![]() Puskás, Zidane and Messi will show up on this list. There are, of course, people who would have preferred that I select Ferenc Puskás, Denis Law, Diego Maradona, Dennis Bergkamp, Zinedine Zidane or Lionel Messi. The only man to play on 3 World Cup winners. ![]() Starred for Santos in his homeland in the 1960s, and in the mid-1970s dragged America kicking and screaming (for joy) into the soccer world with the New York Cosmos. You may think of putting Alfredo Di Stéfano, Gianni Rivera, Marco van Basten or the Brazilian Ronaldo here, and Ronaldo will show up later on this list.ġ0 Pelé of Brazil. Unlike such previous English legends wearing the number, like Dixie Dean of Everton and Jackie Milburn of Newcastle United, the Manchester United legend wore it in the television era, including the 1966 World Cup win, and thus is more familiar with it.ĭon't even think of putting Alan Shearer here. No, he was never going to be chosen for this number.ĩ Bobby Charlton of England. Yes, Liverpool fans, Steven Gerrard was considered for this list. Led Italy to victory in the 19 World Cups. ![]() Starred for Internazionale Milano, and the stadium that "Inter" shares with AC Milan is named for him. "King Kenny" is arguably the greatest player ever for 2 legendary British clubs: Glasgow's Celtic, and Liverpool.Ĩ Giuseppe Meazza of Italy. Those of you who are Manchester United fans will consider this blasphemy, but then, you also consider your Ferguson-era trophies to be fairly won. Wore it in Finals in Wembley Stadium 3 straight years: The 1964 FA Cup and the 1965 European Cup Winners' Cup for West Ham United, and the 1966 World Cup for England.ħ Kenny Dalglish of Scotland. Wore it in victorious Finals for 3 European Cups for Bayern Munich and a World Cup Final for West Germany.Ħ Bobby Moore of England. Nearly won another World Cup in 2006.ĥ Franz Beckenbauer of Germany. Was Captain of Arsenal's "Invincibles" in 2004. In 1998, won the League and the FA Cup - The Double - for Arsenal, and the World Cup for France. Wore it for AC Milan for 25 years.Ĥ Patrick Vieira of France. Starred at Right Back for São Paulo in Brazil, Real Zaragoza in Spain, and AS Roma and AC Milan in Italy, as well as Captaining Brazil to the 2002 World Cup.ģ Paolo Maldini of Italy. Starred in goal for Dynamo Moscow in both soccer and hockey for 20 years.Ģ Cafu of Brazil. The traditional goalkeeper's number goes to the man more often than any other called the best of all time. Wore it for the Fort Lauderdale Strikers in 1979 and '80.ġ Lev Yashin of Russia. The Manchester United goalkeeping legend wore it with the Dallas Tornado in 1979 and '80.Ġ0 Steve Zerhusen of America (Baltimore). In fact, he doesn't get to wear either.Ġ Alex Stepney of England. So Cristiano Ronaldo doesn't get to wear 7 and 17. Nevertheless, it's one number to a player here. So many great players, even since 1993, have worn more than one number. In this case, I am making an exception to the rule of club over country, and finding out, as best I can - we're talking, literally, about a whole world of players, going back to 1928 when numbers first appeared on English football shirts - who was the best player ever to wear the number.Įspecially in the era before squad numbers were set (1993 in England), players would be shifted in position, and would wear the number assigned to that position. I will conclude it by doing the greatest performers in all of sport to wear the number.
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