Best 100 Footballers in the World

When France Stunned Everyone in the 1998 World Cup

France stunningly won the World Cup in 1998 (photo credit: https://talksport.com/football/)

France truly stunned the football world in 1998 when they lifted the World Cup. Before the ultimate prize, their best records in the tournament were at best third and fourth positions – they came in third twice in 1958 and 1986, and fourth in 1982. Even Michel Platini could not help them achieve the peak of international football, although he did lead them to the Euro 1984 triumph.

France then missed the subsequent two World Cups. While the failure to qualify for Italia ’90 was deemed due to the rebuilding efforts of the national team, the reason to miss the 1994 World Cup was far more unacceptable. The French had big names in Eric Cantona, Jean-Pierre Papin, David Ginola and Laurent Blanc; Papin was even the winner of the Ballon d’Or in 1991.

France lost to Bulgaria in their final World Cup qualifying match in 1993 (photo credit: https://www.goal.com/)

Needing just a point in their last two qualifying games, the French shockingly lost both matches in the final minutes, first to Israel (2-3) then followed by a heartbreaking loss against Bulgaria (1-2).

The failure to qualify for two successive World Cups lowered the pundits’ expectations of France, even though they were the hosting nation for the 1998 World Cup. The defending champion Brazil, former finalist Italy and traditional powerhouse Argentina were the bookmakers’ hot favourites, whereas the likes of the Germany, Netherlands and England were the dark horses.

England was knocked out by Argentina in the round of 16 that was made up of spectacular goals and a famous red card (photo credit: https://www.fourfourtwo.com/)

Most of the world’s best footballers were gathered at this largest football tournament in the world. For many aging legends, it might also be their final World Cup. They were either approaching the twilight of their careers, or might not have the chance to participate again. Nevertheless, they gave their best on the field knowing that their legacies would be well cemented in the history.

The legendary players who had their last World Cup in 1998 included the great Bebeto, Dunga (Brazil), Roberto Baggio, Giuseppe Bergomi, Alessandro Costacurta (Italy), Lothar Matthäus, Jürgen Klinsmann, Jürgen Kohler, Thomas Hässler (Germany), Alan Shearer (England), Dennis Bergkamp (Netherlands), Iván Zamorano (Chile), Peter Schmeichel (Denmark), Carlos Valderrama (Colombia), Hristo Stoichkov (Bulgaria), Enzo Scifo (Belgium), Zvonimir Boban (Croatia) and Dragan Stojković (Yugoslavia).

Dennis Bergkamp scored a thrilling late winner against Argentina in the quarter-finals (photo credit: https://thesefootballtimes.co/)

While the legends made their exits, young exciting players emerged. Raul of Spain was only 20 when he made his World Cup debut. Hernán Crespo and Juan Sebastián Verón, aged 22 and 23 respectively, represented the future of Argentine national team, whereas France contributed three future stars – Patrick Vieira, Thierry Henry and David Trezeguet. The trio was not more than 21 years old then. Although he did not play, 20-year-old Gianluigi Buffon had a first taste of the World Cup as a backup goalkeeper for Italy.

The young Henry and Trezeguet helped themselves with three goals against Saudi Arabia in the group match (photo credit: https://greatsofthegame.tumblr.com/)

For France, after their failure to qualify for the USA ’94, Cantona, Papin and Ginola were dropped and a younger bunch of players were called up. France then managed to assemble a strong team of veterans and youngsters, but the real beauty was that the national team was now made up of players of different backgrounds and descents.

These players were bonded together with a common goal to win international glories for their adoptive country. For example, Zidane, Desailly and Lizarazu were of Algerian, Ghanaian and Basque descents respectively. Henry was of Antillean heritage, whereas Thuram was born in Guadeloupe in the French West Indies and Karembeu was from New Caledonia’s Lifou, a French overseas territory in the Pacific Islands.

The unifying success of a multicultural nation in a way altered global football as many other countries started accepting young talented immigrants with the hope of them developing into world class players and turning out for their national teams.

France demonstrated the success of an united multicultural nation (photo credit: https://edition.cnn.com/)

Although underrated, France arguably had the strongest defense among the teams. The back four was made up of the consistent Blanc, Marcel Desailly, Bixente Lizarazu and Lilian Thuram. Fabien Barthez, the French goalkeeper who was deemed eccentric and not tall enough, surprised the critics with his agility and quick reflexes. France’s strict defence proved to be a big factor to their eventual World Cup victory, as they conceded only two goals in open play in the entire tournament.

French captain Didier Deschamps. with over 60 caps, was the most experienced player in the squad along with Blanc. Unspectacular yet composed, Deschamps’ role was to play just in front of the back four and command the team, providing sufficient defensive cover and linking up with the offense. Emmanuel Petit and Christian Karembeu played alongside with him as the defensive midfielders.

The French squad’s starting eleven (photo credit: https://fanpictures.ru/)

If Deschamps was the engine, then Zinedine Zidane was like the orchestra conductor for the team. The elegant playmaker was only 25 then, and was quickly becoming one of the best in the world. Zidane was given all the freedom to showcase his creativity on the biggest stage in football.

