Some Of The Best Footballers of the 20th Century

Weekend!! and that create some mood for me to write.OK lets talk about football heroes whom the world had during 20th centuries.My all time favourite is Deigo Maradone as I watch him play during my active days as a footballer but now I satisfied myself by playing soccer game with my PlayStation.That is something fun and exciting to do because you are controlling the game.Well a lot of football heroes that come to my mind but I had stated a few which had been recognise by the world football as the greatest.I believe everybody will still loves to watch them play again.

In 1998, the International Federation of Football History and Statistics created a world team consisting of the best football players of the 20th century.The voting was undertaken by a panel of 250 international football journalists from all areas of the world.Similar teams for players from the nations of CONCACAF, the Confederation of African Football, and the Asian and Oceania Football Confederations were selected.Here is some of them which I picked detailing the careers of the best footballers of the 20th century.

Portugal

Eusébio

Eusébio da Silva Ferreira was born on January 25, 1942, in Lourenço Marques, Portuguese East Africa (now Maputo).  He moved to Lisbon in his late teens and in 1961 joined Sport Lisboa e Benfica.  In 1962, Eusébio won the European Cup with Benfica, scoring two goals in the final against Real Madrid.  He was the 1965 European Footballer of the Year and in 1968 was the first winner of the Golden Boot Award, as Europe's leading scorer.He was the Portuguese First Division's top scorer seven times from 1964 to 1973 and helped Benfica win 11 league championships.  He also had five cup wins.Eusébio scored 727 goals in 715 matches for Benfica, including 317 goals in 301 Portuguese league matches. 

He made his debut for the Portuguese national team against Luxembourg in 1961.  Eusébio was the all-time leading scorer for the Portuguese, with 41 goals (in 64 matches), until forward Pauleta surpassed his record against Latvia on October 12, 2005. Eusébio helped the Portuguese national team reach third place at the 1966 World Cup.  He was the top goalscorer of the tournament with nine goals.  Eusébio was internationally known for his speed and his powerful, accurate right-footed strike.  He is considered Benfica's and Portugal's most renowned player and the first world-class African striker.Eusébio was elected the 9th best footballer of the 20th century in a poll by the IFFHS.He is a true Portuguese sports legend.  

Germany

Franz Beckenbauer

Franz Beckenbauer was born in the post-war ruins of Munich.  He was the second son of postal-worker Franz Beckenbauer, Sr. and his wife Antonie.Beckenbauer started playing football at the age of eight with the youth team of SC Munich '06 in 1954.  He made his professional debut with Bayern in the Regionalliga Süd (Regional League South).  In his first year with the club they won promotion to the recently formed Bundesliga, the national league.  Bayern soon became a force in the new German league, winning the German Cup in 1966–67 and achieving European success in the Cup Winners' Cup in 1967.During Beckenbauer's tenure at Bayern Munich, the club won three league championships in a row from 1972 to 1974 and also an astonishing hat-trick of European Cup wins. 

In 1977, Beckenbauer accepted a lucrative contract to play in the North American Soccer League with the New York Cosmos.  He played with the Cosmos for four seasons up to 1980, and the team won the Soccer Bowl on three occasions.  In his domestic career, Beckenbauer made 587 appearances and scored 81 goals.  He won 103 caps and scored 14 goals for West Germany.  He was a member of the World Cup teams that finished runners-up in 1966, third place in 1970, and World Cup Champions in 1974.Franz Beckenbauer is strongly regarded as the greatest German footballer of all time and one of the greatest footballers in the history of the game.  He revolutionized the position of sweeper and was selected as the European Footballer of the Year on two separate occasions.Beckenbauer also coached the West German national team to a World Cup Championship in 1990.Today he remains an influential figure in both German and international football.He led Germany's successful bid to host the 2006 FIFA World Cup and chaired the organizing committee.

