World cup Legends

WORLD CUP LEGENDS
RIVALDO
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Think of
Rivaldo, and you
immediately conjure up
images of his bending
free kicks, tricky
feints and intricate
dribbling. You may also
think about that match against Turkey
in 2002 when the ball hit his arm and
he fell to the loor clutching his face –
earning opponent Hakan Ünsal a red
card. Cheating aside, there is no doubting
Rivaldo’s skill, and it ultimately helped
earn him and his Brazil team a World Cup
victory that year.
MARIO ZAGALLO
27
Winning the World
Cup twice as a player
(in 1958 and 1962) is always
a triumph, but doing so
twice as a manager and
assistant manager is
something else. To that end, left-winger
Zagallo is about as ingrained in Brazil’s
success over the years as anyone could be,
and he deserves the accolades he receives,
even though some said he was fortunate
to be playing. On the pitch, he was wellknown
for his runs from deep and his
versatility. He also displayed tenacity and a
never-say-die spirit. Favouring tireless hard
work as well as style, he scored in that 1958
5-2 defeat of Sweden.
JOHAN
NEESKENS
28
The Dutchman was a fantastic
tackler and a dead ball specialist.
He took part in two World Cup campaigns,
with the Netherlands cruelly losing out in
the inals of both 1974 and 1978.
Hurst made his name
with a hat-trick in the
1966 World Cup inal
against West Germany
GEOFF HURST
Hurst had only debuted for England against West Germany on 23 February 1966 –
29 just months before the World Cup began – and he only gained a place in England’s
starting World Cup line-up in the quarter-inal against Argentina after Jimmy Greaves
became injured. He scored in that game and went on to set up a goal for Bobby Charlton in the
semis, and impressed manager Alf Ramsey so much that he was given a place in the inal. Hurst
repaid the faith by cancelling out Helmut Haller’s opening goal, but the game ultimately went
into extra time. Hurst struck twice more to win the day.
MARIO KEMPES
30
Argentina’s explosive attacker scored two
against the Netherlands in the 1978 World Cup
inal, which not only eased them to victory, but saw
him end the tournament as both the top goalscorer
(with six) and the best player. Those who watched him
play would agree that his shot was devastating, and his
calmness under pressure most noticeable. Yet he was
also far from unassuming, playing with panache and
becoming instantly noticeable for his personal style as
well as his fast, on-pitch touches. For Argentinians he
was a national hero, although the country crashed out
in the second round of 1982 – a tournament that saw the
introduction of Diego Maradona.
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