The thing is, Yashin was an ice hockey goaltender until he suffered a facial injury in his late teens, and decided to concentrate on Football. He still would occasionally play goaltender in pickup games with friends, and it is interesting to speculate on how much of his hockey experience shaped his football career Edit:- Do you fancy a look at Paco Gento and/or Jef Jurion? Two of the most interesting players of their time, and (especially so in the case of Jurion!) a bit unjustly forgotten today.

I'm still shocked that Netherlands have never won the world cup at least once with all the great teams they've had

damn, remember when Messi used to be mocked for not having an international trophy? good times.

I think Rummenigge and van Basten deserve honorable mentions

Didn’t realise before that Puskas and Yashin legitimately look like twins

Great video as usual. Quick disclaimer, Puskas actually played in two World Cups; 1954 with Hungary and 1962 with Spain. He switched his international allegiance after he emigrated there following the 1956 Revolution. Admittedly he was 35 and just past his peak, but it either says a lot about how good he was (or how poor the Spain team was) that he could still walk into the XI at his age.

Eric Cantona, Roberto Baggio, Pavel Nedved, John Barnes , Hiristo Stoichkov , Andrei Shevchenko , Peter Schmeichel , Brian Laudrup , henrik Larssen , Paul Gascoigne, Marco Van Basten - some of my favourites who have never won the WC.

Well done, a worthy list! Afaik Puskás was nationalised by Spain, like di Stefano, and actually played at the 1962 WC, the one you mentioned that di Stefano couldn’t participate in.

Cruyff was a joy to watch and played with a team that were also a team that were so exciting to watch.

Thank God Messi has avoided ending up on this list.

Re. Yashin: Growing up in Leeds in the 80's, 20 years after he retired, whenever we were playing football in the park, the keeper could shout "Russian Goalie" and that meant they were allowed to play out and only come back to their area when they were needed. That is his true legacy.

A great list. I feel lucky that I have managed to see a few of these players live: in chronological order: Distefano and Puskas with Real Madrid, Zico and Platini. (have also seen Pele and Maradona). All of them in friendly/exhibition matches though, but still.

On a similar note, could you do one about the greatest players never to play at the World Cup at all? A full XI would be interesting, I can think of several forwards and midfielders who fit the bill but no defenders.

You should do 7 best players who never won the champions league next

I would include Modric on the honorable mentions list

Not having Modric on this list or even on the honorable mentions is CRAZY.

The next generation will claim its “greatest footballer of all time”. Zico had some amazing speed and foot power, gracefully moving past opponents. Platini was a true artist, every game a tour de force. There was never a more prolific and consistent goal scorer than Puskas, his team made football look like child’s play.

When I was a 16 year old kid during the 82 world cup . me and my mates here in England were blown away by Zico .

F.Y.I. Di Stefano has won an international tournament with Argentina the South American Championship (Now Known as Copa America) in 1947.

7 successful signings made on the back of an impressive World Cup

Please do - best XI who never played in the world cup

Also for what must be the millionth time I'm asking you to make a top 7 playmakers of all time list. As it's one of the few general all time bases you haven't covered.

I appreciate you opinion and you explanation of this list alfie.

awww i really thought Baggio was gonna be mentioned, oh well the seven you said were very good as well so i cant really complain

Not even mentioning Roberto Baggio???? The Man Who Died Standing.

Brilliant video 🎉 Insane to think about the netherlands and how they even with Cruyff could not win one final. I somehow feel like he didn’t take it too hard though😅 P.S all though the source material might be a bit scattered “the rise, fall and rise again for KÍ-Klaksvíkar Ítrottafelag” in the Faroe islands and the increasing number of wins/points in european matches for multiple teams in the division,over the past decade, could be an interesting video. Merry christmas🎉

Zico was unlucky to share a decade with Maradona and a country with Pele and Garrincha, otherwise he may be talked about way more

DeStefano, Puskas, Eusebio, George Best, Cryuff, Platini, Zico, Van Baasten, Güllit, Baggio, Maldini, Laudrup, Robben, George Weah, Cristiano Ronaldo, Casemiro, Modric, Debruyne, Neymar, Marcelo, Dani Alves, Zlatan. You can add Salah and Haaland in the list in few years.

I didnt forget his tears in euro 2004 final😭😭😭

Great Video. I miss Roberto Baggio though…

If Cruyff played in 78, I have no doubt we would have won

Nice list. I'd also add: - Steve Bloomer - Leonidas da Silva - Josef Bican - Zizinho

West Germany prevented so many greats from possibly lifting a World Cup.

Glad that you put Di Stefano on top who's the most complete footballer being a CF/SS on paper only as he dropped as deep as the DM position and started the play while also scoring loads of goals. His RMCF goalscoring record stood for more than 50 years

I am pretty sure Zico has Paulo Rossi shaped nightmares to this day.