The forward position remained as France’s main weakness since Cantona and Papin’s retirements. Christophe Dugarry and Stéphane Guivarc’h were rotated for the sole striker role but neither had convincing goalscoring records for France. Hence, Youri Djorkaeff, Robert Pires and Henry were tasked to drift from winger to forward positions from time to time.

At the group stage, France won all the three games easily. But in the round of 16, they struggled to get past Paraguay who was rallied by their goalkeeping captain José Luis Chilavert to put up a stiff resistance. It had to take a golden goal winner from Blanc, after a goalless draw in the normal time, to disqualify the Paraguayans.

Blanc scored the golden goal winner against Paraguay in the round of 16 (photo credit: https://www.si.com/soccer/)

Next at the quarter-finals, France and Italy battled to another 0-0 stalemate in both normal and extra times. The intense penalty kicks followed, where France came out top with a 4-3 aggregate. The young Henry and Trezeguet stepped up under the extreme pressure and calmly put their penalties into the net.

France met dark horse Croatia in the semi-finals. A Davor Šuker’s goal in the early second half unsettled the French, but an unlikely hero in Thuram scored two goals to rescue France with an amazing 2-1 comeback victory.

The French players celebrated Thuram’s heroics against Croatia in the semi-finals (photo credit: https://www.theguardian.com/football/)

Even as France charged into the World Cup final, they remained heavily as the underdog. Brazil, defending World Cup champion and led by the likes of Ronaldo, Rivaldo and Roberto Carlos, was the hot favourite to retain their trophy. 21-year-old Ronaldo was then a global phenomenon and already had four goals in the tournament.

Then one of the biggest mysteries in football happened in the World Cup final when Ronaldo was reportedly sick just before the game. He was cleared to play anyway, but it was obvious that he was not his former self. Zidane then headed France ahead in the 27th minute, but many fans were still confident that Brazil would win the game.

Ronaldo was clearly not at his best during the final (photo credit: https://www.whoateallthepies.tv/world_cup/)

Zidane scored with another header in the stoppage time of the first half, leaving Brazil with a tall order. After the halftime break, Brazil threw everything forward, introducing two more attackers in Denilson and Edmundo.

Desailly’s red card in the 68th minute gave the Brazilian fans some hope, but Petit put the game beyond doubts with France’s third goal in the final minute. The French had won their first ever World Cup, much to the surprise of the world.

Zidane scored two headers against Brazil in the final (photo credit: https://www.fourfourtwo.com/)

What happened next was that France went on to win the Euro 2000 with a similar team of players, cementing their legacies as the golden generation of French football and elevating France to become one of the world’s football powerhouses.

But in the 2002 World Cup, France, like many before them, fell to the traditional curse for defending champions, and was knocked out in the group stage. They would, however, redeem themselves four years later in 2006 when they narrowly lost to Italy in the final, a game that was better remembered for Zidane’s headbutt and moment of madness.

It would then take more than a decade for France to finally lift their second World Cup trophy in 2018, this time by a new generation of stars in Paul Pogba, Antoine Griezmann, Raphaël Varane and Kylian Mbappé.

28.3.2022

A “Loan”ly Journey – Chelsea’s Lost Wonderkid Lucas Piazon

Sometimes it is not best idea to join a major club at a tender age in football. The game pressure, stiff competition for playing time and trust from the manager and fellow teammates may be the stumbling blocks too much for a young player to bear.

In the late 2000s, a promising Brazilian kid named Lucas Piazon had greatly impressed when he was only 14, scoring numerous goals for São Paulo’s youth team and representing Brazil in the Under-15 matches. His performances attracted the scouts from many major clubs of the Premier League, Serie A and La Liga.

Lucas Piazon was once a bright prospect for Chelsea (photo credit: https://www.espn.com/soccer/)

In 2011, Chelsea managed to fend off other rivals to secure Piazon’s signature at £5 million, which included clauses that could raise to £10 million. The wonderkid had just turned 17. This was a clearly a player in the club’s long term plan, a potential star to make a major impact for Chelsea for many years to come.

For the player himself, it was the best opportunity to develop into a world class player and showcase his talents and skills at one of the world’s top football leagues. Not to mention the big money contracts, fame and legacy that would follow. Capable of playing in the winger, forward and attacking midfielder positions, Piazon could be the next Kaka and the main guy for Chelsea and Brazil.

Piazon never won a senior cap for Brazil (photo credit: https://www.dreamteamfc.com/)

Piazon settled in nicely at Chelsea, helped and looked after by his comrades David Luiz and Ramirez. He played and won the Youth Cup for the club in 2012, and was awarded Chelsea’s Young Player of the Year. An impressive start to his career. When he turned 18, Piazon was able to obtain the work visa, making him eligible to play for the senior team.

