Team of the Century
/dnl.eurosport.com/sd/img/placeholder/eurosport_logo_1x1.png){kind=logo}
ByEurosport
Published 05/04/2006 at 14:28 GMT
Vote NOW for the greatest World Cup team of all time in eurosport.com's all-new poll to find the international Team of the Century. Sixteen teams have been chosen and seeded for the competition, and it is now up to you to decide who goes through as the te
FOOTBALL 2002 World Cup 2002 Brazil trophy
Image credit: Imago
1) BRAZIL Winners 1970
A team boasting Pele, Clodoaldo, Gerson, Rivelino, Tostao and Jairzinho earned their nation the right to keep the Jules Rimet trophy with a third World Cup win in the heat of Mexico.
/origin-imgresizer.eurosport.com/2006/03/31/266119-24481573-2560-1440.jpg)
FOOTBALL 1970 World Cup 1970 Brazil
Image credit: Imago
After easing through the group phase - with an epic triumph over England included - Mario Zagallo's side rout Italy 4-1, with Carlos Alberto's spectacular strike fittingly rounding things off.
2) ARGENTINA Winners 1986
Diego Maradona staked his claim as the game's greatest-ever player as he almost literally single-handedly gave Argentina a second World Cup in three tournaments.
The group phase safely negotiated, Maradona's infamous 'Hand of God' goal was followed by arguably the greatest goal ever as England were defeated in the last eight, before another outstanding strike in the semi-final win over Belgium set up a final against West Germany.
/origin-imgresizer.eurosport.com/2006/03/15/261783-24506185-2560-1440.jpg)
FOOTBALL 1986 World Cup Maradona Shilton
Image credit: Imago
Maradona did not find the net in the Azteca, but two of his most-gifted lieutenants, Jorge Valdano and Jorge Burrachaga, did to round-off a rollercoaster 3-2 win.
3) NETHERLANDS Runners-up 1974
This was 'total football' in its original and purest form.
Johan Neeskens, Jonny Rep, Rob Rensenbrink, Ruud Krol and the irrepressible Johan Cruyff wowed as they swept past Argentina and Brazil only to allow their self-belief to swell to fatal proportions in the final - a first-minute Neeskens penalty lulling Rinus Michel's men into a false sense of security as they were overpowered by West Germany.
/origin-imgresizer.eurosport.com/2006/03/25/264613-24490078-2560-1440.jpg)
FOOTBALL 1974 World Cup 1974 Bulgaria-Netherlands Jonny Rep
Image credit: Imago
4) WEST GERMANY Winners 1974
Inspired by Franz Beckenbauer and Gerd Muller, arguably the best side Germany have ever produced suffered the ignominy of a 1-0 group-phase defeat at the hands of their eastern neighbours.
But with Sepp Maier, Berti Vogts, Paul Breitner and Uli Hoeness also in the side, Helmut Schön's men showed their true colours, coming back from a first-minute penalty to see off the talented Netherlands 2-1 and bring their nation a second title, twenty years after the first.
/origin-imgresizer.eurosport.com/2006/03/08/259838-24516874-2560-1440.jpg)
FOOTBALL 1974 World Cup 1974 Germany Beckenbauer Schön
Image credit: Imago
5) BRAZIL Second round 1982
Reputedly the greatest team never to win the World Cup, Tele Santana's squad combined the luxurious talents of Zico, Socrates, Falcao and Eder, with Cerezo and Junior in the side just for good measure.
But after seeing off the Soviet Union in the group phase, the Seleçao were paired in the ultimate Group of Death with Argentina and Italy in the second round, running into a red-hot Paolo Rossi, who smashed a hat-trick as Italy squeezed through to the semis with a 3-2 win.
/origin-imgresizer.eurosport.com/2006/03/31/266120-24481566-2560-1440.jpg)
FOOTBALL 1982 World Cup 1982 Brazil Socrates Zico
Image credit: Imago
6) WEST GERMANY Winners 1990
A third World Cup for Germany saw them equal Brazil as international football's top powerhouse.
Franz Beckenbauer, a winner as a player in 1974, coached a side bristling with industry in Lothar Matthaus, Jurgen Kohler and Andreas Brehme and inspiration with Rudi Voller and Jurgen Klinsmann in attack.
/origin-imgresizer.eurosport.com/2006/03/31/266121-24481559-2560-1440.jpg)
FOOTBALL 1990 World Cup 1990 West Germany Matthhäus Matthaus Littbarski
Image credit: Imago
Having beaten Yugoslavia, Netherlands, Czechoslovakia and England, their achievement was sadly overshadowed by a dour final - decided by Brehme's late spot-kick - and marred by Argentina's hot-headed antics.
7) ENGLAND Winners 1966
The self-styled 'home of football' hosted the competition for the first time and watched in jubilation as captain Bobby Moore held the Jules Rimet trophy aloft.
Gritty midfielder Nobby Stiles man-marked Portugal's Eusebio out of the game as Bobby Charlton's goals saw England into the final, where Geoff Hurst - a late replacement for the injured Jimmy Greaves - became the only man to date to score a hat-trick in the final as West Germany were sunk 4-2 in extra-time, including the notorious 'did it, didn't it cross the line?' decisive third goal.
/origin-imgresizer.eurosport.com/2006/03/30/265905-24482916-2560-1440.jpg)
FOOTBALL 1966 World Cup 1966 England
Image credit: Imago
8) FRANCE Winners 1998
Aime Jacquet's France side may not have been the most spectacular his country has ever produced, but they are undoubtedly the most successful.
The host nation's triumph was built on a back four of unlikely semi-final hero Lilian Thuram, Bixente Lizarazu, Marcel Desailly and Laurent Blanc, ably backed up by Fabien Barthez in goal.
/origin-imgresizer.eurosport.com/2006/03/15/261832-24505858-2560-1440.jpg)
FOOTBALL 1998 World Cup 1998 France Brasil
Image credit: Imago
With Zinedine Zidane prompting in midfield and coming up with two goals in the 3-0 final win over Brazil, the fairytale that was to bring further success at Euro 2000 was just beginning.
Check out the profiles of the seeds 9-16!
Scan me
Share this article
Advertisement
Advertisement