Twenty football legends of the past, from Di Stéfano, Pelé, Eusébio and Cruyff to Maradona, Zidane, Ronaldo Nazário, Ronaldinho, Henry and Zlatan, with the transfers, rivalries and stories behind their fame.
Every generation of football has its icons, and this collection gathers twenty of the greatest players of the past seven decades. It starts with the pioneers of the 1950s and 1960s, Alfredo Di Stéfano, Pelé, Eusébio and George Best, moves on to the 1970s masters Johan Cruyff and Franz Beckenbauer and the genius of Diego Maradona, and finishes with the stars who lit up the 1990s and 2000s, from Zidane, Ronaldo Nazário and Ronaldinho to Maldini, Buffon, Figo, Henry, Beckham, Vieira, Drogba, Torres, Robben and Zlatan Ibrahimović.
Their careers produced some of football's most remarkable records. Di Stéfano scored in five consecutive European Cup finals, Pelé's 1,000th goal stopped a match at the Maracanã, Maldini reached eight Champions League finals, and Buffon holds the record for Serie A appearances. Thierry Henry won four Premier League Golden Boots, and Ronaldo Nazário remains the youngest Ballon d'Or winner in history.
Off the pitch, their lives were just as eventful. Di Stéfano was kidnapped at gunpoint in Caracas, Brazil declared Pelé a national treasure so he could not leave, Eusébio was smuggled out of Mozambique under the code name "Ruth", and Drogba helped bring about a ceasefire in Côte d'Ivoire's civil war. Cruyff swapped cigarettes for lollipops, and Zlatan's name became an official verb in Sweden.
From Maradona's two famous goals against England in 1986 to Zidane's headbutt in the 2006 final, these players gave football its most unforgettable moments. Choose a legend below to read fifteen facts about him.
Every item on this page, with the one fact most people get wrong about it.
| Name | Where you'll meet it | The fact worth knowing |
|---|---|---|
| Pelé | Brazil, Santos | Brazil declared him a national treasure so he could not leave the country. |
| Diego Maradona | Argentina, Napoli | He scored football's most infamous and most famous goals in the same match. |
| Johan Cruyff | Netherlands, Ajax, Barcelona | A kidnapping attempt kept him out of the 1978 World Cup. |
| Franz Beckenbauer | West Germany, Bayern Munich | He won the World Cup as both captain and manager. |
| Alfredo Di Stéfano | Argentina, Spain, Real Madrid | He was kidnapped at gunpoint in Caracas in 1963. |
| Eusébio | Portugal, Benfica | He was smuggled out of Mozambique under the code name "Ruth". |
| George Best | Northern Ireland, Manchester United | He scored six goals in a single match against Northampton Town. |
| Zinedine Zidane | France, Real Madrid | He struck one of the greatest volleys in Champions League history. |
| Ronaldo Nazário | Brazil, Barcelona, Real Madrid | He is still the youngest Ballon d'Or winner in history. |
| Ronaldinho | Brazil, Barcelona | He starred in YouTube's first video to reach a million views. |
| Paolo Maldini | Italy, AC Milan | He reached eight Champions League finals. |
| Gianluigi Buffon | Italy, Juventus | He holds the all-time record for Serie A appearances. |
| Luís Figo | Portugal, Barcelona, Real Madrid | Barcelona fans threw a pig's head at him on his return to the Camp Nou. |
| Thierry Henry | France, Arsenal | He scored 20 goals and provided 20 assists in a single Premier League season. |
| David Beckham | England, Manchester United | He donated his entire Paris Saint-Germain salary to charity. |
| Patrick Vieira | France, Arsenal | He captained Arsenal's unbeaten Invincibles. |
| Didier Drogba | Côte d'Ivoire, Chelsea | He helped stop the Ivorian civil war with an appeal on live television. |
| Fernando Torres | Spain, Atlético Madrid, Liverpool | His goal ended Spain's 44-year wait for a major trophy. |
| Arjen Robben | Netherlands, Bayern Munich | Everyone knew his cut-inside move, yet defenders still could not stop it. |
| Zlatan Ibrahimović | Sweden, Ajax, Inter, PSG | His name is an official verb in Sweden. |
Most Fouled
152 fouls
Diego Maradona was fouled 152 times at World Cups, more than any other player. Diego Maradona
European Cup Streak
5 finals in a row
Alfredo Di Stéfano scored in five consecutive European Cup finals for Real Madrid. Alfredo Di Stéfano
Most Champions League Finals
8
Paolo Maldini reached eight European Cup and Champions League finals with AC Milan. Paolo Maldini
Most Golden Boots
4
Thierry Henry won a record four Premier League Golden Boots with Arsenal. Thierry Henry
Brazil, Santos
Pelé was named after Thomas Edison, learned to play with a sock stuffed with newspaper and hated his nickname as a boy. His 1,000th goal stopped a match at the Maracanã, and he once played in goal for Santos. His name is now an adjective in the Portuguese dictionary.
