Having the most World Cup appearances by a player can be an exciting thing. When you think of a player’s career, chances are you’ll think of some big names, such as Pele, Ronaldo, and Marquez. But what about some lesser-known players?
Pele
Among all the football players of the world, Pele is the most accomplished. His rags-to-riches story is inspirational, and his exalted footballing abilities are benchmarks. In fact, Pele is the only footballer to have won three World Cup titles.
Pele has been credited with many feats, including making his World Cup debut at seventeen and scoring a goal in his first World Cup match. The fact that he was the first teenager to score a goal in a World Cup final was also a first. The following year, Pele became the youngest player to ever score a hat-trick in the World Cup, and the first player to score a goal in the World Cup semi-finals.
Pele won three World Cup titles, including one in Mexico in 1970. Pele is often credited with bringing the World Cup to Brazil and was even the country’s Minister of Sports for three years. He also received a Lifetime Achievement Award from Nelson Mandela.
Pele was a ferocious striker and a masterful passer. In his World Cup career, Pele scored 12 goals in 14 matches.
He also made an appearance in the 1962 World Cup, playing a total of two games and a half. Pele was injured during his second World Cup game. His teammates congratulated him and Pele passed out on the field.
Pele was also renowned for his vision and dribbling skills. In his World Cup career, he played as a forward and a playmaker. His best goal was a long-range dummy cumin around Uruguay goalkeeper Ladislao Mazurkiewicz. He later described this goal as the most memorable of his career.
Maldini
During his career, Paolo Maldini has made the most World Cup appearances by an Italian. He has played in four tournaments, and he has been a member of the Italian National Team for over sixteen years. His club career is legendary, and he is one of the most decorated defenders of all time. He has won seven Serie A titles, and he has been a member of eight UEFA Champions League finals.
In addition to his World Cup appearances, Maldini has also played in three UEFA European Championships. He has been named to the World Cup All-Star Team in 1990 and 1994. He was also elected into the all-star team for Euro 1996.
Maldini’s career began with his debut for Italy at the age of just nineteen. He played for AC Milan for most of his career. His club team became “The Invincibles” after winning Serie A undefeated in 1991-1992.
During his career, Maldini also won five Supercopa Italiana. He was named to the FIFA 100 list of the best living players in 2004. He also won the Bravo Award for a best under-23 player in 1989. He was inducted into the Italian Football Hall of Fame in December 2012.
He won the UEFA Champions League in 1990, 1994, 1998, and 2002. He is also one of the oldest captains in a team that has won the Champions League. In addition to the UEFA Champions League, Maldini won the FIFA Club World Cup in 1991. He was also named to the FIFA World Cup Dream Team in 2002.
Lahm
During his career, Philipp Lahm has made 113 appearances for Germany, making him the highest-capped German player of all time. Lahm has also made a total of 249 Bundesliga victories. He also won the German U-19 championship in 2001 and 2002 with FC Bayern.
Philipp Lahm has played in three World Cups. He was the captain of the German team at the 2014 World Cup, where he scored a goal in the final. He has also played in three European Championships, making him the all-time leading goalscorer in that tournament.
Philipp Lahm is the first defender to record two-digit assists in a single season. He provided assists for Mesut Ozil and Mario Gomez. He has also made a tackle that was world-class.
He played in a total of ten qualification matches for the UEFA Euro 2012. He made his international debut against England in 2007. He then made his debut against Denmark in June 2010. He was also in the squad that played against Serbia in 2010. He scored in the 2010 World Cup, as well as making the all-important goal in the Euro 2012 quarter-final against Greece.
He was captain of the German team at the 2014 World cup, as well as led them to the final. He scored a goal in the semi-final against Turkey. He was also awarded Man of the Match in the 2-1 win over Croatia.
Marquez
During his playing career, Rafa Marquez has had several great moments. He has won a lot of major international tournaments and has been a successful player for both his club and his country. But he has also suffered a lot of criticism.
