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6—but the free-flowing movement in Gusztav Sebes' side meant he was never restricted to a defensive role.Andres Iniesta, like Xavi, is the heartbeat of Barcelona's midfield.The 28-year-old is a La Masia product and loyal Catalan, embodying the tiki-taka methods that his beloved Spanish club live and die by.Pep Guardiola once advised Xavi, on seeing the skill Iniesta possessed, that he would retire them both one day; his close control and ability with the ball at his feet is truly mesmerising.Josef Masopust led a Stakhanovite Czechoslovakia side to the 1962 FIFA World Cup final but lost out to Brazil despite scoring.He was subsequently named Footballer of the Year, and remains a Czech legend for his all-round superb game. Then four years later Antognoni shone as the Azzurri were triumphant in Spain, although he missed the final due to injury.Dino Baggio landed 60 caps for Italy. 11 to a holding midfield role, prolonging his career by around five years and becoming a go-to guy for Sir Alex Ferguson for any specific position that needs filling.Johan Neeskens was an incredibly talented footballer, but suffers from the heartbreak of losing two FIFA World Cup finals.He became a key component for the Dutch national team after Johan Cruyff's international retirement, playing anywhere across the midfield of Ernst Happel 1-3-3-3 formation.Teofilo Cubillas was the driving force behind a very successful Peruvian national side in the 1970s.He led his team to victory in the 1975 Copa America, and on an individual level his resume is littered with impressive achievements.
In fact, Lombardo went on to become the Eagles boss and was a player-manager. "e was a complete player. "He reached a FIFA World Cup final in 1950 but lost out to Uruguay in surprising fashion, but remained a marker for Brazilian footballers and the eventual aspirations of many players—including some on this list. 10 position.He became known for his wonderful passing range, stinging long-range shooting ability and for having an unstoppable motor on the field.He has been a fervent and loyal supporter of Manchester United throughout his career, winning four league titles and later returning as an adviser on the board.Diego Maradona is an easy target in the media, and it can be easy to forget what a wonderful player he was.Slaloming his way around tackles and challenges for fun from the right winger position, English fans are all too accustomed to the man's exploits against their side.Maradona lifted the 1986 FIFA World Cup as captain and enjoyed domestic success with Napoli and Barcelona—two clubs who broke the transfer record to sign him.The game of football has changed throughout the ages.You've had some bad luck son, and I'm not going to take you on, I want you to get through today's game and get back into the first team. Winner of both the Ballon D'Or and the Fifa World Player of the Year, Baggio impressively scored at three separate World Cups.
"It took a little under 20 seconds for the ball to reach the winger. Those strikes came in his first two World Cup appearances against the USA and Spain.Attacking midfielder Giannini played nearly 50 times for his nation, seven of which appearances came at the 1990 World Cup.
Garrincha paused, and beat him again. He played in eight matches, scoring two goals. Bergomi featured 756 times in his career with the Nerazzurri, spanning 20 years from 1979-1999. There's no exact science to it, but I've determined it to the best of my abilities.Some obvious absentees are Alfredo Di Stefano, Lionel Messi, Franz Beckenbauer is also missing, as although he played in midfield for some of his career he is labelled primarily as a defender.
He assisted his country in claiming third place as the Azzurri beat England while he scored against USA in the group phase.Mazzola played 'inside right' for his nation and oozed supreme creativity. Mazzola played at three World Cups, scoring once and reaching the final in 1970.The legendary Giuseppe Meazza played for his country on over 50 occasions and is regarded as one of the greatest ever footballers. One of the few players on this list still playing today, it was as recent as Barcelona's 4-0 victory over Milan at the Camp Nou that Xavi reaffirmed his importance to his side.The Spaniard, who is now globally known as a pass master, is the metronome in a tiki-taka system used at both domestic and international level, spraying the ball out over 100 times per game as he keeps his teammates ticking over.It's rare you'll find a more modest player considering the bags of talent he has.Claude Makelele is so good there's a position named after him.To be honest that's inaccurate, and a slight at a huge number of anchor midfielders who perfected the role before the Frenchman could even walk—Vasyl Turyanchyk is a prime example.But Real Madrid were insane to let this man walk to Chelsea, and even more insane to think Mahamadou Diarra could fill his shoes.Michel Platini is one of France's finest exports, winning the 1984 European Championships whilst simultaneously being voted the best player as well scoring the most goals.He enjoyed considerable success at the domestic level with Nancy, Saint-Etienne and Juventus. Gaetano Scirea, Fabio Cannavaro, Alessandro Costacurta, the list of great Italian centre-backs goes on and on… But the last Italian defender in the initial 15 in Alessandro Nesta.
The former Sampdoria midfielder was one of the earliest Italian recruits but nevertheless ensured he was a popular figure in the Palace dressing room. He made his bow on the world stage in 1978 as his country finished fourth.