In December 2012, Piazon finally made his much anticipated debut in the Premier League. In the loopsided match against Aston Villa, Chelsea had raced to a four-goal lead. With 15 minutes left, Piazon got his chance. He came off the bench and immediately made his presence felt with an assist to Ramirez to score the fifth goal.

By the 90th minute, Chelsea was leading 8-0. Piazon won a penalty and was given the greenlight to open his account for the ninth goal. But alas his shot was saved. Although it did not matter to the foregone scoreline, it seemed to be the turning point of the young player’s footballing fate.

Piazon in a rare appearance for Chelsea (photo credit: https://maisfutebol.iol.pt/)

In the following month, Piazon was loaned out to Malaga. It was entirely normal for clubs to loan out their young players in order to gain experience. But little did Piazon know, this was the beginning of his “loan” journey. For the following nine seasons, Piazon was loaned to seven clubs; some he did well, others were average and forgettable adventures.

Fast forward to 2021, Piazon’s Chelsea resume was anything but impressive. He had only appeared 3 times for Chelsea – once in the league and twice in cup matches – with one assist and zero goals to his name. He earned zero caps for the Brazilian senior squad. In January 2021, Piazon left Chelsea and joined Portuguese outfit Braga. Before his departure, he was ironically Chelsea’s longest serving player, having owned by the English club for a decade.

Piazon was out on loan at seven clubs (Malaga, Vitesse, Frankfurt, Reading, Fulham, Chievo, Rio Ave) in nine seasons.

No one can be sure if Piazon was just an average player to start with, or could not really fulfil his immerse potential, or if Chelsea had crippled his career with the lack of opportunities and absurd loan system. Maybe things would be different if Piazon, and many other similar wonderkids, had started their football careers at the smaller humble clubs with lower expectations and pressure.

31.10.2021

Chelsea and Winston Bogarde – A Curious Case of Misfit

Mismatches sometimes happen in football, even after hours of scouting and careful player analysis. It could be due to undetected injuries, a clash of playing styles, inability to adapt to other tactics, toxic contracts or tensed relationship with other players or the manager. As footballers’ careers are short, in cases of a mismatch, they will usually seek a move away from the club, or have their contracts mutually terminated so the players can move on and resume their careers elsewhere.

However, some footballers may choose to stay on and see out the remaining of their contracts, even at the stake of suffering indignity or having their future prospect and international career jeopardised. One player comes to mind was Winston Bogarde and his ill-fated move to Chelsea.

Bogarde of Ajax battling Juventus’ Gianluca Vialli (photo credit: https://www.ajax.nl/)

Born in 1970, Winston Bogarde began his football career at one of the smaller Dutch clubs. He joined Ajax in 1994 as a 24-year-old winger-turned-defender. The goals he used to score dried up, but Bogarde would develop into a physically strong and powerful player well-known for his defensive skills. At Ajax, he won two league titles and a Champions League trophy, although he did not participate in the final.

Bogarde with his Ajax teammates Patrick Kluivert and Edgar Davids (photo credit: https://www.pinterest.com/pin/104849497551175510/)

In 1997, Bogarde signed for AC Milan, joining his compatriots and former teammates Patrick Kluivert and Edgar Davids. But a chance to show his skills in the Italian Serie A ended almost as soon as it started. The manager Arrigo Sacchi was sacked just after Bogarde joined the club, and new coach Fabio Capello was not particularly interested in players’ overly enthusiastic comments in his team tactics and training setups. The outspoken Bogarde lasted barely a season before AC Milan shipped him off to Barcelona.

At Barcelona, Bogarde demonstrated his worth as he helped the Spanish giant secured two La Liga titles and a Copa del Rey. After two-and-a-half season, Chelsea came knocking on the door. Lured by a large contract offer and a challenge to play in the Premier League, Bogarde signed for Chelsea in 2000. At age 30, his experience and strength should allow him to play at the highest level for another many more years.

Bogarde (back row, second from right) in Barcelona’s team lineup in 1999 (photo credit: http://www.wilkersoncorp.com/)

But the same thing happened again – an abrupt change of managers, arguments on the training ground. Bogarde’s fiery temperament did not help the situation either. Chelsea’s new gaffer Claudio Ranieri could not handle the big guy and soon relegated him to the reserve team. Without even a squad number, Bogarde was ordered to train with the youth club, the ultimate humiliation for a well-established professional player.

With a reported £40,000 weekly salary, the club had to look for ways to cut their loss. But Bogarde never considered the mutual premature termination of his luxurious contract. Not someone who could easily be submitted, he rather swallowed the bitter pill than being forced out of the door. His value plunged greatly, but none of this mattered as it was obvious no other clubs would take him anyway.

Bogarde against Liverpool, one of his few games in Chelsea jersey (photo credit: https://www.ajaxdaily.com/)

So Bogarde bided his time and counted down his remaining days at Chelsea, while maintaining his fitness in the training sessions with the young players. Days and weeks turned into months and years, and finally, in May 2004, his four-year contract ran out. He had won his battle against the club, fulling receiving his paycheck of millions of dollars.

