Famous soccer players liver forever in our hearts
The most famous soccer players in history often transcend their sport and become icons for everybody, not just soccer fans. Brazilian great Pele, who starred for the national team during the 50s, 60s and 70s, is one such player.
Pele is considered to be the best player of all time and the fact that his fame spread even to the United States, where soccer is not one of the major sports, is testament to the impact he has made as an international personality.
Pele, now in his 60s, is still a huge influence on young kids these days, especially in his native Brazil. Youngsters who want to become professional players still look to Pele as their inspiration.
One of Pele’s rivals for greatest ever player is Argentina’s Diego Maradona, who led his country to World Cup glory in Mexico in 1986. The stocky Maradona possessed exceptional skills on the ball and his two goals against England in the 1986 quarter-final, when Argentina won 2-1 will forever be etched in legend.
One of the goals came after a mazy run from the halfway line and the other was the infamous “Hand of God” goal when he used his hand to punch the ball into the net with the referee unsighted.
Among the great English players are Bobby Moore and Bobby Charlton, both part of the England team who won the 1966 World Cup at home. Moore was the captain of that side while Charlton was at the heart of the midfield.
A British player who never tasted World Cup glory but is considered as one of the greatest is Northern Ireland’s George Best, who made his name for English club Manchester United when they won the European Cup in 1968.
Best’s skills and trickery even had Pele describing him as the best player in the world.
Other great players who have enriched soccer over the years include Hungary’s Ferenc Puskas, Dutchman Johan Cruyff, Germany’s Franz Beckenbauer, Frenchmen Michel Platini and Zinedine Zidane and Brazilians Zico and Ronaldo.
There are more players who have graced the soccer world with their skills, and they will forever be in the hearts and minds of the fans who have drawn much pleasure from their performances.