World Team of the 20th Century
The World Team of the 20th Century were chosen in 1998 to comprise, as an eleven-member side divided as one goalkeeper four defenders, three midfielders, and three forwards, the best association football players of the 20th century CE.
The team, announced by MasterCard on 10 June 1998, in conjunction with the opening ceremonies of the 1998 FIFA World Cup in Paris, France, were selected in plurality voting undertaken by a panel of 250 international football journalists from amongst the members of eleven-member sides styled as the South American and European Teams of the 20th Century, selected previously by the same panel to be composed of players respectively to have represented principally member nations of the CONMEBOL and UEFA continental confederations.
Similarly constituted teams for players from the nations of CONCACAF, the Confederation of African Football, and collectively the Asian and Oceania Football Confederations were chosen by separate, smaller juries of journalists situated respectively in North and Central America, Africa, and Asia and Oceania, and announced alongside the European and South American teams, but players selected to the former sides were not considered for selection to the world team.
Position |
Player |
National side(s)
represented by year |
Professional club(s)
represented by year |
Rank on the
World Soccer magazine
enumeration of the top
players of the 20th century |
Continental, FIFA World Cup,
World Soccer, and FIFA awards |
Goalkeeper |
Lev Yashin |
Soviet Union
(1954–1970) |
FC Dynamo Moscow (1949–1971) |
11 |
European Footballer of the Year (1963), UEFA Jubilee Award (Russia)
World Cup All-Star Team[1](1958)
[2] |
Defender (fullback) |
Carlos Alberto Torres |
Brazil
(1964–1977) |
Fluminense (1963–1966, 1974–1977)
Santos FC (1966–1974)
Flamengo (1977)
New York Cosmos (1977–1980, 1982)
California Surf (1981) |
Unranked |
FIFA 100
World Cup All-Star Team[1] (1970) |
Defender (centre-back) |
Franz Beckenbauer |
West Germany
(1965–1977) |
Bayern Munich (1965–1977)
New York Cosmos (1977–1980, 1983)
Hamburger SV (1980–1982) |
4 |
European Footballer of the Year (1972, 1976)
World Cup All-Star Team[1] (1966, 1970, 1974)
FIFA 100 |
Defender (centre-back) |
Bobby Moore |
England
(1962–1973) |
West Ham United (1958–1974)
Fulham (1974–1977)
San Antonio Thunder (1977)
Seattle Sounders (1978) |
14 |
UEFA Jubilee Award (England)
World Cup All-Star Team[1] (1966)
[2] |
Defender (fullback) |
Nílton Santos |
Brazil
(1949–1963) |
Botafogo (1949–1965) |
Unranked |
World Cup All-Star Team[1] (1958)
FIFA 100 |
Midfielder |
Johan Cruijff |
Netherlands
(1966–1978) |
Ajax Amsterdam (1964–1973, 1981–1983)
FC Barcelona (1973–1978)
Los Angeles Aztecs (1979)
Washington Diplomats (1980–1981)
Levante UD (1981)
Feyenoord (1983–1984) |
3 |
European Footballer of the Year (1971, 1973, 1974), UEFA Jubilee Award (Netherlands)
World Cup All-Star Team[1] (1974)
FIFA 100 |
Midfielder |
Alfredo Di Stéfano |
Argentina
(1947)
Spain (1957–1961) |
River Plate (1943–1945, 1947–1949)
Huracán (1946–1947)
Millonarios (1949–1953)
Real Madrid (1953–1964)
RCD Espanyol (1964–1966) |
6 |
European Footballer of the Year (1957, 1959), UEFA Jubilee Award (Spain)
FIFA 100, |
Midfielder |
Michel Platini |
France
(1976–1987) |
AS Nancy (1972–1979)
AS Saint-Étienne (1979–1982)
Juventus (1982–1987) |
5 |
European Footballer of the Year (1983, 1984, 1985), Onze d'Or (1983, 1984, 1985)
World Cup All-Star Team[1] (1982, 1986)
World Soccer Player of the Year (1984, 1985)
FIFA 100 |
Forward |
Garrincha |
Brazil
(1955–1966) |
Botafogo (1953–1965)
Corinthians (1966)
Atlético Junior (1968)
Flamengo (1968–1969)
Olaria (1972) |
20 |
World Cup Golden Shoe Award (1962), World Cup All-Star Team[1] (1958, 1962)
[2] |
Forward |
Diego Maradona |
Argentina
(1977–1994) |
Argentinos Juniors (1976–1981)
Boca Juniors (1981–1982, 1995–1997)
FC Barcelona (1982–1984)
SSC Napoli (1984–1991)
Sevilla FC (1992–1993)
Newell's Old Boys (1993) |
2 |
Onze d'Or (1986, 1987), South American Footballer of the Year (1979, 1980)
World Cup Golden Ball Award (1986), World Cup Bronze Ball Award (1990), World Cup All-Star Team[1] (1986, 1990)
World Soccer Player of the Year (1986)
FIFA 100 |
Forward |
Pelé |
Brazil
(1956–1971) |
Santos FC (1956–1974)
New York Cosmos (1975–1977) |
1 |
South American Footballer of the Year (1973)
World Cup All-Star Team[1] (1958, 1970)
FIFA 100 |
Notes
See also
References
External links