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Goal.com Weekend Special: Great Footballers Who Have Never Played In The World Cup - Part I
With the 2010 World Cup Qualifiers reaching an important stage this weekend, Goal.com is running a two-part special series on some of the great footballers who have never played in the game's biggest event. In the first segment, Amoy Ghoshal lists ten such names....
10-Oct-2009 1:12:35 AM
George Best
The Belfast born player was instrumental in Man United’s 1968 European Cup triumph for which he was named the European Footballer of the Year. He was one of the first celebrity footballers whose game combined pace, acceleration, balance, two-footedness, clinical finishing and ability to go past defenders. But despite having such talent he could never take Northern Ireland to the World cup so would go down as one of the greatest footballers never to have played in that competition.
Valentino Mazzola
Valentiono was a key member of the great Torino side in the 1940’s which won five consecutive titles in that decade. However he died in the 1949 Superga disaster when the entire Torino squad except one player who was injured, lost their lives in a plane crash. Prior to his death Valentino like many of his Torino teammates formed the core of the Italian national team but because of the second world war there was no World cup in that period thus Valentino missed out.
The Legendary Rossoneri
George Weah
Weah won the FIFA World Player of the Year, European Footballer of the Year, and African Footballer of the Year awards in 1995 after lifting the UEFA Champions League with AC Milan. He was also voted the African player of the Century by sports journalists from all around the world. But Weah never played in the World cup as he couldn't take his country Liberia to the game’s biggest stage during his fourteen year old international career.
Arsenio Erico
Erico impressed several Argentinean clubs while he was on tour with the Paraguayan Red Cross football team in order to gather funds for the Chaco War and very soon Independiente signed him. He set many scoring records in the Argentinean league and in fact is the all time joint top scorer in that division. Erico was offered a chance to play for the Argentina national team in the 1938 world cup but he refused that, remaining loyal to his country Paraguay for whom he scored 56 goals in 26 unofficial matches and thus is considered to be the greatest footballer to hail from his country.
The Manchester Boy
Duncan Edwards
Edwards was a member of the Busby Babes, who survived the 1958 Munich air crash but died as a result of his injuries fifteen days later, at the age of 21. Prior to his tragic death he had a five year professional career where he won two league titles with Man United and also took them to the semis of the European Cup. The wing half was the youngest player to get an England cap since the second world war. He couldn’t play in any World Cup but would have surely been a member of the England squad that played in the 58 edition which was held in Sweden.
Faas Wilkes
Wilkes is considered to be a legend of Dutch football, who even had spells in Italy and Spain in a career that spanned between 1940 and 1964. He scored 35 goals in 38 games for the Netherlands but couldn’t play for the national team between 1949 and 1955 when professional players were banned from representing the 'Oranje'. Holland didn’t qualify for a single World cup during his career so Wilkes was deprived of an appearance in the showpiece event.
Liam Brady
The Arsenal legend is considered to be the greatest Republic of Ireland player of all time. The left footed player was known for his great passing and close control but he never played in any major competition for his country despite winning 72 caps. He missed out on Euro 88 due to suspension and retired from international football during the 1990 World Cup qualifiers. Ireland qualified for that world cup which made Brady come out of international retirement but coach Jack Charlton omitted him from the squad that went to Italy.
The Original Galactico
Alfredo De Stefano
The Real Madrid legend won five consecutive European Cups with the Spanish giants and was named European Player of the Year twice. But he never played in the world cup despite representing three national teams. He missed out on the 1950 edition as Argentina withdrew and then in 54, Argentina did not enter for the competition while FIFA declared that De Stefano was not eligible as he won caps for Colombia also. He couldn’t help Spain qualify for the 1958 edition but played a big role in their qualification to the 62 world cup. However a muscle injury ruled him out of that competition after which he announced his international retirement.
Welsh Wizard
Ryan Giggs
The Manchester United legend is still going strong at club level even at the age of 35. The left footed player has won eleven league titles and two Champions League crowns with the Red Devils and several other individual honours. But he could never qualify for any World Cup with Wales and retired from international football in 2007 after winning over 60 caps in a sixteen year old international career.
Jari Litmanen
The 38 year old Finn is the only name in this list who is still active at both club and international level. He has played for clubs all around Europe winning the Champions League with Ajax in 95 and the formerly known UEFA Cup in 2001 with Liverpool. Jari is the most capped player for his country and has also has scored the most number of goals. He is nearing twenty years of international football but is very unfortunate that Finland have never qualified for the World Cup and are already out of the equation for South Africa 2010.
