Some of the Best Football Players to Never Win the FIFA World Cup
Throughout history, there have been several great football players who were unable to lift the FIFA World Cup. These players include Socrates, Kazuyoshi Miura, Oliver Kahn, Michel Platini, Johan Cruyff, and Marco van Basten.
1. Alfredo Di Stefano
Having played for three different national teams, Alfredo Di Stefano is one of the best football players to ever win the FIFA World Cup. He played for Argentina and Spain, and Colombia, but never had a chance to play for the country he was born in.
Alfredo Di Stefano was an outstanding ball player, with an exceptional vision. He was also a powerful striker and a good defender. He was one of the best players of his generation, with an impressive combination of talent, physical strength, and tactical versatility. He was also a remarkably intelligent player, who had a vision for the game, and was able to read his surroundings well. He was a master of corrective ball control, a superb passer, and a brilliant combination player.
Alfredo Di Stefano was one of the most prestigious footballers of the twentieth century. He won five consecutive European Cups with Real Madrid and won two Ballon d’Or awards.
He was a good defender, with a strong sense of tackling, and he was also a good ball player. His passing was spectacular, and he was very intelligent. He was able to move between backward pressing and space-oriented pressing. He also used his field of view to control the game, and he responded more effectively to demanding scenes.
2. Kazuyoshi Miura
Known as King Kazu, Kazuyoshi Miura is one of the most celebrated Asian footballers. A legendary scorer, he has 86 international appearances and 55 goals to his name. But he missed out on two opportunities to play at the World Cup.
He began his professional career with Santos in 1986, before playing for Genoa and Vissel Kobe. In 1993, he was named the Asian Player of the Year. He won the J League title in 1994 with Verdy Kawasaki. Afterward, he signed with Clube Atletico Juvenil (CAJ) in Sao Paulo.
In the years that followed, Miura spent more than four years in Brazil, where he made friends and studied Portuguese. He is considered one of the best Asian players but has never won a World Cup. He also served as a role model for Asian football.
He was a part of Japan’s team at the 1994 Asian Games but was not included in the World Cup squad in 1998. He sparked controversy by being left out of Japan’s first World Cup team. In fact, Japan missed out on the 1994 World Cup due to a goal difference.
Miura’s career has spanned four continents, including his home country of Japan. He is also an acclaimed fitness guru. Among his many achievements, Miura was the first Japanese player to play in Serie A.
3. Marco van Basten
Despite being one of the greatest players of his time, Marco van Basten was never able to win the FIFA World Cup. His legacy is far from as strong as it could have been. In fact, if he had played into the late 1990s, van Basten could have been regarded as one of the greatest footballers of all time.
Marco van Basten played with Ajax, Milan, and Heerenveen. He was instrumental in helping the Dutch side to win the 1988 European Championships. He scored five goals in the tournament, including the goal of the tournament in the final. He also scored a hat-trick against England.
Van Basten was also an integral part of the Milan side that won three Serie A titles in the 1990s. He also helped the side win the European Cup twice. In addition, he was named FIFA World Player of the Year in 1992.
In a career spanning more than ten years, van Basten played 58 times for his country. He also scored 24 goals for his country. He also managed to win the Ballon d’Or three times. In addition, Marco van Basten has become a key figure in the history of football.
Marco van Basten is a legendary striker. He was a master of close control and the ball-in-air. He was also a master of the turn and was supreme in the air.
4. Johan Cruyff
Despite never winning the World Cup, Johan Cruyff is one of the greatest players ever. He was born in Buenos Aires, Argentina, and represented his country as a player and manager. His father was Johan Cruyff. He was also the co-founder of Modern Day/Total Football.
Cruyff was one of the most outstanding players to ever wear an Ajax shirt. He played for the club from 1957 until 1973 and was a vital part of the side that would dominate the European club scene in the late ’60s and ’70s. He scored 190 goals in 240 matches during his first stint at Ajax.
He was also a key figure in the Dutch philosophy of Total Football. During his first stint at Ajax, he was awarded the KNVB Cup in 1967 and led the Eredivisie goalscorers in the 1966-67 season with 33 goals.
