
in any of those tournaments. Given his
success domestically with AC Milan, it
was perhaps diicult to take. But he can
be proud of his achievements. In 1990, he
helped keep ive consecutive clean sheets,
going 518 minutes without conceding.
Maldini’s inluence at left-back saw him
captain Italy in 1994, and he was named
in the Team of the Tournament that
summer. But although proving strong in
so many games, Italy just kept falling short
no matter how versatile the two-footed
Maldini was. He will always be admired
for his skills at crossing the ball and for his
sliding tackles, however, and his place in
World Cup folklore is secure.

JAIRZINHO
42 So many
Brazilian players
from 1970 deserve to
be named footballing
icons, but none of them
scored in every match
that summer – except
for Jairzinho, that is. He scored against
Czechoslovakia, England and Romania

EUSÉBIO in the group stages, grabbed the inal

goal against Peru in the quarters, helped

40 England may have won the World Cup in 1966, but Eusébio won hearts across the Brazil to a 3-1 win in the semis, and
world. Playing for Portugal, he was awarded the Golden Boot for his nine goals while popped up in the 71st minute of the
showcasing superb dribbling skills, athleticism and speed. inal against Italy. He could have had
Famed for his right foot and nicknamed ‘the Black Panther’, 1966 turned out to be Eusébio’s two against England, if not for a crucial
only World Cup, and he certainly made the most of it. When Portugal fell behind by three goals interception by Bobby Moore.
against North Korea, he fought hard to score in the 27th, 43rd, 56th and 59th minutes, putting Jairzinho’s performances earned the
his country ahead before José Augusto de Almeida grabbed the ifth. forward the nickname ‘The Hurricane’, and
There was an uneasy feeling that he would do the same to England in the semi-inal when he crowds rarely failed to gasp when he got up
got a penalty in the 82nd minute to make it 2-1. He didn’t. Instead, Portugal got knocked out, but speed and pumped a lethal shot into the
Eusébio opened the scoring in a 2-1 defeat of the Soviet Union to give Portugal their best-ever net. What’s more, his success came despite
placing of third. him breaking his right leg twice.

20
XAVI
43 In more recent times, few players
have stood out as much as Xavi. The
midielder appeared on the World Cup stage
as a substitute against Paraguay in 2002, but
his opportunities were limited. Not so in 2006
where he was soon showing how well he could
ind space and accurately pass to his teammates.
As you’d expect, 2010 was his big year. Spain
had really got it together (after the opening
defeat at least) and Xavi played an integral role,
enjoying a 91 per cent passing success rate. Xavi
was named man of the match in the semi-inal
and he worked incredibly well with Andrés
Iniesta throughout the tournament, eventually
getting himself listed in the World Cup All-Star
Team. Spain lifted the trophy that summer but
failed to get out of the group stage four years
later, which only went to show just how well
they and Xavi had seized their chance.

Xavi was instrumental

to the Spanish team
that won the World Cup
in 2010

ROMÁRIO
44 Romário’s irst World Cup in 1990 was a bit of
disappointment, but then he had just recovered
from a broken leg, and he wasn’t fully it. He only played
for 65 minutes during that tournament before coming of for
Müller in the match against Scotland. Far more impressive
was 1994, however, when Romário made the World Cup
his own.
A falling out with coach Carlos Alberto Parreira almost
meant Romário didn’t go to the USA that year. Only a furore
back home saw him recalled to help get Brazil through a
knife-edge qualiier. It was a wise decision, and one Parreira
would never regret. As USA ‘94 got underway, Romário
scored ive goals and led Brazil to a fourth World Cup,
displaying impressive ball control and an efectiveness at
cutting past defenders. His skills rightfully earned him the
Golden Ball for being the best player of the tournament.

21
 WORLD CUP LEGENDS

JUST FONTAINE Maradona’s goal against

England in 1986 is one of the

45
best in World Cup history
Fontaine set a
high standard
when he lit up the
World Cup of 1958,
scoring a mammoth
13 goals – a record that
stands to this day.
Making it even more
remarkable is the fact it was achieved over
six matches, so he was of to a lying start
before the group stage was out.
He continued his streak into the quarter-
inals with two goals against Northern
Ireland. But although he scored against
France in the semis, they were knocked
out by Brazil, so Fontaine’s eforts only
saw his team earn third place. As a striker,
however, there were few of equal, which
makes it all the more sad that he never
played another World Cup – injury forced
him to retire in 1962.

PELÉ
46 Edson
Arantes do
Nascimento is, to
many minds, the
greatest footballer
to grace the World
Cup. Playing in
four tournaments,
he made his debut
in 1958 aged 17, and he competed in 1962,
1966 and, most notably, in 1970.
A proliic goalscorer, he had lightning
pace and immense poise. He played with
grace and could accurately shoot with great
power on both feet. Unlike some talents, he DIEGO MARADONA
47
worked with his teammates rather than as Ask any England fan to name a famous moment in World Cup football, and a good
an individual. He was stylish and eicient: number will point to the quarter-inal against Argentina in 1986. Having displayed
goalkeepers had little chance when he his incredible brilliance, he found himself heading towards goal, slipping past England’s Glenn
rolled up to take a penalty. Hoddle with ease. His pass hit the foot of England’s Steve Hodge, sending it towards the penalty
It is no surprise, then, that he holds area, at which point Maradona pounced – and hit it with his outside left hand. It thereafter
the record for the most World Cup wins. became known as the ‘Hand of God’, but Argentina’s captain Maradona was more than just
His irst tournament saw him score one that moment.
against Wales in the quarter inals, three When Maradona had the ball, crowds would lick their lips with anticipation. With his physical
versus France in the semis and two in strength, close ball control and jaw-dropping dribbling skills, he was able to score ive goals in
the inal against Sweden. While he was 1986 and make ive further assists. In doing so, he helped Argentina win the tournament that
injured for most of 1962 and persistently year before putting in another glorious set of displays four years later when he was named Italia
fouled through 1966, he accepted a call-up ’90’s third best player. So while he marred his reputation by being sent home in 1994 for testing
in 1970, playing six games and scoring six positive for ephedrine, there was a sense that his job was done, and his legendary status secured,
goals. Pelé really was the complete player. making his nickname ‘El Pibe de Oro’ (‘The Golden Boy’) very apt.

22
 50 GREATEST WORLD CUP PLAYERS

BOBBY MOORE
50 Even if West Ham’s centre-half had not captained England to glory in 1966, he
would still have proved his worth with a stunning display in that tournament, as
well as those which preceded and followed in 1962 and 1970. But it will be 1966 that he will
always be remembered for.
He didn’t score (he only ever got two goals for England and they were both in friendlies) but
it was his loating cross that helped Geof Hurst get the opener in the inal, and his long pass

RONALDO which secured the infamous inal Hurst goal that signalled it was all over.
What Moore lacked in pace and aerial ability, he made up for with his football brain, and he

48 With 15 goals over 19 matches,

Ronaldo was, until 2014, the World
Cup’s top goalscorer. But while he has since
was widely seen to be the best defender of all time. Alf Ramsey didn’t hesitate in making him
captain even though he was aged just 22 years and 47 days. Moore repaid that faith in spades
while becoming known as a gentleman of the game.
been pipped by Miroslav Klose, he will always Skilled at free-kicks and frequently creating chances for Hurst, he was at his best on the
be one of the greatest icons of the tournament. big occasion, and people were so conident in his talent that Ron Greenwood, manager of
He irst appeared in 1998, when he scored West Ham, believed in 1965 that Moore would be reason for an England victory since he had
four and was named the best player as Brazil planned so well for the win.
were pipped by France. It set Brazil up nicely
for 2002, however, when they won courtesy of
two Ronaldo goals against Germany. England captain
Yet that doesn’t actually tell the full story. Bobby Moore lifts the
World Cup in 1966
Prior to the 2002 inals, he had been out of
the game for 15 months after rupturing the
cruciate ligament in his right knee. That
caused him to miss every Brazilian qualiier,
so to come back in the tournament and
perform so well was remarkable.
In his prime, he was one of the deadliest
strikers football has seen.

JOHAN CRUYFF
49 The Netherlands
did not win the
World Cup in 1974, yet
pundits will tell you
that the Dutch team
was the more skilful
and entertaining, and
one of the main reasons
for that was Johan Cruyf.
If you could pinpoint a highlight, it would
perhaps be the famous Cruyf turn of 1974
when he looked to be kicking the ball forward,
but instead scooped it backwards. It allowed
him to turn tightly on the spot and head of in
the opposite direction, leaving Sweden’s Jan
Olsen dumbfounded.
Such magic was also evident in the inal.
The penalty in the second minute, during
which Cruyf barked orders and orchestrated
a move that led to him being knocked to the
ground and a goal scored. It was just a shame
he retired from international football in 1977,
fearing kidnap in Argentina.

23
 WORLD CUP LEGENDS

24
 THE FIRST CHAMPIONS

MOMENTS

30 JULY 1930

THE FIRST
CHAMPIONS Uruguay etch their name in history as
the inaugural World Cup’s winners

E
very story has a beginning, and the Uruguay struck irst, scoring in the 12th Uruguay’s glorious moment is not only
story of the world’s greatest sporting minute, but Argentina fought back and went signiicant for its people, but for football
spectacle begins in 1930. That is the into the break leading 2-1. fans across generations. The success of
year in which the irst World Cup was In the second half, Uruguay took control that irst tournament ensured the World
held in Uruguay, chosen as the hosts to again, scoring three goals and running out Cup continued, treating us to all the
coincide with the nation’s celebration of the 4-2 winners. They became the irst team exciting moments, awe-inspiring players,
centenary of its irst constitution. to lift the famous Jules Rimet trophy, and shock defeats and wonderful goals we’ve
The inal was contested by Uruguay etched their name in football history. The witnessed over the years. Without the
and Argentina in the Estadio Centenario, next day was declared a national holiday to success of the irst tournament, the World
constructed especially for the tournament. celebrate the success. Cup wouldn’t be what it is today.

25
 47

26
 PELÉ

PELÉ:
THE GREATEST
The rags-to-riches tale of the World Cup’s most iconic star

S
tardom can lash like a supernova, fading
into the darkness of obscurity as quickly
as it erupts. Only the greatest of stars
to have graced football’s grandest stage shine
with the enduring brightness that assures their
status as legends. In that elite group, there is
one that burns brighter than any other: the
North Star of the World Cup, Pelé.
Pelé’s legend is a testament both to his own
incredible talent and the power of the World
Cup. He played most of his club football for
Santos in his native Brazil. In an age where it
wasn’t possible for fans to watch live football
from all over the world and ind clips of the
next young talent on YouTube, it may as
well have been on Mars as far as most of
the world was concerned. It was the World
Cup that gave Pelé the platform on which to
showcase his ability to a global audience – his
blend of athleticism and technique, artistry
and end product, intelligence, desire and
supreme dribbling skill. That is why his story
is so intimately intertwined with the history
of the tournament. The World Cup trophy
is the treasure he claimed to complete his
archetypal rise from rags to riches: the tale of
an impoverished young kid who became a
national hero and sporting icon through his
exploits. It is the tournament that made him –
and with his supreme talent, he helped make
the tournament.
Pelé made his World Cup debut in
Sweden in 1958. At only 17 years old, he
was the youngest player ever to play in the
tournament. He was already a star in his native
Brazil, having inished the 1957 season as
the league’s top scorer at only 16 years of age
while playing for Santos, but now he had the
chance to do something even more special.
Pelé, like the rest of his countrymen, had not
forgotten the national trauma known as ‘the
Maracanazo’, or ‘Maracanã Blow’. The name
refers to Brazil’s shock defeat to Uruguay in the
Pelé lifts the Jules
Rimet trophy after inal game of the 1950 World Cup, held on its
Brazil beat Italy in
the 1970 inal own soil in a Maracanã Stadium packed with

27
 WORLD CUP LEGENDS

PRAISE FROM PEERS

Johan Cruyf, Barcelona
and Holland star:
“PELÉ WAS
THE ONLY
FOOTBALLER
WHO SURPASSED
THE BOUNDARIES
OF LOGIC”

Just Fontaine, French

striker and top scorer
in the 1958 World Cup:
“WHEN I SAW PELÉ
PLAY, IT MADE ME
FEEL I SHOULD
HANG UP MY
BOOTS”

Ferenc Puskás,
Real Madrid and
Hungary legend: 200,000 people. Pelé screamed at a picture of netted ive goals. Pelé led the charge, scoring
“THE GREATEST Jesus in his father’s room after the fateful inal, in the 52nd, 64th and 75th minutes to become
PLAYER IN HISTORY asking why Brazil was being punished and the youngest ever player to get a hat-trick in
WAS DI STEFANO. I telling the image of Christ that if he had been World Cup history.
REFUSE TO CLASSIFY there, Brazil would have won. In Sweden, he In the inal, Brazil came up against Sweden.
PELÉ AS A PLAYER. HE had the chance to make good on this pledge. That Brazil would win was far from a foregone
WAS ABOVE THAT” Pelé arrived at the tournament with a knee conclusion: not only were Sweden the host
injury, and didn’t play in Brazil’s irst two nation, but no World Cup up to that point
games, a 3-0 victory over Austria and a 0-0 had been won by a nation outside its own
draw with England. He made his debut in his continent. Sweden took the lead in the fourth
Bobby Moore, 1966 team’s third group game against the USSR, minute through Nils Liedholm, but Brazil
World Cup-winning impressing in a performance that included an responded quickly, Vavá netting an equaliser
England captain: assist for Vavá in a 2-0 win. Brazil moved on – then another – to take Brazil into the break
to the knockout stage, and it was here that the leading 2-1. In the 55th minute, Pelé broke
“PELÉ WAS THE
young Pelé began writing his legend in the yet another record, becoming the youngest
MOST COMPLETE
PLAYER I’VE EVER lines drawn with his brilliant feet. scorer in a World Cup inal as he netted
SEEN, HE HAD Midway through the second half in their one of the tournament’s greatest ever goals.
EVERYTHING” quarter-inal against Wales, and Pelé, standing Waiting in the box, Pelé held of his marker
on the penalty spot, received a headed ball as he jumped to meet a cross, twisting in the
on his chest with his back to goal. With a deft air to direct the ball towards the penalty spot
lick and turn, he left his marker loundering with his chest. Another defender came out to
and poked the ball into the net. It was the only close him down, but Pelé lifted the ball over
Michel Platini,
goal of the game, taking the team into a semi- his head, watched the ball drop from the sky
France legend and
Ballon d’Or winner: inal clash with France. and volleyed it powerfully into the bottom
The France team of 1958 had some proliic corner. Mário Zagallo followed up on Pelé’s
“THERE’S PELÉ talents of its own in the legendary Just wonder goal to earn Brazil a 4-1 lead, before
THE MAN, AND
Fontaine and Roger Piantoni. Indeed, both Simonsson pulled one back to give the hosts
THEN PELÉ THE
PLAYER. AND TO bagged a goal apiece – Fontaine in the irst a slither of hope. It wasn’t to be, however,
PLAY LIKE PELÉ IS half and Piantoni in the second. This wasn’t as Pelé sealed the victory in stoppage time
TO PLAY LIKE GOD” enough, however, to prevent the French from with a looping header that left the onrushing
being swept away by an electric Brazil that keeper stranded. The whistle blew, and he

28
 PELÉ

Opposition players
at the 1966 World Cup
in England decided that
the best way to stop Pelé
was to kick him

broke down in tears of joy. The pain of the

Maracanazo had been dulled, if not entirely
healed. Brazil lifted its irst World Cup trophy.
The 1958 World Cup triumph was a
deining moment for both Pelé and Brazil. This
victory helped establish Brazil as a
global footballing superpower, and vindicated
the nation’s belief in a stylish brand of football
that it wanted the world to admire. Indeed,
the popular picture that now exists of what
this great footballing nation represents –
beautiful football, swashbuckling attacking,
inspirational individual talent and international
glory – started here. Pelé, at only 17, played
an important part in that, making himself a
star in the process. It was mind-boggling to
see such a complete player at such a young
age. He possessed pace, power, precise passing,
vision, lair, a high work rate, anticipation,
and an ability to inish. He had the whole
world at his feet.
Yet Pelé’s international career was not to
continue in storybook fashion. When the 1962
World Cup in Chile rolled around, Brazil’s star
seemed primed to lead the team on to more
glory. He started in apt fashion, creating one
and scoring another after a mazy run where
he beat four players in a 2-0 win over Mexico. Pelé was injured in
Brazil’s second game of
In the next game against Czechoslovakia, the 1962 World Cup and
wouldn’t feature again in
however, Pelé was injured, keeping him out the tournament
of the rest of the tournament. Fortunately,

29
 Pelé (top) celebrates
with his teammates
during Brazil’s 4-1 win
over Italy in 1970 inal

PELÉ FACTS& FIGURES

YOUNGEST WORLD 19
CUP WINNER NOVEMBER

IS PELÉ DAY AT SANTOS –

MOST SUCCESSFUL AFTER THE DATE PELÉ SCORED
LEAGUE GOALSCORER
WITH
HIS 1000TH GOAL
1281
SCORED HIS FIRST PROFESSIONAL
GOAL ON HIS LEAGUE DEBUT AT
15 YEARS OLD

3
GOALS ONLY JOINT FIFA PLAYER OF
IN

1363 PLAYER
TO WIN
THE CENTURY WITH
DIEGO MARADONA
GAMES WORLD CUPS

30
 PELÉ

Pelé and Gerson both

scored in the 1970 inal,
with Brazil becoming
the irst team to win the
World Cup three times

that Brazil side was hardly starved for talent,

and Pelé’s teammates took up the slack, in “BRAZIL’S SUPREME ATTACKING TALENT
particular a fellow footballing genius by the
name of Garrincha. Brazil went on to triumph CAME UP AGAINST A MAGNIFICENT
without Pelé, defeating Czechoslovakia 3-1 in
the inal.
Pelé’s reputation was not diminished despite
DEFENCE, PELÉ AGAINST BOBBY MOORE”
his absence for much of the 1962 tournament, The side that went to Mexico in 1970 was exploded in the second half to swat their
and he was still the world’s most famous talent phenomenally talented. The standout player in opponents out of their way. Pelé struck irst to
when he came to England to play in the 1966 defence was the great Carlos Alberto, ittingly give Brazil the lead and Jairzinho followed up
World Cup. But again, Pelé sufered from injury for a Brazil team, because of his rampaging with a double to inish the game.
problems in a tournament where opposition attacking talent. In central midield, the Brazil’s next match was against the world
players had evidently decided to kick him cultured Gerson was there to pull the strings champions: England. Only one goal was scored
out of the game. He scored one goal in the alongside the tireless Clodoaldo. On the in the game, but it was a classic nonetheless.
opening match, missed the second through left was the graceful Rivelino, credited with Brazil’s supreme attacking talent came up
injury, and returned in the inal game of the innovating the lip lap, and on the opposite against a magniicent defence, Pelé leading his
group stages, where he ended up limping lank another of Brazil’s many all-time greats, compatriots against a deiant Bobby Moore,
around the pitch as he watched his team fall the dynamic Jairzinho. He complemented who time after time would break up Brazil’s
3-1 to Portugal. Rivelino’s tendency to sit deep with a direct, attacks. Pelé could draw out the best of his
The 1966 failure left a bitter taste in the pacey approach and eye for goal. Partnering opponents, it would seem. Indeed, he did
mouths of Brazil fans and Pelé himself. He Pelé was Tostão, a player with skill, vision, and just that when Gordon Banks stopped Pelé
vowed he would never play for Brazil in a most importantly for his partnership with Pelé, opening the scoring with a stop dubbed the
World Cup again, frustrated by the deliberate the intelligence to interchange with his star ‘save of the century’. Carlos Alberto played a
fouling he had been subject to and the injuries teammate, dropping deep when necessary and cutting pass from deep, allowing Jairzinho to
he’d sufered as a result. Eventually, however, pushing forwards to make space in the hole get behind the England defence. He made it
Pelé was persuaded to return to play in the for Pelé when appropriate. to the byline and crossed to Pelé, who headed
1970 World Cup in Mexico. We’re grateful he This gifted team went one down to powerfully towards the bottom corner. It
did, because the team that he became part Czechoslovakia in the 11th minute of their looked as if the header was already beyond
of was to go down in history as perhaps the irst game of the group stages. A Rivelino goal Banks as he reached behind him and tipped
greatest World Cup side of all time. brought them in level at the break, and Brazil the ball up over the bar.

31
 WORLD CUP LEGENDS

But Pelé and Brazil were not to be denied. of a phenomenal tournament, and a goal that
They kept coming, and in the 59th minute, was truly worthy of a World Cup inal. Indeed,
broke England’s resolve. Tostão danced into it would go down in history as one of the
the edge of the England box and lifted the ball greatest team goals ever scored.
into the middle. Pelé killed it dead with a deft The move started after Brazil won the ball
touch, then shifted it outside into the path of deep in their own half. After an exchange
Jairzinho to power home into the top corner. of passes, the ball ended up with Clodoaldo
Brazil’s inal group game was against at the base of midield. He danced his way
Romania. They rested a couple of stars, past four Italian players to the delight of the
shifting Gerson and Rivelino to the bench, crowd, and then laid the ball of to Rivelino on
but Pelé remained, and would again have a the left side of the pitch at the halfway line.
key role to play. He opened the scoring after Rivelino played the ball forward to Jairzinho,
19 minutes with an inswinging free kick, and who had drifted over from the right lank.
added another in the 67th minute in a 3-2 Pelé later said that this was a deliberate ploy –
victory that took Brazil into the quarter-inals. Italy were employing a man-marking system,
Brazil ploughed through their opposition so Jairzinho would periodically drift over to
in the knockout stages. First to fall were Peru, pull Italy left back Giacinto Facchetti out of
Pelé assisting a goal for Tostão in a 4-2 win. position, opening a space on the right they
Pelé created another in Brazil’s next match, called ‘the avenue’. After receiving Rivelino’s
a semi-inal against Uruguay that they won pass, Jairzinho cut inside and laid the ball of
3-1, and where one of Pelé’s most famous to Pelé in the middle of the pitch. He paused
moments took place. As Pelé raced to meet for a moment, holding the ball up while he
a through ball, Uruguay’s goalkeeper rushed waited for the right moment to release it. Then
out to try and snuf out the attack. Just as he nonchalantly slid the ball out onto the right,
Pelé and the ball met the keeper at the edge into ‘the avenue’ Jairzinho vacated and ran
of the box, Pelé feinted as if he was going to into the path of an onrushing Carlos Alberto.
collect the ball and try to round the keeper. Alberto crowned the move by smashing the
Instead, he left the ball untouched, passing ball low into the far corner. The inal ended
the bamboozled keeper on one side, the ball 4-1. Attack beat defence. Beauty triumphed
on the other. Pelé over-rotated after collecting over austerity.
the ball at a wide angle and sent his shot The 1970 trophy was Brazil’s third, making
wide of the far post, but the moment is still them the most successful team in World
remembered as a great illustration of Pelé’s Cup history. They cemented their status as
footballing brilliance, despite the miss. a premier football nation, and did it with the
The inal of the 1970 World Cup took place characteristic style that made ‘Brazilian’ a
at the Azteca Stadium in Mexico City. Brazil byword for skill, technique and lair. Pelé was
met their antithesis, an Italy side known for its recognised as the star of that unbelievably
‘Catenaccio’, or ‘door-bolt’, defensive system. talented team, and awarded the Golden Ball
It was a game that, perhaps more than any for player of the tournament. It was Pelé’s last
other, would cement Pelé’s legend. Fittingly, World Cup, and the perfect end for his special
it was Pelé who opened the scoring in the relationship with the competition.
18th minute with a powerful header, the The beautiful football with which the 1970
diminutive igure rising high in the air to beat Brazil team wowed the world should give us
his taller marker. Italy found a way back into cause to remember that the legend of Pelé
the game through Boninsegna on 37 minutes, should not overshadow the talents of his
exploiting a loose pass at the back. It stayed 1-1 teammates. Players like the great Garrincha,
going into half-time. Gerson took Brazil back who played alongside Pelé in 1958 and led his
into the lead with a powerful long-range drive nation to World Cup glory in 1962 in Pelé’s
in the 66th minute, and was again involved absence. Or the phenomenal Jairzinho, who
for Brazil’s third, sending a long ball loating scored in every game of the 1970 tournament.
into the opposition box. Pelé was there to Yet, while recognising their greatness, it is
meet the pass with the perfect cushioned telling that even among all that gifted talent,
header sent back across goal into the path Pelé’s teammates and rivals revered him as the
of an onrushing Jairzinho to give Brazil a 3-1 best. He is the most complete player football
lead. Brazil then signed of with a goal that has ever seen, and he is unquestionably
epitomised the lowing attacking football that the World Cup’s greatest icon. He gave the
had made this 1970 team such a pleasure to tournament some of its greatest moments and,
watch. It was the perfect inal lourish to cap in return, it gave him his.

32
 The 1970 World
Cup-winning Brazil team
would go down as one of
the greatest in history

BREAKING NEW FRONTIERS

Pelé is credited as a pioneer in club’s increased proile led them to move from
helping to grow football in the US. He a sparse pitch that the club’s groundsman
originally retired from club football after spray-painted green to hide the lack of grass
the 1974 season, though he would continue to for Pelé’s debut on TV in the Yankee Stadium.
make the odd appearance for Santos. By Pelé’s inal season in 1977, the Cosmos
In 1975, Pelé oicially came out of averaged crowds of around 40,000,
retirement to join the New York Cosmos. which was by far the biggest in the league.
This was not Pelé at his peak, but he was still In that year, Pelé, alongside new signing
enough of a star to bring a lot of public interest Carlos Alberto and Germany legend Franz
to the young North American Soccer League, Beckenbauer, led the Cosmos to the
the precursor to Major League Soccer. The NASL championship.

33
 WORLD CUP LEGENDS

MOMENTS

2 JUNE 1962

THE BATTLE OF
SANTIAGO Chile and Italy do battle in the World
Cup’s most violent match

T
he bad blood that helped feed this It was only 12 seconds before the irst foul kicked Sánchez in the head. He was sent of
infamous match started well ahead of was committed. Not long after, the irst red by the referee.
time. A pair of Italian journalists wrote was issued to Italy’s Giorgio Ferrini, who Fouling, spitting and intermittent scules
inlammatory statements about 1962 World refused to leave the pitch and had to be continued to punctuate the match, and
Cup hosts Chile, describing the nation as dragged of by the police. Somehow, Chile the police had to get involved several
a backwards place, rife with prostitution, got away with throwing a few punches at times. The BBC broadcast of the notorious
alcoholism, illiteracy and malnutrition. their opponents, Honorino Landa letting match famously introduced it as “the most
Unsurprisingly, Chilean newspapers didn’t one loose in retaliation for Ferrini’s foul and stupid, appalling, disgusting and disgraceful
take kindly to that, in turn referring to Leonel Sánchez punching both Humberto exhibition of football possibly in the history
Italians as maiosos, fascists and drug Maschio and Mario David, with Maschio of the game.” Chile won, but it’s not the
addicts. It didn’t take long for that ill-feeling sufering a broken nose. David tried to get result that made this game famous, rather
to manifest when the two met. revenge soon after the punch when he the awful spirit in which it was played.

34
THE BATTLE OF SANTIAGO

35
 WORLD CUP LEGENDS
X
GABRIEL BATISTUTA
TOP 10… Aside from being a legendary player for
Fiorentina, a club he represented from

SCORERS
1991 to 2000, Batistuta was – until Lionel Messi
surpassed him – Argentina’s all-time top scorer. He
played in three World Cups, in 1994, 1998 and 2002,
scoring 10 goals in 12 matches – a hugely impressive
They shoot, and they really 0.83 goals per game.

do score. Here we take a

look at the World Cup’s all-
time leading goalscorers GARY LINEKER
Lineker made his England debut aged 23
years and 176 days in 1984, the same season
he scored 22 goals at Leicester City. He scored a
hat-trick in his irst World Cup tournament match
against Poland on 11 June 1986, and he was joint third
top scorer at Italia ’90. Of his 48 goals for England
throughout his career, 10 were at the World Cup.

