This thread is dedicated to those football legends who never play or fail to impress during their time in a WC.
Post any other "Forgotten Legend" to add.

Alfredo Di Stefano

Best argentinian player ever previous to Maradona, unforgettable legend in Real Meadrid
Nickname: The Blonde Arrow
D&P Birth: July 04 1926, Buenos Aires
National Teams: Argentina/Colombia/Spain
WC played: -
Clubs: River Plate (1943-45 + 1947-49), Huracán (1946-47), Millonarios (1949-53), Real Madrid (1953-64), RCD Espanyol (1964-66)
Profit & honours:

Argentinian Championship: 2 (1945, 1947)
Colombian Championship: 4 (1949, 1951, 1952, 1953)
Spanish Championship: 8 (1954, 1955, 1957, 1958, 1961, 1962, 1963, 1964)
Spanish Cup: 1 (1962)
Latin Cup: 2 (1955, 1957)
European Cup: 5 (1956, 1957, 1958, 1959, 1960)
Intercontinental Cup: 1 (1960)
Copa América: 1 (1947)
Argentine League Top Scorer: 1 (1947)
Colombian League Top Scorer: 1 (1951, 1952)
Spanish League Top Scorer: 5 (1954, 1956, 1957, 1958, 1959)
European Footballer of the Year: 2 (1957, 1959)

George Best

Maybe the best british player of all the times.
Nickname: The Belfast Boy
D&P Birth: May 22 1946, Belfast.
National Team: Northern Ireland
WC played: -
Clubs: Manchester United (1963-74), Stockport County (1975), Cork Celtic (1975-76), Los Angeles Aztecs (1976+1977+1978), Fulham FC (1976-77), Fort Lauderdale Strikers (1979+1980), Hibernian FC (1979-80), San Jose Earthquakes (1979-80+1981), Bournemouth FC (1983), Brisbane Lions (1983)
Profit & honours:

Champion of Football League 1965 & 1967
Champion of UEFA European Cup 1968
European Footballer of the Year 1968
Football Writers' Association Footballer of the Year 1968
Record of most goals by a Manchester United player in a single match, six against Northampton Town, FA Cup fifth round on February 8, 1970. United won the match 8-2.
Freeman of Castlereagh, 2002
Inaugural Inductee into the English Football Hall of Fame, 2002
Honorary Doctorate from the Queen's University of Belfast, 2001
PFA Special Merit Award, for his services to football, 2006

Jean Pierre Papin

Alongside Platini and Zidane, one of the french greatest players of all the times, lifted up to a category of god for the Olympique Marseille fans, who renames "Papinade" to the bicycle kick.
Nickname: Patator
D&P Birth: November 5 1963, Boulogne-sur-Mer
National Team: France
WC played: 1 (Mexico 86, 4 matchs / 349 minutes, 2 goals)
Clubs: Club Brugge, Olympique Marseille, AC Milan, Bayern Munich, Bordeaux, En Avant Guingamp.
Profit & honours:

Champion's League : 1994 Milan AC
UEFA Cup : 1996 Bayern Munich
Première Division Française: 1989, 1990, 1991, 1992 Marseille
Serie A : 1993, 1994 Milan
Italian Super Cup 1992 Milan AC
Belgian Cup : 1986 Bruges
Coupe de France : 1989 Marseille
Kirin Cup : 1994
Gold medal at the 1984 summer Olympic Games
Best French Division 1 Scorer : 1988, 1989, 1990, 1991, 1992
French Player Of The Year : 1989, 1991
Holds the record of goals in european competitions for a french player : 38
Best french scorer in the Champion's League : 28
54 caps and 30 goals for the France national team from 1986 to 1995
Ballon d'or : 1991
Onze d'or : 1991
Named Joueur du Siècle (player of the century) of the Olympique de Marseille

Marco Van Basten

Considered as the Johan Cruyff's heir, had a poor performance with the Dutch National Team in World Cup of 1990, going home in the second round by losing against West Germany, a series of injuries finishes his career before gets his revenge in USA 94.
Nickname: San Marco, The Swan of Utrecht
D&P Birth: October 31 1964, Utrecht
National Team: Netherlands
WC played: 1 (Italy 90, 4 matchs / 360 minutes, 0 goals)
Clubs: Ajax Amsterdam (1982-87), A.C. Milan (1987-93)
Profit & honours:

European Championship: 1988.
European Cup: 1989, 1990, 1994 (now called: UEFA Champions League).
UEFA Cup Winners Cup: 1987.
Intercontinental Cup: 1989, 1990.
European Supercup: 1989, 1990, 1994.
Dutch Championship: 1982, 1983, 1985.
Italian Championship: 1988, 1992, 1993, 1994.
Dutch Cup: 1983, 1986, 1987.
FIFA World Player of the Year: 1992.
World Soccer Player of the Year: 1988, 1992.
European Footballer of the Year: 1988, 1989, 1992.