Overall, Bogarde only appeared in nine games in all competitions for Chelsea. Going down as one of Chelsea’s, or even the Premier League’s, worst ever signings, Bogarde probably would not care much about this tainted legacy. After all, it is not difficult to understand that his poor and difficult upbringing had made him cherish money more than anything in life. A year later, without any clubs, Bogarde retired from football and moved on to pursue his other interests.

Bogarde (in Dutch jersey) playing against Zinedine Zidane in Euro 96 (photo credit: https://twitter.com/90sfootball/status/567403083601174530)

There are numerous similar cases in football today. Gareth Bale insisted in staying on with Real Madrid, even though the love between them seemed have faded long ago. Few clubs could afford his huge contract anyway. On the other hand, Brazilian winger William was willing to terminate his big Arsenal contract and forgo tens of millions of dollars in order to continue his passion in football at another club on a much smaller paycheck.

It is certainly difficult to say who’s right or wrong. A contract is, after all, a binding agreement between the clubs and players, and should be respected by both parties.

“Why should I throw fifteen million euro away when it is already mine? At the moment I signed it was in fact my money, my contract. Both sides agreed wholeheartedly. I could go elsewhere to play for less, but you have to understand my history to understand I would never do that. I used to be poor as a kid, did not have anything to spend or something to play with. This world is about money, so when you are offered those millions you take them. Few people will ever earn so many. I am one of the few fortunates who do. I may be one of the worst buys in the history of the Premiership, but I don’t care.” – Winston Bogarde

05.09.2021

Lionel Messi Leaves Behind an Unbeatable Legacy at Barcelona

For almost two decades, the world witnessed the rise of Lionel Messi at Barcelona – from wonderkid to super star to the best player in the world and possibly in football history. It is expected that the Argentine would retire at the Spanish giant as a legendary one-club man, so when the news of Messi leaving the club due to “financial and structural obstacles” was announced in early August 2021, it shocked the entire football world.

With the unimaginable news now cast in concrete, let us look at Messi’s incredible and unbeatable records at Barcelona. After four years developing in the club’s youth academy, Messi officially made his senior debut in 2004, and went on to play a total of 17 seasons and 778 games for Barcelona in all competitions. He scored 672 goals, an amazing average of 0.86 goal per game, and assisted a further 288, which means he was involved in 960 goals, an eye-popping 1.23 goal-per-game ratio. All these stats are Barcelona’s all-time records.

photo credit: https://khelnow.com/football/

During his times at Barcelona, Messi also finished as La Liga’s top scorer seven times (2009/10, 2011/12, 2012/13, 2016/17, 2017/18, 2018/19, 2019/20) and European’s top scorer six times (2008/09, 2009/10, 2010/11, 2011/12, 2014/15, 2018/19). In total, he had 474 league goals, also a record, and 120 European goals, just behind rival Cristiano Ronaldo’s 134. Messi’s 26 goals against Real Madrid in the Clásico was also more than any other players in history.

Messi was also the most decorated player in Barcelona’s history, having won a record total of 35 trophies, including ten La Liga titles, four Champions Leagues, seven Copa del Rey, three World Club Cups, three European Super Cups and eight Spanish Super Cups. His outstanding and consistent performances on the field earned him a record six Ballon d’Or (2009, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2015, 2019).

The last one-club man Barcelona had was Charles Puyol. With the departure of Messi, Sergio Busquets is currently the only veteran that has spent his entire career in the club so far. Spanish football giants – the other being Real Madrid – are not particularly well-known for retaining their legendary players. Previously, the likes of Raúl González, Guti, Iker Casillas, Víctor Valdés, Xavi and Andrés Iniesta all moved on to play for other clubs during the twilights of their illustrious careers.

Where will Messi go next? For now, Paris Saint-Germain and Manchester City seem to be the likely destinations. Within three years, La Liga has lost its best ever players in Messi and Ronaldo. The Clásico may never be the same again, and so is the Spanish league. La Liga will probably need some time to recover its former shine.

photo credit: https://www.modernghana.com/sports/

8.8.2021

Italy Triumphs England in Euro 2020 Final; Argentina Finally Wins Copa America

The two major football tournaments in Euro 2020 and Copa America 2020 were finally concluded last weekend, after being delayed for a year due to the Covid-19 pandemic. The mouth-watering finals of Italy vs England and Brazil vs Argentina kicked off within 24 hours of each other, treating the millions of fans around the globe a delightful taste of exciting football in an otherwise gloomy pandemic period.

Gareth Southgate and his young England team charged into the Euro 2020 final with convincing wins over Germany, Ukraine and Denmark. Their splendid performances had tens of thousands of England fans dreaming of their first international glory since 1966, when the Three Lions lifted the FIFA World Cup. For the UEFA European Football Championship, England has never reached the final until Euro 2020, let alone winning the trophy.

photo credit: https://gotravelblogger.com/

But in the end, it was Italy who triumphed England, after a 1-1 full-time draw that sent the game into a goalless extra time and nail-biting penalties. England missed the last three penalties, handing the prestigious trophy to Italy. It was only the second European Championship Italy has won. They themselves had suffered a long 53-year wait – their previous Euro victory was in 1968.

