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Many of the best players of all time have appeared at the World Cup – but they haven’t necessarily played their best football there.
Plenty of the game’s greatest talents have wowed the world on the biggest stage of them all, though.
Here, we run through the 33 most exceptional performers in the World Cup’s long and illustrious history.
33. Teofilo Cubillas
Peru’s greatest player of all time, Teofilo Cubillas showcased his skills to a global audience at the 1970, 1978 and 1982 World Cups.
The legendary attacking midfielder – a renowned free-kick specialist – scored five goals at each of the 1970 and 1978 tournaments, helping Peru to the quarter-finals of the former – where, at the age of 21, he was also voted the best young player.
32. Roger Milla
Roger Milla announced himself on the World Cup stage at the ripe old age of 38, rising to cult hero status with his performances for Cameroon at Italia ’90.
The striker scored four goals at that tournament – where he helped his country to an historic victory over reigning world champions Argentina – and added another one at the 1994 World Cup, by which time he had celebrated his 42nd birthday.
31. Geoff Hurst
Until Kylian Mbappe emulated him in 2022, Geoff Hurst was the only player to score a hat-trick in a World Cup final – a quite remarkable feat.
England’s immortal hero of 1966 – whose iconic ‘Did it cross the line or didn’t it?’ goal against West Germany at Wembley secured his country’s first World Cup triumph – also played and scored at the 1970 finals in Mexico.
30. Oliver Kahn
For his heroic performances in Germany’s run to the 2002 final, Oliver Kahn became the first goalkeeper to win the World Cup Golden Ball award as the tournament’s best player.
In the end, there was heartbreak for the Germans and captain Kahn as they lost to Ronaldo-inspired Brazil – but not even the Bayern Munich legend’s mistake for the first goal could take the gloss off what was a superb summer for him.
29. Dennis Bergkamp
Dennis Bergkamp’s stunning last-gasp goal against Argentina to send the Netherlands through to the 1998 World Cup semi-finals is undoubtedly one of greatest in the history of the competition.
But that wasn’t the extent of the deliciously gifted Dutchman’s exploits on the biggest stage: he netted three times at each of the 1998 and 1994 tournaments (the latter in the USA being where his well-documented fear of flying is said to have originated).
28. Gary Lineker
One of England’s finest strikers of all time, Gary Lineker was at his brilliant best at the 1986 World Cup in Mexico – where he scored six goals to win the Golden Boot.
Lineker was at it again four years later, notching four times to help England reach the semi-finals of Italia ’90 (where he also experienced a rather unfortunate bowel-related incident during the Three Lions’ tournament opener against the Republic of Ireland…).
27. Jurgen Klinsmann
Jurgen Klinsmann was key to West Germany’s last World Cup victory before the reunification of Germany – at Italia ’90, where they defeated holders Argentina in the final.
The iconic centre-forward bagged three goals at that tournament, adding a further eight across the 1994 and 1998 World Cups to become one of the all-time top scorers in the competition.
26. Thomas Muller
Arguably Germany’s best player of the 21st century, Thomas Muller scored five goals at the 2010 World Cup – winning the Golden Boot my virtue of having registered more assists.
He was also named Best Young Player at that tournament – but his finest hour was to come four years later as he helped Germany to glory in Brazil, opening the scoring in that 7-1 semi-final demolition of the hosts.
25. Ferenc Puskas
Perhaps the finest player never to win the World Cup, Ferenc Puskas could hardly have done more in Hungary’s pursuit of the Jules Rimet trophy in 1954 – where the legendary Magical Magyars agonisingly lost to West Germany in the final.
Puskas’ teammate Sandor Kocsis top-scored at that tournament with 11 goals, but Hungary’s captain and greatest ever player was the best on the planet at the time – and his influence on the side was undeniably immense.
24. Lothar Matthaus
Lothat Matthaus’ epic career stretched from the late 70s to the turn of the 21st century – and it took in no fewer than five World Cups, a record for an outfield player until Mexico’s Rafael Marquez equalled it in 2018.
An indisputable legend of the German game, the midfielder captained West Germany to glory at Italia ’90, winning the Ballon d’Or in the same year.
23. Cafu
Iconic flying full-back Cafu appeared at four World Cups for Brazil, played in three finals – and won two of them. That’s quite some return.
In 2002, he got his hands on the trophy as skipper – with the image of him surrounded by ticker tape, winners medal around his neck back-to-front, one of the most famous in World Cup history.
22. Michel Platini
Michel Platini’s greatest success with France was winning the 1984 European Championship – but the midfielder was one of the very best players on then planet during that decade, and he was pivotal in his nation’s run to the 1982 World Cup semi-finals.