George Weah

Best African player of all time, now is a liberian politician and devoted humanitarian.
Nickname: Oppong
D&P Birth: October 1 1966, Monrovia)
Country: Liberia
WC played: -
Clubs: Invincible Eleven, Tonnerre Yaounde, Monaco, Paris Saint Germain, AC Milan, Manchester City.
Profit & honours:

French Cup, 1991 (Monaco)
French Cup, 1993 (PSG)
French League, 1994 (PSG)
Italian League, 1996 and 1999.
European Cup, 1994
Three times winner of the African Golden Ball (1989, 1994 y 1995)
European Footballer of the Year, 1995
FIFA World Player of the Year, 1995

Ryan Giggs.
Eric Cantona.

and as you've mentioned Van Basten, who did play in a world cup, then i've got to say Pavel Nedved.

Franz Beckenbauer
Dragan Stojkovic

Last edited by RapidFire on Jul-18-2006 at 19:28

quote:

Originally posted by RapidFire Franz Beckenbauer Dragan Stojkovic

Beckenbauer???
"Der Kaiser" appears in 5 World Cups: England 66, Mexico 70 & Germany 74 as player; Mexico 86 & Italy 90 as coach.
Was the greatest figure in 66, champion in 74 (playing) & 90 (coaching), was the first and only (so far) to be champion as captain an
coach ...
Today, Franz Beckenbauer is synonymous of World Cup.


I dont remmeber Dragan Stojkovic as a big football figure, he plays for Yugoslavia in Italy 90, appears in some articles related as part of an "Stars Team" of that edition.

quote:

Originally posted by RapidFire Franz Beckenbauer Dragan Stojkovic

are you serious when you say Beckenbauer ?

___________________
"A style that's impossible to define. Prog? Hardly. Tech house? Not boring enough. It's like trippy twisted acid house but deep and funky. See, I told you - impossible."

quote:

Originally posted by RapidFire Franz Beckenbauer

luv~hat and fastmp3 already addressed that, but.. lol

quote:

Dragan Stojkovic

I don't know who this guy is neither, but it make me remind Savicevic who was a quality forward along with Weah at Milan. Probably not one of the best all-time, but i remember at the time he was considered one of the best forwards in Europe.

Maybe it was just him being over-rated in Sensible Soccer.

quote:

Originally posted by paranoik0 I don't know who this guy is neither, but it make me remind Savicevic who was a quality forward along with Weah at Milan. Probably not one of the best all-time, but i remember at the time he was considered one of the best forwards in Europe. Maybe it was just him being over-rated in Sensible Soccer.

we called him pixie. he was widely regarded as the greatest serbian footballer.




as for beckenbauer...he doesn't seem to get mentioned alot on these boards.

Last edited by RapidFire on Jul-19-2006 at 19:14

Dragan Džajić

Dragan Džajić (Serbian Cyrillic: Драган �ајић) was a successful Yugoslavian football player. To this day, Džajić is a fan favorite. His nifty skills on the pitch and warm personality made him lovable.

Džajić was born in Ub on May 30, 1946, just outside of Belgrade. Džajić's pro career spanned from 1961-1978.

He began and retired with Red Star Belgrade. Sandwiched between his two periods there was a stint with SC Bastia in France (1975-1977). With Red Star, he would score 108 goals and 31 more with Bastia.

At 18, Džajić would be named to the Yugoslavian national team. His debut would come on June 17, 1964 versus Romania. At the international level, he earned an impressive 85 caps and 23 goals.

With an educational background in commerce and economics, Džajić would combine these skills, along with his immense knowledge of soccer, and become manager of Red Star Belgrade. As the years passed, he would also serve as club president.

In 2004 he resigned from the position due to, as he stated, "health issues".

The biggest player in Yugoslavian/Serbian football, ever.

I WAS ON MY MOMMYS BELLY WHEN THOSE PLAYERS PLAYED.. OR EVEN I WAS IN LIQIUD FORM.. SO I CANT SAY REALLY.. =]

AND SRY FOR CAPS, MY PC FCKD UP.

quote:

Originally posted by luv~hat Beckenbauer??? "Der Kaiser" appears in 5 World Cups: England 66, Mexico 70 & Germany 74 as player; Mexico 86 & Italy 90 as coach. Was the greatest figure in 66, champion in 74 (playing) & 90 (coaching), was the first and only (so far) to be champion as captain an coach ... Today, Franz Beckenbauer is synonymous of World Cup. I dont remmeber Dragan Stojkovic as a big football figure, he plays for Yugoslavia in Italy 90, appears in some articles related as part of an "Stars Team" of that edition.

You forget 2006 :-) He did one heck of a job putting that one together!

Lev Yashin (period)

quote:

Originally posted by Aristronica Lev Yashin (period)

fantastic player, but he did reach the semis in 1966. Eusebio scored a famous penalty against him in the 3rd place match.