With the win, Italy is now on a 34 match unbeaten run in all competitions, the second longest unbeaten run in international football after Brazil (1993-1996) and Spain (2007-2009), which were unbeaten for 35 straight games. Manager Roberto Mancini deserves all the credits for bringing Italy from their worst ever FIFA ranking and missing 2018 World Cup to the champion of Europe.

photo credit: https://www.channelnewsasia.com/news/sport/

Young Italy goalkeeper Gianluigi Donnarumma was awarded the Best Player of the Tournament, whereas Cristiano Ronaldo claimed the Golden Boot with five goals to his name. He also became the all-time top scorer in the European Championship history with a total of 14 goals.

At South America, Lionel Messi and his Argentina team finally broke the curse by beating Brazil and winning the Copa America trophy. It was Messi’s fifth attempt in the Copa America tournaments, in which Argentina finished as runner-up three times in 2007, 2015 and 2016. The previous time Argentina claimed Copa America was in 1993, a good 28 years ago.

photo credit: https://www.outlookindia.com/

In what may be his last Copa America outing, 34-year-old Messi was at his very best. He sparkled in the tournament, scoring four goals and assisting a further five. In doing so, Messi became the first player in Copa America history to claim the trophy as well as the awards of being the tournament’s best player, top scorer and the player with most assists.

Emiliano Martinez, with four clean sheets, also became the first Argentine goalkeeper to claim the Golden Glove award.

photo credit: https://www.insidesport.co/

13.07.2021

CR7 Makes History as the First Player to Finish as Top Scorer in England, Spain and Italy

Cristiano Ronaldo did his incredible legacy no harm by becoming the first and only player in football history to claim the top scorer awards in Italy, England and Spain.

The 36-year-old forward has scored 29 league goals in the Italian Serie A this season, five goals ahead of the second-placed Romelu Lukaku, hence winning the Capocannoniere (highest goalscorer of each Serie A season). In his three seasons with Juventus, Ronaldo has claimed 81 league goals in only 97 games.

photo credit: http://en.espn.co.uk/football/

CR7 won his first top scorer prize with Manchester United in the 2007/08 season. That season, he plundered 31 league goals for the Red Devils. His excellent performances won him his first Ballon d’Or, while Manchester United swooped the Premier League and Champions League trophies.

photo credit: https://www.dnaindia.com/sports/

Moving to the Spanish giant Real Madrid in 2009, Ronaldo continued his scoring spree with an amazing three Pichichi (Spanish La Liga top scorer of the season) awards. In his fierce rivalry with Lionel Messi, they competed with each other in goals and trophies. CR7 came up top in the 2010/11, 2013/14 and 2014/15 seasons, with 40, 31 and 48 goals respectively.

Ronaldo left Real Madrid in 2018 as their all-time best goalscorer – an astonishing record of 311 league goals in 292 matches. Other than the domestic leagues, he is also the all-time top scorer for Champions League (134 goals) and Portugal (103 goals).

photo credit: https://www.dailysabah.com/sports/

Besides winning the top scorer awards, Ronaldo also claimed the best player awards in all three leagues. In his legendary resume are the Premier League Player of the Year (2006/07 and 2007/08), La Liga Best Player (2013/14) and Serie A Footballer of the Year (2019 and 2020).

28.05.2021

England’s First XI of One Cap Wonders

Many professional footballers dream of playing and winning glories for their national teams. But not every players can amass as many caps as they wish. It can all depend on the competition, injuries and even luck.

For England, the three players with the most caps were Peter Shilton (125 caps), Wayne Rooney (120) and David Beckham (115). But with every players with a century of caps, there are many more who get to represent their countries a lot fewer times.

Chris Kirkland
(Goalkeeper, 2006)

Chris Kirkland never quite cemented his goalkeeping position at Liverpool due to the stiff competition and injuries. For his international career, he was regularly called up for the England senior squad but remained as an unused substitute until 2006, when he finally made his debut in the second half friendly match against Greece.

photo credit: https://www.footballfancast.com/

However, Kirkland could not gain another cap with David James, Paul Robinson and Robert Green ahead of him in pecking order.

Neil Ruddock
(Centre Back, 1994)

Tough tackling defender Neil Ruddock made his England bow at a relatively late age, at 26. By then, he was an experienced footballer who had played for Millwall, Southampton, Tottenham Hotspur and Liverpool. In 1994, Ruddock played for England in the friendly against Nigeria.

photo credit: https://www.pinterest.co.uk/

It turned out to be his only appearance for England. His fiery attitude and sometimes reckless tackling were not particularly useful in helping him to gain more caps.

