🪄 VIII · The Magicians
The handful of players who didn't just win the World Cup but became it. Pelé, Cruyff, Maradona, Ronaldo, Zidane, Messi — the geniuses the whole tournament orbited around.
Part of World Cup
17 moments in this segment.
- — Garrincha — the Little Bird. Born with twisted legs, Garrincha became the most dazzling dribbler the World Cup has seen, carrying Brazil to the 1962 title almost alone after Pelé's injury — the joyful genius who never lost a competitive match he played for Brazil with Pelé.
- — Eusébio — the Black Panther of 1966. Eusébio scored nine goals to win the 1966 Golden Boot, including four in Portugal's comeback from 3–0 down against North Korea — one of the great individual tournaments, the first African-born World Cup superstar.
- — Pelé — three-time world champion. The only player to win three World Cups (1958, 1962, 1970), Pelé scored in two finals and produced the dummy against Uruguay and the header denied by Banks in 1970. The original World Cup deity.
- — Johan Cruyff and the Cruyff Turn. The architect of Total Football, Johan Cruyff carried the Netherlands to the 1974 final and unveiled the "Cruyff Turn" against Sweden — a piece of skill so original it still bears his name. He won the Golden Ball without winning the cup.
- — Mario Kempes — the matador of 1978. Mario Kempes scored six goals including two in the final, carrying host Argentina to their first World Cup in 1978 and winning the Golden Boot and Golden Ball — the hero of a nation.
- — Paolo Rossi's redemption hat-trick vs Brazil. Returning from a betting ban, Paolo Rossi exploded into life with a hat-trick against the great Brazil side of 1982, then goals in the semi and final — six in three games to win the Golden Boot and the cup.
- — Maradona — the one-man World Cup. In 1986 Diego Maradona dragged an ordinary Argentina to the title almost single-handed, scoring or assisting 10 of their 14 goals and producing both the Hand of God and the Goal of the Century in one quarter-final.
- — Romário — the genius of 1994. Romário scored five goals and won the Golden Ball as Brazil claimed the 1994 title, his impudent toe-pokes and movement making him the most lethal forward of his era.
- — Zidane — two heads, one trophy. Zinedine Zidane headed twice past Brazil to win the 1998 final for the hosts France, then carried them to the 2006 final with a Panenka and that pirouette past defenders — elegance and fury in equal measure.
- — Ferenc Puskás and the Mighty Magyars. Ferenc Puskás led Hungary's "Golden Team", which thrashed all before it and reached the 1954 final unbeaten — only to lose the Miracle of Bern, the greatest side never to win the World Cup.
- — Luka Modrić wins the 2018 Golden Ball. Luka Modrić ran the midfield as Croatia reached the 2018 final, winning the Golden Ball as the tournament's best player and finally breaking the Messi–Ronaldo grip on the world's individual awards.
- — Michel Platini — the playmaker of the 1980s. Michel Platini orchestrated France's beautiful sides of 1982 and 1986, twice reaching the semi-finals; the carré magique midfield he led is remembered as one of football's great teams that fell just short.
- — Ronaldo — O Fenômeno. The original Ronaldo, World Cup top scorer of all time at the time of his retirement, electrified 1998 and 2002 — from the mystery of the '98 final to the two goals that won '02, the most feared striker of his era.
- — Roberto Baggio carries Italy to the 1994 final. The Divine Ponytail almost single-handedly dragged Italy to the 1994 final with a string of decisive goals in the knockouts — before the missed penalty that overshadowed a magical tournament.
- — Messi — the last dance. After four tournaments of near-misses, Lionel Messi dominated 2022: seven goals, the Golden Ball, and the trophy at last. The debate about the greatest of all time was, for many, settled in Qatar.
- — The 3 R's — Ronaldo, Rivaldo, Ronaldinho. Brazil's 2002 attacking trident of Ronaldo, Rivaldo and Ronaldinho tore through the tournament to win the title in Japan — arguably the most gifted front line ever to win a World Cup.
- — Franz Beckenbauer — Der Kaiser. Beckenbauer reinvented defending as the elegant attacking sweeper, captaining West Germany to the 1974 title and later managing them to the 1990 crown — one of only three men to win the World Cup as player and coach.
