No other player in history has scored a hat-trick at two World Cup finals.“Great personality, great charisma, great talent. ’Tis a pity that scandals over ownership, billboards and a refusal to play has marred the memory of this fearsome competitor. At Sevilla, the striker was given a melon every time he scored for them. He would be higher on this list but for injury; his arrival was key to Chelsea’s first title in 50 years.The midfielder’s blond locks made him a style icon as well as one of the finest talents of his generation. Always watch the little ones. What if he hadn’t waited until 2004 to join a giant the size of Barcelona? Mo’s irrepressible verve, low centre of gravity and fearsome strike rate have led some fans to dare compare him against Kenny Dalglish – and at Anfield, no praise is higher.“I had the pleasure of playing against him. Tevez tore apart defences with his vision and his strength, epitomising how our game at its best combines intelligence and presence, brains and brawn.Just the 313 goals, mostly for Juventus, Milan and Italy, with 46 of them coming in 81 (often vital) Champions League games – including both in the 2007 final. “It’s impossible, this kid is unique.”Trying to make sense of Messi is to give up on football, to forget the reason why you first started watching in the first place, cross-legged in the front room or open-mouthed on the stands. “If you’ll allow me this… it really gets on my nerves.” Unfortunately, the Divine Ponytail will always be known for blazing Italy’s crucial spot-kick over the bar in the 1994 World Cup Final, handing the trophy to Brazil.
A lethal finisher and big-game player, he scored in Barcelona’s 2011 Champions League Final victory and even had a hand in Atletico Madrid’s shock La Liga win.No player adds bite to an attack quite like Suarez. While never shying away from a good battle, he went about his work in a European style: snuffing out danger quietly rather than through crunching tackles, and was a limousine of a player cruising upfield.
He came off the bench against Russia in a play-off for France 98. We were worried because he was just 19, so we went to give him some advice. The '80s saved the NBA.After merging with the more exciting ABA in 1976, the league was struggling to get attention.The NFL, NHL and MLB were all more popular. He bagged eight league titles and four Champions Leagues while completing more passes than anyone on Earth, and for many he’s the greatest Spanish footballer ever.
Every game has its defining moments, with the best players usually holding an important role in making football a definite part of the American sporting experience. “He’s just always in the right position.” But some knack to have. The ’80s decade was one of the most interesting eras in football history, we had some of the most talented footballers who ever lives that played back then.
World-class in three different positions – either full-back or in defensive midfield – the Magic Dwarf was the captain every coach dreams of. Nuff said.“An incredible athlete and warrior on the field, and a sincere and kind man off it. He wanted to better himself and he couldn’t get enough of the game.” He’s no fantasy dinner guest, but then Stephen Fry doesn’t score many goals. He was a complete player – a powerful striker who scored a lot of goals and was very hard to stop.” What’s the opposite of a flat-track bully?
Versatile and ambidextrous, Sneijder has won over a dozen trophies in five countries – most memorably Inter’s 2010 treble.Just as FourFourTwo drew its first breath in the summer of 1994, Klinsi was busy proving that the Germans do have a sense of humour, marking his first goal (on debut) at Sheffield Wednesday with a dive celebration. I can remember standing in the tunnel, looking up at him and then thinking, ‘What am I going to do with you today?’ A monster of a player.” For two years in the ’90s, he was king of Europe. He was great with his head and was very strong on the ball and in the box.” “The first time I saw John he was out on the training pitch practising 35-yard passes, long after the rest of the squad had disappeared. Dependable and unflinchingly honest.“I’ll never forget his Italy debut. He’s a great tackler and he starts attacks, passes with metronomic accuracy and works tirelessly. Look at the 2005 Champions League Final, or Liverpool’s final group game against Olympiakos. He deserves to be treated as a hero. I was meant to be a footballer. How did he do it? A phenomenal passer, a great athlete and a great motivator.” The Golden Boy scored his first Roma goal in September 1994 – the same month Spain’s all-time top goalscorer took home the Golden Boot as Spain won Euro 2008, then tied at the top with another five goals as they lifted the 2010 World Cup. I tried kicking him once and hurt my foot, which shows you what sort of game I had against him.” His 177 Premier League goals (the fourth-highest total ever and two more than Thierry Henry) is ludicrous for a central midfielder – but Lampard was just as gifted at picking passes as he was at finding the onion bag, and remained remarkably consistent under myriad Chelsea managers with wildly different systems.Two-footed, majestic in the air and deadly in one-on-ones, the Dutchman was a nightmarish proposition for defenders.