13/06/2026

SPORTS SATURDAY | JUNE 13, 2026

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2026 WORLD CUP

S TAR PLAYERS the world over can perform for their club – but who are those who have shone brightest for their nation in the history of the men’s World Cup? From Pele and Lionel Messi to Diego Maradona and Franz Beckenbauer, with a sprin kling of Zinedine Zidane, Kylian Mbappe and Ronaldo in the mix, these are the players who have lit up the “greatest show on earth” over the past 96 years – from the first tournament in Uruguay in 1930 all the way to the first-ever win ter event in Qatar in 2022. This is all about performances in World Cups, not simply the best-ever players who have fea tured in a World Cup. As such, one player who does not make the top-50 is Cristiano Ronaldo. 40. Roberto Carlos (Brazil) World Cups played: 1998, 2002, 2006 World Cup record: Winner 2002, runner-up 1998 Games: 17 Goals: 1 Best moment: The only World Cup goal he ever scored, in the 2002 group stage contest with China. A freekick outside the penalty area on the right with a perfect angle for his rocket of a left foot. Blasted past the wall and swerved away from the goalkeeper into the far side-netting. A beauty. There is an argument as to whether the great defender redefined what it was to play fullback (yes), but what isn’t up for debate is that Carlos perfected his role at left wingback. Blistering pace, overlapping runs, indefatigable energy, curling crosses and a set-piece specialist. Like Beckham, but Brazilian and better. Best moment: Scoring twice against Romania in 1990 to announce himself on the global stage aged 38. The poster boy of all veteran players and, for many, Africa’s first global star. Having featured in 1982, when Cameroon fell at the first hurdle, Milla had to be coaxed out of retirement for Italia ‘90. His impact as a substitute, aged 38, was transformative. Sprung off the bench in the sec ond group game against Romania, he scored twice in a 2-1 win to ultimately seal their pro gress. In the round of 16, versus Colombia, he was brought on with the match scoreless and nabbed another brace in extra-time to lead the Indomitable Lions towards a stage no African nation had been before – the quarterfinals. And he celebrated with his iconic corner-flag jig. Milla contributed two assists against England as 39. Roger Milla (Cameroon) World Cups played: 1982, 1990, 1994 World Cup record: Quarterfinalist 1990 Games: 10 Goals: 5

and what if his late equaliser was not disallowed for a disputed offside? 34. Sandor Kocsis (Hungary) World Cups played: 1954 World Cup record: Runner-up 1954 Best moment: Four goals during an 8-3, group stage pummelling of West Germany in the 1954 World Cup. Deadly throughout that game, Germany would get their revenge in the final, but Kocsis actually delivered more than his more illustrious teammate Puskas. Combined with Puskas to revolutionise European football, but Kocsis was actually the superior player on the biggest stage of them all. He proved prolific and his deadly run in 1954 saw him score four goals in one World Cup game against Germany, helping him to the Golden Boot that year and becoming the first player to score two hattricks in one tournament. 33. Rivaldo (Brazil) World Cups played: 1998, 2002 World Cup record: Winner 2002, runner-up 1998 Games: 14 Goals: 8 Best moment: Though a superb volley against Belgium in the round of 16 in 2002 stands out on a personal level, lifting the World Cup as joint-top scorer at the end of the tournament was the high light of a glittering career. Rivaldo was a key part of the Brazil team that lost the final to France in 1998, and by 2002 he had picked up a Ballon d’Or as he emerged as a leader in a side that also contained Ronaldo and Ronaldinho. He scored five goals across seven matches in Japan and South Korea – including in every game up to the semifinals – and his sub lime dummy set up Ronaldo’s second in the final to wrap up his side’s fifth World Cup trophy. The less said about the pathetic play-acting when the ball gently hit him near the corner flag against Turkiye in 2002, the better. 32. Lev Yashin (West Germany) World Cups played: 1958, 1962, 1966, 1970 World Cup record: Semifinals 1966 Games: 12 Clean sheets: 4 Best moment: Facing a Pele-inspired Brazil in the 1958 World Cup, he single-handedly stopped the game becoming a rout, making a number of bril liant saves in a respectable 2-0 defeat for the USSR. The greatest goalkeeper in the history of the sport – Lev Yashin’s athleticism, acrobatic saves and imposing presence made “the Black Spider” an icon and he remains the only goalkeeper to win the Ballon d’Or (in 1963). He allegedly saved over 150 penalties in his career and revolution ised the position by coming out to claim crosses, closing down attackers and yelling instructions at his defenders. Making four World Cup squads, Yashin was named as the goalkeeper in the all time Fifa World Cup Dream Team in 2002 and helped the USSR to the semifinals in 1966. He took a very 1960s approach to fitness, saying that his secret was “having a smoke to calm your nerves, then tossing back a strong drink to tone your muscles.” 31. Thomas Muller (Germany) World Cups played: 2010, 2014, 2018, 2022 World Cup record: Winner 2014 Games: 18 Goals: 10 Best moment: Hattrick in 2014 group-stage against Portugal. Golden Boot winner in 2010 and Silver Boot winner four years later, Muller was a player who thrived on the world stage. From scoring his first international goal in his first World Cup appear ance against Australia in 2010 and his brace against England in the last 16, to his hattrick to open up proceedings in 2014 and his volley which set Germany on their way to their iconic 7 1 triumph versus Brazil, Muller’s early World Cup record was simply outstanding. Perhaps his only personal blot was his needless yellow card against Argentina in 2010, which meant he missed the semifinal defeat to Spain. A tireless worker, brilliant finisher and competitive animal, Muller’s absence this year will feel somewhat peculiar. Games: 5 Goals: 11