David Unsworth
(Centre Back, 1995)

Part of Everton’s FA Cup winning team in 1995, David Unsworth was rewarded for his fine form and versatility – he could play as centre back or left back – with a call up to the England team. His debut came in the 2-1 win against Japan.

photo credit: https://www.evertonfc.com/

Unsworth went on to play for other Premier League teams in West Ham United, Aston Villa, Everton (again) and Portsmouth, but he never played for the England senior team again.

Michael Ball
(Left Back, 2001)

After impressing at Everton, Michael Ball was called up to the England squad in 2001. In the match against Spain, he came on to play after the halftime. But that turned out to be his only appearance for England.

photo credit: https://www.planetfootball.com/

After that season, Ball signed for Rangers for a club record of £6.5 million transfer fee. Despite winning the league title and cup with Rangers in the 2004/05 season, Ball never had the chance to achieve another cap for his country.

Carl Jenkinson
(Right Back, 2012)

Carl Jenkinson was a young promising defender who joined Arsenal in 2011 from Charlton. A year later, at age 20, he made his debut for England by replacing Glen Johnson in the second half of a friendly match against Sweden.

photo credit: https://www.dailymail.co.uk/

Jenkinson was, however, dropped back to the England U21 team and never had the chance to make another appearance for the senior squad again.

Joey Barton
(Centre Midfielder, 2007)

Joey Barton worked his way up from the youth academy to senior team at Manchester City. However, he was known for his violent temperament – he was involved in brawls on the field and assaults of players and fans. His aggressiveness also saw him accumulated a large number of yellow and red cards.

Barton’s impressive displays for Manchester City did earn him an England cap in 2007, when he replaced Frank Lampard in the 1-0 loss to Spain. But his poor reputation prevented him from achieving more caps.

Lee Bowyer
(Centre Midfielder, 2003)

Lee Bowyer was best known for his times at Leeds United but was also well remembered for his many notorious on- and off-field incidents. His best moments came between 1999 and 2001, when Leeds United shone in the UEFA Cup and Champions League, but he also got himself into legal trouble due to an assault case.

After he was cleared by the Football Association, Bowyer finally played for England – his only cap – in a friendly against Portugal.

Steve Guppy
(Left Winger, 1999)

Flying down the left flank and putting in good crosses, many fans had hoped that Leicester City’s Steve Guppy would become England’s Ryan Giggs (or left side’s David Beckham) and solve the national team’s problematic left winger position. But it would never be the case.

photo credit: https://www.theguardian.com/

Guppy could only make his one and only appearance for England in 1999 in a game against Belgium. He did, though, become the only player to have featured in England U21, England semi-pro, England B team and England senior squad.

David Dunn
(Right Winger, 2002)

David Dunn was more of an attacking midfielder than a right winger, but we will put him here as there were not many other choices. Dunn was a fans’ favourite at Blackburn Rovers. In the two stints there, he played more than 300 games and scored 50 goals. Due to his fine form, fans and media had been pushing for his inclusion in the England team, but he did not make it to the national team for the 2002 World Cup.

Dunn did appear in a game for England against Portugal, but it would turn out to be his one and only cap.

Francis Jeffers
(Forward, 2003)

Francis Jeffers was dubbed as a wonderkid and a “fox in the box” due to his acute goalscoring instinct inside the penalty area. He became one of the most expensive teenagers in football when he signed for Arsenal from Everton for £8 million in 2001.

A former top scorer for England U21, Jeffers made his debut and scored for England in a friendly against Australia in 2003. Despite promising so much, he would be only remembered as one of the few players with a one-cap-one-goal record.

Chris Sutton
(Forward, 1997)

Chris Sutton was a typical English forward, tall and physically strong. In his career, he was a prolific goalscorer for Norwich, Blackburn and Celtic. After displaying good form for Blackburn Rovers in 1997, he was called up for the England squad and made his debut against Cameroon.

photo credit: https://www.mediastorehouse.com/

However, with many good English strikers in the team, Sutton’s chances were limited and he was never selected again after falling out with the national team manager Glen Hoddle for refusing to play for the England B team.

Other notable footballers with single England caps were Ryan Shawcross (Centre Back, 2012), Seth Johnson (Defensive Midfielder, 2000), Lee Hendrie (Centre Midfielder, 1998), Alan Thompson (Centre Midfielder, 2004), David Nugent (Forward, 2007) and Kevin Davis (Forward, 2010).

Note: This article does not attempt to mock the players in any way. It is nevertheless an honour to play for the country, regardless of the number of caps.

27.04.2021

The Day When a Stranger Became “Part” of Manchester United Team

It was 18 April 2001. Manchester United was about to kick off an away match at Bayern Munich in the knockout stage of the Champions League. After the handshaking routine between both teams, the Manchester United players – made up of Fabien Barthez (goalkeeper), Gary Neville, Jaap Stam, Wes Brown, Mikaël Silvestre (defenders), Roy Keane, Nicky Butt, Paul Scholes, Ryan Giggs (midfielders), Andy Cole and Dwight Yorke (forwards) – posed for the team lineup photos.

