With just two weeks until the 23rd World Cup kicks off in North America on 11 June, The Independent has ranked the 50 greatest players in tournament history based solely on their performances at the World Cup. The list spans from the first edition in Uruguay in 1930 to the 2022 winter event in Qatar, using a specific formula and points system devised by our sports reporters.
Notable absentees include Cristiano Ronaldo, who despite being one of football's all-time greats, does not feature among the World Cup pantheon. The top 10 includes legends such as Pele, Diego Maradona, Lionel Messi, Franz Beckenbauer, Zinedine Zidane, Kylian Mbappe, and Ronaldo Nazario, with Chief Football Writer Miguel Delaney explaining why the No 1 pick was beyond doubt.
Among the top 50 are players like Fritz Walter, architect of West Germany's 'Miracle of Bern' in 1954, and Vava, whose clinical finishing in the 1958 and 1962 finals proved crucial for Brazil. Leonidas, the 'Black Diamond', won the Golden Boot and Golden Ball in 1938, while Didier Deschamps captained France to victory in 1998 with five clean sheets in six games.
Daniel Passarella led Argentina to their first World Cup win in 1978, and remains the only Argentine to win two World Cups. Rudi Voller scored in a losing final in 1986 but triumphed in 1990, despite a red card in between. The full list celebrates those who have shone brightest on football's biggest stage.