The Italian Defence

Paolo Maldini

Paolo Maldini was born on June 26, 1968, in Milan, Italy.  Maldini made his league debut in the 1984-85 season, at the age of 16, against Udinese.He spent 25 years of his career playing for A.C. Milan.During that period, he won seven Italian Serie A championships, five UEFA Champions League Cups,one Coppa Italia, five Supercoppa Italiana, five UEFA Super Cups, two Intercontinental Cups, and one FIFA Club World Cup.Maldini has participated in eight UEFA Champions League finals.

He was part of Milan's undefeated "Dream Team" from the late 1980s to the early 1990s.The Dream Team was a name given to Italy’s back four,consisting of Maldini, Franco Baresi, Alessandro Costacurta and Mauro Tassotti.  Maldini became the first defender ever to win World Soccer magazine's annual World Player of the Year Award.  He spent 14 years with the Italian national team, making his debut in 1988 and retiring in 2002.He gained 126 caps and 7 goals.  Maldini retired trophyless from international competition.  His key strengths as a player were his electric pace, the ability to execute precision tackles, his strong leadership, and his influence on and off the field.  Prior to his retirement, Maldini expressed that he would not be moving into a coaching career.

Italian

Franco Baresi

Franco Baresi was born on May 8, 1960, in Travagliato, province of Brescia,Italy.  Baresi led A.C. Milan and its defence for the best part of a decade.It was a period during which Milan's defence was considered by many observers to be one of the best back fours in the history of football.  He is one of few players to spend their entire career with one club.  Baresi played for A.C.Milan in 532 games, scoring 16 goals.  He retired from football in 1997 at age
37.  With Milan, Baresi won six scudetti (Serie A league titles) and three European Cups.  He mentored defensive partner Paolo Maldini in his later years and his #6 jersey was retired by the club, a rarity for Italian football.
   

Baresi played in two World Cups for Italy.  He was part of the 1982 World Cup squad in Spain as a substitute of another great defender, Gaetano Scirea, but didn't play.  He made his World Cup debut in 1990 where the Azzurri lost to Argentina in the semi-finals, but went on to beat England in the third place play off.  In the 1994 World Cup Italy lost to Brazil in the final.  Baresi missed the first penalty in the shootout after the 0-0 full-time and extra-time score.After a short spell as Director of Football at Fulham, Baresi returned to Milan as a youth team coach and has since retired from coaching.  Franco Baresi is widely acknowledged as one of the greatest defenders ever to play the game.He was colloquially called "piscinin", Milanese dialect for "little one

France

Michel Platini

Michel Platini was born on June 21, 1955, in Jœuf, France.  Platini made his league debut with Nancy on May 3, 1973.  In 1978, he led Nancy to victory in the French Cup, defeating Nice and scoring the only goal of the game.  Platini won the French league title in 1981 with 'Les Verts', but was on the losing side of two French Cup finals, against Bastia in 1981 and against Paris Saint-Germain in 1982.  The following season he joined Juventus.  He won the
Italian championship with Juventus in 1984 and 1986, the European Cup Winners' Cup in 1984, the 1984 European Super Cup, the European Cup in 1985, and the 1985 Intercontinental Cup.  Platini finished as the top scorer in Serie A for three consecutive seasons and won a hat-trick of European Footballer of the Year awards (1983-1985). 

The 1985 European Cup final against Liverpool at Heysel Stadium in Brussels
should have been the crowning moment of Platini's Juventus career, but was
instead overshadowed by the Heysel Stadium disaster in which 39 people
died, and 600 more were injured.  Platini participated in the 1978, 1982 and
1986 World Cups, reaching the semi-finals in ’82 and ’86.  He is widely
regarded as one of the best passers in football history, as well as one of the
greatest free kick specialists and finishers.  Platini holds the record for most
goals (9) scored in European Championship finals tournaments.  He was
named Chevalier (Knight) of the Legion of Honour in 1985 and became
Officier in 1988.  Platini was the French national team coach for four years,
and was the co-organizer of the 1998 World Cup in France.  He is the current
president of the Union of European Football Associations (UEFA).   