Read the full article →
Argentina, Napoli
Maradona made his professional debut at fifteen and was applauded by Real Madrid fans while playing for Barcelona. In Naples he reached divine status, and a religion was even founded in his honour. He was fouled 152 times at World Cups, more than anyone else.
Read the full article →
Netherlands, Ajax, Barcelona
Johan Cruyff wore a special two-striped shirt at the 1974 World Cup and chose his famous number 14 by accident. He defied Franco to name his son Jordi and swapped cigarettes for Chupa Chups lollipops. An asteroid bears his name.
Read the full article →
West Germany, Bayern Munich
Der Kaiser redefined the sweeper role and won the Ballon d'Or as a defender. He played the "Game of the Century" with a dislocated shoulder and won three consecutive European Cups with Bayern. He later masterminded Germany's 2006 World Cup.
Read the full article →
Argentina, Spain, Real Madrid
Di Stéfano represented three national teams but never played at a World Cup. He scored in five consecutive European Cup finals and is the only player to win the Super Ballon d'Or. Real Madrid named their reserve stadium after him.
Read the full article →
Portugal, Benfica
Eusébio grew up playing barefoot in Mozambique and became the first African-born Ballon d'Or winner. He scored four goals against North Korea at the 1966 World Cup and finished as the tournament's top scorer. He won the first European Golden Boot despite six knee operations.
Read the full article →
Northern Ireland, Manchester United
George Best was discovered via a famous telegram and nicknamed "El Beatle". He won the Ballon d'Or at 22 but never played at a World Cup. Belfast City Airport was renamed in his honour.
Read the full article →
France, Real Madrid
Zidane never played professionally for his hometown club Marseille, and judo shaped his famous balance. He headed two goals in the 1998 World Cup final and wore the unusual number 5 at Real Madrid. As manager he won three Champions League titles in a row.
Read the full article →
Brazil, Barcelona, Real Madrid
O Fenômeno won a World Cup medal at 17 without playing a minute and played for arch-rivals in both Spain and Italy. He cut a famous triangle haircut to distract the media from an injury. He never won the Champions League.
Read the full article →
Brazil, Barcelona
Ronaldinho once scored every goal in a 23-0 youth match and assisted Lionel Messi's first professional goal. Real Madrid fans gave him a standing ovation, and a Pepsi can cost him a $750,000 sponsorship deal. He won a suckling pig in a prison futsal tournament.
Read the full article →
Italy, AC Milan
Maldini grew up supporting Juventus but spent 25 years at AC Milan, who retired his number 3 for his sons. He averaged less than one tackle every two games and scored the fastest goal in a Champions League final. At 49 he even played on the ATP tennis tour.
Read the full article →
Italy, Juventus
Buffon switched to goalkeeping after watching a World Cup keeper and made his debut at 17. He stayed with Juventus after their relegation to Serie B and won the 2006 World Cup. He is terrified of wasps.