HELMUT RAHN
The most important of Rahn’s 10 goals in
10 World Cup tournament matches came
against Hungary in 1954 – the one that sealed
World Cup glory for West Germany. He also helped
his country to the semi-inals in the 1958 World Cup,
X
a tournament that saw him become joint second
goalscorer with Pelé on six goals.

JÜRGEN KLINSMANN
Klinsmann was a constant ixture during the
1990s, with appearances at the 1990, 1994
and 1998 World Cups – irst for West Germany,
and then for the uniied German team. He scored
in each tournament, getting 11 goals in total. He also
picked up a World Cup winners’ medal in 1990, and
went on to manage Germany to third place in 2006.

SÁNDOR KOCSIS
As a member of Hungary’s Mighty Magyars
– the team which dominated international
football in the early-to-mid 1950s, Kocsis played in
just one tournament in 1954. But he scored all of his
11 international goals in Switzerland that summer, so
X
while he missed out on a winners’ medal, he was the
undisputed top goalscorer during the tournament.

36
 TOP 10… SCORERS

PELÉ
X
Pelé played in four World Cups: 1958, 1962,
1966 and 1970. But what is perhaps most
incredible is that he won all but one of them (1966),
making him the only player to have lifted the World
Cup three times. He scored 12 goals in 14 matches –
remarkably, six of those goals in 1970 after he initially
refused to take part.

X
JUST FONTAINE
Fontaine played in just one tournament:
1958. But what a time he had, sticking a
staggering 13 goals in the back of the net despite
playing just six games. That tally of 2.17 goals per game
is pipped only by Sándor Kocsis (on 2.20) and yet, like
Kocsis’ Hungary, it still wasn’t enough for France to win
the tournament.

GERD MÜLLER
This Bayern Munich ace broke many a
X
X

Bundesliga record, including bagging 40

league goals in the 1971-72 season – in just 34
games. He also won the 1974 World Cup, scoring four.
That made up for the disappointment of 1970, when
his West Germany side came third despite his haul of
10, making 14 tournament goals in total.

RONALDO
The Brazilian took part in four tournaments
in 1994, 1998, 2002 and 2006. He scored four
in 1998, the year Brazil came runners-up to France,
and he doubled that tally in 2002, scoring twice in the
inal. This not only got him a well-earned World Cup
winners’ medal, it cemented the Golden Boot award,
X
and won him man of the match too.

MIROSLAV KLOSE
Klose competed in 2002, 2006, 2010 and
2014. But although his ive goals in that irst
tournament helped get Germany to the inal, they lost

X to Brazil. There was further misery when they came

third twice in a row. How thrilled he must have been to
inally lift the World Cup in 2014 – in which he scored
just two of his record-breaking 16 goals.

37
 WORLD CUP LEGENDS

LEGENDS OF THE
’66 WORLD CUP
It’s 1966 and all that: relive the iconic extra-time victory that
brought football back home, as told by those who were there

W
ithin hours, London’s Evening
Standard had hit the streets.
‘Champions of the World’, ran the
headline. “A dream come true. England have
won the World Cup,” it began. The following
day, the Sunday newspapers also picked up
the news, inevitably splashing it across their
front pages: ‘Golden Boys!’ the Sunday Mirror
proclaimed, before adding a chirpy note to
the world’s bankers: “Britain’s reserves went
up yesterday by one valuable gold cup.” There
was no doubt this would be a day to savour
for decades to come.
On 30 July 1966, 96,924 people packed into
Wembley Stadium and 32.3 million British
viewers tuned in on their televisions to watch
England take on West Germany in the World
Cup inal. Today, the names of the England
players who took part that day can be reeled
of one by one like old friends. But back then –
despite Alf Ramsey declaring, “we will win the
World Cup” when appointed England manager
in 1962 – not many fans really believed they
could do it.
“I don’t think England supporters expect
England to win anything and there was
certainly that same feeling even back then,”
says West Ham fan John James, who attended
the inal in 1966. And yet Ramsey stuck to his
word. He had formally taken charge on 1 May
1963, and promptly began to do things his
way. The lack of control over team selections
sufered by the previous manager, Walter
Winterbottom, was not for him. Ramsey
made his own choices, and whether that was
naming Bobby Moore as England captain at
just 22 years old, or playing without wingers
in the face of disbelief, he stood by every
decision he made.
As hosts, England automatically qualiied
for the 1966 FIFA World Cup, along with
defending champions Brazil. That left 14

38
LEGENDS OF THE ’66 WORLD CUP

Bobby Moore lifts

the Jules Rimet trophy
aloft in one of the most
enduring images in
English sporting history

39
 WORLD CUP LEGENDS

other places which were taken by Argentina, anybody but that was a remarkable feature of
Bulgaria, Chile, France, Hungary, Italy, North football in those days.”
Korea, Mexico, Portugal, Spain, Switzerland, It wasn’t the irst time Ramsey had tried to
LEGEND OF
Uruguay, the Soviet Union and West Germany. relieve anxieties among the squad. You could MANAGEMENT:
All of England’s games were held at Wembley say it had become a speciality of his. After SIR ALF RAMSEY
and, while the team started slowly with a 0-0 that group stage draw, he took the players to What Alf Ramsey lacked in pace
draw against Uruguay, they then went on a Pinewood Studios. “We mixed with stars such and height, he more than made
sensational run of victories that took them as Sean Connery and went on the set of the up for with an uncanny knack
straight to the inal. James Bond ilm,” says Paine. “That was extra for ensuring he was in the right part
The night before the big day, Ramsey special and it got us over the disappointment.” of the pitch at the right time. He made
– with a nagging sense that the occasion Ramsey treated the international side as his professional debut on 26 October
could overwhelm his men – tried to help the if it were a club team. He adopted similar 1946 in a second division game for
Southampton against Plymouth Argyle
players relax. Without fanfare, they went to principles to those that had seen him turn
and proved himself to be an intelligent
watch Those Magnificent Men in Their Flying Ipswich Town into league champions at the
right-back. But after 96 appearances for
Machines at a local cinema. “Alf loved going irst time of asking. The team became close- the club, scoring eight goals, he left for
to the pictures so we all strolled down to the knit and fostered a feeling of togetherness Tottenham Hotspur and won the irst
picture house,” recalls winger Terry Paine, that would serve them well on the pitch. division in 1951.
who had just achieved promotion to the On the eve of the inal against West When his playing days were over,
First Division with Southampton and played Germany, most of the talk concerned striker Ramsey went on to manage Ipswich
against Mexico in the second game. “And Jimmy Greaves and whether or not he would Town in the Third Division (South) in
you know what? Not one photo was taken or play in place of Geof Hurst. For most of the 1955, leading them to promotion as
autograph was asked. Can you imagine that tournament Greaves had partnered Roger champions. He won the irst division with
today? You wouldn’t get within 100 metres of Hunt up front, but an injury granted Hurst a the club in 1961-62, an incredible success
that led to him managing England. After
winning the World Cup in 1966, he
“I GOT TO THE DOOR OF THE DRESSING took England to third place in the UEFA
European Championship in 1968 but

ROOM JUST AS BOBBY ARRIVED CARRYING quarter-inal defeats at the 1970 World
Cup and 1972 Euros, coupled with failure

THE GLEAMING JULES RIMET TROPHY” to qualify for the 1974 World Cup were
disappointments that saw him sacked
by the FA.
Norman Giller, sports historian

The leather ball used

in the 1966 World Cup
inal, originally claimed Ramsey was inducted as a manager into the English
by West Germany’s Football Hall of Fame in 2002 and again as a player
Helmut Haller in 2010

40
 LEGENDS OF THE ’66 WORLD CUP

George Cohen and Jack

Charlton in action during the
1966 World Cup inal

place in the team for the quarter-inal. Hurst used today; the one that ends in the shout England were playing tremendously well.
scored the only goal in that game and went “England”. It was unique at the time.” “As a Liverpool fan, I was impressed with
on to provide an assist for Bobby Charlton in The game got underway at 3pm. England Hunt up front, or Sir Roger Hunt as he has
the semi. Unwilling to change a winning side, versus West Germany; Bobby Charlton pitted always been known at Anield,” enthuses Dr
Ramsey decided to overlook Greaves for what against Franz Beckenbauer; Bobby Moore Rogan Taylor, director of the Football Industry
would have been the biggest game of his life. marking the irst victory in winning the coin Group at the University of Liverpool. Hunt
“Being a West Ham fan, I was pleased that toss and electing to kick of. The crowd were ired directly at the German goalkeeper Hans
Hurst was going to be involved in the inal,” in high spirits and then, in the 12th minute, Tilkowski but just couldn’t quite get it past.
says James. “The atmosphere for the games Helmut Haller cut the atmosphere completely “The team were all playing their part and no
had also begun to change for the better. It had dead. A cross from Sigfried Held was knocked one was letting the side down,” says O’Neil.
been quiet in the earlier rounds. For the inal, from the head of Ray Wilson to his feet, But the crowd started to quieten as
there was a fabulous atmosphere. There were allowing the German to ire a low cross-shot the minutes ticked away. “The fans didn’t
lots of Germans in the stadium – we were to Gordon Banks’ right: 1-0 to West Germany. do much to lift the team at this point, I
surprised at how many – but they were well Just six minutes later, however, Moore sent remember that quite starkly,” says Manchester
outnumbered. It was something to behold.” a free kick lying over the German defence, United fan John Toye. “But they began
Back then, the fans didn’t wear replica kits. into space created by Hurst. With a glancing cheering again once Martin Peters scored to
They just weren’t available to buy. Neither header, he equalised. put England ahead again.” It was the 78th
did they ly the lag of St George, preferring
the Union Flag instead. The supporters also
turned up with their England rosettes proudly
pinned to their clothes, swinging their rattles
AFRICA PULLS OUT
and making a tremendous noise. “It was very Unfortunately, there were no sporting legends from Africa in the World Cup of
diferent to the guys with their drums and 1966. Every team in the continent decided to pull out of the qualiiers in protest at
trumpets today,” says Arsenal fan Roy O’Neil, the teams which topped the African zone having to play-of against European or Asian
opposition for their place in the inals.
who recalls buying his ticket from an agency
The feeling was that Africa should be ofered a direct route for qualiication, and the boycott
at the Barbican in London for ive times its
led to the rules being changed for the 1970 tournament. One consequence of this action was
face value, and ending up in a neutral zone that North Korea took part in the World Cup for the irst time in 1966, which caused problems
of the stadium surrounded by Italian fans. at home: the country wasn’t recognised by the UK, and so it was almost refused entry. Today,
“I remember the game being the irst time I six of the 32 inalists are taken from Africa.
had heard the clapping routine which is still

41
 WORLD CUP LEGENDS

Charlton speaks for himself. And young Alan

“BOBBY MOORE WAS ONE OF THE GREATEST Ball, the best one-touch player in the world.
Then we had Geof Hurst alongside the hard-
DEFENDERS THERE HAS BEEN … HE DIDN’T working Roger Hunt.”
Ball crossed to Hurst in the 101st minute
HAVE PACE BUT HIS SOCCER BRAIN WAS and Hurst smashed the ball on the underside
of the crossbar, causing it to bounce down
SECOND TO NONE” on to the line and be cleared. But did it go
in? Referee Gottfried Dienst consulted his
Terry Paine, 1966 World Cup winner linesman Toiq Bahramov. “I remember him
running over to this day,” says Paine. “The
minute and Peters shot from close range, James. It was 2-2 and that meant only one Russian linesman said something which
having initially hit Horst-Dieter Höttges from a thing: an agonising extra 30 minutes. “No way sounded like it would be ‘yes’. The goal was
Hurst attempt. did we think the team would win in extra given and from our point of view it was in.”
With ive minutes to go, the players who time. The team was dejected but Alf came out, The West Germans tried to rally but
hadn’t been selected to play in the team waved his inger and gave them a lecture.” It England were on a high. Some supporters ran
that day had assembled on the touchline on seemed to do the trick. on to the pitch and at home, viewers listened
the orders of Ramsey and they were fully The rest of the squad remained in situ for to a distracted Lancastrian BBC commentator
anticipating a win. They were all part of the the duration of that half and, unlike James, named Kenneth Wolstenholme utter the
team, Ramsey had told them, and so they Paine was conident. “I still believe Gordon infamous words: “Some people are on the
must be supportive of those on the pitch. Banks was the greatest goalkeeper the world pitch! They think it’s all over!” Hurst blasted
They waited for the referee to blow his whistle has seen, he was a superstar,” he says. “Bobby into the net and the crowd went wild. “It is
and then – drama. Moore was one of the best defenders there now!” England had won the World Cup.
In the 89th minute, moments after a has ever been – he didn’t have pace but his All across the country, people jumped in
narrowly wide shot by Charlton had England soccer brain was second to none. Ray Wilson celebration. “I was only ten and watched it in
fans groaning, Wolfgang Weber shot towards could match Brazil’s Garrincha for pace and our front room on our old battered black-and-
the England goal. It crossed the line and Nobby Stiles was of the old school and did white set while my mum went shopping,” says
the crowd went completely silent. “What a a great job. Martin Peters was an intelligent Manchester United fan John Horne. “After the
gut-wrencher at the stroke of full time,” says guy coming in from the left-hand side. Bobby game, I went outside and repeatedly smashed

TOP 6 GOALSCORERS ENGLAND’S STADIA

EUSÉBIO
(PORTUGAL) 89
GOALS SCORED
WEMBLEY
CAPACITY
98,600

HELMUT HALLER
DURING TOURNAMENT
47 GOALSCORERS
TOURNAMENT
WHITE CITY STADIUM
(LONDON) –
(WEST GERMANY)
2 OWN
GOALS
76,567
VILLA PARK
(BIRMINGHAM) – 52,000
GEOFF HURST
(ENGLAND) 11 GOALS SCORED
BY ENGLAND GOODISON PARK
(LIVERPOOL) – 50,151

FERENC BENE 5
3 OLD TRAFFORD
(MANCHESTER) – 58,000
(HUNGARY) GOALS
CONCEDED HILLSBOROUGH
BY ENGLAND
ENGLAND (SHEFFIELD) – 42,730
GAMES WON
VALERIY PORKUJAN ROKER PARK
(SOVIET UNION)
(SUNDERLAND) – 40,310

FRANZ BECKENBAUER
1
ENGLAND
0
ENGLAND
AYESOME PARK
(MIDDLESBROUGH) – 40,000
(WEST GERMANY) GAME GAMES
DRAWN LOST

42
 A beaming Queen
Elizabeth presents Moore
with the World Cup trophy
following the game

the ball against our coal shed wall for the next Football’s Longest Day. “All the England players star hotel, they gathered outside, cheering as
three hours, imitating Geof Hurst’s winning were in a state of exhaustion as they pushed their new heroes appeared on the balcony.
goal.” The result meant so much to so many their way down the tunnel, yet Bobby looked The excitement lasted for weeks. Frank
people and enthusiasm for football soared immaculate without a bead of sweat.” Wood, a reporter on the Bolton Evening
among the population. Giller went to hug the captain in News, recalled fans wanted to pay tribute to
As Haller sneaked away with the match congratulation of the feat but Alf Ramsey England’s newest footballing legends. “There
ball, whipping it from under Hurst’s nose as appeared, irked by the disputed goal, and the was one guy who twice walked the Pennine
he celebrated his hat-trick, the celebrations journalist knew it was time to leave. Ramsey’s Way who suggested that all the stiles along
continued in the dressing room. “I got to the spirit quickly lifted but the players were still in the 250-mile route should be known as
door of the England dressing room just as disbelief. “Will somebody pinch me,” George ‘Nobbies’”. That didn’t happen but it didn’t
Bobby arrived carrying the gleaming, real Cohen was heard as saying. “Am I dreaming?” matter. The players had secured their place
Jules Rimet trophy”, says sports historian and He wasn’t. The players went to a reception at in history; the most successful England side
former Daily Express chief football reporter The Royal Garden in Kensington but the fans of all time. “To win a World Cup, you need at
Norman Giller, who recalled the entire day in weren’t ready to give up celebrating. As they least ive world-class players,” says Paine. “We
a comprehensive book called July 30 1966: got wind the players were at the luxury ive- probably had more than that.” Result.

LOSING THE WORLD CUP

Although England achieved success for the FA but it also heralded another the TV drama, Pickles: The Dog Who Won
in 1966, they actually managed to sporting legend: Pickles, a black-and-white the World Cup, on the story in 2006. “It was
lose the World Cup – in the most collie, who snifed out the Jules Rimet Trophy almost like a classic Ealing comedy – this
literal sense. The trophy was stolen on seven days later wrapped in a newspaper in a ridiculous event whereby this iconic piece
the afternoon of 20 March 1966 from the hedge in London. of silverware was taken and no one knew
Methodist Central Hall in Westminster “It was all over the news because there who did it. I thought it was charming; a
where it had been put on display. It led to a was this mystery element to it”, recalls British caper which lent itself well to an
nationwide hunt and much embarrassment screenwriter Michael Chaplin, who based entertaining ilm.”

43
 WORLD CUP LEGENDS

ROAD TO THE FINAL

After a stuttering start, England were rampant en route to the World Cup final

ENGLAND 0 – 0 URUGUAY England were

continually
frustrated during

11 JULY, ATTENDANCE: 87,148 their opening game

If there was any optimism that England would win the

World Cup, it faded during this lacklustre opening game
in which they came up against a disciplined Uruguay side
that was so defensive minded, England failed to score
for the irst time at Wembley since 1945. For their eforts,
Uruguay were booed from the ield by frustrated England
fans but their players celebrated as if they had been
victorious because they sensed a draw against one of the
favourites would help them through to the next round. As
it happened, England had only a handful of goalscoring
chances, with Jimmy Greaves having the majority of them,
but their build-up play was uninspired and lacking pace
and they left the ield looking exhausted.

ENGLAND 2 – 0 MEXICO Nobby Stiles’ tough

tackling against
France didn’t go over
16 JULY, ATTENDANCE: 92,570 well with FIFA

The game against Mexico reignited the conidence of

both the England team and the crowd. It also marked the
tournament debuts of Terry Paine, who replaced Manchester
United’s John Connelly, and Martin Peters, who came in for
the injured Alan Ball. England left the pitch winners thanks
to goals in either half by Bobby Charlton, with a thunderous
25-yard shot, and Roger Hunt, who inished tidily from close
range. The win – along with Mexico’s previous draw with
France – all but ended their opposition’s hope of progression
and got England on their way.

ENGLAND 2 – 0 FRANCE
20 JULY, ATTENDANCE: 98,270
This game belonged largely to Roger Hunt, primarily
because he scored both England’s goals in their 2-0 win. In
doing so, he ensured England would progress, but perhaps
just as remarkable was Gordon Banks’ third clean-sheet of
the tournament. Nobby Stiles got himself into some bother
following a vicious tackle which led to calls by FIFA oicials
for him to be dropped. Ramsey refused but he couldn’t
“A VICIOUS TACKLE BY STILES LED TO
ignore a larger problem: one of the biggest star players,
Jimmy Greaves, was injured and had to be sidelined. It
CALLS BY FIFA OFFICIALS FOR HIM TO
would turn out to be his last game of the tournament. BE DROPPED”
44
 LEGENDS OF THE ’66 WORLD CUP

ENGLAND 1 – 0 ARGENTINA
23 JULY, ATTENDANCE: 90,584
In Argentina this game has since been referred to as ‘el
robo del siglo’, or ‘the theft of the century’ because the
goal – by Geof Hurst, who was brought in for the injured
Jimmy Greaves – was deemed by them to be ofside. It
also saw the Argentinian captain, Antonio Rattin, sent
of for a second caution, incidents which began to cause
bad blood between the two sides. It wasn’t a particularly
violent match, but Rattin refused to leave the ield, holding
the game up by 10 minutes. As he left, he grabbed the
corner lag – bearing the Union Jack – and screwed it up.
Argentina held on admirably but Hurst’s 78th minute
header was timely and decisive, taking England through.

ENGLAND 2 – 1 PORTUGAL
16 JULY, ATTENDANCE: 94,493
Eusébio was renowned as one of the world’s best players
and he ended the tournament as the top scorer with
nine goals. It was against him and his Portugal team that
England faced their iercest test, not only letting in their
irst goal of the tournament but being as mesmerised
by the inesse of the Portuguese attack as the watching
crowd. Even so, it was England who scored irst; Bobby
Charlton getting the goals in the 30th and 80th minute
with Eusébio only responding in the 82nd minute,
making for a tense inale to the match. It was a true test
Moore and Stiles
for England’s defence, though, and also a good lesson in embrace after England’s
hard-fought semi-inal
sportsmanship. There was an admirable air of grace in the victory over Portugal
behaviour of the Portugal players throughout.

THE GERMAN ROUTE

The West Germans played their games that was to do with two Uruguayans being sent
at Hillsborough in Sheield and Villa of, however. For that ‘crime’, it was the home
Park in Birmingham, starting in the nation who got it in the neck: the referee was
best way possible with a 5-0 thumping of from the UK and this only heightened anti-
Switzerland before a crowd of 36,127. They British feelings among the South Americans.
were then held to a scoreless draw against It didn’t help matters that a German defender,
Argentina but recovered their attacking Karl-Heinz Schnellinger, had clawed the ball
prowess by putting two past Spain in a 2-1 from the top corner of his goal using his hand
victory that saw them advance straight to the to prevent Uruguay from scoring early on and
quarter-inals. had sufered no penalty for having done so.
Their opponents were Uruguay and while West Germany went on to face the Soviet
the South Americans had played a frustrating Union in the semi-inal at Everton’s Goodison
game against England with an eight-man Park and won 2-1. Helmut Haller and Franz
defence, they proved more susceptible to the Beckenbauer got the goals for the German
German onslaught. West Germany ired four side while Valeriy Porkujan pulled one back
goals past them without reply in a thrilling in the inal two minutes to make for a more
game at Roker Park in Sunderland. Much of respectable scoreline.

45
 WORLD CUP LEGENDS

THE GOAL THAT NEVER WAS?

For more than 50 years, England’s third goal in the inal has proved controversial,
with doubt cast over whether the ball crossed the line after it hit the crossbar and
bounced down. While the goal stood following consultation between the referee and
the linesman, the Germans have always believed it should have been ruled out.
In 2010, it appeared scorer Sir Geof Hurst himself thought the same. He told a press
conference to promote sponsorship of the Football Conference, “I have to admit that the ball
didn’t cross the line”. But it later emerged it was an April Fool’s joke, much to everyone’s relief.
Thankfully, in 2016 Sky Sports used the EA Sports Performance system to prove once and
for all that it did cross the line. Or maybe not. BILD Sports of Germany continued to dispute the
claim and there have been tests which show the opposite is true. A decision set to go into extra
time itself, perhaps.

1 Nobby Stiles collects the

ball centrally and sprays a
pass out to the right wing

46
 LEGENDS OF THE ’66 WORLD CUP

6 The ball is
cleared but Roger Hunt
wheels away in celebration.
After a lengthy pause, the
referee signals a goal 5
Hurst lets rip a
powerful shot that
beats Tilkowski and
bounces down of
the crossbar

4 Ball’s cross inds Geof Hurst in

the German box. The striker turns
sharply past defender Willi Schulz
and on to his right foot

3 Ball beats
German
defender Horst-
Dieter Höttges
and ires a cross
towards the
centre of the
penalty area

2 Stiles’ pass is collected

by the diminutive
Alan Ball, who races
towards the byline

47
 WORLD CUP LEGENDS

GORDON BANKS
Arguably England’s greatest ever goalkeeper, Gordon Banks recalls
that fateful day in 1966 in this exclusive interview
The 1966 World Cup started well from your Were you nervous during the run-up to
perspective, but did you sense it could be the inal?
an uphill battle from then on? Well, we tried to do what we would normally
When we drew 0-0, I thought, “Wow, we have do for a friendly match but when four or ive
our hands full here now. We have really got to us decided to walk from Hendon Hall hotel
do something”. But I think there was tension into the village, people recognised us and they
in that irst match and we didn’t play like I were coming over and wishing us the best of
knew we could play. It was only when we luck, which showed how important this game
won the next match and then got through the was. There was also a large crowd outside the
group stage that we realised we stood a bit of hotel where the bus was waiting and when
a chance. We were undefeated and we weren’t we got on the bus, everyone was clapping and
conceding goals and we felt teams would cheering – that brought a lot of tension. I mean,
be saying, “Oh crikey, they are hard to score I know it was the same route that we always
against.” That was good. took when we played international games at
Wembley but all of that meant it was very quiet
Having four cup inals under your belt, you on the bus.
GORDON BANKS were no stranger to Wembley, were you?
Capped 73 times for England, We also played England friendlies at Wembley Was there a point when you thought, this is
Gordon Banks is regarded as one and it did give me a little bit of conidence to go it: there is a real chance that you could be
of the greatest goalkeepers of out and do my job. There’s not much diference making history?
all time. He starred in every one of his between playing in a [domestic] cup inal and a When the noise went in the dressing room to
country’s matches en route to the World World Cup inal – you just need to go out there, tell us that it was time to go into the tunnel,
Cup inal victory in 1966 and kept a clean do the best you can and hope everything goes then wow, that was when it really hit home.
sheet in every game until the semis. He your way. We saw the Germans alongside us and shook
was also an FA Cup inalist in 1961 and
their hands but walking down that tunnel was
1963 for Leicester City and a winner of
Is it true that Alf Ramsey managed the really nerve-wracking. The tension was very
the League Cup in 1964 with the Foxes
and Stoke City in 1972. England national team as if they were a high. But after we sang the national anthem,
club side? tossed the coin and I ran to the goal to have
He made it that way, deinitely. He also made one or two practice shots lined up against me,
sure that if he told you something you had to the referee blew his whistle and that’s when
do it or you were out. Oh yes, he was pretty the tension disappeared. We just concentrated
strong in that sense. But the information that on doing our jobs. We wanted to give it 90
he got over to the players was fantastic. He minutes as best we could.
would give you the strength and the weakness
of the opposition. He might come over to me Germany put one past you very early
and say ‘go and watch this centre forward, he’s in the game. What was your feeling at
got a great left foot and if it’s on that side he can that point?
really wallop it so be prepared because he will Well, to be honest with you – and I’m not
deinitely do it’. He was a terriic manager, and being critical because he’s a great player and
something really special. he did well for the team – but I’m pretty sure if
Big Jack [Charlton] had not been standing in
front of me, I would have saved the shot. But
I couldn’t see. He was just inside the six yard
“THERE WAS A BIG FURORE ABOUT GEOFF’S box. I don’t know what he was doing and I’m
not the kind of guy to give people rollickings
GOAL THAT HIT THE BAR [BUT] ROGER HUNT or things like that but anyway, yes. It never put
our heads down, though. We just realised we
WAS RIGHT. IT WAS A GOAL” had to carry on and get a goal back.

