View Full Version : Greatest World Cup player ever
DmanDmythDledge
17/06/2006, 4:46 PM
For me it has to be Bobby Moore. I have never seen anyone defend like him. He was a great captain and one of the finest defenders to have ever lived. His performance against Brazil in the 1970 WC is the finest individual performance I have ever seen.
The Stars
17/06/2006, 4:50 PM
Franz Beckenbaur(ok so the spelling isnt great,but he was)
stojkovic
17/06/2006, 5:16 PM
Diego Armando Maradona.
tetsujin1979
18/06/2006, 2:04 AM
Pele played in 4 World Cups and won 3 of them - 58, 62 and 70. Not even Maradona can match that!
Closed Account 2
18/06/2006, 2:29 AM
For me its Diego Armando. He took a pretty average Argentina side all the way in 86, pretty much on his own. He was a real joy to watch.
stojkovic
18/06/2006, 10:21 AM
Pele played in 4 World Cups and won 3 of them - 58, 62 and 70. Not even Maradona can match that!Pele got injured early in 1962 WC and didnt play again. Garrincha was the star that year.
Cafu has played in three Finals, winning two, is he better than Maradona ?
superfrank
18/06/2006, 7:26 PM
Pele got injured early in 1962 WC and didnt play again.
It doesn't take away from the fact he was still a good player.
My nominee would be Just Fontaine. 13 goals in one tournament in 1958. Nuff said.
JoeSemi
18/06/2006, 7:41 PM
El Diego Armando Maradona
Junior
18/06/2006, 9:50 PM
Paul Mcgrath............
And Diego of course
DmanDmythDledge
18/06/2006, 9:51 PM
Could a mod get a poll going on this please?
stojkovic
18/06/2006, 10:03 PM
It doesn't take away from the fact he was still a good player.Of course he was an excellent, second best ever IMO. I was merely questioning the criteria for greatness (ie medals). By that ationale Gary Neville is the best player to play in the Premiership.
My top five would be ;
1. Maradona
2. Pele
3. Beckenbauer
4. Cruijff
5. Garrincha
tricky_colour
18/06/2006, 11:25 PM
Could a mod get a poll going on this please?
If so I insist Gary Breen is on the list :D
superfrank
19/06/2006, 9:26 AM
I'll do one when there's more nominees. So far I've 7: Bobby Moore, Franz Beckenbauer, Diego Maradona, Pelé, Garrincha, Paul McGrath and Johann Cruyff.
Poor Student
19/06/2006, 10:58 AM
Baggio as another nominee for 1994?
Pat O' Banton
19/06/2006, 12:09 PM
Maybe not the greatest but from that golden glow that the first world cup you can remember brings, its got to be Zico from '82. I'm still scarred by Falco's veinny arms though!:eek:
superfrank
19/06/2006, 6:22 PM
Zico and Baggio...so just one more.
stojkovic
19/06/2006, 6:55 PM
Der Bomber ?
DmanDmythDledge
19/06/2006, 6:57 PM
I'll do one when there's more nominees. So far I've 7: Bobby Moore, Franz Beckenbauer, Diego Maradona, Pelé, Garrincha, Paul McGrath and Johann Cruyff.
You left out the Gary Breen nomination:D
adamcarr
19/06/2006, 8:13 PM
Ferenc Puskas has to be in the pol. If he was fully fit Hungary would have beaten West Germany well.
superfrank
20/06/2006, 10:48 AM
End of nominations. Puskas was the last one. I wasn't too sure who Der Bomber is....was it Muller??
superfrank
20/06/2006, 10:53 AM
Rightio. Here's the poll. 10 choices.
I voted for Baggio as he was the only one I saw playing at the time.
OwlsFan
20/06/2006, 11:00 AM
Voted for Maradona despite the "hand of God".
Poor Student
20/06/2006, 11:06 AM
End of nominations. Puskas was the last one. I wasn't too sure who Der Bomber is....was it Muller??
Indeed. The man who holds the record for goals scored in the WC. How did McGrath get in there?:confused:
superfrank
20/06/2006, 11:24 AM
Indeed. The man who holds the record for goals scored in the WC. How did McGrath get in there?:confused:
Someone nominated him.
First
20/06/2006, 11:31 AM
Pele played in 4 World Cups and won 3 of them - 58, 62 and 70. Not even Maradona can match that!
Pele was surrouded by superstars, Maradona won the world cup on his own.
IMO
First
20/06/2006, 11:33 AM
Voted for Maradona despite the "hand of God".
Voted for him because of the "Hand of God" and the greatest WC goal ever scored by an individual
tipp man
20/06/2006, 11:54 AM
Pele has been the iconic figure of the World Cup over many years. It is accurate to say that he always had great players around him but his record is still amazing. He lit up many games with great pieces of individual skill. Cruff played in one final, went into a sulk and missed 1978; not a runner IMO.
Muller was the greatest finisher from 6 yards ever but if you put a 'Greatest World Cup XI' together he wouldn't get in. Maradona did win a WC almost single handedly in 1986 but his and his teams perfomances in 1990 coupled with being sent home in disgrace in 1994 clouds his record. Perhaps Maradona was the C.J. Haughey of World Cup Football.
Ronaldo could pick up a third winners medal this year (he was an unused sub in 1994) if Brazil pick up a bit and I wouldn't rate him anywhere near other Brazilian greats such as Pele, Garrincha, Amarildo, Rivelino, Jairzinho, Zico. Therefore much like the previous post on Cafu, medals cannot be counted as a measure here.
Best player never to win a world cup, Puskas or Di Stefano(was there in 1962 but didn't play a game). Best player never to have been at a world Cup? Gerorge Best.