Rafa Marquez is a Mexican footballer who has played in five World Cups. The first one was held in Japan in 2002. He is one of only three players to have played in five World Cups. His other teammates are Lothar Matthaus and Antonio Carbajal.
Marquez has been a great player, but he has also received criticism from fans and journalists. In addition to his stint in New York, Marquez has also been accused of not being committed to his club and fans. He has also been banned from dealing with American banks and individuals.
Marquez is the only Mexican to have appeared in all five of Mexico’s World Cups. He has also appeared in four Champions League matches. He is also the first Mexican player to have played in the Champions League final.
In 2009, Marquez helped his club FC Barcelona win their second consecutive league title. He also played in the Champions League final against Atlante. He has also played in all of FC Barcelona’s starting XI matches. He has scored twice in 22 matches and once in 23 matches.
During his career, Marquez has made 144 appearances for his country, becoming one of the five most-capped players in Mexican history. He is also a World Cup winner, becoming the first player to win a title at two different European clubs.
Zmuda
During his illustrious career, Wladyslaw Zmuda made over 91 international appearances for Poland and scored a handful of goals in the process. Although he was not the biggest name in World Football, Zmuda was a highly respected player who is considered one of the greatest ever to grace the green and white of Poland.
Zmuda was a key component to Poland’s best-ever finish at the World Cup. In the tournament’s second round, Poland defeated Germany to advance to the next round. He also played an integral role in the nation’s success during the 1973-74 Union of European Football Associations (UEFA) Cup campaign. Zmuda was also a member of Poland’s “Golden Generation” of players. He was also a notable member of the Zmirek-Wilko squad that reached the Olympic finals in 1976.
The best part is that Zmuda made the most of his international opportunities. He played in over two dozen international matches during his career and scored twice in his 91 caps for Poland. During his time with the country, he was the most capped player in Poland’s history. His playing time stretched from the 1970s until the 1990s. He retired from professional football in 1988 after an injury-riddled career.
The most notable occurrence of Zmuda’s illustrious career was his selection in the Poland squad that went to the World Cup in 1982. Zmuda was instrumental in Poland’s runner-up finish in the tournament’s group stage. He also played a part in Poland’s 4-0 drubbing of Brazil in the quarter-finals.
Ronaldo
Despite his failure to lift the trophy with Selecao in Russia, Cristiano Ronaldo has become one of the most successful players in World Cup history. Ronaldo has a total of 117 goals in 191 appearances for Portugal. He also has seven goals in World Cups alone. He is the second-most successful goalscorer in World Cup history after Pele. He will be 37 when the next World Cup takes place in Qatar in 2022.
He was born in Funchal, Madeira, and began playing football at the age of eight. Ronaldo played for the local club Nacional before signing with Sporting CP in 1995. He went on to win the Champions League with Madrid and was the world’s most expensive player at the time. He has since broken numerous records at the club level and is regarded as one of the best football players of all time.
At the international level, Ronaldo has surpassed Ali Daei’s record of 109 strikes in UEFA EURO 2020. He is also the only player to score a hat-trick in World Cups and could double his career goal tally if he plays all of Portugal’s group games.
He was also named in Portugal’s 26-man squad for the World Cup in Qatar. It will be his fourth World Cup appearance. Despite missing the first two games, he will return to the starting XI for Portugal’s last-16 match against the Netherlands.
Ronaldo has been urged to remain in the squad as long as possible. However, it appears that his best days are behind him. He was a major disappointment at the 2006 World Cup in Germany, and he failed to score much of an impact. He also endured a barrage of criticism. He even went on to accuse Manchester United of “betraying” him.
Conclusion
As the World Cup nears its end, we’re starting to see a lot of players called up for their countries’ final matches. With so many matches left and so many goals to be scored, it’s no surprise that some of the top performers are being called into action. Here is a list of the most World Cup appearances by a player, as well as who they are representing in this year’s tournament.