48
 LEGENDS OF THE ’66 WORLD CUP

Was there a real strength of mind among Alf say, “Get up, chin up, we don’t want to make the Germans had been attacking in numbers
the players – a will to win? it look as if we’re tired”. He was trying to get so they had very few people back there. So
We were all concentrating on what we were something over on them and he wanted to get Geof made this run and scored but I will never
doing. I was also watching and hoping we their players to think, “They must be very it, forget him saying, “I just wanted to thump it.
would get an equalising goal, which we did – they don’t want to sit down”. That was typical It wouldn’t have worried me if it had gone way
and then we went in front. of Alf. Something like that might just help. over the bar because it would have taken a lot
of time to get the ball back.” He knew there was
Which players stood out during the game? Did the players react well to that? not long to play but the ball went into the top
You’ve always got players who stand out We looked at each other and thought that corner. And that was it. It was all over.
for their clubs and for England, like Bobby was a good idea. And then he said “Come on,
Charlton and Bobby Moore. They stood out you’ve won this once, you have to get out there Could you relax then?
tremendously. Alan Ball was voted by players and win it again”. That was all he said really. Yes. I could see the people walking from the
as the best that day because of the amount of He knew we were playing quite well and well stand and going home. They knew it was the
efort he put in and the way he kept possession enough to get that result. end and I knew that would be it then. But I
and so on. He had a super day. But I think the just couldn’t believe it. West Germany were a
rest of the lads were just class players and we Extra time was dramatic, wasn’t it? terriic side and they had some great players
played as a team, if you understand. We didn’t Oh yes. And while there was a big furore about who could play some very good football.
play as individuals. Bobby Charlton, who Geof’s goal that hit the bar, the thing that Running around with that trophy on our
could hit a ball fabulously with both feet, if always stands out in my mind is that Roger ground with our supporters was fantastic.
he couldn’t get a shot in, he wouldn’t try for a Hunt, who was standing nearest when the ball Bobby Moore let each one of us have a little
shot and waste it, he would keep possession came down and saw it, didn’t go to head it. The run with it and we would wave it to the crowd.
and make a pass. So there were these terriic goalkeeper made the dive and he was on the But when we came round to the German
players and you couldn’t really say anything loor and you would have thought Roger would supporters – and this is true – they were all
wrong about them to be honest. have made sure but he didn’t because he saw clapping us and I thought, wow, that is really
it go over the line and thought they would give something nice and diferent.
How did you feel when Germany got that a goal. I like the thing I saw on Sky Sports this
second goal to equalise right at the death? year [in 2016] which showed the ball was just Was that unusual?
Well, nobody mentions this and I can’t believe over the line. That shows Roger Hunt was right. Oh yes, crikey. Very rarely did fans clap the
it but if you watch that goal again, you will see It was a goal. opposing team, so that was really nice. But our
me and Bobby Moore chasing the referee for fans were fantastic too. I remember we were
a few yards. They’d got a free kick which was Geof Hurst secured the game with a hat- close to inishing our meal at the hotel after
about 25 or 30 yards outside of the box on my trick. What do you remember of that goal? the game and Alf came over and said, “come
right-hand side and they came down to the I was like all the defenders, shouting at Bobby on you lads, we have to go out on this balcony.
edge of the box to about 25 yards and took Moore to whack the ball up the ield. “Get rid of There’s a crowd out there.” The fans were
a short free kick. They then started to run in it!” Bobby saw Geof running on his own and clapping and roaring and the police had to
towards my goal and the ball came right across, he popped the ball right into his path. Of course close the road. It was incredible; a great day.
into their paths. One of the players, Karl-Heinz
Schnellinger, was running and the ball was just
Banks and his England
behind him. I don’t think he did it deliberately teammates attempt to keep
out a West German attack
but it hit his arm, which is a foul – had it not hit
his arm, it would have gone right across and of
for a throw on the other side for us. But it rolled
right into the path of the guy [Wolfgang Weber]
who got the equaliser. I tried to block it but he
took it well over my body and he knocked it in.
It should have been a free kick for us.

That forced the game into extra time; is

that where Alf Ramsey came into his own?
Alf – a great manager – was something special,
I tell you. He really was. Both teams had been
running and working hard in that 90 minutes
and both managers were on the pitch. I was
farthest away but as I got close, I could see the
German players sitting on the pitch and three
or four of our lads doing the same. I then heard

49
 WORLD CUP LEGENDS

50
 EUSÉBIO NETS FOUR

MOMENTS

23 JULY 1966

EUSÉBIO NETS FOUR One of the all-time greats stakes his

claim as a World Cup legend

W
henever the conversation about goals for Portugal in the group stages to For two of his goals, Eusébio used his
the greatest footballers of all time help them to wins over Hungary, Bulgaria pace to latch onto balls played into the box,
comes up, it’s only a matter of time and Brazil. In his team’s quarter-inal against and inished emphatically, one of which was
before someone mentions Eusébio. His North Korea, however, he really stepped up a particularly tasty efort placed perfectly
performance in the 1966 World Cup is one to the plate. Portugal looked like they were in the top corner. Either side of his third
example of why. The Portugal striker was going to get knocked out of the tournament goal were two converted penalties, both put
already a star coming into the tournament, by underdogs North Korea after going 3-0 away conidently and comfortably. Eusébio
having won the Ballon d’Or in 1965, and he down within 25 minutes. Instead, Eusébio would add to his four-goal haul in Portugal’s
would continue to show his pedigree while dragged them out of trouble, netting next game when he scored against England.
visiting the shores of host nation England. four consecutive goals in a phenomenal However, they lost that game 2-1, and
The Black Panther was on performance and leading his team to a were eliminated. Eusébio inished as the
characteristically lethal form, netting three 5-3 victory. tournament’s top scorer with nine goals.

51
 WORLD CUP LEGENDS

MARACANAZO:
A ‘NATIONAL CATASTROPHE’ FOR BRAZIL
Before winning five World Cups Brazil suffered a trauma it can neither forget nor truly confront

E
verywhere has its irremediable national How does one explain what was seen Horizonte was the picture of collective grief.
catastrophe, something like a Hiroshima. immediately after the Seleção’s humiliating Television cameras captured images of fans
Our catastrophe, our Hiroshima, was the 7-1 defeat to Germany in the semi-inal of weeping in the stands, eyes skyward, while
defeat by Uruguay in 1950.” the 2014 World Cup? If it had happened to the men in yellow jerseys sank to their knees.
This insight into the Brazilian national England at Wembley, or to the French at the The irst thing to understand is that
psyche ofered by the late Nelson Rodrigues, Stade de France, you might expect stunned Brazilians had been through it already, before
one of the country’s most distinguished silence and perhaps even some booing. But the world had ever heard of Neymar, Ronaldo
playwrights, is a useful one for non-Brazilians. on 8 July 2014, the Mineirão stadium in Belo or even Pelé.

52
 MARACANAZO

Brazil were heavy favourites for the

tournament of 1950, the irst World Cup in
The government of the day, led by President
Eurico Gaspar Dutra, believed that a home “FOR US BRAZILIANS,
12 years due to war in Europe. Not only did
Brazil boast some of the world’s best attackers,
World Cup win would unite the population
behind his often tumultuous regime and IT WAS A MARK THAT
but they were also the hosts.
The home team played all but one of its
portray the rapidly industrialising country as a
new world power. STAYED, WHICH NO
matches at the new Maracanã stadium, which
had been specially built for the tournament.
Although they had never won a World
Cup before, Brazilians were conident of ONE CAN ERASE”
Construction had been hit with severe delays, their footballing pedigree and were unafraid
meaning matches kicked of as work was still of hype. The new footballing philosophy, CARLOS ALBERTO
being done to the new hulking monolith. distinct from those of European nations and
According to contemporary reports, neighbouring Argentina and Uruguay, was also year’s South American Championship, the
concrete rained from its roof during a 21-gun beginning to take form. precursor to the Copa América, at a canter,
salute in the opening ceremony. Nonetheless, Later termed 'jogo bonito', the style scoring almost six goals a game.
the Maracanã was looked upon with immense emphasised free-scoring attacking play and The Seleção duly raced through
pride in Brazil, a country which strove to eschewed the more underhanded – and qualiication for the 1950 World Cup’s second
challenge Europe’s sporting hegemony. It was perhaps nasty – elements of traditional South phase. Scoring eight goals and conceding
a politically important moment for Brazil too. American football. They had won the previous just two in three matches, Brazil topped
their opening group, which also featured
Yugoslavia, Switzerland and Mexico.
The Brazil team of 1950
lines up before their World
Although the format of the World Cup
Cup clash with Mexico, has been changed countless times over the
which they won 4-0
decades, the 1950 tournament remains the
only one for which the winners were not
decided by a inal knockout match. Rather, the
destination of the Jules Rimet trophy would
come down to a round robin between group
winners Brazil, Sweden, Spain and Uruguay.
Buoyed by their encouraging early
tournament performances, the home side
raised their level by several gears for the
inal group stage. Sweden and Spain were
dispatched 7-1 and 6-1 respectively, with
forwards Ademir and Chico running riot.
The inal group match was to be played
against Uruguay, who had already beaten
Sweden but were held to a 2-2 draw by Spain.
Brazil knew a draw at the Maracanã would see

Moacir Barbosa, the

Brazilian goalkeeper,
carried the blame for the
defeat for the rest of his life

53
 Uruguay’s victorious side
of 1950 won their country’s
second World Cup following
the triumph on home soil
in 1930

THE MAN WHO DIED TWICE

In the aftermath of the Maracanazo little to exorcise his demons; his reputation as most you get for any crime is 30 years. For
defeat it was Brazil’s three black Brazil’s bogey man haunted him for the rest of 50 years I’ve been paying for a crime I did not
players – Moacir Barbosa and his life. commit. Even a criminal when he has paid
defenders Bigode and Juvenal – who took Barbosa once recalled that in 1970, the his debt is forgiven. But I have never been
the majority of the flak. year in which the country won its third World forgiven. I am not guilty. There were 11 of us.”
Despite being considered one of the world’s Cup, he noticed a mother point him out in the
greatest goalkeepers, Barbosa was made to street, telling her child that he was “the man
sufer more than anyone else. who made all of Brazil cry”.
Roundly blamed by fans and journalists for Barbosa was even reportedly barred from
an error that allowed Alcides Ghiggia to score visiting a national team training camp near Rio
Uruguay’s winner, he would play only once de Janeiro in 1993 ahead of a World Cup year.
again for his country. Administrators apparently feared he would
When the Maracanã installed new goalposts bring the players bad luck.
in the 1960s the old wooden ones were given Speaking to a journalist shortly before his
to Barbosa. His decision to burn them did death in 2000, Barbosa said, “In Brazil, the

54
 MARACANAZO

An emotional marker to ind a yard of space before whipping

Brazil fan in a ierce delivery that was steered home
reacts to the
7-1 defeat by Juan Alberto Schiaino. Uruguay had
by Germany
during the 2014 equalised, and they soon found themselves on
World Cup
the front foot.
With just over ten minutes remaining, the
diminutive Ghiggia picked up the ball once
more and hurtled down the wing and into the
Brazilian penalty area. He shaped to cross, as
he had done countless times that afternoon.
Preparing to meet the delivery, Moacir Barbosa,
the Brazilian goalkeeper, moved a fraction
towards the centre of his goal, leaving a crack
of space open between himself and his near
post. Ghiggia spotted the chance and riled a
low right-footed shot into the net via the post.
He would later comment that, “Three people
have silenced the Maracanã – Frank Sinatra, the
Pope and me.”
With Brazil unable to ind an equaliser
Uruguay were crowned World Cup champions
for the second time. Despair swept the ground
like wildire. Tales later emerged of a number
of distraught fans spontaneously taking their
own lives by leaping from the stands.
Arthur Nemesio, a Brazilian fan who
attended the match, described the scene to
The Guardian in 2014,: “There were a lot of
people crying. A lot of men, women, boys, girls
crying. It was the saddest day in the history of
Brazilian football.”
It’s hard to overstate the collective impact of
the 1950 World Cup on Brazil. Five subsequent
World Cup wins have failed to expunge
the memory of the match, forever known
as Maracanazo, and it is commonplace for
Brazilians to refuse to discuss it openly.
Carlos Alberto, a Brazilian World Cup winner
them crowned world champions. According to made, while the mayor of Rio de Janeiro in 1970, once said that the failure to win on
estimates, just under 200,000 fans – or about delivered a rousing pre-match speech in home soil will always haunt his country.
a tenth of the population of Rio de Janeiro which he “already saluted the team as victors”. “We had the chance to win,” he said. “It’s
– piled into the ground to witness Brazil’s Alcides Ghiggia, Uruguay’s star winger, later always important to win at home, like England
presumed coronation. said, “It was a fantastic atmosphere. Their won in 1966, like Germany won in 1974, like
Such was the local conidence that a supporters were jumping with joy as if they’d Argentina won in 1978. For us Brazilians, it was
samba band stood pitch-side throughout the already won the World Cup. a mark that stayed, which no one can erase.”
Uruguay match, ready to play a new song – “Everyone was saying they’d thrash us three Yet out of the misery a new steeliness was
Brazil the Winners – on the full-time whistle. or four nil. I tried not to look at the crowd and born in Brazilian football, as were the Seleção’s
A number of local newspapers, assuming just to get on with the match.” iconic canary-yellow jerseys. The white strips
nothing would go wrong, even began calling Brazil began more brightly than their the team had worn in defeat to Uruguay would
the side the ‘Champions of the World’, while southern neighbours, imposing themselves on never be seen again after 1953.
Rimet, the then-FIFA President for whom the the match and creating a number of chances. Pelé later said one of his earliest
World Cup trophy was named, prepared a Although the irst half ended 0-0, the home memories were of his father’s tears after the
congratulatory speech in Portuguese. side found themselves a goal up just two Maracanazo. “My father told me that you have
Incredibly, 22 gold medals, each one minutes into the second period. to win the World Cup for Brazil,” he said. In
inscribed with the names of each Brazilian However, their lead only lasted until the Sweden eight years later, aged just 17, he would
squad member, had reportedly already been 66th minute, Ghiggia getting the best of his do just that.

55
 WORLD CUP LEGENDS
X
TOP 10…
KEEPERS
It’s not often that
PAT JENNINGS
After a ine career with Tottenham and
Arsenal, Jennings retired from club football
in 1985. But a year later he became the then-oldest
goalkeepers are the ever player to play a World Cup match on his 41st

hero – so often they find birthday, a 3-0 defeat to Brazil, his one and only
appearance in the tournament.
themselves the villain –
so here’s 10 of the very
best to have graced the
world stage JOSÉ CHILAVERT
Goalkeepers have a reputation for being
frustrated outield players, and Chilavert
could not be caged. None of his eight international
goals came at a World Cup, but he was the irst keeper
to take a direct free-kick at the competition, almost
scoring against Bulgaria.

HARALD SCHUMACHER X
Few at the 1982 World Cup semi-inal will
forget Schumacher’s performance: the
West Germany goalkeeper collided with France’s
Patrick Battiston to leave him with two missing
teeth, three cracked ribs and damaged vertebrae.
No foul was given, and the keeper would save two
penalties in the decisive shootout.

FABIEN BARTHEZ
Laurent Blanc used to kiss his goalkeeper’s
bald head for good luck before every game –
and in 1998 it seemed to work. His ive clean sheets
helped France to a famous home victory, and his 10
shutouts in 17 appearances are a World Cup record,
shared with Peter Shilton.

DINO ZOFF
At 40, Zof was the oldest man to win the
X
World Cup when he captained Italy to glory
in 1982. Despite his age, his relexes left nothing to
be desired: his late save from Oscar in a quarter-inal
against Brazil was one of the greats.

56
 TOP 10… KEEPERS

LEV YASHIN
Not many men can claim to have
X
revolutionised the position of goalkeeper,
but ‘The Black Spider’ was among the irst to
marshal his defence rather than merely block the
ball. He also played in four World Cups for the Soviet
Union and won the Ballon d’Or in 1963.

X
GIANLUIGI BUFFON
‘Gigi’ seems to embody everything that
is great about the World Cup. A iercely
proud Italian, he is the most capped player in his
country’s history, and in 2006 topped the world
while conceding no goals from open play and being
chosen as goalkeeper of the tournament, then the
Yashin Award.

IKER CASILLAS
The Casillas home has quite the trophy
cabinet, but among ive Spanish league titles,
three Champions Leagues and two European
Championships, one medal has pride of place: the
2010 World Cup winners’ medal. Not only that, but X
X

he was the man to lift the trophy as captain.

GORDON BANKS
Apart from winning the 1966 World Cup,
Banks is also responsible for one of the
greatest saves in the tournament’s history. In a
game that would decide Group 3, Brazil legend Pelé
nodded the ball downwards towards the bottom
corner of the goal, only to be stunned when Banks

X
leapt across to divert it behind for a corner.

OLIVER KAHN
No goalkeeper had ever won the Golden
Ball before Kahn’s triumph in 2002. Twice
Kahn brilliantly denied Robbie Keane in a group stage
clash and in the last-16 ixture against Paraguay, Kahn
produced at least one and perhaps two world-class
saves in a 1-0 win. And in the inal, the imperious
Ronaldo might have had four had it not been for Kahn.

X
57
 WORLD CUP LEGENDS

58
 TWO ICONS SWAP SHIRTS

MOMENTS

7 JUNE 1970

TWO ICONS SWAP

SHIRTS Brazil’s Pelé and England’s Bobby Moore
swap shirts in a famous show of respect

T
he 1970 World Cup was host to one Pelé a goal when he licked his header up each other’s talents – indeed, Pelé would
of the competition’s inest games, over the bar, and England squandering later call Moore the best defender he ever
a match between the World Cup several good chances. One of the key faced – and the gesture was intended to
holders at the time, England, and arguably features of the game was the battle between acknowledge how good they each knew
the greatest World Cup side ever ielded, the incredible attacking talent of Brazil – the other was after a competitive match.
the 1970 Brazil team. The game’s close also the likes of Jairzinho, Rivelino, Gerson and The warm smiles they both wore as they
provided us with one of the World Cup’s Pelé – and England’s defence, led by Bobby conversed led to the moment being praised
most iconic images, when Brazil legend Moore. The former came out on top, with as an example to follow as to the spirit in
Pelé swapped shirts with England captain Brazil getting a 1-0 victory. which the game should be played: two
Bobby Moore. After the inal whistle, Pelé and Moore rivals who had given everything they had
The match itself was closely fought, embraced, swapping shirts in a sign of engaging with sportsmanship, dignity
Gordon Banks’ most famous save denying mutual respect. The two clearly admired and friendship.

59
 WORLD CUP LEGENDS

DIEGO MARADONA:
ARGENTINA’S GOLDEN BOY
Genius, saviour, cheat: Maradona has been called
many things by many men, but remains: El Diego

I
t would be quite possible, although not the stage was quite perfectly set for the
entirely plausible, to devote the entirety of Argentinian to make good the disappointment
this ode to El Diego to that one goal. No, not of missing out in 1978 and simultaneously
that goal, the other one. The second one. The win over his new fans in Catalonia. He
decade-deining 11 seconds of brilliance that came within inches of a fairytale moment,
left the England team strewn across the ield a second-half free kick hitting the crossbar,
of the Azteca in the hot sun, wondering what but otherwise Argentina were stodgy and
they had to do to stop the little Argentinian. disappointing, going down 1-0. Maradona was
The truth was that they weren’t the irst, they greeted with a level of on-ield aggression
wouldn’t be the last, and few would ever ind bordering on out-and-out violence.
a solution. The squad was uncomfortably tense,
Having taken his irst professional bow inside and out. Plenty of the experienced
as a 14 year old, it certainly did not take 1978 champions had been retained beyond
the national team long to recognise Diego usefulness and it had not gone unnoticed:
Maradona’s talents. He made his senior Minotti was slammed in the Argentinian
debut in 1977 at the age of 16, the youngest press for remaining loyal to older players
Argentinian international ever. and deploying the younger Maradona in a
However, probably wisely given his later deeper role. They even questioned whether
predilections for distraction, manager César the Falklands conlict, which oicially only
Luis Menotti (known as ‘El Flaco’ – ‘the slim ended the day after the defeat to Belgium,
one’) did not pick him for the 1978 home was afecting the players. (Maradona recalls
World Cup because he felt he was too young. that the Argentinian media had been largely
It didn’t seem to hinder his side, who lifted censored with regards to the war and that
the trophy after beating the Netherlands in when the team reached Spain, they read that
the inal. they were very much losing a conlict they
When Maradona did make it to football’s had been told they were winning.)
biggest show, he was a world away from the But better news was to follow for the
teenager whom El Flaco had left out. Buenos Aires press – on the pitch at least.
But Barcelona pounced just before the rest Maradona was virtuosic in the second match
of the world could see what Maradona was against Hungary, scoring his irst two World
about. In 1982, he was sold for a world-record Cup goals. That 4-1 win was followed by a 2-0
fee of nearly double what Boca had paid for victory over El Salvador and in the second
him just 12 months previously. Perhaps if group stage, they returned to Catalonia.
Barça had waited, they might have put their But there was no redemption for Maradona,
cheque book away again. whom Italy defender Claudio Gentile
With Argentina playing their irst game of repeatedly hacked down in a 2-1 win. The
Spain ’82 at the Camp Nou against Belgium, referee appeared unconcerned and even

“MARADONA WAS GREETED WITH A LEVEL

OF ON-FIELD AGGRESSION BORDERING ON Maradona triumphantly
holds the trophy after
the 1986 World Cup inal

OUT-AND-OUT VIOLENCE” between Argentina and

West Germany

60
DIEGO MARADONA

61
 WORLD CUP LEGENDS

Maradona would see red his irst World Cup. His new city booed him
against Brazil in 1982, with
Argentina crashing out in
of the pitch. The disappointment only served
the second round to inspire Maradona to make his mark on the
next tournament four years later.
Given that he had utterly failed to win
over any Barça fans with his World Cup
performances and perhaps even turned
some against him, it is unsurprising that
his two-year spell with the famous club
was something of a struggle. Despite his
38 goals in 58 appearances, Maradona fell
out with a number of senior igures at the
club, contracted hepatitis, sufered a horriic
ankle break that “sounded just like a piece of
wood splitting” and developed a serious and
persistent cocaine habit.
In the summer of 1984, Maradona broke
the world transfer record again and headed
to Napoli where, if he was not already
developing a God complex, he would ind
ample ammunition. He was greeted by 75,000
adoring fans at the famous Stadio San Paolo.
booked Maradona, who was fouled a record frustration at his own national side and three They immediately stripped club legend
23 times in the game, for dissent. “Football weeks of being kicked up and down the Giuseppe Bruscolotti of the captain’s armband
is not for ballerinas,” said the typically hard- pitches of Spain, was unable to contain his and gave it to Maradona. And when Argentina
nosed Gentile after the game. frustration any longer. With Argentina trailing came to the 1986 World Cup in Mexico, the 25
Having already lost two of four games, the 3-0, Maradona aimed a kick at the ball and year old was well and truly peaking.
champions’ clash with the imperious Brazil Brazilian midielder Batista, who had just Qualiication had gone well. Maradona had
side was something of a foregone conclusion. caught Argentina’s Juan Barbas in the head scored three times and he had been made
Even the manner of it could be written ahead with his studs. Maradona was promptly sent captain by manager Carlos Bilardo, a man
of time. And Maradona, full of four years of of. It was an unfair and ignominious end to whom he would come to call a mentor before
a 2010 falling out.
The group draw pitted them against Italy,
“WHEN ARGENTINA CAME TO THE 1986 who had contributed to their downfall four
years previously. After being publicly nulliied
WORLD CUP IN MEXICO, THE 25-YEAR-OLD by the violence of the 1982 World Cup,
Maradona’s growth in reputation had only
MARADONA WAS WELL AND TRULY PEAKING” served to ensure that teams would redouble

THE HAND OF GOD

Maradona had started the move into a slanging match, with each accusing the footballing rivalry and Argentina seemed to
with typical flair in midield before other. Maradona meanwhile, he later revealed, relish the pain the controversy inlicted.
Jorge Valdano miscontrolled his pass, was hissing at his teammates to celebrate,
only for Steve Hodge to help the ball on its because manager Carlos Bilardo had warned
way towards goal. Maradona did the rest, them not to celebrate any goals to save
punching the ball past England goalkeeper energy in the hot Mexican sun – but Maradona
Peter Shilton with what Tunisian referee Ali was worried that the unusual behaviour might
Bin Nasser believed to be his head. It became alert the referee to the foul play.
an iconic moment. In the post-match press conference,
Nasser’s decision to allow Maradona’s Maradona cheekily said the goal had been
punched efort in the 1986 World Cup quarter- scored by the head of Maradona and “the
inal haunted him for the rest of his career. He hand of God”, coining the phrase by which the
never refereed at a inals again and his eforts controversial strike would become known.
to blame linesman Bogdan Dochev turned It intensiied what was an already ierce

62
DIEGO MARADONA

After missing out on

Argentina’s 1978 World
Cup victory, Maradona
inally got his hands on the
ultimate prize in 1986

63
 WORLD CUP LEGENDS

Following wins over Greece and Nigeria

in the 1994 World Cup, Maradona was
banned from the tournament after testing
positive for ephedrine

their eforts to injure him. Just as Pelé had to get on the scoresheet for the irst time had plenty of reasons to hate. But it is a
been in 1966, Maradona was a marked man. in the tournament, beating the keeper with testament to the quality of what followed that
He would go on to draw more fouls at that a perfectly placed volley. The points were it can be remembered overwhelmingly for
World Cup than any other player in history. split and Argentina’s 2-0 win over Bulgaria – footballing reasons.
In the opening game of the tournament Maradona only had a hand in one of the goals Generous commentators would call
against South Korea, Maradona found himself this time – was enough to send them through England’s defence ‘resolute’ or ‘single-minded’,
tripped, kicked, pushed and even punched at the top of Group A. And once they had others would favour ‘heavy-handed’. Terry
around the pitch. One player even managed beaten South American neighbours Uruguay Fenwick was immediately booked for an
to get his studs through Maradona’s socks and 1-0, in which FIFA had warned Uruguay ugly foul on Maradona that seemed to set
bandaged legs to draw blood. Undeterred, and about potential trouble in the game and duly a standard for the game, and the Argentine
more used to the treatment after two years in quashed much of the physicality against star created a number of good chances that
the Italian league with Napoli, Maradona did Maradona for 90 minutes at least, they were forced Peter Shilton into action. The warning
not kick back. The South Koreans were beaten pitted against England. signs were there and six minutes after the
3-1, with Maradona providing assists for all That game has had more written about break, he skipped past four England players
three goals. it than perhaps any other. Four years after before Steve Hodge inadvertently chipped
Next came Italy, who did enough to take an the Falklands War, this was the rematch that the ball towards his own goalkeeper, only for
early lead from the spot, only for Maradona Argentina wanted with a rival they already Maradona to punch the ball past him and into

64
 DIEGO MARADONA

“MARADONA BEAT FOUR ENGLAND PLAYERS

BEFORE SCORING ONE OF THE GREATEST
GOALS IN WORLD CUP HISTORY”
the net. The referee thought it was a header. Burruchaga free. Minutes later, Maradona was
His was the only opinion that mattered. lifting the Jules Rimet Trophy and the Golden
While his irst goal may have been Ball, both richly deserved.
controversial, his second was unforgettable. The only thing harder than winning the
Four minutes after the irst, in the space of World Cup is retaining it. But in 1990, it looked
11 seconds, Maradona slalomed past Peter as though Argentina might be about to do just
Reid, Terry Fenwick and Terry Butcher before that. By now, Maradona had led Napoli to two
beating Shilton with a feint and scoring one of Serie A titles, a Coppa Italia and a UEFA Cup
the greatest goals in World Cup history. – but his of-ield behaviour, particularly drug
For Argentina, that game was bigger than use, had never improved, although he had not
winning the World Cup. It was about avenging yet failed a substance test.
‘Las Malvinas’ and sinking the English World Italy were the hosts, a country who had
Cup warship. For many fans, the rest of 1986 kicked Maradona out of the tournament eight
is a blur of Maradona skills. He gained more years ago. But, for an already injury-ravaged
personal redemption for 1982 in the semi- Argentina squad, things started disastrously.
inals, scoring two exquisite goals to reach They scraped through the group stages after
the inal. Once there, it looked as though a shock loss to Cameroon and were pitted
Argentina would be able to seal victory against Brazil in the second round. With
without Maradona adding too much. West Maradona carrying an injury, another kicking
Germany’s Lothar Matthäus was his shadow ensued at the hands of their South American
and while the odd pass and lick helped rivals. However he was still able, in the dying
Argentina to a 2-0 lead, Maradona wasn’t as minutes, to produce a moment of quality,
integral as in previous rounds. running through the Brazilian midield before
But in seven second-half minutes, the West putting Claudio Caniggia through on goal.
Germans fought back to level the game and Maradona’s rollercoaster World Cup
pushed on for a winner, desperate to avoid continued in a shootout in the quarter-inal:
extra time in gruelling conditions. However, after failing to score against a Yugoslavian
that allowed Maradona all the space he team who had ten men for 100 minutes, his
needed. Six minutes from time, with the tame shot was saved only for his teammates
Germans overextended in attack, he split the to spare his blushes and put them through.
defence with a delicate pass and set Jorge The semi-inal against Italy went to penalties

MARADONA: THE MANAGER

It does not always ring true that the to qualify for the 2010 World Cup. But he
best players make the best managers. rallied a side bursting with attacking talent –
In fact, it often seems to be the Sergio Agüero, Lionel Messi and Juan Román
opposite. Certainly, Maradona’s lifestyle did Riquelme were joint top-scorers for the side
not appear to be a natural it with the job. – to seal qualiication… and promptly told the
His most prominent spell as a manger came media to “suck it and keep sucking it” on live
from 2008 to 2010, when he took over the TV. A two-month ban and hefty ine followed.
national side in Argentina – despite having The World Cup itself went swimmingly,
not worked as a manager since that ill-fated with four straight wins before they were
mid-’90s spell. Unsurprisingly, it would prove a thrashed 4-0 by Germany in the quarter-
turbulent time. inals. Maradona wanted to stay on, but was
His fourth game in charge saw Argentina eventually sacked and accused national team
equal their record defeat, a 6-1 loss to Bolivia director Carlos Bilardo of betraying him as a
that left them staring down the barrel of failing parting shot.