It was at this time that a stranger joined in the Manchester United’s lineup, standing proudly – chest out stomach in – in the same away jersey together with the rest of the players. Poor Andy Cole, looking confused, had to slightly give way to the “extra” player, while team captain Roy Keane, standing at the other side of the lineup, spotted the abnormality and stared fiercely at him. But with the flashes of the cameras, the odd 12-player lineup photos were taken and instantly became a classic.

The intruder was later found to be a guy called Karl Power, a notorious prankster in UK. It was said that he disguised as a TV crew to gain access to the football pitch, before performing his outrageous yet funny stunt. After the photo-taking, he simply walked off to the stands. The entire stunt was less than one minute.

photo credit: https://ronaldo.com/football-news/

Karl Power after that went to perform similar stunts at an England national cricket team match, the British Grand Prix and Wimbledon. In 2003, he again dressed in a Manchester United jersey and sneaked onto the pitch in a Premier League match against Liverpool, re-enacting a goal scored previously by Diego Forlan. This time, he was banned for life by the Red Devils.

15.01.2021

Adiós Diego! Maradona’s Unforgettable Moments

Diego Maradona passed away on 25 November 2020 at an age of 60. He was arguably the greatest footballer ever to grace the sport. Blessed with exquisite dribbling skills, incredible vision on the field and an eye for goals, Maradona was a genius who could change the tempo of the games and singlehandedly carry his team to victories.

With his demise, let us recap the legend’s most unforgettable moments in football.

Goal of The Century

In the 1986 World Cup, Maradona scored one of the greatest and most memorable goals the world had ever seen. It was the intense quarter-finals, with England as the tough opponent.

In the 55th minute, Maradona received the ball from teammate Héctor Enrique in Argentina’s own half. In 10 seconds, covering a distance of 55m, Maradona sprinted and dribbled past four English players (Peter Reid, Peter Beardsley, Terry Butcher (twice) and Terry Fenwick), before slotting the ball calmly past England goalkeeper Peter Shilton. The extraordinary goal had all the fans and commentators erupted into wild ecstasy.

The Hand of God

Before the Goal of The Century, Maradona scored a much controversial goal that gave Argentina a 1-0 lead. In the 51st minute, the ball was played into England’s penalty box, and Maradona was the first to charge in, leaping high to head the goal. Peter Shilton rushed out in an attempt to punch the ball to safety. At that instant, Maradona’s raised fist, close to his head, hit the ball into the net. He immediately celebrated wildly with his teammates.

Both the referee and linesman awarded the goal, much to the fury of the English players. Till this day, many English fans still condemn this illegitimate goal by Maradona.

World Cup Triumph

photo credit: https://www.diretta-napoli.com/

The 25-year-old Maradona was simply the best player in the world when he captained Argentina to lift the 1986 World Cup triumph. Beating Uruguay, England, Belgium and West Germany along the way, he scored five goals as assisted a further five goals. Along with the World Cup trophy, Maradona also deservingly won the Golden Ball award as the best player in the tournament.

Maradona would captain Argentina again in the 1990 World Cup. Once again, he led the team to the final but this time, they were defeated by West Germany.

Maradona vs six Belgian players

photo credit: https://www.the42.ie/diego-maradona-picture-938745-Jun2014/

This was a classic photo demonstrating the greatness of Maradona, although the truth was that the photo was taken shortly after a Argentine freekick, and the six Belgian players were part of the wall formed to defend the freekick. This took place in the first group game of the 1982 World Cup, and Belgium actually won 1-0.

But Maradona would have the last laugh when he scored two goals to knock Belgium out in the 1986 World Cup semi-finals.

Napoli, Scudetto and UEFA Cup

After two troubled seasons at Barcelona, Maradona moved to Napoli for a world transfer fee record of £6.9 million. It was at the Neapolitan club that he played the best club football and enjoyed the peak of his career. In the 1986/87 and 89/90 seasons, Maradona led Napoli to their first two – and till date, the only two – Scudetto in club history. In between these two titles, Napoli also finished as runner-ups in the league. In 1988/89, Napoli added their one and only European title – the UEFA Cup – to their trophy cabinet.

Although Maradona left the club in 1992 in a turbulent manner due to drug abuse and personal issues, Napoli nevertheless honoured their club legend by retiring the number 10 jersey.

27.11.2020

Football’s Golden Boys.. Past and Present

Without any surprises, Dortmund’s young Norwegian striker Erling Haaland has won the 2020 Golden Boy award. The lanky forward with an appetite for goals has been in irresistible form in the past two seasons for both Red Bull Saizburg and Borussia Dortmund, scoring almost a goal per game.

The Golden Boy award is a recognition awarded to the most impressive under-21 footballer of the calendar year, which is made up of two halves of two consecutive seasons. One of the prerequisites is that the youngster must be playing in the top tier leagues of any European nations. The award started in 2003, and the player nominations have been participated by various established sport journalists.

Some glaring players who have missed out the Golden Boy awards are Cristiano Ronaldo, Neymar and Eden Hazard, who themselves began as highly rated wonderkids at the start of their careers. On the other hand, not all the golden boys will turn into great players. A number of them simply did not live up to their potentials or expectations.