Lev Yashin

Pele, Maradona or Messi at No. 1? The 50 greatest players in World Cup history (Part 2)

racked up a further five goals. Then, his last tour nament in 1998 brought another quarterfinal defeat but three more goals – and with Klinsmann as captain. Of 1990, he told said: “(As a young player), you really have difficulty com prehending what’s happened. You just join the group, party, and think: ‘This is the coolest. I scored a couple of goals, how cool.’” 37. Gordon Banks (England) World Cups played: 1966, 1970 World Cup record: Winner 1966 Games: 9 Clean sheets: 6 Best moment: His “save of the century” from Pele in 1970. It says a lot that Banks’s greatest moment is not from 1966, when he kept four clean sheets in England’s winning run. He went untroubled until Eusebio’s late penalty in the semifinals, the first goal he conceded in 721 minutes of international football. Beaten twice in the final, ultimately, it did not mat ter. Fast-forward four years and Banks enjoyed and

astonishing save from Pele, clawing the Brazil leg end’s powerful header away from goal as he stretched desperately behind him. It’s said that Pele remarked: “I thought that was a goal.” Banks replied: “You and me both.” 36. Philipp Lahm (Germany) World Cups played: 2006, 2010, 2014 World Cup record: Winner 2014 Games: 20 Best moment: Captaining Germany to a World Cup trophy in 2014. Lahm was undoubtedly one of Germany’s greatest ever players, captaining them at two World Cups. In a modern era of inverting full backs and position-less football, Lahm was one of the first players to ever be trusted to play in mid field despite being a traditional fullback by trade. He was technically excellent, as well as someone who would cover every blade of grass in each game. With the crowning moment of his interna tional career leading Germany to a World Cup tri umph in 2014, Lahm cemented his place Best moment: Scoring the opening goal in the 1954 World Cup final even if the day ended in Hungary, the “Golden Team”, suffering a defeat that would leave a mark over the country that it has never recovered from. Only one question follows the “Magical Magyars” now. Led by Puskas, the left-footed wonder, Hungary were the world’s best team and went unbeaten between 1950 and 1954. Then, in their second game of the 1954 World Cup, Puskas suffered an ankle injury as a result of a crunching tackle dur ing Hungary’s 8-3 victory over West Germany. Clearly unfit, Puskas only returned in time for the final, where West Germany beat amongst the nation’s greats. 35. Ferenc Puskas (Hungary/Spain) World Cups played: 1954, 1962 World Cup record: Runner-up 1954 Games: 6 Goals: 4

Cameroon led 2-1, only for it to end in extra-time heartbreak. Four years later, he became the oldest outfield player to feature in a World Cup, aged 42, coming on as a substitute in defeats to Brazil and Russia, scoring in the lat ter despite a 6-1 loss. 38. Jurgen Klinsmann (West Germany) World Cups played: 1990, 1994, 1998 World Cup record: Winner 1990 Games: 17 Goals: 11 Best moment: Lifting the trophy on his tourna ment debut, after playing every game and scoring three goals along the way. Klinsmann’s World

endured a dra matic tourna ment in Mexico. A day after being informed he’d been awarded an OBE, he made that

Cup legacy is as inter esting as it is impres sive. See the moment above for a summary of his tournament debut, and

Hungary 3-2 in the “Miracle of Bern”. So, what if Puskas didn’t get injured ear lier in the tournament,

Thomas Muller

Roberto Carlos

although his sophomore effort brought a slightly pre mature exit, Klinsmann