65
 WORLD CUP LEGENDS

“MARADONA SOBBED HIS WAY THROUGH

THE PRESENTATION CEREMONIES, A MAN
WHOSE TALENT HAD BEGUN TO WANE”
too, but in front of his home Napoli crowd, Maradona had admitted beforehand that they,
Maradona stepped up to take the fourth with four players suspended and he himself
spot kick, a carbon copy of his last except walking wounded, would need a miracle to
that it beat Walter Zenga and Argentina went turn over the Germans, and in truth it never
through to the inal where the mighty West looked likely. And it was rendered nigh-on
Germany waited. impossible when substitute Pedro Monzón
The Germans had lost two inals in a row, was sent of just after the hour mark. Andreas
and with Maradona limping and Argentina Brehme’s 85th-minute penalty and Gustavo
stuttering, they would rarely get a better Dezotti’s second yellow card only served to
chance to make amends. fulil the inevitability of the result and absolve
There was an acceptance in the media West Germany for the sins of two previous
that at 29 years old, living as he did and with inal defeats.
the injuries he had been through, Maradona Maradona sobbed his way through the
was unlikely to play another World Cup. presentation ceremonies, a broken man
Already, his body was not the one that had whose mighty talent had begun to wane,
led Argentina to victory in 1986. But those crying for himself as much as anyone else.
looking for a glorious exit to underline his But that was not to be the end of his World
place in the World Cup hall of fame were left Cup story, although his 1994 appearance
sadly wanting that night in Rome. would be best forgotten. He had left Napoli
It was known as one of the dirtiest inals in under the cloud of a 15-month drugs ban – his
World Cup history, and would only be eclipsed cocaine habit had inally been caught out –
in 2010 by the Battle of Johannesburg. and a one-year spell back with Carlos Bilardo

MARADONA FACTS & FIGURES

21
312
GOALS SCORED IN
23 STARTED 21
CONSECUTIVE
MATCHES FOR

16
ARGENTINA AT

590
PROFESSIONAL GAMES
16
FOUR WORLD CUPS

ACROSS THREE COUNTRIES MOST APPEARANCES

GOALS SCORED IN 91
AS CAPTAIN AT A
34 ARGENTINA
24
INTERNATIONALS FOR WORLD CUP FOULED MORE TIMES
THAN ANY ONE
PLAYER IN A WORLD
GOLDEN BALL CUP MATCH (23
FIRST PLAYER EVER TO WIN THE TIMES VS ITALY AT
GOLDEN BALL AT UNDER-20 AND SPAIN ’82) AND IN BROKE THE WORLD
SENIOR WORLD CUP – LIONEL ONE WORLD CUP (53 TRANSFER RECORD TWICE
MESSI IS THE ONLY ONE SINCE TIMES AT MEXICO ’86) BEFORE THE AGE OF 24

66
 DIEGO MARADONA

Maradona scores one

of the greatest goals
in World Cup history
against England in 1986

at Sevilla did not work out. His weight was However, he soon changed his mind and was escorting him to the drug-testing facility.
ballooning, his behaviour more out of control handed the captaincy for the tournament. In That was how one of the World Cup’s most
and he had barely played for Argentina. But a the opening game, Maradona scored a goal talented and most lawed stars left the ield
new-look Argentina team, without Maradona, illed with emotion. After a quick passing for the last time.
had ended up in a World Cup play-of against move with Greece already well beaten at 2-0 He tested positive, although not for cocaine
Australia just to qualify for USA ’94 and the down, Maradona hammered the ball into the – for ephedrine, which he claimed had been
country begged for him to be picked. El Diego top corner. The image of him running towards in a power drink, the label of which he had
was happy to answer their prayers. He played the camera, eyes rolling back in his head and not read. FIFA did not buy the excuse and
little part in a 2-1 aggregate win, an Alex Tobin body convulsing maniacally, is one of the sent him home. Argentina crashed out in the
own goal proving the winner in Buenos Aires. abiding memories of the World Cup. second round against Romania. Maradona was
But the pressure proved too much. After a win in the next game against a disgrace. He would play just 31 more games
In February, he pulled out of the squad. Nigeria, Maradona left the ield with a nurse of football.

67
 WORLD CUP LEGENDS

68
 GEMMILL’S WONDER GOAL

MOMENTS

11 JUNE 1978

GEMMILL’S
WONDER GOAL The underdogs triumph as Scotland
defeat the Netherlands

G
roup 4 of the 1978 World Cup went half time. Soon after the break, Scotland on one with the keeper on the right side of
down to the wire. Scotland and were awarded a penalty of their own, the goal. Gemmill opened up his body and
Netherlands went up against each which Archie Gemmill dispatched. On 68 lifted the ball over the onrushing keeper
other in their inal match of the group minutes, Gemmill would strike again, with his left foot to top of a fantastic
stage, with Scotland holding onto the scoring one of the greatest goals in World individual goal. It gave hope to Scotland,
hope of qualifying on goal diference. The Cup history. who now needed just one more to inish
Netherlands missed Johan Cruyf, but were Gemmill cut in from the right wing above the Netherlands. It wasn’t to be,
still a talented team. Nevertheless, their and leapt over the challenge of a Dutch with Holland netting another to end the
game against Scotland was a close shave for defender to leave him on the loor. He then contest, but that didn’t stop Gemmill’s goal
the masters of ‘total football’. cut back towards goal, beating another in Scotland’s 3-2 win becoming a part of
Netherlands got the irst goal via a man, pushed the ball past one more and Scottish folklore and going down in World
penalty, but Scotland drew level before charged into the box to leave himself one Cup history.

69
 WORLD CUP LEGENDS

MANAGING GREAT
EXPECTATIONS:
10 LEGENDARY
WORLD CUP
COACHES
There have been 19 World Cup-winning managers, but which of those stand out the most?

C
oaching an international football team year after gaining promotion from the second Hungary 3-2. Juan López Fontana won the cup
is rather diferent to managing a club tier, was a tremendous achievement, for for Uruguay on Brazilian soil.
side. For starters, those at the helm are instance. Yet manager Alf Ramsey is more But what we have here are ten coaches
unable to plug any gaps in their squad by fondly remembered for winning the World who have made a huge impression on the
splashing the cash. There is also far less time Cup with England in 1966. tournament for the numerous reasons that
to iron out problems on the training pitch or At the same time, the very best managers we go on to explain. Ever since Alberto
in regular ixtures. in the club game can have the shine taken Suppici won the inaugural competition in
Indeed, with international management, of them at international level, no matter how 1930 with Uruguay, the eyes of the world
there is a greater reliance on organisation and leetingly. Alex Ferguson managed Scotland have been upon men such as these, with only
trust. It’s important to manage egos and plan to the 1986 World Cup following the death of one of our top ten coaches now looked upon
for the long term while bearing in mind that Jock Stein, but his team ended up bottom of more with disdain than the respect that he
any disappointments can linger for months Group E with defeats against Denmark and undoubtedly deserves.
between matches. At the same time, coaches West Germany, and a draw against Uruguay. That, however, is football, and the measure
have the weight of expectation of their entire Nobody said it was easy. of expectation. Just as every England manager
country on their shoulders. No wonder It’s with this in mind that we look at the feels duty-bound to bring the World Cup back
such jobs are widely seen as the toughest ten most legendary coaches in World Cup to the country that invented football, so past
in football. history, and it wasn’t easy boiling them down. triumphs and the club achievements of the
Yet, if carried out with success, they can Sepp Herberger, for instance, masterminded world’s greatest players add an extra layer
lead to great prestige. Winning the English West Germany’s World Cup win in 1954, with of burden for the managers. It’s a funny old
First Division title with Ipswich Town, just a his side defeating the runaway favourites game, after all.

70
 TOP WORLD CUP COACHES

VITTORIO POZZO
THE ONLY COACH TO WIN TWICE

A lthough Vittorio Pozzo managed

Italy for 19 years over three spells
between 1912 and 1948, the man known
as ‘Il Vecchio Maestro’ – ‘the Old Master’
– ensured his legendary status in the mid-
to-late 1930s.
Having created the Metodo tactical
formation – a 2-3-2-3, dubbed the W-W
because of the shape it formed on the pitch –
he led the Azzuri to World Cup victory twice,
in 1934 and 1938. In doing so he became the
irst and only manager to lift the trophy twice.
As if to show just how great he was as a
manager, he supplemented that by steering
his team to Olympic gold in Berlin in 1936 –
a victory that supporters of Italian dictator
Benito Mussolini claimed was vindication of
the fascist system’s superiority.
But Pozzo had actually fallen in love with
football in socialist-leaning Manchester,
where he had studied at the turn of the 20th
century. He was inspired by Manchester
United’s centre-half Charlie Roberts, who he
regarded as the best player in the world.
Indeed, it is understood that Roberts
inluenced the style that Pozzo went on to
adopt. He placed a greater reliance on the
inside forwards rather than the centre-half,
and this unleashed Internazionale’s Giuseppe
Meazza and Juventus’s Giovanni Ferrari, both
of whom – along with Eraldo Monzeglio – are
the only Italians to have won two World Cups.
Although Italy did not compete in the irst
World Cup in 1930, his team lifted the Central
European International Cup that year.
He also controversially brought South
American-born Italian nationals into the team,
pointing to their role in the Italian army as
justiication. At the 1934 World Cup in Italy,
they beat the USA 7-1 in the irst round,
overcame Spain 1-0 in a quarter-inal replay
and saw of Austria in the semi-inal, beating
Czechoslovakia 2-1 after extra time in the inal.
Thanks to his dedication and
determination, however, Pozzo sought to
improve the team for 1938 in France, building
it around Meazza and Ferrari. They beat
Norway 2-1 in their opening match, before
knocking out the hosts in the quarter-inal 3-1.
They then defeated Brazil in the semis and
put four past Hungary in the inal, conceding
two to become victors once again.

71
 WORLD CUP LEGENDS

FRANZ BECKENBAUER Vicente del

Bosque took Spain
to the 2010 and

THE MAN THEY CALL ‘DER KAISER’ 2014 World Cups

A s a player, Franz Beckenbauer

captained West Germany to World Cup
glory in 1974. He also led Bayern Munich to
After coming a comfortable second in the
qualiiers, they found themselves at Italia
’90, topping Group D before beating the
three European Cups and earned himself the Netherlands, Czechoslovakia and England to
nickname ‘Der Kaiser’ – ‘The Emperor’. His reach the inal. Once again their opponents
stock kept rising after he stopped playing. were Argentina, but this time they had Jurgen
Appointed the team supervisor of West Klinsmann, Lothar Matthäus and Rudi Völler.
Germany in 1984 because he lacked a Beckenbauer, who had also shown his
coaching qualiication, he nevertheless took natural leadership qualities in 1974 and
his unfancied team to the World Cup inal stopped that team from falling apart, used
in 1986. And while they ended up on the his immense tactical insight and tight,
losing side against a Diego Maradona-inspired organised footballing discipline to thwart
Argentina (beaten 3-2 in front of 114,600 their opponents, winning 1-0. In doing so,
people in the Estadio Azteca, Mexico City), he became only the second man after Mário
the experience proved invaluable for the Zagallo of Brazil to win the World Cup both as
next tournament. a player and manager.

In 1990, assistant Berti

Vogts said Beckenbauer
had only been a “proper
VICENTE DEL
coach” for two years,
but it didn’t prevent him
winning the World Cup BOSQUE
A GENTLE WINNER

B y the time Vicente del Bosque took

the reins of Spain in 2008, the
nation’s football team had won the UEFA
European Championship with a team that
included Andrés Iniesta, Xavi Hernández,
Sergio Ramos and David Silva. Their style
and structure was already ingrained, but del
Bosque was not afraid of making changes in a
bid to evolve the team.
Spain were the favourites to win the
tournament, yet they lost their opening
match against Switzerland. Rather than
change the game plan, del Bosque stood
irm and put faith in his players, dealing with
the situation with a trademark calmness. By
building the team around Sergio Busquets
and Xabi Alonso and retaining the short
passing and movement of the tiki-taka style
of play, they progressed to the inal, beating
England, Argentina and Germany on the way.
Del Bosque then looked at the devastating
potential of the Netherlands and sought to
make good use of Jesus Navas’ speed on the
right wing. The game was forced into extra
time, but Iniesta scored in the 116th minute to
hand victory to Spain. He then led the team
to further European Championship glory two
years later.

72
 TOP WORLD CUP COACHES

Even though Bilardo

CARLOS BILARDO
won the World Cup in
1986, some called for
him to resign over his
method of play

DOC WITH A CURE FOR FAILURE

W hile it’s fair to say that the 1986 World

Cup will be forever associated with
Diego Maradona, Argentina’s victory was
actually down to the tactics of the coach,
Carlos Bilardo. He successfully introduced
the 3-5-2 formation – the irst time it had been
used in a major tournament – and in doing
so promoted the virtues of a pragmatic game
played to win rather than entertain.
Bilardo was an unusual coach, not least
because he was also a trained gynaecologist.
Obsessed with tactics and deeply
superstitious, he followed his playing career
with management spells at Estudiantes,
Deportivo Cali and San Lorenzo. He coached
the Colombian national team before being
appointed Argentina’s coach in 1983, and
arrived with a reputation for anti-football.
But he was also a grafter, meticulously
preparing for games. He nurtured Maradona,
appointing him captain, then switched from
4-4-2 to 3-5-2 soon after the 1986 World Cup got
underway. This freed Maradona and allowed
Jorge Burruchaga and Jorge Valdano to attack,
while forcing the rest of the team to remain
solid and well-practised.
It wasn’t pretty, but it worked. Argentina
dispatched England in the quarters, beat
Belgium and won 3-2 against West Germany.

HELMUT SCHÖN
VETERAN OF FOUR WORLD CUPS

H elmut Schön was born in Dresden in

1915, a city that found itself part of
Soviet-occupied East Germany after the
inish. Yet in 1972, West Germany became
European champions.
There was a sense that Schön would
World War II. Political interference prompted eventually crack the World Cup, and
him to lee to the West in 1950, and it was so it came in 1974 with West Germany
there that he became a true legend. hosting. Building the team around captain
Schön was appointed manager of West Beckenbauer, they topped the table in the
Germany in November 1964. It was Schön’s second round and faced the Netherlands in
team that faced England in the World Cup the inal, running out 2-1 winners.
inal of 1966, forcing the game into extra time, He then took West Germany to the inal
only to sufer the blow of a double-strike by of the European Championship two years
Geof Hurst to lose 4-2 at Wembley Stadium. later. Yet they were beaten by Czechoslovakia
He exacted revenge in the World Cup on penalties and, while they qualiied as
Schön won 16 of
his 25 World Cup quarter-inal of 1970. Defeat to Italy in champions for the 1978 World Cup, they lost
matches, drawing ive
and losing just four the semis, however, saw West Germany out in the quarters. It didn’t stop him being
console themselves with a third-place Germany’s most successful national coach.

73
 WORLD CUP LEGENDS

“THE MOVE FROM A

HIGHLY ORGANISED
DEFENCE TO SOMETHING
APPROACHING
TOTAL FOOTBALL
WAS A SUCCESS”

Italy’s 1986
campaign was not
as successful as
1982, but Bearzot
left his job, having
coached Italy for a
record 104 games

74
 TOP WORLD CUP COACHES

ENZO BEARZOT Mário Zagallo adopted a

loose starting XI in 1970
that made use of Brazil’s
inest players
THE MAN WHO BROKE ITALY’S 44-YEAR DROUGHT

A lthough Enzo Bearzot only had a single cap for Italy as a player, he was
determined to make his mark as a manager when he became the joint head
coach of his country alongside Fulvio Bernardini in 1975. He soon took over
entirely and led the team to three World Cups in 1978, 1982 and 1986, transforming the
side from one that prioritised cynical and brutal defending to a group of players that
lourished in attack.
In his irst tournament, Italy came a respectable fourth and Bearzot, who had been
an assistant to Ferruccio Valcareggi four years earlier, was praised for his team’s lexible
and exciting play. He took the same sense of adventure to the 1982 tournament,

MÁRIO
although three poorly played draws in Group 1 drew criticism from supporters and saw
him impose a media blackout.

ZAGALLO
The ‘silenzio stampa’, however, turned out to be a masterstroke. By shielding his
players from the press, he worked purely on encouraging the team. They began to
play well, beating Argentina and Brazil, knocking out Poland in the semis and seeing
of West Germany 3-1 in the inal – a irst World Cup win since 1938. The move from THE EVER-PRESENT BRAZILIAN
a highly organised defence to something approaching total football was deemed a
success, as was his decision to recall Paolo Rossi after a two-year ban for match ixing.
Rossi repaid him with a top-scoring six goals. M ário Zagallo owned the number 10
shirt that Pelé wore in the irst half of
the 1970 World Cup inal. He put it up for
auction in 2007, but it always held a special
memory for him, not least because 1970
was the tournament in which Brazil trod an
unbeaten path to a 4-1 victory against Italy.
While Zagallo had only been appointed three
months earlier, he had just overseen a team
that, arguably, was the best to ever grace a
World Cup pitch.
But then Zagallo was no stranger to the
tournament. He had won the World Cup
as a player in 1958 and 1962, which meant,
1966 aside, he’d had a phenomenal run. For
1970, he had switched attacking midielder
Rivellino to the left wing, allowing midielder
Gérson a place and he restored goalkeeper
Félix Miélli Venerando. It showed that his
tactics were astute, and that his attention to
detail was equally acute.
Zagallo still had his clipboard in his hand
when he was celebrating Brazil’s victory. But
what is perhaps just as remarkable is that he
led Brazil in more World Cups. A lacklustre
1974 saw the team inish in fourth place (he
quit shortly after), while in 1998 in France,
he took them all the way to the inal, where
the hosts beat them 3-0. He was also made
caretaker of Brazil in 2002 and coordinator
between 2003 and 2006.

75
 WORLD CUP LEGENDS

VICENTE FEOLA Feola kickstarted

Brazil’s phenomenal
success of ive World Cup
victories back in 1958
THE CONTROVERSIAL WINNER

I t is perhaps unfair that many Brazilians

view Vicente Feola with a tinge of
bitterness, focusing less on their country’s
Even so, the stockily built Feola had a
reputation for being a little too laid back, and
stories emerged of him sleeping on the bench
irst World Cup title in 1958 and more on and letting senior players take too much
their disastrous performance in 1966. control. He also had a large coaching team
For while he did chalk up just one victory in consisting of a doctor, itness coach, team
England (a 2-0 win against Bulgaria), he had supervisor, psychologist and even a dentist –
the foresight of introducing Pelé – then aged a novelty at the time. Yet players have since
just 17 – in 1958. He scored against Wales in airmed that Feola was indeed making the
the quarters, put three past France in the decisions, and that he got them enjoying an
semis and two past Sweden in the inal. expansive game. His groundwork paved the
Winning that latter game 5-2 showed how way for a second success in 1962, although he
strong Brazil were. was too ill to oversee that one himself.

JOACHIM LÖW
HIS WINNING TEAM HUMBLED
BRAZIL ON HOME SOIL

O f all of the managers listed here,

Joachim Löw is the only one currently
coaching a national team. Having made
his way into coaching when he broke his
shin bone as a player aged 22, he eventually
became Germany’s manager in 2006, giving
him the chance of putting a lifetime of
studying the game into good efect at the
highest of levels.
Prior to that, Löw had short spells at clubs
such as VfB Stuttgart, Fenerbahçe and Tirol
Innsbruck. But his initial partnership as
assistant coach to Jürgen Klinsmann had
seen Germany come third in 2006. Löw
repeated that efort in 2010 before inally
bagging Germany’s fourth World Cup in 2014,
beating Argentina 1-0 and inlicting Brazil’s
worst World Cup defeat (7-1) in the semis
before their home crowd, highlighting their
conidence and aggression.
As such, Löw is a modern-day legend.
His side lifted the FIFA Confederations
Cup for the irst time in 2017, and they
reached the semi-inals of the European
Championship the year before. It has meant
Germany entered the 2018 World Cup as joint
favourites with Brazil, with pundits retaining a
Joachim Löw’s Germany
entered the 2018 World faith in Löw’s tactical purity and a philosophy
Cup as champions and
won all ten of their that puts the type of player at his disposal
qualifying matches above the quality of the footballer.

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 TOP WORLD CUP COACHES

Ramsey’s decision to play a

tight, direct midield in a 4-4-2
formation ensured England were
dubbed the wingless wonders

ALF RAMSEY
THE MANAGER WHO BROUGHT FOOTBALL HOME

W hen Alf Ramsey was appointed

manager of England on the back of
enormous success with Ipswich Town
which England lost 5-2. But England had
qualiied for the World Cup in 1966 as hosts
and Ramsey was keen to capitalise on that
take his place in the quarter-inal. When
Greaves recovered and the press pondered
whether he would play in the inal, Ramsey
– a team he led from the Third Division home advantage, even though on paper it stuck with Hurst. It paid of, as Hurst scored
to champions of the First Division in was clear England were not the best team in a hat-trick to sink West Germany 4-2.
the space of seven whirlwind years – he the tournament. Unfortunately, the momentum did not
made a bold declaration: “We will win He sought to calm his players, even continue. Ramsey took England to third
the World Cup.” allowing them to watch Those Magnificent place in the UEFA European Championship
It was a statement that fans couldn’t quite Men In Their Flying Machines at a local in 1968, but his teams sufered quarter-inal
believe that day in October 1962. But it was cinema the day before the irst game. He defeats at the 1970 World Cup and
clear that he wanted to do things his own treated the side like a club team, and sought 1972 Euros. He also failed to qualify for
way. His predecessor, Walter Winterbottom, to make it as close-knit as possible. This the 1974 World Cup. Yet that 1966 victory
did not have control over team selections, ensured the whole was greater than the sum for England – which was, in many ways,
but that was not Ramsey’s style. Indeed, he of its parts and, despite a 0-0 draw with won against the odds despite Ramsey’s
named Bobby Moore as captain even though Uruguay, England went all the way. optimism – has been enough to make him
the player was just 22 years and 47 days old. In doing so, Ramsey proved he was a true legend for his country. His tactical
Ramsey didn’t start well. His irst match unafraid of making diicult decisions. Striker approach, strictness and demands for high
was a preliminary round qualiier for the Jimmy Greaves was injured in the group performance won out, and the victory will
European Nations Cup on 27 February 1963, stage, for instance, allowing Geof Hurst to always be remembered.

77
 WORLD CUP LEGENDS

DAVID LUIZ

TOP 10…
David Luiz’s celebration after scoring
a spectacular long-range free kick to
vanquish Chile in the 2014 World Cup on
Brazil’s home soil is the deinition of “losing it”.

CELEBRATIONS
From silly dances to spectacular
Luiz sprinted towards the corner, sinews straining
as he cried out in celebration before aiming a little
leaping kick at the corner lag.

backflips, and explosions of emotion

to extravagant poses, we pick out
the most iconic celebrations in the
competition’s history

BRIAN LAUDRUP
Brian Laudrup’s cheeky celebration after scoring against
Brazil in the 1998 World Cup quarter-inals in France
is one to raise a smile. He started of yelling with joy, but then
decided to drop to the loor in a pose that said, “no big deal”.

DIEGO MARADONA
When football legend Maradona capped of
a superb team move for Argentina in the
1994 World Cup in the USA, he ran to the sidelines,
found a camera and stared wide-eyed into it as he
screamed in celebration. His failed drug test after
X
the game made it an infamous image.

PAPA BOUBA DIOP

Senegal stunned world champions France
in the 2002 World Cup, Papa Bouba Diop
scoring the only goal in a 1-0 win. Diop ran to the
corner lag, laid his shirt down on the ground and
then led his teammates in celebratory dance
around it.

JULIUS AGHAHOWA
The acrobatic celebration is now something
of a staple, but even so, Julius Aghahowa’s
amazing backlipping celebration after scoring
X
against Sweden in the 2002 World Cup held in
South Korea and Japan is still something special.
He kept going for so long that you thought he might
just backlip all the way home.

78
 TOP 10… CELEBRATIONS

RASHIDI YEKINI
Nigeria had never scored a World Cup goal
until Rashidi Yekini netted for his country
in a 3-0 win over Bulgaria in 1994, and you could
X
see how much the moment meant to him. Yekini’s
momentum took him into the opposition goal,
where he grabbed hold of the net and screamed with
unbridled emotion.

ROGER MILLA
X
Roger Milla became a household name
during the 1990 World Cup. That’s partly
attributable to his four goals, but probably more so
because of his trademark celebration. Milla would run
to the corner lag and pull of a little hip-wiggle dance.
It helped spark the trend for the many fun and over-
the-top choreographed celebrations since.

SIPHIWE TSHABALALA
In the opening game of the 2010 World
Cup in South Africa, the irst to be held in
Africa, Siphiwe Tshabalala capped of a quick
counterattacking move, unleashing a ierce shot
into the top corner to score the tournament’s
irst goal. Tshabalala and his teammates ran to the
X

sideline to perform a Macarena-esque dance that

played into the party atmosphere of the tournament.

X
BEBETO
Days before Brazil’s quarter-inal against the
Netherlands in the 1994 World Cup, the wife
of Brazilian striker Bebeto gave birth to their third
child. Bebeto scored, ran to the sideline and started
rocking an imaginary baby, joined by Romario and
Mazinho. The celebration took of, copied by kids
across the world and by fellow professionals, who
have emulated the celebration ever since. X
MARCO TARDELLI
Marco Tardelli’s iconic celebration occurred in the 1982 World
Cup inal between Italy and West Germany. Midway through
the second half, Tardelli received the ball just outside the box, clipped it
with his right foot over onto his left, and then drilled it back across goal
to score Italy’s second in a 3-1 win. He then set of running to start his
now legendary celebration, shaking his ists and screaming as he shook
his head from side to side, a maddened look in his eyes as he charged

X towards us on the TV screen. What makes it the World Cup’s most special
celebration is its purity. There’s no choreography or self-awareness; just
an explosion of unbridled emotion from a player who knows that he may
have just have secured football’s most fabled prize for his country.