Netherlands

Johan Cruyff

Johan Cruyff was born on April 25, 1947, in Amsterdam, Netherlands.He joined Ajax youth system on his 10th birthday and made his team debut on November 15, 1964.  In the 1966 season, Ajax won the league championship and also won the KNVB Cup.  Cruyff ended the season as the leading goalscorer in the Eredivisie with 33.  Ajax won the league for the third
consecutive year in 1968 and Cruyff was also named Dutch footballer of the year for the second successive time, a feat he would repeat in 1969.  The 1972 season was a particular successful year for Ajax and Cruyff.  Ajax won a second European Cup, beating Internazionale 2–0 in the final, with Cruyff scoring both goals.  After moving to Barcelona Cruyff quickly won over the fans.  He scored one of the most famous goals of his career during this era, named the The 'Phantom' Goal.  In a game against Atlético de Madrid,Cruyff leapt into the air, twisted his body so that he was facing away from the goal, and kicked the ball past Miguel Reina in the Atlético Madrid goal with his right heel. 

At the age of 32, Cruyff signed a lucrative deal with the Los Angeles Aztecs of the North American Soccer League (NASL).  He has become synonymous with the playing style of "Total Football”, which is a system where a player who moves out of his position is replaced by another from his team, thus allowing the team to retain their intended organizational structure.  Cruyff played centre forward in this system.  He was named European Footballer of the Year three times (1971, 1973, 1974) which is a record jointly held with Michel Platini and Marco van Basten.  After his retirement from playing in 1984, he became highly successful as manager of Ajax and later Barcelona.  He remains an influential advisor to both clubs.  In 1999 he was named the European Player of the Century by the IFFHS.  On November 2, 2009, Cruyff was named as the head coach of the Catalonia national football team in place of Pere Gratacòs.This is his first coaching job in thirteen years. 

Netherlands
Marco van Basten

Marco van Basten was born on October 31, 1964 in Utrecht.  When he was 8-years-old he moved to UVV Utrecht to play youth football.  After 10 years there, he briefly played for another club from Utrecht, Elinkwijk.AFC Ajax signed van Basten in 1981.  He became the top scorer in the league for four seasons, scoring 117 goals in 112 matches.  In the 1985-86 season, he scored 37 goals in 26 league matches, and won the European Golden Boot.
In 1987, van Basten signed with A.C. Milan and two years later he won the Ballon d'Or as Europe's top footballer.  He scored 19 goals in Serie A and scored two goals in the final of European Cup as Milan triumphed against Steaua Bucureşti.
   

Van Basten was called up for the 1983 FIFA World Youth Championship and made his senior debut that same year, at the UEFA Euro 1988.  In that tournament he scored a total of five goals, including a hat trick against England, the winning goal in the semi-final against West Germany, and a spectacular volley in the final against the Soviet Union.  He is regarded as one of the finest forwards of all time and scored 277 goals in his career, which was cut short by injury.  Van Basten was internationally known for his strength on the ball, tactical awareness, and spectacular strikes and volleys.Marco van Basten was named European Footballer of the Year three times (1988,'89 and '92) and FIFA World Player of the Year in 1992.  In 2004, a nationwide pool was held for the 100 Greatest Dutch People and van Basten was number 25, the second highest for a football player.

England

Bobby Charlton

Bobby Charlton was born on October 11, 1937, in Ashington, England.After the end of the Second World War, Matt Busby set out a plan to rebuild the Manchester United football program.  Bobby Charlton became a member of a group known as the Manchester United Busby Babies, who was a group of players recruited and trained by the club's chief scout Joe Armstrong and managed by Matt Busby.  If I was going to make a list of the greatest football
coaches in English history, Busby would climb to the top.Charlton quickly became renowned for his attacking instincts and his ferocious long-range shot.He began to play for Manchester United's first team in 1956, and over the next two seasons gained a starting position.  He also survived the Munich air disaster of 1958. In 1963, Manchester United beat Leicester City 3–1 in the FA Cup final.  In 1968, he captained the Manchester United team that won the European Cup.  In that match Charlton scored two goals in the final to help his team be the first English side to win the competition.
 