Block G Raptor
21/06/2006, 1:51 PM
Ive gone for Maradonna over Pele coz I never got to see Pele live in action were as I remember mexico '86 and the great goal maradonna scored against England.
the other one he scored that day when he beat the whole england team and slotted past shilton wasn't too bad either:D
CollegeTillIDie
22/06/2006, 6:33 PM
Mc Grath was Ireland's greatest World Cup player ever . But should he be in the top 10 of the World ? Not sure about that
placid casual
27/06/2006, 1:59 PM
ger muller
jus fontaine (13 goals in one tournament)
pele
maradona
hristo stoichkov (for the laugh)
ali2005
27/06/2006, 2:14 PM
for me it has to be pele! what a player
rodoman
29/06/2006, 6:20 PM
It doesn't take away from the fact he was still a good player.
My nominee would be Just Fontaine. 13 goals in one tournament in 1958. Nuff said.
Would have to agree with you there butty, anyone who scores that many goals, especially when good players would get kicked up and down a pitch way back then
Maradona - if only for the 86 WC when he did well and truly win it on his own. Class.
jockser
04/07/2006, 10:34 PM
Pele easily
1. Ronaldo
2. Gerd Muller
3. Cruyff
I can't believe Ronaldo hasn't been mentioned more..three very good world cups overall, top scorer in one, top all time scorer, recovering from the shadow of 98 to be top scorer and breaking the record despite heavy criticism of him. Perhaps when he retires, he'll get more credit. Far and away the best in the World Cup for me.
(I say this as a Barca fan and critic of the white-shirted version of Ronaldo)
Sandro
05/07/2006, 6:00 AM
Marco Van Basten?
tetsujin1979
05/07/2006, 9:10 AM
Zidane? Considered one of the all time greats at the moment and could be in line for his second final
pineapple stu
05/07/2006, 12:50 PM
Marco Van Basten?
Only played in one World Cup, sure. And even then, got knocked out in the Second Round by Germany. Did he even score in the competition actually? Didn't get the chance to prove himself in the World Cup, so can't be up for the greatest player at it.
Block G Raptor
05/07/2006, 1:54 PM
Marco Van Basten?
Most Idiotic Pig headed manager at the world Cup ........well since Mick McCarthy anyway
Sandro
05/07/2006, 4:12 PM
Only played in one World Cup, sure. And even then, got knocked out in the Second Round by Germany. Did he even score in the competition actually? Didn't get the chance to prove himself in the World Cup, so can't be up for the greatest player at it.
Alright he had an awful World Cup record, still he's by far the best player I've seen in recent years. Thinking of 1988, he would probably win easily the Greatest European Cup player ever contest
Pele was before my time so has to be Maradona who carried average teams to World Cup win and finals.
pineapple stu
05/07/2006, 6:15 PM
Alright he had an awful World Cup record
Kind of the point of the thread, don't you think? ;)
Sandro
05/07/2006, 6:23 PM
Kind of the point of the thread, don't you think? ;)
My English is probably not as good, I thought we were electing the best WC player regardless of the games played. So the winner is Mr. Paolo Rossi, definitly one of the most overrated players of all times. He won the 1982 edition by himself
$Leon$
10/07/2006, 4:59 PM
Need i say any more (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NZ2976_rR_s&search=maradonna%20life%20is%20life)......and if that wasn't enough (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uRUATXbYt7s&search=maradonna)
More talent in his little finger than anyone on display in Germany over the last month.
Here we see some modern players in training (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XcPV3DA0rqE&search=italy%20training)
how the hell is Best or De Stefano not on the list!!! ....or dare I say it Zidane now that hes finished? Had to vote for Maradonna in that case. Garrincha was genius but the least professional footballer ever. In one match he got put off for dribbling past a defender too much and embarassing him while in another game he was dribbling so much that the game spilled over to the surrounding running track and was allowed to continue because the crowd loved it so much!
CollegeTillIDie
12/07/2006, 7:20 AM
how the hell is Best or De Stefano not on the list!!! ....or dare I say it Zidane now that hes finished? Had to vote for Maradonna in that case. Garrincha was genius but the least professional footballer ever. In one match he got put off for dribbling past a defender too much and embarassing him while in another game he was dribbling so much that the game spilled over to the surrounding running track and was allowed to continue because the crowd loved it so much!
Cause George Best never played at a World Cup for one! And neither for the record did Alfredo Di Stefano ...
Cause George Best never played at a World Cup for one! And neither for the record did Alfredo Di Stefano ...
oh yeah forgot it was in the world cup forum and not world football, that still doesnt excuse leaving out Stuart Pearse.:p
Forever Dreamin
15/07/2006, 10:24 PM
reckon it has to be by an armslenght (excuse the pun) Maradonna. And what i love about him still is his love for Argentina and turning up for the matches in his colours, not only a great player but also a great fan.
If there was a poll for the best player never to grace the finals there could only be one Georgie Best
tricky_colour
17/07/2006, 12:23 AM
Hard to take that poll seriously if Zidane is not on the list.
I have not see a great deal of many players on the list playing
apart from the odd highlight (never hear of some of them :o )
Anyway Zidane is the worlds most expensive footballer if you are
willing to put your money where your mouth is, and that was a 2001
value, before the likes of Abramavich(spelling?).
Whenever I have watched him play well, he seems to stand out
from the players around him, which makes the opposition, many of them
'world class' players, look like donkeys.
As far as 'character' is concerned, the poll leader Maradona, is a blatent
cheat (hand of god goal), and I doubt he would ever legally disposess
Zidane in a one on one situation.
John83
17/07/2006, 12:50 AM
... Maradona... I doubt he would ever legally disposess
Zidane in a one on one situation.
I doubt Zidane would cleanly disposess Maradona to often either. I don't see what bearing that has on anything.
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