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 WORLD CUP LEGENDS

MOMENTS

4 JULY 1990

GAZZA IN
TEARS
An emotional Paul Gascoigne wins the fans’ hearts

I
n one of the semi-inals of the 1990 Famously, Gary Lineker noticed that after all, one of the most naturally gifted
World Cup, England faced West Germany Gazza was on the verge of tears, and was footballers England had ever produced.
to decide who would go on to play caught by the camera advising manager It was these displays of disarming
Argentina in the inal. During the game, Bobby Robson to keep an eye on him. As childish innocence that really made the
Paul Gascoigne was booked for a foul on it happened, Gascoigne need not have English public love him. Everyone could see
Germany’s Thomas Berthold. The young worried about missing the inal; England how much the dream of playing in a World
player started to tear up, realising that it was were eliminated on penalties, and his Cup inal meant to him, and they could see
his second yellow of the knockout stage emotions were let loose as the tears started his passion for the game. It made the fans
and would mean that he would miss the lowing. Gazza was already a popular igure feel like he was one of them, and ensured
inal, were England to get there. thanks to his mercurial talent – he was, his place in World Cup folklore.

80
GAZZA IN TEARS

81
 WORLD CUP LEGENDS

ZINEDINE ZIDANE:
A TALE OF TWO FINALS
Zidane went from hero to zero between 1998 and 2006,
highlighting a supreme talent mixed with a fiery temperament

I
t was 18 June 1998, and France were the loor in a tangle of legs. Rather than walk During those irst two games, Zidane had
playing Saudi Arabia in their second game away, Zidane brought his foot down hard on displayed the sublime skills that were to
of the irst round of the World Cup. They his opponent’s body, and the referee, Arturo become his trademark. He had spun 180
were comfortably 2-0 up thanks to goals by Brizio Carter, had no hesitation in reaching degrees out of a challenge against Saudi
Thierry Henry and David Trezeguet, and for his pocket. It was only good fortune Arabia, for instance, to lick a pass to Bixente
Zinedine Zidane was in typically ine form. for Zidane that France continued to power Lizarazu that ended at the feet of Henry for
He was enjoying his second ever World Cup forward with ten men and bag two more goals the opener. It had also been his corner that
tournament match following the game against to make it 4-0. allowed Christophe Dugarry to open France’s
South Africa six days before. On that occasion, As subsequent footage shows, a frustrated account against South Africa. But then it was
he received a yellow card in the 75th minute Zidane rubbed his face in contemplation as he always abundantly clear that Zidane was an
for pulling at Quinton Fortune. This time, sat alone in the dressing room. He knew what exceptional talent playing in a superb French
however, he would literally see red. could so easily have happened following that team. Yet that temper. That temper!
In the 71st minute, Zidane was tackled by moment of madness. But had he learned his To understand where it may have come
the Saudi defender Fuad Amin, who fell to lesson? France certainly hoped so. from, it’s worth delving into Zidane’s past.

82
 ZINEDINE ZIDANE

Zidane heads France

into the lead against
Brazil during the 1998
World Cup inal

Born in Marseille, France, on 23 June 1972 to AS Cannes in 1986, turning professional three sharp glimpses of his internal vision, precise
parents of Algerian descent, Zidane had spent years later. He remained with the club until control and immense drive. He also showed
much of his youth kicking a ball around the 1992, when he joined Bordeaux – a great move an ability to run forward with extraordinary
tower blocks of the bleak modernist council that saw them win the Intertoto Cup in 1995, pace, and he was already well on his way to
estate in Marseille’s tough La Castellane but inish runners-up against Bayern Munich becoming the most complete footballer of his
neighbourhood, where many irst and second- in the 1996 UEFA Cup Final, losing 5-1 over generation, even at that early stage.
generation immigrants resided to form a two legs. Indeed, pundits and fans were constantly
close-knit, life-airming community. By then, however, Zidane had already amazed that he could ind space out of
He’d ended up joining a local football decided to move to Juventus, where he went nothing and inspire conidence in those
club called US Saint-Henri at the age of ten on to help the team win two league titles, a around him simply by being there. They
years old before signing for SO Septèmes-les- Supercoppa Italiana, a UEFA Super Cup and were mesmerised by his mastering of the
Vallons a year later. Duly selected to attend an Intercontinental Cup. All of that prepared Marseille Turn, a specialised dribbling skill
a footballing institute run by the French him well for the 1998 World Cup, and he had also employed by Maradona that would see
Football Federation, he was then spotted by clearly shown what he could do. There were him drag his strong foot back, spin his body

83
 WORLD CUP LEGENDS

THE GOLDEN BALL

Prior to the 2006 World Cup inal in Berlin, What is most likely to have swung it for Zidane –
Zinedine Zidane was awarded the prestigious who was not only lacklustre in the opening two group
Golden Ball, which is handed out to the best matches, but sent of in the inal – were his blistering
player of the tournament. The then-34 year old had performances against Spain, Brazil and Portugal in
topped a poll of journalists covering the World Cup the knock-out rounds. He’d been named man of the
that summer and, having taken their pick from a list match against Brazil, during which he assisted Thierry
of players collated by the FIFA technical committee, Henry’s deciding goal. Meanwhile, his penalty against
the media gave Zidane 2,012 points – a tally which Portugal had put France into the inal. For Zidane, who
just edged him ahead of Fabio Cannavaro of Italy, who was retiring at the end of the tournament, winning this
received 1,977 points. It was way more than the 715 prestigious accolade was an opportunity for glory amid
points given to Andrea Pirlo, also of Italy. controversy and disappointment.

and then drag his weaker foot backwards, stage, ‘Zizoumania’ – as the press called it in – not that Zidane, a man of uncharacteristic
befuddling opponents. reference to Zidane’s nickname, Zizou – was in humility, would have welcomed the
So to have Zidane out for the next two full low. The French supporters were hopeful comparisons in reality
games in 1998 courtesy of that red card took that the team could inally lift the trophy for Indeed, Zidane was always aware of his
some of the wind out of France’s sails. They the irst time following the disappointments roots and, having worked hard, any victory
may well have triumphed over Denmark and of 1958, 1982 and 1986, when the country would be entirely earned. He just had to
Paraguay without him (they beat Denmark failed to get past the semis. keep the temper and the street-toughness he
2-1 and Paraguay 1-0) but, in that latter game To get this far had not been without efort learned in the 'ghetto' under strict control. The
at least, they embarrassingly lapped and and sacriice. To keep the team focused, they good news was that he was seemingly more
loundered at times. France needed a sudden had been staying in hotels far away from their relaxed than he had been at the start of the
death goal against Paraguay courtesy of families and this had led them to think only tournament, when his teammates noticed he
Laurent Blanc to send them into the quarters. of their single objective: to lift the golden was more stretched and demanding.
This, however, allowed Zidane to return to the trophy in Paris and become champions of Easing matters for Zidane was the fact that
tournament and seize his chance. the world. Nerves had begun to jangle as the he wasn’t actually the talking point as the
Perhaps eager not to put another foot team stood before the 75,000-strong crowd, game got underway; Brazil’s Ronaldo was.
wrong, he was actually relatively subdued in but when the whistle blew, Les Bleus showed About 70 minutes before the kick-of, the
the subsequent stalemate quarter-inal against their intent. Almost immediately, Zidane footballing press had become rather giddy
Italy, even though he scored the irst penalty was displaying his intricate passing and when they noticed that the man widely
in the shootout to help France through 4-3. incandescent skills, his conidence raised and considered to be the greatest player at the
He wasn’t his true pioneering self against a sense of victory already apparent. tournament was not on the team sheet.
Croatia in the semis either but, again, France’s If there was any hint that the level of Journalists spent 40 minutes looking for
overall strength saw them through with a passionate support had weighed heavy on the answers, only to be handed a replacement
2-1 win. The victory put France into the inal team and that the demands on the players sheet with Ronaldo in place of Edmundo.
against Brazil, and there was no doubt that were high, the players looked determined not An odd state of afairs, it only later became
France needed Zidane to be at his best. All he to show it. Some pundits had suggested that apparent that the striker had sufered a
needed to do was keep his iery temperament the immense expectation in France is what terrible it while sleeping earlier in the day.
under control, and everyone knew he would had caused Zidane to explode with such force Some who witnessed it thought he was dying.
be hugely efective. during that game against the Saudis. The episode was put down to pressure,
So it came: 12 July 1998. The French One thing’s for sure, however: Zidane’s which had been too much for the 21 year old.
supporters were heaping much pressure on temperament improved after he returned, and Zidane would have understood. But just as
Zidane's shoulders, their usual enthusiastic it was evident in this match. It was his chance Ronaldo appeared lost and a mere shadow
shouts of “Zidane” bouncing of the roof of to stand alongside the greats of the World of the player everyone knew him to be, so
the magniicent Stade de France. By this Cup, from Pelé to Platini, Cruyf to Maradona Zidane put on a masterclass. It therefore
became an intriguing inal between a country
that had won the World Cup four times – the
“ZIDANE WAS DISPLAYING HIS INTRICATE last just four years earlier in 1994 – and a team
that seemed to embody the world. That’s
PASSING AND INCANDESCENT SKILLS, A because France was made up of players with
roots in Africa, South America, the Caribbean,
SENSE OF VICTORY ALREADY APPARENT” Armenia and the Basque country. It was so

84
Zidane in action during
the 1998 World Cup
inal between Brazil and
France. France would
defeat Brazil 3-0
 WORLD CUP LEGENDS

Zidane takes on
Brazilian captain
Dunga in the 1998
World Cup inal

86
 ZINEDINE ZIDANE

diverse that Jean-Marie Le Pen, leader of the

far-right Front National party, called them
“unworthy” to represent France – a disgraceful
label and slur against the side that is only
likely to have spurred them on further.
And so it was that Zidane had his moment,
making entertaining runs that culminated in
him scoring two irst-half goals: one in the
27th minute when he headed a corner from
Emmanuel Petit past goalkeeper Cláudio
Tafarel and the other on 45, again from a
corner. As the second half got underway, it
was becoming ever more clear that Zidane
would be man of the match, but France didn’t
make it easy for themselves.
Marcel Desailly, who was at the heart of the
French defence, got a yellow card in the 48th
minute and another in the 68th, which led to
him being sent of. Down to ten men, it was
ripe for a Brazilian comeback but France – and
Zidane – remained strong, particularly in their
defensive performance and their collective
decision to continue to push forward.
Then, in the 90th minute, Emmanuel Petit
got on the end of a pass from Patrick Vieira
and the game was over. France had won 3-0
and Zidane had become a national hero, his
face later projected onto the Arc de Triomphe,
complete with the phrase “Zizou on t’aime”
(“Zizou, we love you”). In achieving such an
upset against the previous tournament’s
champions, Zidane – who was indeed man of
the match – had helped turn France on to the
delights of international football after years
WHAT DID MATERAZZI SAY? of apathy. The celebrations continued on the
Champs-Élysées long into the night.
When Zinedine Zidane was sent of volunteers who make football a diferent Zidane’s stock had risen hugely. The
in the inal of the 2006 World Cup, thing,” he told them. following season, he won the Intertoto Cup
it was clear that the Italian defender Yet, when asked in 2010 if he would say
with Juventus and France picked up the
Marco Materazzi had said something to sorry to Materazzi, he was unequivocal. “I’d
European Championship in 2000. A year
him. Quite what, however, was the subject rather die,” he answered, explaining: “If I say
of speculation that was only properly cleared ‘sorry’, I would also be admitting that what later, Zidane signed a four-year deal with Real
up a year later when Materazzi revealed the he himself did was normal. And for me it was Madrid worth a then-record £46 million. He
actual words. not normal.” was 29 years old, and his immediate goal was
It appears Zidane had reacted to having his to steer the club to a ninth European Cup.
shirt pulled by Materazzi and told him: “If you Zidane-mania was felt on the streets of Madrid
want my shirt I will give it to you afterwards.” and he picked up the Supercopa de España
Materazzi revealed to the magazine TV almost immediately.
Sorrisi e Canzoni that he then replied to the By the end of that season, he’d added the
French star: “I prefer the whore that is your Champions League, but internationally, things
sister.” This caused Zidane to retaliate.
were less rosy. A thigh injury stopped him
But does Zidane regret it? Maybe. He
from playing in France’s opening games in
admitted to the French sports television
programme Téléfoot in 2017 that he was the 2002 World Cup and by the time he came
ashamed of what happened that day. “I back, in the third group match, it was largely
am not proud of this gesture – for all these too late and he couldn’t prevent his country
young people, all these coaches, all these from being eliminated. Still, back with Madrid,
he ended up winning La Liga in the 2002-03

87
 WORLD CUP LEGENDS

Mexican referee Arturo

Brizio Carter sends of
Zidane for stamping on
the Saudi captain Fuad
Amin in 1998

season, while picking up the UEFA Super Cup, him yet again, although the external factors occasion. France drew 0-0 and went on
Intercontinental Cup and another Supercopa were now wider than football itself, and it to play South Korea, hoping to turn things
de España. It was some haul in such a small could be argued that it was too much for him around. Instead, they drew 1-1 and Zidane
space of time, and Zidane soon found himself to take on. got yet another caution in the 85th minute.
preparing for another World Cup. In reality, very few people thought France It meant he missed the 2-0 victory over
Germany 2006 was set to be Zidane’s could win the World Cup this time around, Togo that saw France scrape through to the
last. He’d already announced that he would but Zidane vowed to himself to go out with knockout stage, but in a bid to get the players
retire a year earlier, but he was persuaded to a bang. It’s just a shame that it wasn’t quite motivated, he told them: “We live together, we
give his all for one more World Cup. Some the bang he would have hoped for, as history will die together”. Things began to get better
saw him as France’s great hope and not would bear out. after that.
just in a footballing sense. Politically, it was Just as in the 1998 World Cup, Zidane France thumped three past Spain to win
hoped he could delect attention from high picked up a yellow card in his opening game 3-1 in the Round of 16, with Zidane getting a
unemployment and other such problems back against Switzerland, this time in the 72nd yellow card in the 91st minute before scoring
home. To that degree, the pressure was upon minute, which was three short of the previous 60 seconds later. Supporters were overjoyed

88
 ZIDANE FACTS & FIGURES
12
3
GOALS SCORED IN
2 MATCHES PLAYED
IN WORLD CUPS

WORLD CUP FINAL

MATCHES

108
2
GAMES PLAYED AT
2002 WORLD CUP
NUMBER OF RED

1 OVERALL NUMBER
OF APPEARANCES
FOR FRANCE
CARDS RECEIVED
IN WORLD CUP
MATCHES
NUMBER OF APPEARANCES
IN THE FIFA ALL-STAR TEAM
(1998, 2006)

that the Frenchman seemed to have found his before the whistle blew for penalties. He well Even today, it’s a moment that cannot be
rhythm and he was cajoling his teammates to and truly lost his head. forgotten – an inglorious ending to an iconic
victory, conjuring images of 1998. Zidane did After nearly heading France to victory only playing career. Pundits believed it may have
the same against Brazil in the quarter-inals, to see Italy’s goalkeeper Gianluigi Bufon take caused France to lose what would have been
which France won 1-0, and his penalty in the hold, he got involved in an altercation with their second World Cup title, and Zidane has
33rd minute of the semi-inal against Portugal Materazzi. It had originally been thought that never argued that it was undeserved. In fact,
put his country through to the inal. Materazzi had insulted Zidane’s mother, but he has since said his sending of was “a very
And so it was that on 9 July 2006, Zidane the defender later admitted it was his sister. good thing” because he could not have lived
would play his last game for France before Either way, it riled Zidane, who initially walked with France becoming world champions if he
a crowd of 69,000 at the Olympiastadion in past the player before deciding to turn and had stayed on the pitch after what he'd done.
Berlin against Italy. Zidane got a penalty in the walk back to him. With his head down, he It was a noble response from a stunning,
seventh minute but Materazzi equalised. The butted Materazzi in the chest, prompting him albeit lawed, player whose passion for the
game went into extra time and then Zidane to fall theatrically to the loor. Zidane got a red game could never be questioned. But how
seemingly exploded, with ten minutes to go card and France lost the game on penalties. diferent the story could have been.

89
 WORLD CUP LEGENDS

90
 RIJKAARD VS VÖLLER

MOMENTS

24 JUNE 1990

RIJKAARD VS
VÖLLER A bitter rivalry spills over to showcase football at its worst

I
t may surprise England fans to hear that Germany’s Rudi Völler. Rijkaard felt that to ground after colliding with the keeper,
the Germans do not consider them rivals. Völler had deliberately left a leg dangling to despite what looked like a genuine attempt
Aside from the fact that they almost win himself the foul and he wasn’t pleased, to avoid contact. Rijkaard saw it another
always beat England when it matters, for to say the least. Depending on your point way, interpreting the handball and his going
them, the most important feud is with their of view, Rijkaard may or may not have had to ground as more deliberate cheating.
neighbours, the Netherlands. That rivalry a point, but regardless, that did not excuse His temper lared again as he ran over to
has led to some explosive encounters over what he did next. As the two jogged away, Völler and tried to yank him up by the ear,
the years, including an infamous incident at Rijkaard sent a glob of spit into the back of before stamping on his foot. The referee
the 1990 World Cup during the irst round Völler’s hair. Words were exchanged and had had enough and showed both players
of the knockout stage. Völler was booked. red. It’s exactly what we don’t want to see
It all started when the Netherlands’ From the resulting free kick sent into in a World Cup match, but it’s a famous
Frank Rijkaard was booked for a foul on the box, Völler handballed and then went moment nonetheless.

91
 WORLD CUP LEGENDS

TOTAL FOOTBALL
AND THE BIRTH OF
THE MODERN GAME
Although they came up short, the 1974 Netherlands side is remembered as one of the very best

W
hich World Cup side is the greatest Germany over the course of the summer of back as Matthias Sindelar’s Austrian national
of them all? 1974. They won all but one of six matches in team of the 1930s, through River Plate’s La
Clearly, a string of wins against the irst two group stages, scoring 14 times Máquina a decade later, and Ferenc Puskás’s
the world’s best teams is a prerequisite for and conceding just once. Hungary of the 1950s. It really took of under
any candidate, as is an exciting, aesthetically Argentina, a technically gifted side who Michels at Ajax from 1965 onwards, though.
pleasing style of football. The same goes for a went on to win the World Cup four years later, Given that Total Football is most
healthy smattering of star names, and a classic were swatted aside 4-0 in a ruthless display. commonly associated with the free-scoring
kit always helps. Then it was the turn of Brazil, winners Ajax and Dutch national sides of the
What about sides who never actually won of three of the previous four tournaments. 1970s, as well as Barcelona from the late
the World Cup? Can they be considered too? Unable to deal with the constant swarm 1980s onwards, its underlying premise is
Devotees of the Netherlands side of the 1974 of orange jerseys, the Seleção could count surprisingly a defensive one. That is, if the
World Cup would likely say so. themselves lucky not to have been beaten by opponent does not have the ball, he cannot
In coach Rinus Michels and captain Johan a greater margin than 2-0. score. The idea is to make the pitch as small
Cruyf the Oranje of the 1970s were served Results aside, what made the 1974 as possible when out of possession. This is
by two giants of world football. The team will Netherlands team exceptional was a set of done by pushing the defensive line up the
also be remembered for their swaggering, bold, new tactics. The origins of Total Football, pitch to set an aggressive ofside trap, while
often breathtaking, performances in West or totaalvoetbal in Dutch, can be traced as far your own attackers press the opponent deep
in his own half.
For the Dutch team, this meant quick
transitions from a 4-3-3 to a 3-4-3, with
the sweeper pushing into midield, as the
situation dictated. As such, the system
required players to become adept at playing
in more than just one position – a largely alien
concept in the 1970s.
Michels’ Ajax had used Total Football to
devastating efect in the early 1970s, winning
four Eredivisie titles, three KNVB Cups and
a European Cup, before he exported it to
Barcelona. But before the age of satellite TV
and online football streaming, it had been
witnessed by very few outside Amsterdam
and Catalonia.
The watching world was stunned by what
the Netherlands were doing, as the World
Cup was beamed across the world. Their
game difered from that of their opponents so

92
TOTAL FOOTBALL

Johan Cruyf under

pressure from a West
German defender in the
1974 World Cup inal

93
 WORLD CUP LEGENDS

radically, they may as well have been playing mystery to me. The television was too small; I “Cruyf built the cathedral. Our job is to
an entirely new sport. felt like I need to see the whole pitch fully to maintain and renovate it.”
Footage from the tournament – available understand what they were doing and fully to If a team’s greatness is at least partly
at the click of a button these days – is quite a appreciate it.” measured by its wider impact on its sport, the
sight. In match after match, gangs of orange Today, tactical lexibility and of-the-ball 1974 Dutch team can be said to have played
shirts streamed across the pitch in what movement are so prevalent that almost some of the most important football of the
seemed to be counter-intuitive patterns. all top-level European club sides can be 20th century.
Instead of closing down passing lanes, considered exponents of Total Football. Of course, football is much more than
Michels’ men chased after individual Leaving Ajax for Barcelona, as Michels had Xs and Os on a blackboard. The legendary
opponents, while six or more defenders would done, Cruyf’s ideas later became enmeshed Oranje team was also touched by technical
sprint in unison towards the halfway line to in the footballing DNA of what became the genius and scintillating link-up play between
leave dawdling opponents stranded ofside. modern era’s pre-eminent team. The tactical Cruyf and forwards Johnny Rep and
While tactical change in football is largely approach of the Spanish national sides that Rob Rensenbrink.
evolutionary rather than revolutionary, it is won three consecutive major tournaments Cute passes, often with the outside of the
not reductive to argue that the sport’s history can also be traced back to Total Football. boot, were employed to great efect, while
can be divided in two by the 1974 World Cup; Pep Guardiola, the then-Barcelona manager, emboldened attackers introduced tricks and
football before Cruyf and after Cruyf, such who had played under Cruyf, once remarked: licks to their game.
has been Total Football’s far-reaching and
enduring impact. Its ingerprints can be found
everywhere in the modern game.
“As a small boy,” Arrigo Sacchi, the legendary “IT WAS HOLLAND IN THE 1970S THAT
Milan manager, once said, “I was in love with
Honvéd, then Real Madrid, then Brazil, all the REALLY TOOK MY BREATH AWAY. IT WAS A
great sides. But it was Holland in the 1970s
that really took my breath away. It was a MYSTERY TO ME” ARRIGO SACCHI
Like the 1974 team, the Dutch
side of 1978 would also come
up short in the World Cup inal –
this time against Argentina

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 TOTAL FOOTBALL

The Cruyf turn, in which a player fuelled a decades-long rivalry between the Paul Breitner levelled the scores from
shapes to pass before dragging the ball two nations. the spot midway through the irst half,
back behind his standing leg and wheeling The away side made the best possible start; and Gerd Müller added a second on the
away, was debuted during the Netherlands’ Johan Neeskens converted from the penalty stroke of half time. Stiled for the irst time
match against Sweden in the 1974 World spot after just two minutes following a rash in the tournament, Michels’ men failed to
Cup. Within weeks, players across the challenge on Cruyf by Uli Hoeneß. ind another goal, and West Germany were
world were attempting to imitate the now- However, as the match wore on, the crowned world champions.
famous technique. Germans began to grow into it. It soon They may not have lifted the trophy but the
The Dutch went into the inal against a became apparent that they had worked men in orange jerseys nevertheless remain
Franz Beckenbauer-led West Germany as with a plan to neutralise the Dutch tactics. one of the most important football teams ever
hot favourites, despite playing in front of a Right-back Berti Vogts was charged with assembled. Few would argue their status as
partisan crowd in Munich’s Olympiastadion. dealing with the threat of Cruyf and marking the greatest team never to win the World Cup.
There was also an inevitable whif of the Netherlands’ star players out of the game, “Maybe we were the real winners in the
tension around the ground. It was just three while Beckenbauer, Hoeneß and Wolfgang end,” Cruyf mused, teasingly in 2014, two
decades removed from the Nazi invasion Overath looded the midield and took charge years before his death. “I think the world
of the Netherlands, the event that has of the game. remembers our team more.”

THE ARCHITECT OF MODERN FOOTBALL

As almost every team in Europe’s has collected 14 league titles and all ive of its But even José Mourinho and Diego Simeone,
top leagues practises a form of Total European Cups. Much of that is down to the whose teams have been known to defend
Football, it's clear why it is considered club’s enduring footballing philosophy, irmly very deep at times, ask their players to be able
the world’s most successful philosophy. rooted in Total Football, which remains in place to seamlessly switch positions and rapidly
Tiki-taka, an evolution of Total Football, even as managers come and go. transition from defence to attack – hallmarks of
underpinned the two pre-eminent sides of The system’s success is also evident when Total Football.
the modern era – Pep Guardiola’s Barcelona one considers that managers with hugely
and the Spanish team that won three major difering styles – from Arsène Wenger to
tournaments between 2008 and 2012. Ronald Koeman to Marcelo Bielsa – equally
It is no exaggeration to argue that Johan consider themselves disciples of Cruyf and
Cruyf, who played for Barcelona between Rinus Michels.
1973 and 1978, and then managed the side Of course, we mustn't forget there are a
from 1988 until 1996, introduced many of number of modern sides whose football more
the methods that helped it transform into the closely resembles Catenaccio, a defensive
world’s biggest club. strategy characterised by nullifying an
By 1990, Barça had won ten league titles and opponent’s strengths, which was particularly
no European Cups in its history. Since then, it popular in the 1960s.

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 WORLD CUP LEGENDS
MAXI RODRÍGUEZ VS
MEXICO, 2006

TOP 10…
Rodríguez’s 98th-minute
strike to sink Mexico was as
spectacular as it was dramatic. The
Argentine winger chested the ball on

GOALS the edge of the box before hitting a

dipping volley with his weaker left foot
from all of 25 yards, to secure an extra
time 2-1 win.
You can be the worst striker in
history, but score at a World Cup
and you’re instantly transformed
into a national hero
CARLOS ALBERTO VS
ITALY, 1970
In the 1970 inal against Italy, Brazil were
already 3-1 up when they dribbled out
of their own half. Jairzinho found Pelé, a man
determined to make a comeback after his 1966
injury, who laid the ball of for Carlos Alberto to
thump home perhaps the greatest inal goal ever.

X
ESTEBAN CAMBIASSO VS SERBIA
AND MONTENEGRO, 2006
Argentina manager José Pékerman’s philosophy
was that consideration in possession, not frantic
desperation, would always prevail. Never was that more
obvious than when in a single minute, Argentina strung
together 25 passes before Cambiasso scored from 12 yards out.
The ultimate team goal.

X
EUSÉBIO VS BRAZIL, 1966
Some goals echo more for their signiicance and the
players involved than their overall skill. Eusébio,
known as the Black Panther, scored nine goals for Portugal
at England ’66. None resonated more than a half-volley,
his second, to seal a 3-1 win over Brazil, knocking out the
defending champions.

PELÉ VS SWEDEN, 1958

Brazil were behind after just four minutes of
the inal, but a Vavá double put them ahead
before half time. Then Pelé produced a moment of
magic, licking the ball back over his defender’s head
to volley home from 15 yards and all but end the
game as a contest.
X
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 TOP 10… GOALS
ROBIN VAN PERSIE
VS SPAIN, 2014
The opening game of Group B in 2014 was
a re-run of the 2010 inal, in which Andrés
Iniesta had broken Dutch hearts. The Netherlands
X
got revenge in Brazil with a 5-1 win, but it was Robin
van Persie’s salmon-like leap and header from the edge
of the box that lives long in the memory.