Four years later, the legendary playmaker – who won the Ballon d’Or three years running from 1983 to 1985 – helped Les Bleus to the last four once again – despite being some way below peak condition for that tournament.
21. Rivaldo
Rivaldo’s World Cup career was overshadowed by his feigning of a head injury to get Turkey’s Hakan Unsal sent off in the 2002 semi-finals – but the Brazilian great’s overall performance at the pinnacle of the international game more than warrants a spot on this list.
The 1999 Ballon d’Or winner was a runner-up with Brazil in 1998, before playing a pivotal role in their victory four years later.
20. Xavi
The metronomic brilliance of Xavi is unparalleled in the modern era – and the Barcelona legend ensured identical status with Spain as he performed his deep-lying midfield role with elite aptitude.
A (quite literally) pivotal member of La Roja’s Euro 2008 and Euro 2012-winning squads, Xavi was likewise at the 2010 World Cup – where he kept things ticking as Vicente del Bosque’s side tiki-taka’d their way to glory in South Africa.
19. Gerd Muller
Without doubt one of the most clinical finishers the game has ever seen, Gerd Muller banged in goal after goal for West Germany – ending his international career with a record of 68 in 62 caps.
Equally an icon of Bayern Munich, Der Bomber was victorious at the 1974 World Cup on home soil – where he found the net four times, notching the winner as West Germany came from behind to beat the Netherlands in the final.
18. Paolo Rossi
In firing Italy to 1982 World Cup glory with six goals, Paolo Rossi became one of a select group of players to win the Golden Boot, Golden Ball and World Cup itself (he also added that year’s Ballon d’Or for good measure).
The legendary striker scored nine World Cup goals in all – he got going with three during the 1978 tournament – making him one of the Azzurri’s all-time leading marksmen in the competition.
17. Bobby Moore
It’s one of the most recognisable World Cup photographs: captain Bobby Moore hoisted up by his teammates, holding the Jules Rimet trophy aloft after England defeated West Germany to become world champions for the first time.
The West Ham and Three Lions icon was one of the best defenders on the planet at the time; indeed, a certain Pele described more as “the greatest defender [I] ever played against”.
16. Lev Yashin
Russia’s love affair with the goalkeeper stems from Lev Yashin’s shot-stopping brilliance for the Soviet Union during the 50s and 60s.
The suitably nicknamed Black Spider – who, in 1963, became the first ‘keeper to receive the Ballon d’Or – starred at the 1958, 1962, 1966 and 1970 World Cups – helping his country to a fourth-placed finish in ’66, and was included in FIFA’s World Cup Dream Team in 2002.
15. Fabio Cannavaro
Fabio Cannavaro enjoyed an immensely memorable year in 2006: the brilliant centre-half captained Italy to their first World Cup success in 24 years and became the first defender to win the Ballon d’Or.
Cannavaro played at four World Cups in total, forming defensive partnerships with the likes of Alessandro Nesta and Marco Materazzi.
14. Carlos Alberto
One of the greatest defenders in the history of the sport, Carlos Alberto dazzled in an attacking right-back capacity for Brazil – memorably captaining them to victory at the 1970 World Cup.
And it was in the final of that tournament that Carlos Alberto scored one of the best World Cup goals of all time, smashing the ball home to finish a fine team move for Brazil’s fourth goal in their 4-1 win over Italy.
13. Just Fontaine
Just Fontaine averaged more than two goals a game at the 1958 World Cup, striking 13 times in only six games for France – including four against defending champions West Germany.
Unsurprisingly, that tally earned Fontaine the Golden Boot – and it took until 1974, when Gerd Muller scored his final World Cup goal, for anyone to surpass his total across World Cups overall, never mind at a single edition!
12. Johan Cruyff
Another member of the ‘Believe it or not, they never won the World Cup’ club, Johan Cruyff’s influence on the game endures to this day – and he very nearly influenced the Netherlands to glory on the biggest stage of all.
Cruyff won the Golden Ball as a losing finalist in 1974, before staying at home as the Dutch reached the final again four years later – due to, it emerged in 2008, the attempted kidnapping of his family the previous year.
11. Jairzinho
Top scorer of Brazil’s legendary 1970 World Cup-winning team with seven goals – eclipsed only by Gerd Muller at that tournament – Jairzinho was a true superstar for his country.
A highly versatile winger, O Furacao (The Hurricane) found the net in every round of the aforementioned tournament in Mexico – bagging the third goal as Brazil thrashed Italy in the final.
10. Garrincha
Remembered for his extraordinary, explosive dribbling ability, Garrincha (‘Little Bird’ in Portuguese) was a contemporary of Pele – but, far from being overshadowed by Brazil’s greatest player of all time, was enormously influential in his own right.