In his career Bobby Charlton made more appearances for Manchester United than any other player (758).  His record was surpassed by Ryan Giggs at the Champions League Final in Moscow on May 21, 2008.  In 1966, Charlton helped lead England to its only World Cup title.  It was one of the greatest achievements in English football history.  The squad defeated West Germany 4-2 in the final.  Bobby Charlton has scored more goals for England and Manchester United than any other player in history.  At the time of his retirement from the English national team in 1970, he was the nation's most capped player, having turned out 106 times. This record has since been eclipsed by Bobby Moore, Peter Shilton and then David Beckham.  He is a member of Manchester United's board of directors and was knighted in 1994.Bobby Charlton is widely considered one of the greatest football players in English history.

England

Bobby Moore

Bobby Moore was born on April 12, 1941, in Barking, London, England.He joined West Ham as a player in 1956 after advancing through their youth league.  He played his first game on September 8, 1958, against Manchester United.  Moore became admired for his ability to anticipate the opposition’s movements.  In 1963, the 22-year-old Moore became captain of the English national team in just his 12th appearance.  He was the youngest man ever to captain England at the highest level.
   

In 1964, West Ham won the FA Cup, defeating Preston North End 3-2,courtesy of a last-minute goal from Ronnie Boyce.  In 1965, West Ham lifted the European Cup Winners Cup after defeated 1860 Munich 2-0 in the final.Moore was the captain of the English national team that won the 1966 World Cup.  His performance in the tournament was amazing.  Moore became a national icon and sports legend as a result of England's mass success.He won a total of 108 caps for the English national team and is considered one of the best English football players of all time.  Pelé called Moore the fairest defender he had ever played against.

Mexico

Hugo Sánchez

Hugo Sánchez was born on July 11, 1958, in Mexico City.  As a teenager,Sánchez played for the Mexican national football team in the 1976 Summer Olympics.  He signed with UNAM Pumas when he was 18-years-old.Two years later, he became top-scorer in the league.  After five successful seasons in Mexico, with 99 goals, Sánchez drew the attention of several
Spanish sides, and signed with Atlético Madrid in 1981.  He went on to play for four European clubs.  At the height of his career he signed with Real Madrid and played with players such as Camacho, Butragueño, Gordillo, Schuster,Valdano and Míchel.  This team won five consecutive league titles (from 1985-86 to 1989-90).  They won the Copa del Rey in 1989 and the UEFA Cup in 1986. During those five years, Sánchez garnered four consecutive Pichichi trophies (given to the most prolific scorer).
   

He played twelve seasons in the Spanish Primera División and is the second highest goalscorer in the history of that league.  He scored 207 goals in 283 games and 47 goals in 45 European Cup matches.  In 1992, Sánchez returned to his native Mexico for a season, before playing for a variety of clubs in Spain, Austria and the U.S.  He played 60 matches and scored 29 goals for the Mexican national team, but his prime years coincided with a difficult period for the nation's football.  Mexico did not participate in the World Cup of 1982 and 1990.  In 1999, the IFFHS voted him the 26th best footballer of the 20th Century, and the best from the CONCACAF region.  Hugo Sánchez is a sports legend in Mexico. 