MICHAEL OWEN
VS ARGENTINA, 1998
The 1998 second-round clash between England and
Argentina will be best remembered for Diego Simeone
getting David Beckham sent of and David Batty’s penalty
miss. But 18-year-old Michael Owen had already produced a
memorable moment, beating José Chamot and Roberto Ayala in a
run from the halfway line to score and give England a 2-1 lead.

SIPHIWE TSHABALALA VS
MEXICO, 2010
The 2010 World Cup was destined to be a special
one – the very irst in Africa. And while the irst
half of the opening game of the tournament – South
Africa vs Mexico – tested the eardrums with its vuvuzela
volume, the second saw Siphiwe Tshabalala emphatically
X

hammer home the irst goal ever scored at an African

World Cup. Bafana Bafana had announced themselves.

DENNIS BERGKAMP
VS ARGENTINA, 1998
It’s lucky that the 1998 World Cup was in France because
had Morocco beaten them to it, notoriously bad lier
Bergkamp might never have made it there. And we might have
missed out on one of the best goals of all time. In the quarter-inal
against Argentina, the two sides were locked at 1-1 when the Dutch
striker killed a 70-yard ball on his toe, beat a defender with his
second touch and stabbed home a 90th-minute winner.

X
MARADONA VS ENGLAND, 1986
England were still reeling. Manager Bobby Robson was still
remonstrating with anyone who would listen. Captain Peter Shilton
had hardly stopped slapping his arm in protestation at referee Ali Ben Nasser’s
decision not to blow up. Commentator Barry Davies had only just begun to
ascertain that Maradona might have punched – and not headed – the irst goal
of England’s quarter-inal against Argentina. But four minutes after the ‘Hand
of God’ had struck, Glenn Hoddle gave the ball away and it was moved to
Maradona, some 60 yards from goal. He jinked past Peter Beardsley, turned

X away from Peter Reid, beat Terry Butcher with sheer speed before utterly
bamboozling Terry Fenwick and ghosting past Peter Shilton to score. It took
him 11 seconds to score the greatest goal of the tournament.

97
 WORLD CUP LEGENDS

THE MAGNIFICENT
MAGYARS
Charting the rise and fall of football’s first revolutionary force

B
efore Klopp’s Gegenpress, Spain’s goals in 85 internationals for Hungary. His
Tiki-taka, Cruyf’s Total Football and strike partner wasn’t bad either. Sándor Kocsis
Italy’s Catenaccio, there was Hungary’s had a better than a goal a game average,
Golden Team. The Magniicent Magyars netting 75 goals in 68 appearances for his
dominated world football in the 1950s with nation. Behind that proliic duo was more
a revolutionary approach that would change great talent: the man tasked with illing the
the game forever. They may not be so well deep-lying forward role pioneered by Sebes,
remembered as football’s other great tactical Nándor Hidegkuti, and skilful left-winger
innovators, but they were no less inluential Zoltán Czibor. Josef Bozsik was another key
and deserve to be revered as one of the igure. He would sit deep, using his creativity
greatest forces the game has ever seen. and technique to play in the attacking talent
Between 1950 and 1956 Hungary racked ahead of him.
up an incredible record, winning 42 games, If this crop of talent wasn’t groundbreaking
drawing 7 and losing only one, wowing the enough, they also had the ‘Black Panther’,
globe in the 1954 World Cup, where they Gyula Grosics. Grosics is credited with being
scored 27 goals in only 5 games. What made the irst sweeper-keeper, pushing up to help
them such a formidable force? A large share mop up attacks and allow his teammates to
of the credit must go to the team’s innovative push deeper into the opponent’s half.
coach, Gusztáv Sebes. Hungary’s pioneering group of footballing
When Sebes took charge of Hungary, geniuses set of on a phenomenal run.
football’s dominant system was the WM They went into the 1952 Olympic Games
formation, or 3-2-2-3. Sebes took a new on a two-year unbeaten streak, sweeping
approach, implementing a 2-3-3-2. It included defending champions Sweden aside in a 6-0
a revolutionary innovation: the introduction win and defeating Yugoslavia in the inal to
of the deep-lying centre forward. In an era claim Olympic gold. The team followed up
where defenders were wedded to the idea of in 1953 by winning the Central European
man-marking, this could play havoc with the International Cup.
opposition, who would often follow the player As the 1954 World Cup drew near,
into midield and be drawn out of position. Hungary’s growing proile led to them
Sebes also implemented a philosophy being invited to play in a famous match
that was the precursor to Total Football. He that provided the perfect illustration of how
wanted his players to be comfortable playing far ahead they were of other teams: a 1953
in all positions, ensuring that the side could friendly against England dubbed the ‘Match of
attack and defend as a unit and that players the Century’.
had the tactical lexibility to be able to England displayed a supreme arrogance
interchange with teammates. coming into the game. Though Hungary
Of course, to play in such a style requires a were ranked number one in the world, the
group of talented players, and Hungary were English football establishment and media felt
blessed on that front. The team were led by sure that they would squash these European
one of the greatest of all time, Ferenc Puskás, upstarts. After all, England invented football.
who would go on to have a storied career at Add to that the fact that the game was being
Real Madrid and who scored an amazing 84 played at Wembley, where England had only

98
THE MAGNIFICENT MAGYARS

Hungary legend Ferenc

Puskás scores against
England in a 7-1 friendly
win in 1954

99
 WORLD CUP LEGENDS

“THE TEAM WERE LED BY ONE OF THE

status as the world’s best team in a rematch,
thrashing England 7-1. Unbeaten since 1950

GREATEST OF ALL TIME, FERENC PUSKÁS”

and with those two hefty wins under their
belt, they were the upcoming tournament’s
clear favourites.
been defeated once, and it seemed certain Harry Johnston, for example, was accustomed The 1954 tournament had a unique format.
that this eagerly anticipated spectacle would to marking the opposition’s centre-forward, There were four groups of four teams, each
go in their favour. the number nine. However, it was Hidegkuti, with two seeded teams and two unseeded
It didn’t. England were dismantled by Sebes’ deep-lying forward, who was wearing teams. Rather than the round-robin format
Hungary in front of their home fans, losing that number. Johnston was completely we are used to, seeded teams would only play
6-3 in a defeat that shook English football to bamboozled by Hidegkuti’s approach, unsure unseeded teams, meaning there were only
the core. England were baled by Hungary’s as to whether he should be sticking with his four matches in each group.
tactical approach, sent into disarray by their man and therefore be drawn out of position, Hungary were drawn in group two, along
luid positional interchanging. This was or stay where he was and give Hidegkuti the with West Germany, Turkey and South
exacerbated by the tendency of England’s licence to roam free. In short, England were Korea. In their irst game, Hungary wiped
players to base their decisions on who to stuck in the past and, confronted by the the loor with South Korea, beating them 9-0
mark on the numbers their opponents were future, had no idea what to do. thanks to a hat-trick from Kocsis, braces from
wearing, rather than the space they were A matter of weeks before the 1954 World Puskás and Palotás and goals from Lantos
occupying on the pitch. England centre-half Cup in Switzerland, Hungary reinforced their and Czibor. Their second game was against
West Germany, who took the risk of ielding
a weakened side. They paid for it, losing 8-3.
The 1954 World Cup inal was held
in the Wankdorf Stadium and watched Kocsis was again on form, scoring four, Puskás
by a crowd of 62,000
and Tóth both grabbed a goal and Hidegkuti
nabbed two. The defeat didn’t end up being
too costly for Germany, who qualiied for
the knockout stages after beating Turkey in
a play-of. Hungary, however, had to go into
their quarter-inal without their star player,
Puskás, who was injured in the match.
Hungary met Brazil in the quarter-inal.
Given that the two teams had a reputation for
playing attractive, attacking football – Hungary
on their part having already netted 17 goals in
two games – the game was expected to be a
spectacle. In a sense it was, but not in the way
people had anticipated. The infamous match
would go down as one of the most violent
ever played, earning it the moniker the ‘Battle
of Berne’.
Despite heavy rain and a slippery pitch,
Hungary continued their impressive attacking
form early on. In the fourth minute Hidegkuti
came out on top in a goalmouth scramble
THE DEMISE OF THE GOLDEN TEAM to put Hungary in front. They quickly struck
The end of the Magniicent example, went to play for Barcelona, where again, Kocsis scoring a header to put them
Magyars was precipitated by both had successful careers. Hungary’s star 2-0 up with only eight minutes gone. Both
political events at home. player, Ferenc Puskás, also went to Spain, teams started to commit niggly fouls; though
Budapest Honvéd, for whom most of the where he played for Real Madrid for eight the rain continued to hammer down, the
national team played, were in Spain playing seasons, scoring 156 goals in 180 La Liga temperature of the game was rising. One of
in the European Cup when revolution games. He won La Liga ive times in a row
those fouls resulted in a penalty for Brazil,
erupted in Hungary in 1956. The team between 1961 and 1965, the Spanish Cup
which they scored, shifting the momentum in
brought their families out of Hungary and once and three European Cups.
went on a money-raising world tour rather With their key players living in exile, their favour for the rest of the half.
than returning home. the Golden Team was broken apart. In Things really got out of hand in the second
Eventually, some went back, but several Hungary’s next World Cup in 1958 they half when Hungary were awarded a penalty
key players refused. Kocsis and Czibor, for were eliminated in the group stage. and Brazilian journalists and oicials looded
the pitch in protest. Hungary’s Lantos scored

100
THE MAGNIFICENT MAGYARS

West Germany’s Max

Morlock scores his
country’s irst goal in the
1954 World Cup inal

101
 WORLD CUP LEGENDS

Hungary and
Brazil do battle in
their notoriously
violent World Cup
quarter-inal clash

102
 THE MAGNIFICENT MAGYARS

the penalty, but the incident further fuelled an control again. Kocsis struck twice to send Hungary kept on attacking after the restart,
already ill-tempered game. Six minutes later Hungary through with another 4-2 win, but a combination of proligacy on their part
Brazil’s Nilton Santos put a nasty challenge dealing Uruguay their irst World Cup loss in and sensational goalkeeping on the part
in on Bozsik. The pair traded punches before an exciting match that can stake a claim as of Germany’s Turek left them frustrated.
being dismissed by the referee. one of the inest in the tournament’s history. Germany’s keeper stopped a couple of shots
The reckless tackles and bad blood Hungary would meet West Germany in the from Puskás and tipped a Kocsis header onto
continued as the match degenerated into a inal, with the result seeming like a forgone the bar. His compatriot, Kohlmeyer, twice
maelstrom of incessant fouling and cynical conclusion. Hungary hadn’t been defeated cleared the ball of the line. Then, with six
tactics. In among the chaos Brazil pulled for four years and had just vanquished minutes to go, Germany struck.
one back to bring the score to 3-2. However, the current world champions in the semi- A high ball into the Hungary box was
all hopes of levelling the match were inal. Their opponents were not even full cleared but dropped to Rahn, who dummied
extinguished with 11 minutes remaining when professionals, having to work second jobs a pass to his centre-forward, ducked into the
Brazil had Humberto sent of for a horror to get by. Add to that the fact that Hungary penalty box and powered a low shot into
tackle on Lóránt. Hungary’s Kocsis then struck had already beaten West Germany 8-3 in the Hungary’s net. The match ended 3-2 to West
again in the 88th minute to give Hungary a group stages and it seemed certain that the Germany. Hungary’s phenomenal run was
4-2 win. over and the defeat would go down in history
At the inal whistle players and oicials
became embroiled in an almighty brawl that
“THE INFAMOUS as one of football’s biggest upsets, a match
known as the ‘Miracle of Berne’.
started on the pitch and continued into the
dressing rooms to bring a violent game to a
MATCH WOULD GO There were several controversies in the
wake of the loss. Some felt Hungary should
violent conclusion.
Hungary’s semi-inal match would be
DOWN AS ONE OF have been awarded a free kick for a foul
on goalkeeper Grosics in the build up to
against defending champions Uruguay.
Uruguay had never lost a World Cup match,
THE MOST VIOLENT Germany’s second goal; Puskás had a goal
disallowed in the inal minutes of the game;
having won both the tournaments in which
they appeared. Hungary went up against this
EVER PLAYED” and Kocsis was denied a penalty. There were
also allegations about the West Germany side
formidable opponent with their star man Magniicent Magyars would claim the World taking performance-enhancing drugs. What
Puskás still missing. Even so, they took an Cup glory they so obviously deserved. made the defeat most painful of all, however,
early lead in the 13th minute through Czibor, a Despite having not recovered from his is how much of an aberration it would prove
lead they managed to hold until half time. injury, Puskás came back into the fold for the to be. Between its emergence in 1950 and its
Within two minutes of the restart Hungary inal. The decision paid dividends when he breaking apart in 1956, this was the only game
struck again, this time through Hidegkuti. bagged the opening goal after six minutes. Hungary’s Golden Team lost.
Uruguay didn’t give up though. Instead they Czibor followed up only two minutes later, Hungary would never get the World Cup
played their part in making it a thrilling capitalising on a poor backpass. The inal was win they deserved. With the coming of the
contest, relentlessly attacking the Hungarian following the script. Hungarian Revolution in 1956 the Golden
defence. Their persistence paid of in the 75th However, West Germany quickly struck Team were broken up, and the nation would
minute when Hohberg found the net, a feat back. Max Morlock netted from close range never again reach the same footballing
he would repeat in 86th minute to draw the in the tenth minute and Rahn scored from heights. Even so, we should still celebrate the
game level at 2-2. a corner in the 19th. Hungary again took the legacy of the team’s revolutionary approach to
The match went into extra time, where initiative after the equaliser but couldn’t ind the beautiful game and the legend of its truly
Hungary’s superior itness saw them take the net and went into the break level. incredible players.

HUNGARY FACTS & FIGURES STRIKER

SÁNDOR KOCSIS WAS
MOST CONSECUTIVE THE FIRST PLAYER TO
ACHIEVED THE JOINT
91%
GAMES SCORING AT SCORE TWO
BIGGEST WORLD CUP LEAST ONE GOAL HAT-TRICKS IN A
VICTORY WITH THEIR 9-0 WORLD CUP

27
73
DEFEAT OF SOUTH KOREA

WIN RATIO FROM

JUNE 1950 – FEB 1956
MOST GOALS
IN A WORLD CUP
TOURNAMENT
2
103
 WORLD CUP LEGENDS

104
 BAGGIO MISSES

MOMENTS

17 JULY 1994

BAGGIO MISSES Italy’s talisman sends a crucial penalty over the bar

R
oberto Baggio was expected to light The game ended in a 0-0 draw and went felt for the great Baggio in that moment.
up the 1994 World Cup held in the to penalties. Italy’s inal spot kick fell to To have the weight of a nation on your
USA. The creative playmaker started Baggio. Surely Italy’s star player, the man shoulders and feel like you let them down,
slow, but found his form in the knockout that had led them to the inal, this set- to have the World Cup slip through your
rounds. He scored both of Italy’s goals piece specialist, wouldn’t miss? Yet, he did, ingers via the dreaded penalty shootout – it
in the irst knockout round to give his blazing the ball over the bar in Pasadena’s didn’t seem fair. Alas, that’s the way it was,
ten-man team a win over Nigeria. In the Rose Bowl to hand Brazil the World Cup. and the image of Baggio hanging his head
quarter-inals against Spain, he grabbed a It was a heart-breaking moment. Indeed, in disappointment after missing the crucial
match winner, then scored two more classy Baggio later said that it was his worst penalty would become a tragic and iconic
goals in the semi-inal against Bulgaria in a moment in football, and took him many one, forever entwined with the cruelty of
2-1 win. Then came the inal against Brazil. years to get over. As spectators, we all the penalty shootout.

105
 WORLD CUP LEGENDS

RONALDO
HOW ‘O FENÔMENO’ WENT FROM
WORLD CUP ZERO TO HERO
Ronaldo never felt worse than after the 1998 final.
Four years later, he would have turned it all around

T
here is a period of football with which
Ronaldo will always be synonymous. In
the late 1990s and early 2000s, he was
named FIFA World Player of the Year three
times. Twice he picked up the Ballon d’Or.
One achievement will always rank above the
rest, though: his redemptive and emotional
World Cup victory in 2002, when he inally
helped Brazil back to the top of world football.
However, to fully understand the gravity
and enormity of that peak, you must irst
comprehend the depth of his trough.
Ronaldo had been present at the 1994
World Cup, bookended by two penalty misses:
Diana Ross’s in the opening ceremony and
Roberto Baggio’s in the inal shootout. The
latter had handed Dunga’s Brazil their fourth
global crown, and Ronaldo had been one of
those sprinting onto the ield in celebration.
But the 17-year-old Cruzeiro striker only
featured as an unused substitute in the
tournament, and probably felt like he was
gatecrashing the victory party. By the time
France ’98 swung around four years later, he
had become the poster boy for Brazil’s title
defence, and carried the hopes of a nation.
The expectation on a Seleção going into any
World Cup cannot be overstated. When Brazil
were beaten by Uruguay in a home 1950
World Cup inal, three fans present died from
heart attacks and one even took his own life.
The yellow and green shirts they wear now
were only adopted after they abandoned the
white ones they had worn on that day. The
defeat was a national tragedy. It is still spoken
about in hushed, embarrassed voices.
That is the weight that was being born on
Ronaldo’s 21-year-old shoulders. Now, there
was little doubting that in footballing terms,
they were more than broad enough to bear
them. He had already netted 25 times for his

106
 RONALDO

Ronaldo ended the

2002 World Cup as top
scorer with eight goals

107
 WORLD CUP LEGENDS

country, and perhaps most impressively 19 of nearly repeated itself as Ronaldo scored a
those came outside Brazil. He had moved to penalty that he had won, and added a second
PSV Eindhoven after the 1994 World Cup, and 18 minutes from time to seal a 4-1 win.
after 54 goals in 57 games, been snapped up The wins started to low: a hard-fought
by Barcelona. It hadn’t been plain sailing – he 3-2 win over Denmark, a shootout victory
broke the world transfer record for the second over the Netherlands, and soon Brazil had
time in a year when contract talks broke fulilled the minimum requirement of their
down at Barça – but he had settled in well at tournament by reaching the inal. Anything
Inter Milan, and become the best player in the less would have been an abject failure.
world, as his 1997 Ballon d’Or and FIFA World Ronaldo’s form was stunning, with four
Player of the Year awards showed. goals and many more moments of magic.
But he had experienced nothing like There was a chested one-two pass to
being the poster boy for a World Cup. A Cup Cafu against Norway that you’d accuse of
Winners’ Cup inal with Barcelona would showboating if someone did it in ive-a-side.
pale into insigniicance. Even the $180 There were two more moments, almost
million sponsorship deal he signed with Nike carbon-copies of each other, against Denmark
could not match it. The Brazilian team were and Scotland, where he got the ball out
overlowing with talent and experience, the wide of the penalty area with his back to the
likes of Roberto Carlos and Rivaldo coming goal, and the defender assumed he had the
close to challenging Ronaldo for global situation under control. The ball ended up in
honours, while Dunga, Cafu and goalkeeper the six-yard box inside ive seconds.
Cláudio Tafarel had all appeared in the 1994 So more than ever, Ronaldo was pivotal to
inal. But Ronaldo was the jewel in the crown. Brazil’s hopes in the inal against hosts France,
Everything revolved around him. who had in their ranks the only player who
The tournament began well for Brazil could compare to him: Zinedine Zidane.
and for Ronaldo. The Inter striker was his On the day of the inal, an evening kick-of,
uncontainable self against Scotland, and the Brazilian players went for a customary
Ronaldo scored his irst World Cup goal in a sleep after lunch. Before Ronaldo’s head
3-0 win over Morocco that guaranteed Brazil’s had even touched the pillow, his roommate,
top spot in the group. There followed a blip. Roberto Carlos, started screaming. 21-year-
For the second time in 12 months, Brazil were old Ronaldo was having a it, frothing at
beaten by Norway, who scored twice in the the mouth and convulsing wildly. “I was
last seven minutes to put themselves into unconscious for three, four minutes,”
the second round. “We lost at the right time,” Ronaldo admitted, years later. “Nobody
Brazil boss Mário Zagallo said. More crucially, knows [why]. When you’re there, you breathe
they were through to face Chile, whom the competition, everything is about the
they had beaten 4-0 a little over 12 months competition, you cannot disconnect from the
previous, with Ronaldo scoring twice. History competition. It’s a lot of pressure.”

ONE WORLD CUP TOO FAR

For a man who has scored more look pass that nearly set up the opener,
goals at a World Cup than all bar a headed equaliser and a booming inish
one man – his 15 is only beaten by from the edge of the box to seal a 4-1 win
Miroslav Klose’s tally of 16 – the 2006 over Japan. Against Ghana in the last 16
World Cup in Germany was in some ways too, he beat the goalkeeper with a vintage
a bizarre way for Ronaldo to bow out. stepover – but it was to be his last goal at a
Although he was only just approaching World Cup.
30, the twilight of his career was clearly When Brazil faced France in the quarter-
upon him. The knee injuries from which he inals, he was of the pace and lacklustre,
had remarkably recovered in 2002 would only inally testing goalkeeper Fabien
not go away, and neither would his ever- Barthez in stoppage time after a sub-par 90
expanding waistline. minutes. Overweight and underperforming,
In their inal group game, Ronaldo it was the last time we would see Ronaldo
showed lashes of his old self, with a no- at the very highest level.

108
 RONALDO

“ROBERTO CARLOS
HAD STARTED
SCREAMING AND
RONALDO WAS
FROTHING AT
THE MOUTH”

Ronaldo was on top of his

game throughout the 2002
World Cup, scoring in every
game apart from the quarter-
inal against England

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 WORLD CUP LEGENDS

Ronaldo’s illness in the

1998 inal was seen as a
national injustice in Brazil
and the beaten inalists were
warmly welcomed home

being it to do so. Only one thing was certain:

“IN A FRONT THREE WITH RIVALDO AND Ronaldo was lying home without a World
Cup winners’ medal and would have to wait
RONALDINHO, RONALDO TERRORISED four long years to right the wrongs.
Fast forward that intervening period, and
DEFENCES IN 2002” Brazil could hardly have found themselves in
a more contrasting situation to the one that
preceded the 1998 World Cup. ‘O Fenômeno’ –
After the it, Ronaldo slept soundly, but his tournament, and while defending was not the Italian press coined the nickname and the
when he awoke, he was taken to hospital his forte, his allowing Zidane to ghost into Brazilians adopted it – tore a knee ligament in
while the rest of the players, all of whom the area and head home was indicative of a April 2000. It had taken the best part of two
had been disturbed by the shouting and mental state far from focused. years to get over it – he did not play a single
screaming, headed to the stadium, their In the wake of the 3-0 defeat and game for Inter in the 2000-01 season. Without
minds irmly on Ronaldo – and not France. mysterious goings-on of the afternoon, Brazil him, Brazil’s qualifying campaign had been
Just 40 minutes before kick-of, Ronaldo launched a full-scale inquiry. Players, coaches uninspiring, losing more than two matches in
was hastily added to the team-sheet and he and doctors all gave evidence, but the lack the competition for the irst time ever; six out
was back to fulil his destiny. The players of explanation for the it sparked conspiracy of 18 in all.
later admitted their concerns about whether theories galore. Some claimed he had reacted Ronaldo did score once ahead of the
he was fully it, and if his performance was badly to a pain injection to deal with an tournament, a strike in a friendly against
anything to go by, he wasn’t. Ronaldo lacked ongoing knee problem; others that Nike had Malaysia being his irst goal for Brazil in two
the precision and lair that had characterised pressured Brazil to let him play despite not and a half years.

110
 RONALDO

his head in an efort to delect attention from he shook his head with a look that said, ‘it’s
the problem, had seemingly faded. Now all happening again’.
they had to do was beat Germany in the inal. After the break, the balance started to shift,
But now Brazil also had to take on the and the German front two of Miroslav Klose
nerves and the pressure. Everything that was and Oliver Neuville came closer to breaking
true four years ago was true now: a nation the deadlock. Ronaldo’s body language grew
expected. Hours before the inal, unable to worse, but his striker’s instinct never left him.
ignore the fact that four years ago his world After winning the ball back in the opposition
had been turned upside down, Ronaldo was half, he followed up Rivaldo’s shot and scored
starting to feel nervous again. a poacher’s goal when Kahn spilled it.
“After lunch everyone went for a sleep and If that goal was fortunate, the second was
to do their stuf,” he explained. “I was looking pure quality. Rivaldo dummied over a pass
for people to talk to – I didn’t want to go to from Kléberson, and Ronaldo’s inish was
sleep! I found Dida, the goalkeeper, and he pinpoint accurate. His eighth goal of the World
talked to me the whole time until we left for Cup came 11 minutes from time – Germany
the stadium. I was very scared.” could not respond. Manager Luiz Felipe
You wouldn’t have known it. Lining up Scolari took him of in the last minute so he
before the anthems, Ronaldo and Ronaldinho could receive a mighty standing ovation.
can be seen laughing with each other, And when the inal whistle sounded, where
apparently not out of nerves but genuine four years ago he had stood lost and alone
enjoyment of the moment. When the football with the weight of expectation too much
started, their interplay was brilliant. Twice for his young shoulders, the lag of Brazil
before half-time, they combined to leave adorned them this time, and his smile was
Ronaldo one-on-one with Oliver Kahn, but overwhelmingly one of relief. The greatest
neither time could he beat the keeper. After footballer in the world had won the greatest
a third gilt-edged opportunity was blocked, trophy – and justice had been done.

RONALDO FACTS & FIGURES

FIFTH
FOREIGNER
TO SCORE 100 CBF

SECOND-HIGHEST GOALS FOR

But he did not even need time to grow SCORER IN WORLD REAL MADRID
into his new knee and new, larger body. Even CUP HISTORY WITH
after so long out, he was no less potent. He
scored in every group game, terrorising China, 15 GOALS
62
Costa Rica and Turkey, along with Rivaldo and
Ronaldinho in a formidable front three.
Just like the 1998 inal, Brazil’s entire World
Cup preparation had been focused around
TWICE BROKE INTERNATIONAL
WORLD TRANSFER RECORD
a Ronaldo injury, only this time, it had all BEFORE HIS 21ST BIRTHDAY GOALS IN
come together. The stars seemed, inally, to
be aligning. Even England, whose golden
generation appeared to be delivering a return
to the big time their country had so longed
for, fell foul of a sliced Ronaldinho free-kick
that freakishly beat David Seaman and
FCB
98
APPEARANCES

secured a semi-inal berth against Turkey.

There was an element of fortune about that
win, too; Ronaldo’s shot somehow evading
Rüştü Reçber in the Turkish goal, despite its
47 ONLY BRAZILIAN TO WIN
GOALS IN ONE SEASON
apparent lack of power. The groin injury that FOR BARCELONA TWO BALLONS D’OR
had caused him, he claims, to shave part of

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 WORLD CUP LEGENDS

TOP 10… USA, 1994

KITS
Almost everyone hated the garish away kit
the USA team wore on home soil at the 1994
World Cup, at least at irst. Who, after all, would
want a denim-style football shirt? However, it grew
The most vibrant, memorable, and on people and that blue-and-white jersey is now
something of a cult classic.
iconic kits sported by the legends
and minnows on the world’s
greatest stage
ITALY, 1978
We had to include one of the kits worn by
the team nicknamed after the colour it
wears, the Azzurri. This classic version from 1978
doesn’t overcomplicate things. All you need is that
rich blue, a simple badge with the green, white and
red of the Italian lag and some white shorts.

X
DENMARK, 1986
Denmark made their World Cup debut with
a striking kit design, half thin, red-and-white
stripes and half a block of white. With the chevrons
on the sleeves, the black collar and red shorts, there’s
quite a lot going on, but it works.
X

CROATIA, 1998
Croatia put in a surprisingly impressive showing
at their irst World Cup in 1998, inishing third, in
no small part thanks to the goals of their proliic striker,
Davor Šuker. Their striking chequered red-and-white kit is
one of the most memorable in the competition’s history.

