RSS
ATOM
advertisement
Goal.com Weekend Special: Great Footballers Who Have Never Played In The World Cup - Part II
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. Amoy Ghoshal lists ten more such names in the second segment....
11-Oct-2009 11:28:31 PM
Cliff Bastin
Bastin is Arsenal’s third-top goalscorer of all time but he was first in that list between 1939 and 1997 having scored 178 goals in 395 games and that too playing mostly on the left wing. He won five league titles and two FA Cups with the Gunners but never played in the World Cup for England. This was because during his playing career, the Three Lions did not enter for a single edition. Bastin’s last international game was in 1938 while England’s first ever appearance in the World Cup was at the 1950 edition.
Eric Cantona
The Manchester United legend played a major role in the revival of the English club as a footballing powerhouse having won four league and two FA Cup titles with them in the 90’s. He was an active member of the French national team which failed to qualify for the 94 World Cup and was made captain for the Euro 96 qualifiers. But the Frenchman was known to be in controversy and in 1995 when he was given a nine month ban for kicking a Crystal Palace fan in ‘kung fu’ style, he was stripped of the French captaincy. Cantona couldn’t make a return to the national team after the end of his ban and soon retired from internationals thus could never appear in a World Cup.
Fernando Peyroteo
Peyroteo was a member of the legendary Sporting Lisbon team that ruled Portuguese football in the 1940’s. He was known for his goalscoring abilities and thus was also part of the national team. Peyroteo has the best goal to game ratio in football history but he could never make an appearance in the World Cup as Portugal didn’t play in any edition during his career.
Ian Rush
Rush actually made his international debut before he made a start for Liverpool. His goals in the 80’s and 90’s made him a legend at Anfield. He won several honours with Merseyside club in his first spell after which he spent a frustrating season at Juventus and then once again returned to Liverpool. The second spell also won him a few more trophies but all this time he could never qualify for a World Cup with Wales. He played in the qualifiers of three editions but like his fellow countryman Giggs, Rush couldn’t make it to the biggest stage.
Sjaak Swart
Swart is an Ajax Legend having won several major honours with the Amsterdam club including two European Cups in the early 70’s. The forward had a good goal scoring record and was also part of the Dutch national team. But he could never play in the World Cup as he retired from international football in 1972 thus couldn’t be a part of the great Dutch teams that reached two consecutive World Cup finals in 74 and 78.
Abidi Pele
The three time African footballer of the year spent most of his club career in France. He was the first player from the continent to win the UEFA Champions League having won the trophy with French club Marseille in 1993. He got continental success with Ghana but could never take them to the World Cup as the Black Stars failed to qualify for any edition during his 16 year old international career.
Johnny Giles
The Leeds United legend made up one half of the most feared midfield partnerships in English football history as he and diminutive Scotsman Billy Bremner helped the Yorkshire club have it’s best ever era during the 1970’s. Giles won nearly 60 caps for Republic of Ireland and was also player manager during the 70’s. But he failed to play in a World Cup as the closest his country came was in the 1978 qualifiers where Ireland were just two points short of automatic qualification.
Kazuyoshi Miura
Miura is a Japanese legend, currently playing at the Japanese second division. The striker quit his high school and went to Brazil and to became a professional player. His rise to fame in his country coincided with the launch of the J. League in 1993 and was arguably Japan's first superstar in football. Kazu was the first Japanese recipient of the Asian Player of the Year in 1993 and also the first Asian to play in Italy. He had an equally illustrious international career but was unfortunate to miss out from the 1998 World Cup squad. He announced his international retirement in 2000 and thus could never play in the World Cup.
Attila Sallustro
The first footballing God in Naples, a long time before Diego Armando Maradona, was the great Attila Salustro during the 1920s and 30s. ‘Il Divino’, who was born in Paraguay to Italian parents and moved to Naples as a youngster, was an extremely gifted attacker who scored 107 goals in 258 appearances for the Partenopei from 1925-37. Despite this record, Sallustro won only two Italy caps, scoring one goal. This was mainly due to the presence of the legendary Giuseppe Meazza, who played in the same position and thus Sallustro couldn’t be a part of Italy’s 1934 World Cup winning side.
Bernd Schuster
The former West German international midfielder had a very successful club career during which he played for both Spanish giants Barcelona and Real Madrid. He was part of West German team that won Euro 80 and came second at the age of 20 for the European Footballer of the Year Award behind Karl-Heinz Rummenigge despite being only 20. But he could win only 22 caps and took international retirement at the age of 24 due to his repeated disagreements with the German Football Association, then national team manager Jupp Derwall, and teammates. He wasn’t part of the 1982 World Cup squad and so never played in the biggest stage of the beautiful game.
Amoy Ghoshal
Bastin is Arsenal’s third-top goalscorer of all time but he was first in that list between 1939 and 1997 having scored 178 goals in 395 games and that too playing mostly on the left wing. He won five league titles and two FA Cups with the Gunners but never played in the World Cup for England. This was because during his playing career, the Three Lions did not enter for a single edition. Bastin’s last international game was in 1938 while England’s first ever appearance in the World Cup was at the 1950 edition.