As a German I’m biased, but emitting Uwe Seeler from the list is a crime. He should arguably be in the top 7 instead of Zico. But not even an honorable mention is incomprehensible

Loved this video Alfie, pretty much a re-affirmation of your prior greatest of all times list, and can't say I disagree.

Maldini didn't even win any Euro considering the talents he played with. Wish he was included in 2006 team even without playing time he'd have at least a medal, like R9 in 1994.

How about 7 greatest footballers never to feature in the WC, there are some good exemples such as Weah sr. Yossi Benayoun Frederic Kanoute And im sure there are much more

The best country never to win was the netherlands, they've had several superteams, imagine facing an attack of Frank Rijkaard, Marco van Basten, and Ruud Gullit for example.

One common denominator in Puskas (54), Yashin (66), Cruyff (74), Platini (82+86) and up to last week Messi (2014) not winning the World Cup. The Germans.

My first guess was Eusebio, and I still think he should have made the list. Though I can't think of who I'd drop from this very fine 7.

the image of wayne rooney gave me an idea. 7 great strikers who severely underachieved at the world cup

Excellent video as always Alfie. Fun fact about Puskas; he was also an excellent coach. He even went to Australia in the late 1980s-early 1990s to coach National Soccer League powerhouse South Melbourne. IIRC he won the league & the cup competitions with SMFC, and two Dockerty Cups (a cup competition open only to teams based in the State of Victoria). One of the players in that South Melbourne squad was Socceroo star Ange Postecoglou, who rates Puskas as his biggest playing AND coaching influence. P.S. Any chance of doing a video about the recent debacle at the Melbourne Victory vs Melbourne City derby? For those who missed it, that A-League match had to be called off in the first half because of morons from a Victory supporters group throwing missiles (one of which, a metal bucket, struck the City goalie in the head, leaving him with a deep gash in his face) & invading the pitch. I'm actually a Victory fan myself, and to say these criminal filth are an embarrassment to the club AND the game, is a massive understatement... :/

Technically Cristiano hasn't officially retired, so who knows. But it's probably very unlikely with him being at the 2026 WC

If this was a 22 man squad, then Eusebio would have been in it for sure

Best player each decade from the 1870s to the 2010s

Ruud Guilet could sweeper, winger , front man at a top level. To me Pele and Maradona are top 2 . Maldini best defender of all time I think.

Denis Law, Bobby Charlton and George Best were all winners of the Ballon d'Or all playing for the same team. Extraordinary !

Pretty much every Dutch player to ever exist. Cruyff, Robben, Van Basten, Gullit, etc.

Roberto baggio?

I suggest a Best XI current and a Best XI all-time players whose countries never qualified for the FIFA World Cup.

Video idea : what the hell happened to South African football after the 2010 world cup. Can't even qualify for the African Cup of nations now, and the head of our FA who was found guilty of bribing fifa for the 2010 tournament is still in charge...

Best German players in the premier league of all time. (Day 433) I will not give up until the video is made or Alfie himself tells me to stop. Everyone else telling me that will be ignored. If you don't believe my number, just go back to the previous videos. I'm at the bottom most of the time, but I'm there.

Could you do a list of the 7 greatest players to never play in the world cup.

Ronaldo has been a first Class professional for over 22 years that has won everything in the game accept the World Cup! Bring him back to Man Utd to be a player/assistant Manager to Ole or Outsider like Zidane cos we gladly have him back at our club!

Glad to see this list was finally updated for Messi to no longer be on the list

CR7, Cruyff, Di Stefano, Eusabio, Platini, Yashin, Puskas

@HITC Sevens how long does it take to make these videoes? I am sure the amount of research you have done goes to great length.

Ferenc Puskas. What a legend.

7 greatest players who never played in the World Cup would be interesting. George Best, for sure. In this generation it’s no longer Bale, maybe Jan Oblak?

I agree with all of those picks and the 7 honourable mentions. The only thing I disagree with is Maradona fighting for the bronze. He was more skilled than Pele and Messi; no one has ever had Maradona's skills. He could do with a golf ball which most premier league players today couldn't do with a football.