ARGENTINA, 1986
Wearing this classic iteration of the blue-
and-white striped Argentina jersey, Diego
Maradona would lead his country to World Cup
glory, defeating West Germany 3-2 in the inal. The
X
brilliant yellow of the badge contrasts nicely with the
muted blue and white of the shirt.

112
 TOP 10… KITS

ZAIRE, 1974
The Zaire team of 1974 were not good. They
were beaten 9-0 by Yugoslavia in the group
stage and inished bottom with 0 points. Had they
X
got further, this fantastic shirt would surely be better
remembered. With a picture of a leopard attacking a
football emblazoned on the front, we think it’s one of
the coolest kits in football history.

ENGLAND, 1966
X
White may be England’s traditional colour when it
comes to its football kits, but its most iconic shirt is
easily the red one that the team wore in the 1966 World Cup
inal. Everybody knows that famous image of Bobby Moore lifting
the Jules Rimet Trophy high in that very kit. It is proof that the
simple ones are sometimes the best: a plain red shirt with the
three lions badge on the chest.

NETHERLANDS, 1978
The famous kit of the Netherlands national
team and the accompanying wall of orange
their supporters bring to any tournament they are
involved in is one of the great sights of the World
Cup. We’ve picked out the kit that the team wore on
their way to defeat to Argentina in the 1978 World
Cup inal, with its chunky black badge and sleeve X
X

stripes to accompany the classic colour.

WEST GERMANY, 1990

It’s no coincidence that some of the World
Cup’s most iconic kits are worn by its most
successful teams. Adding to the traditional plain
white of previous kits, West Germany’s 1990 version
received an injection of colour with these cool angular
stripes in the red, yellow and black of the German
lag. It was the last kit worn before reuniication

X
brought East and West Germany together.

BRAZIL, 1982
Is there a more iconic shirt in football than the vibrant yellow worn by
the World Cup’s most successful nation? We think not. Brazil’s stylish kits
have become synonymous with the sumptuous football its teams have delighted
us with, and the supreme talent of the incredible players that have worn it over
the ages. Indeed, we could have illed this list with beautiful Brazil kits, but
we’ve decided to top it with the best of all. The 1982 World Cup was not Brazil’s
most successful – it had an unusual two-group format, with Brazil eliminated in
the second group phase – but they still treated us to some amazing football, led

X by legends Zico and Sócrates. The tournament also gave us a stunner of a kit.
Brazil’s classic yellow shirt was set of by green trim on the sleeves and collar and
complemented by those brilliant blue shorts and white socks.

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 WORLD CUP LEGENDS

114
 BECKHAM LOSES HIS COOL

MOMENTS

30 JUNE 1998

BECKHAM LOSES
HIS COOL England’s hero becomes a villain in an instant

G
oing into the 1998 World Cup, decider against Colombia, in which he Simeone, Beckham lay at his feet after the
England’s great hope was star scored one of his trademark free kicks whistle had been blown. As Simeone was
player and set-piece specialist David in a 2-0 win. They were through to the walking backwards, Beckham licked his
Beckham. Strangely, however, Beckham knockout rounds. Up next was a tough leg out petulantly to trip him. The referee
was left out of England’s irst two qualifying challenge against a highly rated Argentina. spotted it and sent Beckham of. Ten-man
games by manager Glenn Hoddle, who The game was a thriller, including penalties England fought hard and managed to hold
accused him of not being focused. His scored by both teams and a famous wonder on for a 2-2 draw, but were eliminated on
decision caused an outcry back home, goal by a young Michael Owen. penalties. Sympathy for Beckham quickly
particularly after the team lost 2-1 to The moment it’s most remembered for, turned to hatred as he was viliied by the
Romania. Those clamouring for Beckham however, was not so pretty. After being tabloid media, who held him responsible for
to start got their wish in a crucial group fouled by Argentinian captain Diego England’s World Cup elimination.

115
 WORLD CUP LEGENDS

Franz Beckenbauer holds

the new World Cup trophy
aloft in 1974 as West Germany
become champions for the
second time

116
 FRANZ BECKENBAUER

FRANZ
BECKENBAUER
THE ORIGINAL BECKS
The footballer nicknamed ‘Der Kaiser’ led West Germany
to glory in 1974 in more ways than one

I
n the summer of 1974, West Germany Yet the issues they faced pre-tournament eicient. His role would see him ‘sweeping
manager Helmut Schön – the man who threatened to knock their status as one of the up’ the ball if an opponent managed to
had led the team in two previous World strong favourites. breach the defensive line, and it ensured his
Cup campaigns – was clearly at his wit's end. Still, West Germany and Beckenbauer had play was more luid. In one fell swoop, he’d
Before him in the heavily guarded training learned much over the previous eight years. transformed a traditional defensive position
camp in rural Malente was a bunch of players The defender’s calm and composed style of and become an attacking defender. Such skills
bored out of their minds, fed up with constant play had been very much in evidence at the proved vital in the World Cup.
supervision, and in open dispute over the 1966 World Cup. There, football fans saw his The irst time anyone saw this at a
bonus payments they should receive if they preference to play the ball on the ground, tournament was in 1970, when West Germany
won the World Cup. while glimpsing his equal strength when started well, winning their three group
It was that latter point that upset Schön the dealing with balls in the air. He was also a matches thanks to a tremendous display by
most. He believed playing for West Germany tough tackler, taking games by the scruf striker Gerd Müller. They went on to exact
was an honour, and he was so angry that he of the neck when need be, his passion for revenge against England by beating the
even threatened to replace the lot of them victory more than evident. champions 3-2 after extra time, but they came
with a bunch of reserves. Luckily for the Certainly, his stature and undoubted unstuck against Italy 4-3, again after extra
team's star names, it didn't come to that and skill were why opposing teams would time, in the semis, eventually making do with
West Germany went on to lift the trophy. do all they could to nullify him. England third place.
But this apparent miracle was less to do with midielder Bobby Charlton spent the 1966 Nevertheless, West Germany had become
Schön's mastermind tactics and more to do inal following him around the pitch at feared. With Beckenbauer appointed
with the growing inluence and talent of one Wembley on what would be a disappointing captain, they went into the 1972 European
player. Indeed, there is no doubt that 1974 was day for Beckenbauer both personally and as a Championship in Belgium along with just
Franz Beckenbauer’s year. team (England recorded their famous World three other teams: Belgium, the Soviet Union
Beckenbauer was West Germany’s Cup-winning victory). Rather than become and Hungary. West Germany won not only
pioneering defender, and 1974 should always despondent, however, Beckenbauer went on their two games but the tournament. It was
have been his golden chance to shine. The to revolutionise the game. good practice for 1974, but it also came on
country was hosting the tournament that Arguably the greatest contribution that the back of a lengthy period of domestic
summer, and it was felt that having a home Beckenbauer went on to make was single- success for Beckenbauer, who had excelled
advantage would ease them over the line just handedly cementing the role of the attacking throughout his footballing life.
as it had done in previous years for Uruguay, sweeper, or the libero as it was also known. Born in post-war Munich in 1945,
Italy and England. By that point, the Germans He believed his club team, Bayern Munich, Beckenbauer had joined SC München von
had established a ierce footballing reputation. was too cavalier and he strove to be more 1906 aged nine. Five years later, when it

117
 WORLD CUP LEGENDS

BECKENBAUER FACTS & FIGURES

HIS WIN PERCENTAGE
AS MANAGER OF
14 INTERNATIONAL WEST GERMANY WAS
GOALS

COMPETED
IN 3 FIFA
WORLD CUP
103 WON THE WORLD CUP TWICE
ONCE AS A PLAYER
ONCE AS A MANAGER
51.52 %
TOURNAMENTS APPEARANCES FOR
WEST GERMANY

became apparent his club was struggling to fascination with Cruyf. Maarten de Vos made Germany. The German Democratic Republic,
inance the youth team, he signed for Bayern a ilm about his life called Number 14 and as it was formally known, had never qualiied
Munich and made his debut on 6 June 1964 he’d won the Ballon d’Or two years running for the World Cup before, and it was the
against Stuttgarter Kickers. He went on to – actually pipping Beckenbauer (the 1972 irst time the two countries had met in a
establish himself in a strong 1960s side and winner) in 1974. professional match since the division of 1949.
arguably became Germany’s irst footballing As such, there was something of a It was always going to be a troublesome game,
‘pop star’, the original Becks so to speak. The competitive edge between the two players, politically if nothing else, given the ongoing
trophies also just kept coming. but Beckenbauer had developed a real knack Cold War. But while West Germany’s quality
First was the German Cup in 1966, followed for being able to proactively read the game. If should have outshone their communist
by the European Cup Winners’ Cup in 1967. he lost the ball, he would be able to reactively neighbours, it just didn’t work out that way.
There was another German Cup win in 1968, win it back, no matter who had it. His spatial In truth, the game had little impact on
the year he was made captain of Bayern awareness was also second to none, and his either team’s progression to the next round.
and crowned ‘Der Kaiser’ by the Süddeutsche decision-making was impeccable. Earlier that same day – 22 June 1974 –
Zeitung newspaper. He repaid the faith being All of these skills would stand him in good Australia had drawn against Chile, so neither
put in him during the 1968-69 season, when stead for the weeks that lay ahead of him in German team were in danger of being
he helped his team to their irst Bundesliga. knocked out. With political tensions high on
With 18 wins, ten draws and six losses, Bayern
Munich’s 46 points put them eight ahead of
“THERE IS NO both sides of the Berlin Wall, however, all eyes
were on both sets of players. Schön certainly
second-place Alemannia Aachen.
Success continued. In 1974, Bayern Munich
DOUBT THAT felt the pressure.
But then there was much to fear. Most
had completed the continental double,
winning the Bundesliga by a point over
1974 WAS FRANZ of the East German side was made up of
FC Magdeburg players – a team that had
Borussia Mönchengladbach and the European
Cup in a replay against Atlético Madrid. That
BECKENBAUER’S beaten AC Milan 2-0 in the European Cup
Winners’ Cup that year. So while the West
was Beckenbauer’s fourth league victory and
he had also won the German Cup four times
YEAR” Germans were, at heart, Bayern Munich,
there was some relief that the frustrating
by this point. As a major footballing world star 1974. And so it was that the West Germans irst half proved inconclusive. It wasn’t to
and the most important player in the West beat Chile 1-0 in the opening match before last. East German Jürgen Sparwasser got on
German team, he also had an agent, a string 81,100 fans at the Olympiastadion in West the end of a long-ball that soared over the
of adverts behind him and even a hit song. He Berlin, and smashed three past Australia at head of a pointing Beckenbauer, sped past
was at the pinnacle of his career. the Volksparkstadion in Hamburg four days three fumbling West German defenders and
Unfortunately for both Beckenbauer and later. It wasn’t a great performance, however, smashed it into the back of the net. East
West Germany, however, there was another and Beckenbauer even spat towards the Germany won 1-0 and topped the group.
team receiving plaudits for their talent and crowd when he was criticised for giving the Schön was lattened to the point where he
play. The Dutch team of 1974 were openly ball away. “I’m so sorry,” he said afterwards, wouldn’t even speak, and the mood became
compared to The Beatles thanks to their as fans and the press expressed concern that as depressing as the miserable wet weather
penchant for playing Total Football and the pre-tournament turmoil was afecting the that had descended upon the country for this
the sheer number of stars in their squad, team’s performances on the pitch. tournament. But it proved surprisingly pivotal
chief among them Johan Cruyf. Just as The problem came to a head in a match for Beckenbauer, who virtually held his boss’s
with Beckenbauer, there was a worldwide against a team so very close to home: East hand throughout the rest of the tournament,

118
 FRANZ BECKENBAUER

Franz Beckenbauer scored

twice against Switzerland
in his irst World Cup
tournament match for West
Germany in 1966

Despite England’s best

eforts, West Germany beat
them 3-2 in the 1970 World
Cup quarter-inal

119
 WORLD CUP LEGENDS

West Germany captain

Franz Beckenbauer clatters
into the Dutchman Johan
Neeskens in the 1974 World
Cup inal

120
 FRANZ BECKENBAUER

“THE TROPHY WAS becoming greatly inluential. Players would go

to him for guidance and they’d urge him to
by Brazil in 1970, and both sides were eager
to kickstart the new era. Johan Neeskens

HIS AT THE THIRD persuade Schön to change his tactics.

Coming second in their group actually
smashed home a penalty for the Netherlands
after just two minutes and the crowd at the

TIME OF ASKING” worked well for West Germany, since they

ended up in a relatively straightforward
Olympiastadion, Munich, could have been
forgiven for thinking West Germany would be
second group stage. West Germany beat overrun. But no. Paul Breitner equalised on 25
Yugoslavia 2-0, Sweden 4-2 and Poland 1-0 minutes for West Germany and Gerd Müller
and topped the group, while East Germany scored in the 43rd minute. Johan Cruyf was
struggled against the Netherlands, Argentina booked for arguing with the referee at half
and Brazil. Even so, none of the West German time and West Germany held irm.
performances had really blown the supporters No matter how hard the Netherlands
away. In fact, they were unimpressed by the pressed Beckenbauer, the German’s passing
negative approach. To make matters worse, remained perfect and he opened up space
it was very obvious that Schön was having a for his teammates. He was so efective that
diicult time, mentally. Beckenbauer attended the Dutch ripped up their pre-planned tactics
subsequent press conferences with him and sought to minimise Beckenbauer’s
and spoke about the tactics and the games. efectiveness on the ball with strong
Schön sought Beckenbauer’s input and took defending. They let him play in his own half
his ideas on board. Uli Hoeneß was dropped but looked to stop him in theirs, but the
to the bench for the Yugoslavia match on deep defending went against everything the
Beckenbauer’s suggestion. Dutch appeared to stand for. The inal became
As can be imagined, it was a highly unusual synonymous with Beckenbauer instead and
state of afairs. Meanwhile, the Netherlands – the trophy was his at the third time of asking.
who stormed through both groups with ive What’s more, it was in the city of his birth.
victories and just one draw – were impressing Beckenbauer retired from international
everyone with a noticeable swagger on and football three years later, in 1977. During that
of the pitch. The two camps were like chalk time, he won the European Cup with Bayern
and cheese but, as Beckenbauer told the Munich two more times and supplemented
German weekly news magazine Der Spiegel in that with the Intercontinental Cup in 1976.
2006, “We took a long time in 1974 to ind our West Germany lost the inal of the European
feet.” Even so, he maintains it was a good side. Championship in 1976, but Beckenbauer was
The fact they ended up in the inal against the not only the German Footballer of the Year
Netherlands was mighty proof of that. that year but also the winner once again of
At stake was the new FIFA World Cup the prestigious Ballon d’Or. His legendary
trophy. The Jules Rimet had been retained status was conirmed.

BECKENBAUER: THE CHAMPION MANAGER

After leaving Bayern Munich He took West Germany to the 1986 World
in 1977 – the year he retired Cup inal, losing only to an Argentina side
from international football – packing the skills of Diego Maradona. He
Beckenbauer went on to play for the New then went straight to the inal in 1990 and,
York Cosmos. He then returned to compete on Italian soil, revenged the previous result
in the Bundesliga with Hamburger SV (for by managing his side to a World Cup victory
whom he won the title) and had one last courtesy of an 85th-minute penalty by
spell in the Big Apple before hanging up his Andreas Brehme. Even then, having tasted
football boots. World Cup success both as a player and a
But of all his roles in the wake of that manager, his involvement with the greatest
1974 World Cup, the one that sticks in tournament on in the world didn’t end.
everyone's mind is that of manager of the He headed the successful bid by Germany
West Germany team. He was handed the to organise the FIFA World Cup in 2006.
managerial reins of his country in 1984, and Unfortunately for him, Germany could only
his impact was certainly swift. manage third place on that occasion.

121
 WORLD CUP LEGENDS

MOMENTS

4 JULY 1998

BERGKAMP’S
BRILLIANCE The Dutch master scores one of the
World Cup’s greatest goals

D
ennis Bergkamp has scored no The goal is exemplary of Bergkamp’s inside as he checked his run, taking the
shortage of sensational goals in his supreme technical skill and footballing defender who had been chasing him out
career. One of his best was on the intelligence. His irst task was to control by using his own momentum against him.
global stage that is the World Cup, scored a raking pass sent from deep inside the Bergkamp’s third task was to inish. He
against Argentina in a 1998 quarter-inal. Dutch half by Frank de Boer. Stretching did it perfectly, stroking the ball with the
Not only was it a fantastic goal in and for the ball with his right foot while on the outside of his foot to send it bending into
of itself, but it was scored in the 90th run, Bergkamp somehow managed to kill the far corner. Those three precise touches
minute to break a 1-1 deadlock and send the ball dead. His next task was to beat the won the game for the Netherlands and
the Netherlands into the next round at the defender running alongside him. Bergkamp ensured that Bergkamp’s name will always
expense of Argentina. That made an already quickly followed up on his irst touch with be mentioned in the discussion about the
special goal just a little more special. a delicate lick that brought the ball back greatest World Cup goals.

122
BERGKAMP’S BRILLIANCE

123
 WORLD CUP LEGENDS

TOP 10:
THE LOWEST
POINTS IN
WORLD CUP
HISTORY
From fascist dictators to organised crime, the beautiful
game has seldom shied away from controversy

P
art of the World Cup’s enduring Beyond such relatively unimportant
appeal is its colourful – if at times escapades the World Cup has also brought
controversial – history. us moments of true horror, such as the
From Benito Mussolini’s intervention cold-hearted murder of Colombian captain
as Italy’s unoicial kit man in 1938 to the Andrés Escobar, who was gunned down for
inluence of Argentina’s ruling military junta something as senseless as an own goal.
on the 1978 tournament, it’s clear to see A low point for people of one country might
that this showcase event of the world’s be another’s zenith. Most England fans would
favourite game has been viewed as a PR tell you the greatest injustice ever done at
event for some. a World Cup was Maradona’s ‘Hand of God’
However, the tournament’s most shameful goal in 1986. For Argentinians, however, it is
moments aren’t reserved for politicians. something of a point of pride. Some see it as
Within the space of a decade the World indicative of a style of football rooted in their
Cup has also been the arena in which we cultural identity.
have seen mortals like Diego Maradona and Maradona once said, “I like English football.
Zinedine Zidane rise to god-like status only to It’s just that people go on about the World
be brought back to Earth with a thud. Cup in 1986 and then I’m seen as the real bad
With eternal glory up for grabs it’s surprising boy. Everybody in Argentina can remember
that we don’t see more players, coaches and the ‘Hand of God’ in the 1986 World Cup.
administrators behaving dishonourably. Now, in my country, the ‘Hand of God’ has
Certainly, the integrity of the game has been brought us an Argentinian pope.”
called into question on numerous occasions Join us as we explore some of the most
over the course of the tournament’s history, controversial moments and lowest points in
most notably in 1962, 1978 and 2002. World Cup history.

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 WORLD CUP LOW POINTS

Italian defender Sandro

Salvadore is restrained by
Chilean police after the
violent clashes

THE BLOODIEST MATCH IN HISTORY

A GAME OF BRUTALITY OVER BEAUTY

A lying kick to the face, a knockout

punch and a player being dragged
of the pitch by police were just three
point, while three legs had been broken and
an ankle fractured.
To add to the pre-match tension, the
star player and the son of a professional
boxer, then further fanned the lames
when he broke the nose of Italy’s captain,
of the more memorable moments of Italians knew it was a game they had to Humberto Maschio, with a ferocious left
the group stage meeting between win in front of an Estadio Nacional packed hook. Inexplicably, Sánchez was not sent
Italy and hosts Chile during the World to the rafters. Diplomatic relations between of. He then goaded Italian right-half Mario
Cup of 1962. Commonly referred to the two countries had also been frayed by David into retaliating with a lying kick to
as the ‘Battle of Santiago’, it was a cabal of Italian journalists who disparaged the head. David was instantly dismissed.
perhaps the most violent game of the city of Santiago and Chilean women. With a two-man advantage, Chile went
football ever played. One wrote of Chile’s capital that “the ahead through a 73rd minute Jaime
David Coleman, the BBC’s man in Chile phones don’t work, taxis are as rare as Ramírez header and then added a late
that year, introduced the highlights package faithful husbands, a cable to Europe costs second through Jorge Toro.
to British viewers by describing it as “the an arm and a leg and a letter takes ive days Perhaps spurred on by what he saw that
most stupid, appalling, disgusting and to turn up”. The reporters involved were day, Aston would later become the irst
disgraceful exhibition of football possibly in soon forced to lee the country. man to propose the yellow card as a signal
the history of the game”. Ken Aston, the English referee, blew for to unruly players of the thin ice they trod.
It’s perhaps worth noting that this was the irst foul after just 12 seconds. Only 12 While Italy were eliminated the hosts
just the bloodiest contest in a particularly minutes had gone when the irst player progressed from the group with West
violent World Cup. Four players had been to be sent of, Giorgio Ferrini, received his Germany, making it to the semi-inal. They
sent of in the eight games played at that marching orders. Leonel Sánchez, Chile’s were beaten by eventual champions Brazil.

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 WORLD CUP LEGENDS

Gianluca Zambrotta
and Cristiano Zanetti
plead with referee
Byron Moreno during
their match against
South Korea

QUESTIONS ASKED AS SOUTH KOREA PROGRESS

THE 2002 WORLD CUP WAS A THOROUGHLY ENTERTAINING (AND TROUBLING) TOURNAMENT

H eld in Japan and South Korea, it was

the irst World Cup to take place in
Asia. It was also littered with sparkling
containing Poland, Portugal and the USA,
much less make it to the semi-inal.
The Italian press have long viewed their
a second yellow for diving, despite being a
good 40 yards from the action.
Many bemoaned the refereeing in South
football – especially from the wonderfully team’s round of 16 match with South Korea Korea’s following match too. Two perfectly
gifted Brazilian trio of Ronaldo, Rivaldo and with suspicion, largely due to a surprising valid goals scored by Spain were ruled out
Ronaldinho – and enjoyed its share of upsets. number of fouls committed by the hosts that before Guus Hiddink’s South Korea prevailed
The one serious blemish, however, was went unpunished. 5-3 on penalties.
what many saw as favourable refereeing The game’s referee, Ecuadorian Byron However, their luck didn’t last much longer.
for the South Koreans. Few of the country’s Moreno, raised eyebrows in awarding the South Korea were eventually beaten 1-0 by
most die-hard supporters would have home side a controversial penalty, which Germany in the semi-inal thanks to a 75th-
expected their team to progress from a group was saved, before showing Francesco Totti minute goal from Michael Ballack.

126
MARADONA’S WORLD CUP
France captain
Patrice Evra sits
on a bus in South
Africa in the wake

DOPING SHAME of a team strike

THE BIGGER THEY ARE, THE HARDER THEY FALL

A s fabled in Argentina and southern

Italy for his on-pitch heroics as he
was for his of-ield debauchery, Diego
enough quantities, can be used to boost
energy. In his autobiography, Maradona
argued that the test result was due to his
Maradona was undoubtedly the most personal trainer giving him a power drink.
spellbinding footballer of the 1980s. Nevertheless, the violation spelled the end of
After a few years in the wilderness with his international career.
Sevilla and Newell’s Old Boys following a
15-month ban for taking cocaine, the 1994 FRENCH TEAM
World Cup in the United States was supposed
to be 33-year-old Maradona’s comeback. ON STRIKE IN
The irst two matches, against Greece and
Nigeria, yielded two wins for the Argentinians
and a goal for their talisman. A sharp one-
SOUTH AFRICA
touch passing move on the edge of Greece’s
REVOLUTION IN THE RANKS
box was inished with a izzing left-footed
shot into the top corner. Maradona was back.
But hours before the inal round-robin
match, which Argentina would lose 2-0 to
I t’s unclear whether the France squad
expected much sympathy when they
decided to go on strike at the 2010 World
Bulgaria, it was announced that Maradona Cup in South Africa.
had failed a test for ive variants of ephedrine. Incredulous that Nicolas Anelka was
Diego Maradona reacts after his side score against Greece
The banned substance, if taken in large in their opening match of the 1994 World Cup being sent home for verbally abusing coach
Raymond Domenech, the players refused to
train two matches into the tournament.

WEST GERMANY AND Resigning in disgust team director Jean-Louis

Valentin described it as “a sickening scandal”.
Long-standing resentments over team
AUSTRIA MAKE A DEAL? selection had been brewing for a while,
but the catalyst was an argument between
AN UNSPOKEN AGREEMENT SENT BOTH THROUGH captain Patrice Evra and itness coach Robert
Duverne. The entire squad then retreated to

In German they call it the

Nichtangrifspakt von Gijón, or the non-
aggression pact of Gijón. Algerians, who
won by fewer than three goals, both would
progress to the inal 12.
Centre-forward Horst Hrubesch found the
their bus, where they drew the curtains and
met with Domenech.
In France there was widespread outrage;
missed out on the latter stages of Spain’s net for West Germany in the tenth minute the squad was admonished by the press
1982 World Cup as a result of it, call it the with a keenly taken prod at the near post for and their own government. They were also
Anschluss, in reference to Nazi Germany’s what should have been the opening salvo of a called to an emergency meeting with Sports
annexation of Austria in 1938. great contest. Instead, both sides backed of. Minister Roselyne Bachelot, who reportedly
In their inal group game, neighbours West Tackles were few and far between, as were moved some of the younger squad members
Germany and Austria knew that if the former attempts to move the ball into a scoring to tears.
position. Allegations that a formal discussion After losing their inal match 2-1 against
between the sides took place have been South Africa and inishing bottom of their
rejected out of hand. It is more likely West group, the team was made to face the
Germany and Austria came to the conclusion indignity of lying economy back to France.
independently of each other, although, as New In the wake of the scandal Anelka
York Times reporter George Vecsey said, this was banned from playing for France
would be impossible to prove. for 18 matches, efectively ending his
Boos rang out across the stadium, but the international career. Evra, Franck Ribéry
teams were undeterred. The match inished and Jérémy Toulalan were also identiied
1-0 and West Germany ultimately made it to by the Fédération Française de Football as
West Germany lost 2-1 against Algeria in their opening game of
the 1982 World Cup but qualiied for the next round with Austria the inal, where justice saw them lose 3-1. troublemakers, and each received bans.

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 WORLD CUP LEGENDS

THE RISE OF “IN HINDSIGHT, WE

ITALIAN FASCISM SHOULD NEVER HAVE
AS A RULE OF THUMB, IT’S USUALLY A GOOD IDEA
TO KEEP FOOTBALL AND POLITICS SEPARATE PLAYED THAT WORLD
CUP. BUT I DIDN’T
W hile we all love Sócrates and the
Lilian Thuram type, more often
than not mixing politics and football
Things soured even further when
the Italians – who were supposed to
wear white – raised their arms in a pre-
REALISE. MOST OF
ends in a rather public disaster.
The Italian team of 1938, on the orders
match fascist salute, as they had done
throughout the tournament so far.
US DIDN’T”
of dictator Benito Mussolini, managed Of the reception they received before
to ofend their French hosts when they their game against Norway, coach Vittorio
lined up for their quarter-inal match Pozzo said, “We were met with a solemn
wearing black shirts – a symbol of the and deafening barrage of whistles, insults
Italian paramilitary. and remarks. And we raised our hands
With tensions brewing across Western again, to conirm we had no fear. Having
Europe (World War II was little more than won the battle of intimidation, we played.”
a year away) it is easy to see why it went The Italians would go on to win the
down poorly with the overwhelmingly tournament, retaining their trophy, which
anti-fascist French crowd. they would hold onto for 12 years.