Argentina

Diego Maradona

Diego Maradona was born on October 30, 1960, in Lanús, Argentina.At age 10, Maradona was spotted by a talent scout while he was playing in his neighborhood club Estrella Roja.  He became a staple of Los Cebollitas (The Little Onions), the junior team of Buenos Aires's Argentinos Juniors.On October 20, 1976, Maradona made his professional debut with Argentinos Juniors.  He played there between 1976 and 1981, before his £1m transfer to
Boca Juniors.  In 1982, Maradona was transferred to Barcelona in Spain for a then world record £5m.  Barcelona and Maradona won the Copa del Rey (Spain's annual national cup), beating Real Madrid.They also won the Spanish Super Cup, beating Athletic de Bilbao in 1983.  In 1984, Maradona was transferred to Napoli in Italy's Serie A for another record fee, £6.9m. 

At Napoli, Maradona reached the peak of his professional career and quickly became an adored star among the club's fans.  He elevated the team to the most successful era in its history.  Napoli won their only Serie A Italian Championships in 1986/87 and 1989/1990, placing second in the league twice, in 1987/88 and 1988/89.  They also won the Coppa Italia in 1987, the UEFA Cup in 1989, and the Italian Supercup in 1990. Maradona was the top
scorer in Serie A in 1987/88.  He made his international debut at age 16,against Hungary on February 27, 1977. At age 18, he played at the World Youth Championship for Argentina, and was the star of the tournament, shining in their 3–1 final win over the Soviet Union.  In his international career, playing for Argentina, he earned 91 caps and scored 34 goals.  He played in four FIFA World Cup tournaments, including the 1986 World Cup where he captained Argentina and led them to their victory over West Germany, winning the Golden Ball award as the tournament's best player.
  

In that same tournament's quarter-final round he scored two of the most famous goals in football history during a 2-1 victory over England.The first goal was an unpenalized handball known as the "Hand of God", while the second goal was a spectacular 60-metre weave through six England players,commonly referred to as "The Goal of the Century".  He led Argentina to a second place finish in the 1990 World Cup.  His performance in World Cup
play was amazing and helped propel him to international celebrity.He is considered by many to be the greatest player of all time.Maradona is the current manager of the Argentine national team.  Some other incredible Argentinean football players during the 20th century include Daniel Passarella and Alfred Di Stefano. 

Brazil

Pelé

Pelé was born in Três Corações, Brazil.  His father was a Fluminense footballer named Dondinho.  Growing up in poverty stricken Bauru, São Paulo,Pelé could not afford a proper football and usually played with a sock stuffed with newspaper or a grapefruit.  In 1956, Pelé was taken to Santos, an industrial and port city in the state of São Paulo, to try out for professional club Santos Futebol Clube.  He made his debut for Santos on September 7,1956.  When the 1957 season started, Pelé was made a starter, at the age of 16 he became the top scorer in the league.Just ten months after signing professionally, he was called up to the Brazil national team.After the World Cup in 1962, wealthy European clubs such as Real Madrid, Juventus, and Manchester United tried to sign the young player, but the government of Brazil declared Pelé an "official national treasure" to prevent him from being transferred out of the country. 

In 1957, Pelé scored his first goal for Brazil at 16 years of age.  He became the youngest player to score in International football.  In the 1958 World Cup he scored two goals in the final, as Brazil beat Sweden 5–2.  He finished the tournament with six goals in four matches played.  Brazil would go on to win the World Cup in 1962 and 1970.  He was renowned for his excellent dribbling and passing, his pace, powerful shot, exceptional heading ability, and prolific goal scoring.
   

Pelé is the all-time leading scorer of the Brazil national football team and is the only footballer to be a part of three World Cup-winning franchises.In 1967,the two factions involved in the Nigerian Civil War agreed to a 48-hour ceasefire so they could watch Pelé play an exhibition game in Lagos.He was given the title of “athlete of the century” by the International Olympic
Committee.  In his native Brazil, Pelé is hailed as a national hero.He has been acknowledged for his vocal support of policies to improve the social conditions of the poor.  Some other incredible Brazilian football players during the 20th century include Nilton Santos, Carlos Alberto Torres, Rivelino, Didi,and Garrincha.