A World Cup winner in 1958 and 1962, Garrincha finished as joint top scorer at the latter tournament – where he bagged a brace in a 4-2 semi-final triumph over Chile.
9. Miroslav Klose
German poacher extraordinaire Miroslav Klose notched an impressive 16 World Cup goals at an average of four per tournament – top-scoring in 2006 on home soil.
He had to settle for third place that time around, but he remained a remember of the national squad until 2014 – when he finally picked up a World Cup winners’ medal, scoring his 16th and final goal in the competition as Germany eviscerated hosts Brazil 4-1 in the semi-finals.
8. Eusebio
Cristiano Ronaldo has never truly delivered on the World Cup stage – but fellow Portuguese great Eusebio did, almost inspiring his country all the way to the final in 1966.
Famously pictured leaving the field in tears at full-time of Portugal’s semi-final loss to eventual winners England, nine-goal Eusebio picked up the consolation prize of the Golden Boot – having scored nine of his country’s 15 goals at the tournament.
7. Kylian Mbappe
Kylian Mbappe has played at two World Cups – and the France superstar has comprehensively left his mark on both of them.
Instrumental to Les Bleus’ 2018 triumph in Russia – where he scored eight goals, including one in the final, and was voted the tournament’s best young player – Mbappe followed in Geoff Hurst’s footsteps in Qatar four years later, hitting a hat-trick against Argentina in the final as France fell just short of retaining their crown.
The PSG man also collected the Golden Boot in 2022, with his eight goals the most by any player since Ronaldo 20 years earlier.
6. Franz Beckenbauer
One of a select few people to have won the World Cup as both a player and manager, Franz Beckenbauer first tasted glory as a legendary sweeper for West Germany on home soil in 1974.
Four years earlier, Der Kaiser had famously stayed on the pitch with his dislocated arm in a sling as West Germany were narrowly beaten 4-3 by Italy in a classic semi-final.
5. Zinedine Zidane
The 1998 World Cup belonged to France – and to Zinedine Zidane, who saved his two goals until the final in Paris, where Les Bleus famously breezed past holders Brazil to be crowned world champions for the first time.
Zizou was unable to prevent France from crashing out in the group stage four years later – but he almost helped them to another victory in 2006, only to see red in the final for that headbutt on Italy’s Marco Materazzi, having earlier put his country ahead with a Panenka penalty.
That proved to be the last game of the 1998 Ballon d’Or winner’s generally remarkable career.
4. Ronaldo
Having revolutionised the role of the centre-forward during his prolific time at Barcelona, Ronaldo set about set about running riot on the ultimate stage at the 1998 World Cup (he had previously been the youngest member of Brazil’s 1994 World Cup squad, aged just 17).
And it looked like O Fenomeno was going to fire his nation to glory at France 98 – only to suffer a seizure which caused him to miss the final.
His time would come, though: four years later, he tore up the World Cup in South Korea and Japan, winning the Golden Boot with eight goals as Brazil claimed their fifth title.
3. Diego Maradona
We could make a bad joke about Diego Maradona ‘singlehandedly’ winning the 1986 World Cup for Argentina – but it wouldn’t be inaccurate to say that he did.
There’s no denying that El Pibe de Oro (The Golden Boy) was an utter genius – and he showed that while wearing the captain’s armband as Argentina went all the way in Mexico.
Maradona found the net five times in all at that tournament, with the clear highlight being his Goal of the Century against England in the quarter-finals (not that England fans will agree that it was his most notable contribution that summer…).
2. Lionel Messi
Any true footballing romantic would have wanted Lionel Messi to guide Argentina to glory at the 2022 World Cup, wouldn’t they? At 35 years old, it seemed like it might well be La Pulga‘s (The Flea) last chance to get his hands on the game’s grandest prize of all.
And Messi could hardly have written the story more perfectly: he scored in every round – and in the penalty shootout victory over France in the final – and walked away with the Golden Ball.
Did that success cement his status as the greatest of all time? That debate will no doubt go on forever – but it did earn him an incredible eighth Ballon d’Or in 2023.
1. Pele
Could it really have been anyone else to top the list of the best World Cup players of all time? Pele was the game’s first global superstar – and it wouldn’t have been possible without the stage of the World Cup to grace.
And grace it Pele did and then some – helping Brazil to victory in 1958, 1962 and 1970, winning his first World Cup as a 17-year-old prodigy.
The prodigy went on to become one of finest talents ever to play the game of football, scoring 12 goals in 14 World Cup appearances across four editions of the tournament, and leaving a mark like no one else ever has.
Pele is the first player to have won the World Cup three times.