You should do one for the worst players to have won the world cup

Great video. As always you have a great knowledge, and you are by far my favorite football historian on KZfaq. But I have one problem... To answer the "Is it necessary to win the World Cup to be considered the greatest of al time" question... Some people are saying that a player should win the WC to be considered GOAT, while you are taking the complete opposite direction by saying that he could have been from Albania. The truth should be somewhere in the middle. The most fair solution would be to suggest that to be considered the GOAT you should at least equal you own countries best result. Let me give some examples. - Are you from teams like Germany, France, Argentina and Brazil which have won the World Cup before, THEN YES! You have to win the WC to be the single greatest player ever. - Are you from Netherlands or Portugal it will probably be enough to win silver or bronze "to pass the World Cup test". Had George Best had a greater longivity and passed through to the quarterfinals in a World Cup, it should have been enough to make him a GOAT-contender too. - But lets take a modern example. A lot of people are expecting a Haaland vs Mbappe era for the next decade. But Haaland are from Norway and will never have a realistic chance to win the World Cup. Thats right!! But that doesn't mean that he doesn't have to do anything at the WC at all. Mbappé has won the WC and equalled Frances best result. Norways best result was Round of 16 in 1998. So For Haaland to equal Mbappés WC win, Haaland at least has to get Norway to another round of 16. That said, they will both have to win a lot of Champions Leagues titles and a lot of ballon d'ors and dominated an football era too, to even be included in the GOAT-debate. If not, then this "have they done enough at the world cup to be possible GOAT-contenders" talk are not even relevant. - And what if a player is from Sierra Leone? Or Luxembourg? Then they will probably have to qualify for a continental championship or at least make it to the play-off qualifying round for a big tournament AND win a lot of ballon dors and Champions League titles. The World Cup achievements is a fine parametre to judge the greatest of all time, but it has to be done in relative terms, and to even be included to this debate a player must have been dominant force in football for many years and won a lot of titles individually and at club level.

The Platini x Zidane comparison is quite interesting. Honestly can't put one over the other. Happy Holidays! 🎄

It’s so weird that Messi will not be in these lists anymore

With the greatest respect to Ronaldo, I think Cruyff is the greatest to never win it.

1960 European Cup Final Eintracht Frankfurt vs. Real Madrid: 3-7. Puskás and Di Stefano were two of only three players to have scored a hat-trick in a European Cup final, with Puskás being the only one to ever score four goals. Enough said….. 0:05 0:05 The other was Pierino Prati for Milan in their 4-1 victory over Ajax in 1969.

Who cares about winning World Cup Cryuff achieved more then Pele everything Barcelona have today is thanks to him that blueprint will stay forever TRUE LEGEND

12:12 minutes: Ronaldo hasn't been regressing for the last 18 months. He's had a bad last 6 months, but his first season back at United was pretty good.

Still hoping for that Austrian Wunderteam video at some point after the greatest pre-war player was mentioned in this one 😊.

We need a video ranking every team that should have won a trophy eg Tottenham under Pochettino , Belgium under Martinez

Interesting thought based on the start of this video. If Messi was born in say Albania, would you get Albanian players who are like Julian Alvarez, who were inspired by Messi and wanted to be like him. Because there was a picture of kid Alvarez posing with a younger Messi. So I wonder if in this hypothetical situation, that would happen but in Albania and make that national team better.

If Messi was born in Albania, he could have represented Spain instead

The way your talking about Ronaldo in this is crazy

Would you do a video on colin bell or bert trautmann

You really hate Ronaldo

Puskas is extremely underrated, for me the third best player in history after Messi and Pele

I was hanging in there for the Neil Franklin reveal. Sad now.

Zico was head coach of fc goa in isl

I think you need another list, this time of players who also never won the Euros or Equivalent... I do think Ronaldo winning that is very close to winning the World Cup for example.

Puskas should be higher than 4th imo, criminally underrated player with insane longevity.

Are you going to do "what's happening in Australia "?

Ronaldo has 118 international goals which is most of anyone has done for their men's football/soccer national team.

As a Messi fan the fact that Ronaldo isn’t number 1 is crazy who is de stefano

Can’t believe that 3 times Ballon d’OR winner Marco van Basten didn’t make the cut or the honorable mentions.

Ranking every PFA Players' Player of the Year winner on playing ability.

So what when they have never won the FIFA World Cup trophies,they have been the all time greatest respective players to have ever pioneered this sport with the number of respective accolades which they have won in their entire respective careers,good friends!!!:-D

Maldini is the best player to never win the world cup, just based off the fact alone that i assumed he won a world cup in 2006.

DAY 64: Hey Alfie, could you do a video on the life, career, controversies and tragedy of Justin Fashanu. It'd be your best video yet and it's a criminally underheard story. ❤️

Alfie taking after irish guy after seeing how well his departure went 🤣

Ronaldo should have been a no.1 on this list

Interesting vid but Heskey is a notable omission from this list.

Congratulations to Argentina for winning the 2022 World Cup. Now, the citizens of Argentina are smiling. Lionel Messi brought Argentina to the championship because of the factor of bringing in the name Diego Maradona.

Please do a video on Larbi Benbarek

what about zlatan? just asking.

No way you just put Ronaldo in second 💀

Wtf how can you put Maldini as an honorable mention?! He should be 2nd in the fkn list dude, he was better than everyone there except CR7

I'm ur 100th like

I would have put Baggio ahead of Zico.