Eric Cantona
The Manchester United legend played a major role in the revival of the English club as a footballing powerhouse having won four league and two FA Cup titles with them in the 90’s. He was an active member of the French national team which failed to qualify for the 94 World Cup and was made captain for the Euro 96 qualifiers. But the Frenchman was known to be in controversy and in 1995 when he was given a nine month ban for kicking a Crystal Palace fan in ‘kung fu’ style, he was stripped of the French captaincy. Cantona couldn’t make a return to the national team after the end of his ban and soon retired from internationals thus could never appear in a World Cup.
Fernando Peyroteo
Peyroteo was a member of the legendary Sporting Lisbon team that ruled Portuguese football in the 1940’s. He was known for his goalscoring abilities and thus was also part of the national team. Peyroteo has the best goal to game ratio in football history but he could never make an appearance in the World Cup as Portugal didn’t play in any edition during his career.
Ian Rush
Rush actually made his international debut before he made a start for Liverpool. His goals in the 80’s and 90’s made him a legend at Anfield. He won several honours with Merseyside club in his first spell after which he spent a frustrating season at Juventus and then once again returned to Liverpool. The second spell also won him a few more trophies but all this time he could never qualify for a World Cup with Wales. He played in the qualifiers of three editions but like his fellow countryman Giggs, Rush couldn’t make it to the biggest stage.
Sjaak Swart
Swart is an Ajax Legend having won several major honours with the Amsterdam club including two European Cups in the early 70’s. The forward had a good goal scoring record and was also part of the Dutch national team. But he could never play in the World Cup as he retired from international football in 1972 thus couldn’t be a part of the great Dutch teams that reached two consecutive World Cup finals in 74 and 78.
Abidi Pele
The three time African footballer of the year spent most of his club career in France. He was the first player from the continent to win the UEFA Champions League having won the trophy with French club Marseille in 1993. He got continental success with Ghana but could never take them to the World Cup as the Black Stars failed to qualify for any edition during his 16 year old international career.
Johnny Giles
The Leeds United legend made up one half of the most feared midfield partnerships in English football history as he and diminutive Scotsman Billy Bremner helped the Yorkshire club have it’s best ever era during the 1970’s. Giles won nearly 60 caps for Republic of Ireland and was also player manager during the 70’s. But he failed to play in a World Cup as the closest his country came was in the 1978 qualifiers where Ireland were just two points short of automatic qualification.
Kazuyoshi Miura
Miura is a Japanese legend, currently playing at the Japanese second division. The striker quit his high school and went to Brazil and to became a professional player. His rise to fame in his country coincided with the launch of the J. League in 1993 and was arguably Japan's first superstar in football. Kazu was the first Japanese recipient of the Asian Player of the Year in 1993 and also the first Asian to play in Italy. He had an equally illustrious international career but was unfortunate to miss out from the 1998 World Cup squad. He announced his international retirement in 2000 and thus could never play in the World Cup.
Attila Sallustro
The first footballing God in Naples, a long time before Diego Armando Maradona, was the great Attila Salustro during the 1920s and 30s. ‘Il Divino’, who was born in Paraguay to Italian parents and moved to Naples as a youngster, was an extremely gifted attacker who scored 107 goals in 258 appearances for the Partenopei from 1925-37. Despite this record, Sallustro won only two Italy caps, scoring one goal. This was mainly due to the presence of the legendary Giuseppe Meazza, who played in the same position and thus Sallustro couldn’t be a part of Italy’s 1934 World Cup winning side.
Bernd Schuster
The former West German international midfielder had a very successful club career during which he played for both Spanish giants Barcelona and Real Madrid. He was part of West German team that won Euro 80 and came second at the age of 20 for the European Footballer of the Year Award behind Karl-Heinz Rummenigge despite being only 20. But he could win only 22 caps and took international retirement at the age of 24 due to his repeated disagreements with the German Football Association, then national team manager Jupp Derwall, and teammates. He wasn’t part of the 1982 World Cup squad and so never played in the biggest stage of the beautiful game.
Amoy Ghoshal
Thank you for your comment!
Please enter your name
Please enter your location
Please share your comment!
3 Comments
Advertisement
Inside Goal.Com
-
Liverpool's Midfield Is Equally At Fault As Their Forward Line
Though the attention tends to lean on their misfiring forwards, Liverpool's midfielders are as much at fault for their team's current position...
-
Media shy, silently arrogant & irrationally stubborn: 5 reasons why Abramovich should not be a cry baby
Calm from the outside, cranky from the inside. Goal.com's Sarthak Dubey gives a few tips to Roman Abramovich on how to handle the club's sensitive confidence levels...
-
Can Luis Suarez repeat Eric Cantona's grand comeback when Liverpool face Manchester United?
The divisive Uruguayan can look to history when he starts against United on Saturday for the first time since receiving an eight-match ban for racially abusing Patrice Evra
-
Beware, Inter & Arsenal - Schalke's rise up Deloitte's Money League proves the financial importance of the CL
The Ruhr side's remarkable run in Europe's elite tournament saw their revenue unexpectedly soar last season, but some teams are structured to depend on such results to survive
-
This Week That Year - The Munich Tragedy that shocked the world of football
In yet another edition of This Week That Year, we look into all the historic footballing events in the first full week of February....
Advertisement
Advertisement