Read the full article →
Portugal, Barcelona, Real Madrid
Figo learned his skills barefoot on Lisbon's streets and led Portugal's Golden Generation. His world-record move from Barcelona to Real Madrid shocked football, and he won the Ballon d'Or. He later ran for the FIFA presidency.
Read the full article →
France, Arsenal
Thierry Henry turned from winger into Arsenal's all-time record goalscorer and led the unbeaten Invincibles. He won a record four Premier League Golden Boots and the treble with Barcelona. A bronze statue stands outside the Emirates Stadium.
Read the full article →
England, Manchester United
David Beckham's goal from the halfway line made him a star, and he won league titles in four countries. He has spoken about his need for order and symmetry, keeps bees and builds LEGO to relax. He has a lifetime endorsement deal with Adidas.
Read the full article →
France, Arsenal
Born in Senegal, Patrick Vieira captained Cannes as a teenager and was Arsène Wenger's first Arsenal signing. His rivalry with Roy Keane became legendary, and his final kick for Arsenal won the FA Cup. He co-founded the Diambars academy in Senegal.
Read the full article →
Côte d'Ivoire, Chelsea
Didier Drogba studied accounting before turning professional late and became Chelsea's record £24 million signing. He was the hero of the 2012 Champions League final and scored against 32 different Premier League opponents. He gave his £3 million Pepsi fee to build a hospital.
Read the full article →
Spain, Atlético Madrid, Liverpool
Fernando Torres started out as a goalkeeper and was inspired by a Japanese anime. He became Atlético Madrid's captain at 19 and broke a British record when he moved to Chelsea. He has tattoos written in Tolkien's Elvish script.
Read the full article →
Netherlands, Bayern Munich
Arjen Robben was clocked at 37 km/h at a World Cup and won league titles in four countries. He redeemed himself by scoring the winner in the 2013 Champions League final. After retiring he ran a marathon in under three hours.
Read the full article →
Sweden, Ajax, Inter, PSG
Zlatan refused a trial with Arsenal and holds a black belt in taekwondo. His 30-yard bicycle kick against England won the Puskás Award, and he is the oldest goalscorer in Serie A history. He once bought a Stockholm church as an investment.
Read the full article →8 questions, every answer is somewhere above.
1. After which inventor was Pelé named?
2. Which song did Diego Maradona famously warm up to?
3. What did Johan Cruyff switch to after giving up cigarettes?
4. Which unusual shirt number did Zinedine Zidane wear at Real Madrid?
5. What did Ronaldinho win in a prison futsal tournament?
6. What was thrown at Luís Figo on his return to the Camp Nou?
7. Which insect is Gianluigi Buffon afraid of?
8. What did Didier Drogba do with his £3 million Pepsi endorsement fee?
There is no single answer, but Pelé, Diego Maradona and Alfredo Di Stéfano are the names most often mentioned from the past, along with Johan Cruyff. Di Stéfano is the only player ever awarded the Super Ballon d'Or.
In the 1986 World Cup quarter-final against England, Diego Maradona scored one goal with his hand and then, minutes later, one of the greatest solo goals ever, so football's most infamous and most famous goals came in the same match.
Alfredo Di Stéfano represented three national teams but never played a minute at a World Cup, and George Best never reached one with Northern Ireland. Johan Cruyff missed the 1978 tournament after a kidnapping attempt.
Total Football is a fluid style in which players swap positions and every outfield player can attack and defend. It is most closely associated with Johan Cruyff and the Netherlands of the 1970s, though Di Stéfano is also credited as an early pioneer.
Zinedine Zidane won three consecutive Champions League titles as Real Madrid's manager, and Franz Beckenbauer won the World Cup both as captain and as coach.
Enjoyed these facts? There's more! 💌
Fresh fun facts in your inbox. No spam, ever.
A handpicked batch of surprising facts in your inbox. No spam, unsubscribe anytime.
You're in!
Watch your inbox for the next batch of facts.