Amoy Ghoshal
The Belfast born player was instrumental in Man United’s 1968 European Cup triumph for which he was named the European Footballer of the Year. He was one of the first celebrity footballers whose game combined pace, acceleration, balance, two-footedness, clinical finishing and ability to go past defenders. But despite having such talent he could never take Northern Ireland to the World cup so would go down as one of the greatest footballers never to have played in that competition.
Valentino Mazzola
Valentiono was a key member of the great Torino side in the 1940’s which won five consecutive titles in that decade. However he died in the 1949 Superga disaster when the entire Torino squad except one player who was injured, lost their lives in a plane crash. Prior to his death Valentino like many of his Torino teammates formed the core of the Italian national team but because of the second world war there was no World cup in that period thus Valentino missed out.
The Legendary Rossoneri
George Weah
Weah won the FIFA World Player of the Year, European Footballer of the Year, and African Footballer of the Year awards in 1995 after lifting the UEFA Champions League with AC Milan. He was also voted the African player of the Century by sports journalists from all around the world. But Weah never played in the World cup as he couldn't take his country Liberia to the game’s biggest stage during his fourteen year old international career.
Arsenio Erico
Erico impressed several Argentinean clubs while he was on tour with the Paraguayan Red Cross football team in order to gather funds for the Chaco War and very soon Independiente signed him. He set many scoring records in the Argentinean league and in fact is the all time joint top scorer in that division. Erico was offered a chance to play for the Argentina national team in the 1938 world cup but he refused that, remaining loyal to his country Paraguay for whom he scored 56 goals in 26 unofficial matches and thus is considered to be the greatest footballer to hail from his country.
The Manchester Boy
Duncan Edwards
Edwards was a member of the Busby Babes, who survived the 1958 Munich air crash but died as a result of his injuries fifteen days later, at the age of 21. Prior to his tragic death he had a five year professional career where he won two league titles with Man United and also took them to the semis of the European Cup. The wing half was the youngest player to get an England cap since the second world war. He couldn’t play in any World Cup but would have surely been a member of the England squad that played in the 58 edition which was held in Sweden.
Faas Wilkes
Wilkes is considered to be a legend of Dutch football, who even had spells in Italy and Spain in a career that spanned between 1940 and 1964. He scored 35 goals in 38 games for the Netherlands but couldn’t play for the national team between 1949 and 1955 when professional players were banned from representing the 'Oranje'. Holland didn’t qualify for a single World cup during his career so Wilkes was deprived of an appearance in the showpiece event.
Liam Brady
The Arsenal legend is considered to be the greatest Republic of Ireland player of all time. The left footed player was known for his great passing and close control but he never played in any major competition for his country despite winning 72 caps. He missed out on Euro 88 due to suspension and retired from international football during the 1990 World Cup qualifiers. Ireland qualified for that world cup which made Brady come out of international retirement but coach Jack Charlton omitted him from the squad that went to Italy.
The Original Galactico
Alfredo De Stefano
The Real Madrid legend won five consecutive European Cups with the Spanish giants and was named European Player of the Year twice. But he never played in the world cup despite representing three national teams. He missed out on the 1950 edition as Argentina withdrew and then in 54, Argentina did not enter for the competition while FIFA declared that De Stefano was not eligible as he won caps for Colombia also. He couldn’t help Spain qualify for the 1958 edition but played a big role in their qualification to the 62 world cup. However a muscle injury ruled him out of that competition after which he announced his international retirement.
Welsh Wizard
Ryan Giggs
The Manchester United legend is still going strong at club level even at the age of 35. The left footed player has won eleven league titles and two Champions League crowns with the Red Devils and several other individual honours. But he could never qualify for any World Cup with Wales and retired from international football in 2007 after winning over 60 caps in a sixteen year old international career.
Jari Litmanen
The 38 year old Finn is the only name in this list who is still active at both club and international level. He has played for clubs all around Europe winning the Champions League with Ajax in 95 and the formerly known UEFA Cup in 2001 with Liverpool. Jari is the most capped player for his country and has also has scored the most number of goals. He is nearing twenty years of international football but is very unfortunate that Finland have never qualified for the World Cup and are already out of the equation for South Africa 2010.
Amoy Ghoshal
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