His best period as a player came in the 1970s when he led the Dutch side to three consecutive European Cups. He also led his country to the World Cup final in 1974. He was voted European Footballer of the Year three times during the 1970s.
The Netherlands lost to West Germany in the 1974 World Cup final. They had lost to East Germany in the semifinals and were booed during the unconvincing start to the tournament.
5. Michel Platini
During his career, Michel Platini played for France and Juventus. He is a three-time Ballon d’Or winner and is considered one of the greatest players of all time. He was a great pass-maker and dribbler. He was also a very good free-kick player. He scored 368 goals in his career.
At the club level, he played for AS Nancy and later Juventus. During his career, Platini won a French championship, a Serie A title, and two Coppa Italia titles. He was also considered one of the best free-kick players in the world.
When Platini was in his prime, he was the world’s best player. He won three consecutive Ballon d’Ors and was the best overall player in Europe. He won two Serie A titles, one European Super Cup, and one Coppa Italia title. He was also named the best French player of all time.
In his first five international caps, Platini scored four goals. He had two hat tricks at the 1984 European Championship. He was a member of the French team that reached the semifinals of the 1982 and 1986 World Cups. He was also a member of the French team that won the Euro Cup in 1984.
6. Oliver Kahn
Having spent fourteen years with FC Bayern München, Oliver Kahn is one of the most accomplished German goalkeepers of all time. During his time with the Bavarian giants, Kahn won eight German titles, and one Champions League title. He was also a member of the German national team, where he played for 86 senior matches.
In 1997, Kahn helped the Bavarian club win the DFB Cup. He also played for the German national team at the 1996 European Championships, where he was the second-string goalkeeper. Kahn was also named German Footballer of the Year in 2000 and 2001.
Oliver Kahn is a well-known athlete and sports businessman. He is now the CEO of FC Bayern Munchen AG. He is also a pundit for the state television broadcaster ZDF. He is the author of an autobiography titled Number One.
Oliver Kahn retired from professional football in 2008. He was a member of the German national team and played in the 1996 European Championships, the 2002 World Cup, and the UEFA Champions League. He earned three IFFHS World’s Best Goalkeeper awards and two German Sports Journalists’ Awards.
Oliver Kahn was an important member of Germany’s 2002 World Cup team. His performance earned him the Golden Ball award for best player in the tournament. He also earned the UEFA Fair Play Award. He helped the German team advance to the quarter-finals, where they beat the United States in a 1-0 game. He was also named the Player of the Tournament.
7. Socrates
Besides being a great footballer, Socrates was also a great human being. He was one of the best footballers to never win the FIFA World Cup. He died Sunday, December 4 in a hospital in Sao Paulo.
Socrates started his career with Botafogo-SP in 1974. He spent six years with the Sao Paulo club. He then went to Fiorentina in 1985. He scored six goals for Fiorentina. In 1986, he returned to Brazil. He played for the Brazil national team at the World Cup.
He was captain of the Brazil team at the 1982 World Cup. The team lost to Italy in the second round. Socrates was a great midfielder who made intelligent passes. He was also known for his back-heel pass. His passes were deadly. He was also known for his long hair.
He also had a great mustache. He was an attacking midfielder. He was very elegant and had a great vision. He passed the ball with his back heel as accurately as with his feet.
Socrates was one of the most talented and creative midfielders in Brazil’s history. He was named South American Footballer of the Year in 1983. He played in two World Cup tournaments. He also won three Sao Paulo state championships with Corinthians. He was a member of the Pacaembu Brazilian Football Museum Hall of Fame.
Conclusion
Some of the best football players to never win the FIFA World Cup include Lionel Messi, Johan Cruyff, Diego Maradona, and George Best. These players all had their chances to win the trophy but fell short. Some of these players were injured or didn’t have the right team around them to help them win. Other players simply failed to live up to expectations in big tournaments. Nonetheless, they are all considered some of the greatest footballers of all time.