2003 – Rafael van der Vaart (Ajax)

The gifted Dutch midfielder was the first ever Golden Boy. He rose to prominence during his times at Ajax, before going on to play in Germany, Spain, England and Denmark. Retired in 2018, Rafael van der Vaart has also gained more than 100 caps for the Netherlands.

2004 – Wayne Rooney (Everton/Manchester United)

Burst into the football scene as England’s highest profiled wonderkid in the early 2000s, Wayne Rooney was transferred from Everton to Manchester United in 2004, and the rest is history. He went on to become the all-time top scorer for the Red Devils and England.

2005 – Lionel Messi (Barcelona)

Lionel Messi debuted for Barcelona in 2004, and the world was about to witness the spectacular transformation of a wonderkid to a superstar. 16 years later, there is little doubt that the Argentine has firmly cemented his legacy in football history.

2006 – Cesc Fàbregas (Arsenal)

After joining Arsenal in 2003, Cesc Fàbregas established himself as the starting midfielder and creator for the team at the age of 19. The Spaniard has a glaring football career, winning league titles with Barcelona and Chelsea, and also the World Cup and European Championships with Spain.

2007 – Sergio Agüero (Atlético Madrid)

Sergio Agüero moved from his native Argentina to Atlético Madrid in 2006 and quickly became one of the best young strikers in the world. After playing for Manchester City for nine seasons, the Argentine had his name printed in the record books by becoming the club’s all-time goal scorer.

2008 – Anderson (Manchester United)

Anderson was a highly-rated youngster signed by Manchester United in 2007. The Brazilian midfielder won multiple league titles and a Champions League with the club, but his performances were never convincing enough to win him credits. Anderson retired from football in 2019.

2009 – Alexandre Pato (AC Milan)

A young Alexandre Pato shone for AC Milan in the late 2000s. But he faded away in the later part of his career due to injuries and a lack of self discipline. After which Pato went on to become a journeyman in football, playing in England, Spain, China and his native Brazil.

2010 – Mario Balotelli (Inter Milan/Manchester City)

An undoubted talent, Mario Balotelli would have achieved more if not for his attitude and disciplinary records. The free scoring Italian striker had several bust ups with his managers, and his reputation and demands meant that he could not stay at any club for too long.

2011 – Mario Götze (Dortmund)

Dortmund’s Mario Götze burst into football scene as a wonderkid. At age 22, he had the world at his feet, winning the World Cup with Germany. But his career seemed to decline since then. After spells at Bayern Munich and Dortmund, Götze looks to rebuild his career at PSV.

2012 – Isco (Málaga)

Talented playmaker Isco shone at Málaga and was soon snapped up by Real Madrid. A successful seven seasons with the Spanish giant saw him win 16 major trophies, but the 28-year-old’s recent years have been plagued by a loss of form, which may derail his career in Spain.

2013 – Paul Pogba (Juventus)

At Juventus, Paul Pogba rose to become one of the world’s best young players. Manchester United signed him back in 2016, breaking the world transfer record at £89 million. The dominant midfielder went on to win the World Cup with France two years later.

2014 – Raheem Sterling (Liverpool)

Liverpool’s Raheem Sterling was one of the most exciting youngsters in England. In 2015, after a contract dispute, Manchester City seized the chance and bought him for almost £50 million. The flying winger has since repaid the faith by helping the club to win two Premier League titles.

2015 – Anthony Martial (Monaco/Manchester United)

Young French forward Anthony Martial was snapped up by Manchester United in 2015 for £36 million. It was then the record fee for a teenager. Martial did not disappoint by scoring a respectable 51 goals in 150 league games; a return of one goal per three matches.

2016 – Renato Sanches (Benfica/Bayern Munich)

Renato Sanches caught the world’s attention after his impressive performances at Benfica. Bayern Munich signed him in 2016, but Sanches struggled to make it to the first team due to Bayern’s stacked midfield. In 2019, Sanches decided to leave to relaunch his career with Lille.

2017 – Kylian Mbappé (Monaco/Paris Saint-Germain)

Kylian Mbappé is certainly the biggest football story in recent years. The explosive French forward has won multiple league titles and the prestigious World Cup, all before turning 21. The prized Ballon d’Or shall be within reach if he keeps up his impressive goalscoring form.

2018 – Matthijs de Ligt (Ajax)

Matthijs de Ligt emerged as a young outstanding centre back at Ajax. He was the first defenders to win the Golden Boy award. After signing for Juventus in 2019, the 21-year-old de Ligt is expected to become one of the best defenders in the world.

2019 – João Félix (Benfica/Atlético Madrid)

João Félix is already having a impressive career with Atlético Madrid and Portugal. When he was at Benfica, he was the youngest player to score a hattrick in a Europa League match. For Portugal, Félix is expected to fill the boots of Cristiano Ronaldo in the future.

26.11.2020