World Cup Legends

Roger Milla
Roger Milla, aged 38 at the start of the 1990 World Cup, was not expected to be anything more than a bit-part player in Cameroon's second appearance at the finals.
Lothar Matthaeus
Lothar Matthaeus became one of Germany's most inspirational footballers in a world record-breaking international career that spanned 20 years and 150 caps.
Mario Kempes
A veteran of three World Cups, Mario Kempes is best remembered for his goalscoring contribution to Argentina's victory on home soil at the 1978 tournament.
Gerd Muller
West Germany's Gerd Muller terrorised opposition defences during two World Cups which saw him finish as the most prolific goalscorer in the competition's history.
Gordon Banks
Performer of perhaps the most famous save in football history, Gordon Banks forged a reputation for goalkeeping excellence during a lengthy international career with England.
Ferenc Puskas
The most prolific goalscorer in international history, Ferenc Puskas was the leading light of a dazzling Hungarian team that illuminated world football throughout the early 1950s.
Lev Yashin
Russia's Lev Yashin, the most nicknamed goalkeeper in football history, is also regarded as the finest ever to have played the game.
Geoff Hurst
Like so many players in World Cup history, Geoff Hurst was a surprise initial selection who emerged from the shadows to become a hero.
Gianluigi Buffon
Juventus goalkeeper Gianluigi Buffon was crucial to Italy's 2006 World Cup triumph and his celebrated reflexes should one day see him remembered alongside such greats as Russia's Lev Yashin and England's Gordon Banks.
Zinedine Zidane
Born to Algerian immigrants in Marseille, Zinedine Zidane would grow up to become the finest French player since Michel Platini and a reluctant poster boy for emerging 21st-century France.
Ronaldo
No other player in the last 20 years has enjoyed a career as irrevocably intertwined with the romance of the World Cup as Ronaldo Luis Nazario de Lima.
Roberto Baggio
One of football's finest players for nearly a decade, Roberto Baggio starred for Italy in three World Cups but left each one empty-handed.
Paolo Maldini
Paolo Maldini started his professional career at the age of 16 in the shadow of his father Cesare, but emerged triumphantly into the sunlight, earning a record 126 caps before retiring from international football after the 2002 World Cup.
Michel Platini
Over the course of a career that included three World Cups, Michel Platini's midfield artistry earned him the right to be regarded as the finest French footballer of all time.
Johan Cruyff
A revolutionary on the pitch and a rebel off it, Johan Cruyff was the most celebrated member of a generation of Dutch footballers who lit up the 1970s.
Gheorghe Hagi
Gheorghe Hagi, known as the 'Maradona of the Carpathians', became Romania's most famous footballer during a remarkable 16-year international career.
Franz Beckenbauer
Outstanding vision and a steely resilience cloaked in velvety footballing skills were Franz Beckenbauer's hallmarks during a distinguished career at the heart of successive German teams.
Fabio Cannavaro
Though he once achieved the not inconsiderable feat of being voted Italy's sexiest man, Fabio Cannavaro's outstanding achievement came as captain of the Azzurri side that won the 2006 World Cup with a string of sublime performances that earned him the title of world player of the year.
Eusebio
From humble origins in Mozambique, Eusebio da Silva Ferreira was to emerge as one of the World Cup's most feared strikers, combining panther-like pace with a ferocious shooting ability.
Dino Zoff
Voted top Italian goalkeeper of the 20th century, Dino Zoff occupied a key position at the heart of the 'Azzurri' in a 15-year international career.
Cristiano Ronaldo
If Cristiano Ronaldo can carry Portugal at Euro 2008 the way he has carried Manchester United the past two seasons his status as one of the best if not the best player in the world will be secure.
Bobby Moore
Lack of pace and modest ability in the air are not normally qualities associated with a world-class defender. For Bobby Moore, shortcomings in those areas were an irrelevance.
Bobby Charlton
One of the survivors of the 1958 Munich air disaster which decimated Manchester United's 'Busby Babes', Bobby Charlton bounced back to become his country's most successful footballer.
Alfredo Di Stefano
The soccer great Alfredo Di Stefano of Argentina, former Real Madrid player helped transform the Spanish club into a global force played for Real Madrid from 1953-64.
Diego Maradona
It is a measure of Diego Maradona's genius that the scandals that dogged his career will not stop him from being remembered as one of the two greatest footballers to grace the sport.
Pele
Born Edson Arantes do Nascimento in October 1940, Pele went on to become the best-loved footballer of his or any other generation.