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 WORLD CUP LOW POINTS

THE WORLD CUP

THAT ARGENTINA
TRIED TO FORGET
A TRIUMPH SEEN AS A TRAGEDY

A rgentina’s triumph in the 1986 World Cup is

the stuf of folklore and is still celebrated to
this day. But its other win, as the host in 1978, is
seen as one of football’s most shameful chapters.
Two years earlier a right-wing junta, headed by
General Jorge Rafael Videla, rose to power. It combined
the far-reaching persecution of political opponents
with state terrorism. Many of the thousands who died
under the regime were ‘disappeared’; kidnapped and
jailed without trial or record. Executions and torture
were commonplace.
The tournament was seized upon by the authorities
as an opportunity to rally popular support. It has been
speculated that matches were ixed, doping was rife
and players – both Argentinian and non-Argentinian –
were intimidated.
In his book Death or Glory, Jon Spurling writes that
Argentina striker Leopoldo Luque received a chilling
warning from the regime after his side’s tight 2-1 win
over Hungary. With Italy and France also drawn in
Group 1, he was told it was a “group of death, as far as
you are concerned”.
Luque, who scored four goals during the
tournament, later said, “In hindsight, we should never
have played that World Cup. With what I know now, I
can’t say I’m proud of my victory. But I didn’t realise;
most of us didn’t. We just played football.”
From the inal game of the second group stage
Argentina needed to beat Peru by at least four goals to
progress to the inal at the expense of Brazil. Although
it has never been proved, most onlookers today
believe the governments of each country colluded to
ensure Argentina’s passage to the next round.
After trailing 2-0 at half-time, the Peruvians seemed
to drop their level of resistance, conceding four more.
In 2012, Peruvian senator Genaro Ledesma, who
was an opposition leader in 1978, alleged that the
match was thrown as part of an agreement that saw
13 Peruvian political prisoners sent to Argentina to
be tortured. Others have claimed that Peru instead
received a large shipment of grain.
Decades later a caller to a French radio station
claimed that the Argentinian players, having been
given such a large quantity of amphetamines, could be
heard screaming from their changing room after one of
their matches.
Daniel Passarella The inal against the Netherlands was a classic.
holding the World
Cup trophy aloft Mario Kempes, the tournament’s top scorer, scored the
after Argentina beat
the Netherlands 3-1 irst and another in extra time as the hosts won 3-1.
The tournament, however, is best forgotten.

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 WORLD CUP LEGENDS

A SICKENING BLOW CASTS A SHADOW

A RUSH OF BLOOD TO SCHUMACHER’S HEAD NEARLY COST BATTISTON HIS

I t was cowardice,” West German

goalkeeper Harald Schumacher
admitted in 2016. “Secretly, I feared (Patrick)
him at full pace, he knocked Battiston out
cold. He lost two teeth, cracked three ribs and
fractured a vertebrae.
Battiston was seriously injured, possibly lying To the annoyance of the French,
in a coma.” Schumacher escaped even a booking. It
Football fans are not accustomed to seeing soured the atmosphere and cast a shadow
dangerous play go unpunished, nor are they over what otherwise would have been one of
used to players being knocked out cold. But the great World Cup matches.
in Seville on the night of 8 July 1982, that’s Such was the animosity felt towards the
exactly what they witnessed. goalkeeper in France that a newspaper poll
With the game poised at 1-1 on the hour found him to be France’s greatest enemy –
mark, Battiston, who had been on the ield for after Hitler.
just ten minutes, found himself running on With the game ending all square at 3-3 in
to a defence-splitting pass by Michel Platini. extra time, penalties were required. The West
At the edge of the box he nudged the ball Germans managed to hold their nerve and
towards goal. It rolled wide. win the shootout, with Schumacher saving
The onrushing Schumacher, however, only two penalties. However, they were felled by
Accompanied by Michel Platini, Patrick Battiston is carried of
had eyes for the Frenchman. Clattering into Italy in the inal, losing 3-1. the pitch in the 1982 World Cup semi-inal

Zinedine Zidane
sends Italy’s Marco
Materazzi sprawling A TRAGIC END TO
ZIDANE’S CAREER
with a headbutt to
the chest

IN A FLASH ZIZOU TARNISHED A GLITTERING LEGACY

S ay what you will about football – at

least it’s unpredictable.
Who could have imagined that one of the
We may never know exactly what
Materazzi said to Zidane, although he has
since admitted it concerned Zidane’s sister
most elegant and accomplished careers in in some way. The Frenchman himself has
the history of the sport would end in a World admitted regret but also steadfastly refused
Cup inal with a moment of madness? to apologise, saying that it would “admit that
With the world watching, Zinedine Zidane what (Materazzi) himself did was normal.
allowed the Italian defender Marco Materazzi And for me it was not normal.”
to wind him up enough to violently shove The world did not get the fairytale ending
his head into the centre-back’s chest, sending to the 2006 World Cup it wanted. Rather
him crashing to the turf during extra time. than riding of into the sunset with the
The French skipper was sent of, paving the famous trophy in his arms, Zidane was forced
way for Italy to win the 2006 World Cup in to trudge past it on his way to the changing
Germany after a penalty shootout. rooms for an early shower.

130
 WORLD CUP LOW POINTS

Colombian fans display a

banner of Andrés Escobar
during the 1998 World Cup in
Montpellier, France

THE WORLD CUP’S GREATEST TRAGEDY

AN INNOCENT MISTAKE COST COLOMBIA GLORY AND A YOUNG MAN HIS LIFE
a Robin Hood folk hero, even nurtured talent USA, when Colombia sufered the cruellest
T he story of Andrés Escobar, which
ended with the 27-year-old captain of
Colombia dying at the wheel of his car
by building football pitches throughout
the country’s slums. However, after the
of mishaps.
A low ball into the box from midielder
with six bullets in his back, is a tragic and kingpin’s death in December 1993 chaos John Harkes was met by the outstretched
complicated one. and confusion reigned as warring factions leg of Andrés Escobar. It was a necessary
Although never conirmed, it is suspected wrestled for control of the region. It was a intervention but the ball rolled agonisingly
he was murdered in retaliation for scoring dangerous time. past a wrong-footed Óscar Córdoba in goal.
an own goal that helped to eliminate his side If not a pre-tournament favourite, The 2-1 defeat conirmed their exit.
from the group stages of the 1994 World Cup. Colombia were certainly tipped as a side Shortly after returning home to Colombia,
In the years leading up to the tournament to watch in the USA in 1994. They breezed Andrés Escobar visited a Medellín bar where
the sport had enjoyed something of a through their qualifying group, conceding an argument broke out. Around 45 minutes
renaissance in the country, fuelled by the just two goals and humiliating Argentina 5-0 later he was dead, having been shot six times
cartels. Drug lord Pablo Escobar, who was in Buenos Aires. Pelé even remarked that in the back. One witness heard someone say,
no relation of Andrés, owned the high-lying Colombia were “the best team”, adding that “Thanks for the own goal.”
Atlético Nacional and paid domestic talent “it doesn’t mean they are going to win it, but The football player’s death has been linked
enough to keep them in Colombia. they will be one of the four semi-inalists.” to a number of cartel igures, although the
With a team full of homegrown stars, Sadly for Francisco Maturana’s team the only person to serve time for his killing was
including Andrés Escobar and René Higuita, pressure soon began to weigh heavily on Humberto Castro Muñoz. He did 11 years of
the Medellín side won the 1989 Copa their shoulders, and they meekly lost their a 43-year sentence after confessing to the
Libertadores on penalties having overturned opening game 3-1 to Romania. Worse was to crime, one that serves as a reminder that
a 2-0 irst-leg defeat. Pablo Escobar, to many come in the following match against hosts football is, after all, just a game.

131
 WORLD CUP LEGENDS
EAST GERMANY 1 WEST
GERMANY 0, 1974

TOP 10…
Packed with footballing
superstars and with the World
Cup tournament played on their own

UPSETS
home turf, West Germany were clear
favourites in Hamburg against an East
Germany side made up of relatively
unknown part-timers. Jürgen

Reckon a team is a sure-fire Sparwasser scored the only goal in the

77th minute, and the 1,500 East German
winner? Don’t bet on it: football fans allowed to travel went crazy.

can be a funny old game, as these

shock results have proved
BULGARIA 2 GERMANY 1, 1994
It was no surprise that mighty Germany
– the defending champions who were
representing a uniied country for the irst time
since 1938 – would reach the quarter-inals in
1994. But nobody expected rank outsiders Bulgaria
to score two goals in two minutes with just 15
minutes to go.

PERU 3 SCOTLAND 1, 1978

Scotland were Britain’s only representatives
at the World Cup in Argentina in 1978, and
such was the hype around their participation, a
stamp was even produced declaring their World
Cup win. It was never released. They fell to a shock
X
3-1 opening defeat against Peru and were ultimately
knocked out at the group stage.

SPAIN 0 NORTHERN IRELAND 1, 1982

Northern Ireland had qualiied for the World Cup
for the irst time since 1958, and they were playing
against the host nation and early favourites, Spain. But
even though Mal Donaghy was sent of, leaving Northern
Ireland with just ten men for the inal 30 minutes, Gerry
Armstrong’s goal was enough to secure victory.

SENEGAL 1 FRANCE 0, 2002

X Defending champions France had a real

stinker of a tournament in 2002, failing to
score a single goal and inding themselves bottom
of Group A. Former French colony Senegal got the
ball of misery rolling in the opening game – their irst
ever in a World Cup – as Papa Bouba Diop netted from
two yards out.

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 TOP 10… UPSETS
NORTH KOREA 1 ITALY 0, 1966

X
With the Korean War still fresh in many minds,
North Korea’s participation in 1966 was almost
scuppered by the British government’s reluctance to
grant the team visas. But after a bit of to-ing and fro-
ing, the secretive side were allowed entry and, thanks
to right-winger Pak Doo-ik, they promptly knocked
one of the favourites, Italy, out of the tournament.

ARGENTINA 0 CAMEROON 1, 1990 X

A Cameroon side largely made up of journeymen from
the French lower divisions found themselves up against
champions Argentina in the irst game of Italia ’90. The
underdogs went in hard, earning themselves two red cards but
successfully neutralising Argentina’s star man Diego Maradona.
With François Omam-Biyik’s 67th minute strike, Cameroon
bagged the game’s only goal and proved the better side.

USA 1 ENGLAND 0, 1950

To highlight the gulf between these two
sides, the amateur and semi-professional
USA team included a postman, a funeral director
and a mill-worker. England, meanwhile, had
been dubbed the ‘Kings of Football’. Yet when the
Americans took the lead in the irst half, thanks to a
goal by Joe Gaetjens in the 38th minute, they held
X

irm. Much-fancied England were humiliated.

BRAZIL 1 URUGUAY 2, 1950

X
Thanks to the way the 1950 World Cup
was structured (the top teams from four
groups entered a league-based inal round),
Brazil only needed a draw with Uruguay to win,
having thrashed Sweden and Spain 7-1 and 6-1
respectively. But although Friaça scored irst for
Brazil, Juan Alberto Schiaffino and Alcides Ghiggia
pooped the party. Uruguay won the tournament.

X
WEST GERMANY 3 HUNGARY 2, 1954
Back in 1954, Hungary were known as the Mighty Magyars and
between 1950 and 1956, they had sufered just one defeat: this
match. Known for their ‘Total Football’, they had actually smashed West
Germany 8-3 just 14 days earlier in their Group Two match on 20 June 1954.
But here the two sides were meeting in the inal on 4 July and everybody
had written the Germans of. Certainly, in the irst eight minutes of the game,
Hungary successfully proved their might. Led by Ferenc Puskás, who was
named the 1954 tournament’s best player, they were quickly 2-0 up. But then
West Germany hit back in the 10th, 18th and 84th minutes and jaws dropped

X around the world. The game became known as the Miracle of Berne, while the
Hungarian Revolution of 1956 saw a once-great team sadly ripped apart.

133
 WORLD CUP LEGENDS

MOMENTS

9 JUNE 2006

STARTING
IN STYLE Lahm’s wonder goal gets the party
started at the 2006 World Cup

T
here’s normally a lot of goodwill side of the pitch. He cut inside into the edge The game provided plenty more
towards World Cup hosts early on, of the box, putting him on his favoured right excitement. Wanchope struck back for Costa
enough so that most neutrals want to foot, then unleashed a thunderous shot Rica six minutes later and Klose returned
see them win in the tournament’s opening towards the far side of the goal. The ball ire ive minutes after that. The game
match to get the good vibes lowing. hit lush in the top corner, clattering of the inished 4-2, capped of by another wonder
Germany’s exciting opener against Costa inside of the post and sending the stadium strike from Germany’s Torsten Frings, who
Rica in 2006 did just that, kicking the wild. It was the perfect start to the World sent a bending bullet into the top corner
tournament of in style. Only six minutes Cup: a captain’s efort to set the tone for from 30 yards out. Everyone but Costa Rica
into the game, Germany captain Philipp the host nation and a sumptuous strike to was left satisied by this sensational opener
Lahm picked the ball up wide on the left savour for home fan and neutral alike. kicked of by Germany’s captain.

134
STARTING IN STYLE

135
 WORLD CUP LEGENDS

SPAIN’S TIKI-TAKA
REVOLUTION
Spain winning on a global stage changed the way the game was played forever

W
e’ve all been there. You’re about to football history. Two of the world’s greatest to a massive crowd in central Madrid – even
get on a long light and there’s one teams reside in Spain, with Real Madrid and though at the heart of this most Spanish
group of guys who think it’s hilarious Barcelona featuring as key players in the story victory, there was a Dutchman at Barcelona to
to have a few too many drinks beforehand, of the game, but on the world stage, Spain had thank for its inception.
and start doing the conga up and down been an extra in the modern era. Johan Cruyf is recognised as one of the
the aisle even before you’ve taken of. For a After inishing fourth in 1950, they had greatest players of all time, but it was his
couple of hundred people on the way back failed to qualify for four of the next six eight-year spell as Barcelona manager that left
from South Africa in 2010, that was the case editions and would not make the knockout its most permanent mark on the footballing
with 23 young Spanish men. The diference stages until 1986 – a run that included world in the 2010 World Cup.
was that they had just won the World Cup. So winning just one game at their home He engendered his philosophy of
they were cut a little slack. competition in 1982. possession football and constantly being
The story of that triumph in South Africa “This cup, this triumph is for all of you, available for a pass throughout Barcelona
goes back years, and features perennial and for the whole Spanish football factory,” and it stuck, so that when Spaniards Xavi
disappointment for a country steeped in Spain coach Vicente del Bosque bellowed and Andrés Iniesta graduated from La Masia,

136
 SPAIN’S TIKI-TAKA REVOLUTION

“THIS CUP, THIS

TRIUMPH IS FOR ALL
OF YOU, AND FOR
David Villa and
Sergio Ramos lift the
trophy as the Spain
THE WHOLE SPANISH
team celebrate victory
at the 2010 World Cup FOOTBALL FACTORY”
And yet within one game, they were in
tatters. Their midield, despite overlowing
with talent, could not ind a way past
Switzerland’s Diego Benaglio, and seven
minutes into the second half, Manchester City
reject Gelson Fernandes scored one of the
great scrappy goals after it pinballed of two
Spanish defenders and Iker Casillas.
Spain had 22 shots on goal, a stat they
nearly matched in their second group game
against Honduras – but on that occasion, their
19 eforts did at least herald two goals, even
if proligacy was a running theme. David Villa
grabbed them both.
“He has scored whenever he wants,” Del
Bosque would say ahead of the semi-inal.
That wasn’t quite true. He should have scored
at least four against Honduras, missing from
the spot. Perfection was still a distance away.
The inal group game had plenty riding on
it, with the runner-up in Group H facing Brazil
in the second round. It was a keen sword of
Damocles to hang over a game between two
sides who knew each other well, and Marcelo
Bielsa’s Chile seemed unlikely to roll over
without a ight.
But for once, luck was on Spain’s side. A
goalkeeping blunder and a controversial red
card for Chile's Marco Estrada helped them
secure a 2-1 win, and Spain were through.

the famous Barça academy, they were fully

ledged disciples of the Cruyf way. They
had seen his Dream Team win the league
four times in a row and wanted to take that
success to the biggest stage in the world.
For Xavi, 2010 was his third bite of the
cherry; Iniesta, his second. Barça’s 2009
Champions League victory with Cruyf
apostle Guardiola in charge and Xavi, Iniesta,
Gerard Piqué, Carles Puyol, Víctor Valdés and
Sergio Busquets all starting the inal was a
good sign. The 2008 European Championship
win and a 35-match unbeaten run that ended
in 2009 were very good signs.
 WORLD CUP LEGENDS

It set up their sternest test yet: a clash with past England and Argentina in the previous have been an even more dominant one. The
Cristiano Ronaldo’s Portugal. And the goal that rounds and were the exciting team of the 1-0 wins on paper may appear meagre, but in
put the Real Madrid star out was Barcelona tournament. But Spain just kept winning 1-0, fact, Spain’s quality was so high that a narrow
through and through. Iniesta played a delicate doing so for the third time in a row to reach a win was the loor rather than the ceiling of
pass between two defenders into Xavi’s feet, irst-ever inal. their performance.
who licked the ball of the outside of his foot The fact was that Spain were keeping the But it required an immense level of quality
into the path of Villa who, with an hour gone, ball so much that sides were left with precious from every player to do so, and attacking
produced a familiar and decisive inish. little opportunity to score for themselves. players who could unpick defences from
The same scoreline – 1-0 Spain, Villa – saw Against Germany, Spain had 61 per cent settled positions, where disciplined defenders
them dispatch Paraguay to move into the last possession. Against Paraguay, 62. In defeat to would not be pulled around.
four. On paper, Spain weren’t vintage; Villa’s Switzerland, it was 67. It was the Barcelona- It seemed itting that a style based so much
winner coming seven minutes from the end. Cruyf training in action: be available, want around playing the perfect game of football –
They were winning while not thrashing sides, the ball, keep the ball. No one passed the where the winning side would keep the ball
but one lash of brilliance every 90 minutes ball more than Xavi, Xabi Alonso and Sergio at all times – would come up against one that
was proving enough. Just. Busquets in the 2010 World Cup. If you have was ultimately pragmatic in the inal.
It is not the sort of form in which you want the ball, the other team can’t score. Just as José Mourinho’s Inter Milan midield
to ind yourselves against World Cup semi- And had Spain’s inishing been even a little of Esteban Cambiasso and Thiago Motta had
inal regulars Germany. They had put four better, the story of the 2010 World Cup might won the Champions League that year, so the
Netherlands had Mark van Bommel and Nigel
de Jong.
Xabi Alonso of
Spain (left) is fouled The Dutch side tried to impose themselves
by Nigel de Jong of
the Netherlands
physically on the relatively diminutive
Spaniards. One of the abiding memories of the
inal was de Jong kicking Alonso in the chest,
but failing to be shown the red card. English
referee Howard Webb regards that game, in
which he was forced to show 14 yellow cards
and one red, as one of the toughest of his life.
Soccer City and its 84,490 fans were in the
end treated, as they often had been by Spain,
to just one moment of real quality. And it
was itting that it was Iniesta who produced
it. Found by fellow La Masia graduate Cesc
Fàbregas in the box, he hit a bouncing ball
into the far corner with just four minutes
of extra time remaining. Spain were spared
penalties, their enemy before and during the
2010 World Cup, and history beckoned them
with open arms.

138
 David Villa of Spain
misses a goal scoring
chance as goalkeeper
Maarten Stekelenburg
of the Netherlands
dives to save

JOHAN CRUYFF, THE FATHER OF TIKI-TAKA

As a player at Barcelona, Cruyf won La Liga, But equally, his revolution was not an instant or an
the Ballon d’Or and was the Golden Ball winner obvious one. “I’m never afraid of making mistakes and I
of 1974. But it is as a coach that the Spaniards of tried to bring that idea to the pitch,” Cruyf said.
the 21st century came to know his name so prominently. “I told players not to be afraid: ‘If you have an idea,
“Nothing in football would be possible without the good: try it. And if it goes wrong, don’t worry.’”
arrival and the unequalled charisma and talent of Johan His ideology was a simple one: that football should
Cruyf,” Pep Guardiola has said. be studied, analysed and played in an innovative
When Cruyf took over as Barcelona boss, already a and attacking way, with every player on the ield
league winner there as a player, they had inished sixth contributing to keeping the ball. No player at the club,
in the league the year before and won La Liga just once top to bottom, was exempt from his revolution.
in 15 years. It is a testament to his success that he left “If we want things to change, we must change history,”
eight years later having championed Spain four times he said on his arrival as manager. He would shape the
and Europe once. future too, at Barcelona and all over Spain.

139
 WORLD CUP LEGENDS

MOMENTS

2 JULY 2010

SUÁREZ SEES RED Football’s arch villain is sent off

for saving on the line

L
uis Suárez is a controversial player. Few the additional period, Ghana’s Adiyiah sent Footballers cheat all the time, but
deny his talents and the fans of the a header towards goal that had beaten a combination of the blatant nature
teams he plays for tend to love him, the keeper. Suárez saved it on the line, of Suárez’s handball, his ostentatious
but his numerous misdemeanours have blatantly using his hands to prevent a celebrations, the fact that he had helped
made him an unpopular igure in the wider certain goal, and the referee showed him eliminate the only African team left in the
football world. There has been biting, diving red. The incident probably would have irst African tournament, and the lack of
and alleged racial abuse, but the incident been forgotten had Gyan not clattered the remorse he expressed about the incident –
for which he is arguably most famous is his ensuing penalty of the crossbar, sparking he later called it the save of the tournament
hand ball in the 2010 World Cup quarter- celebrations from Suárez on the sidelines. and bragged that Maradona’s ‘Hand of God’
inal contested by Uruguay and Ghana. Uruguay managed to hold on for penalties, now belonged to him – rubbed people up
A hard-fought 1-1 draw meant the two where they won, knocking Ghana out of the wrong way. Suárez will never lose the
teams had to go into extra time. Deep into the tournament. label of ‘cheat’ thanks to this infamous act.

140
SUÁREZ SEES RED

141
 TOP 10… HARRY KANE

FUTURE
After four stellar goalscoring seasons with
Tottenham Hotspur, few would put it past
Harry Kane to become a World Cup legend.
Seemingly impervious to the pressures of

LEGENDS
Who are the next generation of
professional football, Kane might just be the man to
end the England team’s trophy drought.

World Cup legends? We try to

predict the future MARCO ASENSIO
With his ability to score goals from
midield and create chances for his
teammates, Real Madrid’s Marco Asensio is
Spanish football’s great hope for the future.
He and club mate Isco are seen by many in
Spain as long-term successors to Andrés Iniesta
and Xavi, the linchpins of Spain’s 2010 World Cup-
winning team.

X
LEROY SANÉ
With such a wealth of talent at their disposal, Sané is
yet to truly establish himself for the German national
team despite playing a starring role for Manchester City as
they stormed to the Premier League title in 2017-18.
The winger began his professional career at Schalke 04 in
X
2014 and made his international debut for Germany a year
later against France. One to watch.

YOURI TIELEMANS
Another product of Belgium’s golden generation,
creative midielder Tielemans is considered one of
the hottest prospects in world football.
He began his career at Anderlecht, winning two league
titles and becoming the youngest Belgian to play in the
Champions League, before moving to Monaco. He made his
Belgium debut in 2016.

PAULO DYBALA
Dybala has formed a formidable partnership
with compatriot Gonzalo Higuaín for Italian
giants Juventus, but he’s yet to make his mark for the
Argentinian national side.
With Lionel Messi coming to the end of his illustrious
X
career, could Dybala go one better than his countryman and
win Argentina their irst World Cup since 1986?

142
 TOP 10… FUTURE LEGENDS

MARCUS RASHFORD
Rashford was selected in England’s Euro 2016 squad
less than four months after making his debut for his
club side, Manchester United.
In the lead-up to the tournament he became the youngest
X
Englishman to score on his international debut after inding
the net in a friendly against Australia. He made just two
appearances in a disappointing Euros campaign, but could now
be ready to make his mark on the world stage.

TIMO WERNER
X
With the World Cup’s all-time leading goalscorer Miroslav Klose
retiring from international football after the 2014 World Cup inal,
Timo Werner has big boots to ill for the German national team. But the
RB Leipzig striker looks more than capable of living up to expectations.
Linked with a string of top European clubs, Werner has been in proliic
form since joining the Bundesliga side in 2016 and scored seven goals in his
irst 12 appearances for Germany.
Can he surpass his countryman? Only time will tell.

NEYMAR
Such is the hype around Neymar in Brazil that
the Rio de Janeiro Carnival was brought forward
to avoid a clash with his Champions League tie against
Real Madrid in February 2018.
He performed well in his irst World Cup in 2014 before
his tournament was ended by a fractured vertebrae in
X
X

the quarter-inal against Colombia. The question on his

compatriots’ lips seems less to be whether Neymar will
win a sixth World Cup for Brazil, but when.

KYLIAN MBAPPÉ
Born in 1998, the same year France lifted the World Cup for the irst
time, Mbappé made his name at Monaco before moving to Paris
Saint-Germain on loan, with a fee of €180 million agreed by the two clubs
to make the deal permanent. With a playing style that’s been compared to
France’s all-time leading scorer Thierry Henry, big things are expected of him in
the coming years.
He made his debut for the French national team in March 2017 as a substitute
in a 3-1 win over Luxembourg and scored his irst goal for Les Bleus in August of
the same year against the Netherlands.

X
GABRIEL JESUS
In Brazil they have high hopes for Gabriel Jesus. “He’s the new Ronaldo,” claimed
Daniel Alves in 2017. “They have similar qualities, a similar drive. He’s going to be
one of the greats.” Could Jesus really be the second coming of ‘O Fenômeno’?
After making his name at Palmeiras in Brazil, the striker moved to England in 2017 to
join Pep Guardiola’s revolution at Manchester City, becoming one of the shining lights in
world football in the process. He soon became a vital part of the team, taking the starting
place of proliic Argentinian striker and the club’s all-time leading scorer Sergio Agüero and
helping Manchester City win the Premier League in 2017-18.

X His international debut for Brazil came in September 2016, with Jesus scoring twice in a
3-0 win over Ecuador. Since then he’s been a regular ixture in the side. Whether his name
will be as synonymous with the World Cup as Ronaldo, however, remains to be seen.

143
 WORLD CUP LEGENDS

144
 KILLING THE DREAM

MOMENTS

8 JULY 2014

KILLING THE DREAM Germany send Brazil crashing out of the

World Cup with a 7-1 thrashing

B
razil weren’t in an ideal state coming also played on home soil, known as the Ronaldo. Kroos then drilled one in with his
into their semi-inal match against Maracanazo. Brazil were a mess and were left from the edge of the box in the 24th
Germany in the 2014 World Cup. Their comfortably dismantled by a German team, minute and slotted a tap-in home in the
star player, Neymar, had been injured in who would go on to win the tournament. 26th. Khedira popped up to give Germany a
the previous game against Colombia and Müller struck irst, converting from a 5-0 lead in the 29th minute that they took
captain Thiago Silva was suspended. Still, corner after he was allowed to go unmarked into the half-time break. Schürrle came on
Brazil were going into the match undefeated in the box. Then, in an incredible six in the second half to net another two, the
and were playing on home soil. It was minutes, Brazil collapsed as Germany netted second a thunderous strike into the near top
expected to be a close game. four goals to destroy their World Cup hopes. corner. Brazil could only grab a consolation
What followed was a humiliation dubbed Klose scored in the 23rd minute to take his in the 90th minute through Oscar to bring
the Mineirazo, a reference to Brazil’s total World Cup tally to 16, overtaking the an embarrassing, but entertaining, 7-1 defeat
shock defeat in the 1950 World Cup inal, all-time top-scorer record held by Brazil’s to a close.

145
 DISCOVER THE HISTORY
OF THE BEAUTIFUL GAME
Delve into the fascinating history of the most popular sport on Earth as we
take you on a tour of the game’s most prestigious competitions, the world’s
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