Best players never to have won a world cup...

[Zola]

Me

 

[Soulo]

I'm shocked non of you have mentioned Nicklas Bendtner

 

[ther1ng]

Cristiano Ronaldo, yeah he's not retired yet but let's face it, he's never going to win it. Portugal are pretty sh*te.

Pavel Nedved is another, he also never won a Champions League.

yeah.. indeed and he lost a huge opportunity to win an Euro Cup in 2004

 

[Spudulike]

Not sure it falls in to the category but Jimmy Greaves of course didnt play the final in 66.

My Dad says (fwiw ) that Greaves is hands down the best player he ever saw. I wish I'd seen him play. Good call Andy.

 

[RichardCFC]

Surprised no-one has mentioned Makelele. One of the best to never have won one for me. Not part of the 1998 squad.

 

[Arq]

Ballack, dragged one of the weakest German sides in history to the 2002 final, scoring the only goals in their QF/SF games, only to get suspended and his team to get trounced by Ronny, Dinho, Romario & co in the final without him. Then getting knocked out in 2006 in the semi vs Italy with goals in the 118th/120th minute.

This still hurts. Not only for Ballack, but for others like Lehmann, Frings, etc.

Thanks for bringing up the pain. 

 

[andy]

My Dad says (fwiw ) that Greaves is hands down the best player he ever saw. I wish I'd seen him play. Good call Andy.

My Grandad said the same.... Didn't miss a home match from early 1920's to mid 1980's when he past away, he loved Jimmy.

I have always thought that Jimmy must have been amazing as Grandad rarely remembered players at all, as he never kept memorbilia or programs and of course there was no tele when he started going and very little football on TV during his lifetime so he didnt have the access to media opinion and data.

 

[Boyne]

My Grandad said the same.... Didn't miss a home match from early 1920's to mid 1980's when he past away, he loved Jimmy.

I have always thought that Jimmy must have been amazing as Grandad rarely remembered players at all, as he never kept memorbilia or programs and of course there was no tele when he started going and very little football on TV during his lifetime so he didnt have the access to media opinion and data.

Read the other day that Greaves has sold his World Cup medal for £50,000. Although he and the others who didn't play in the final weren't awarded medals at the time there was a campaign many years latet for them to receive them. Finally received the medals in 2009. Awarding medals retrospectively applies to players from other countries from 1930 to 1974 when FIFA changed the rules. Didn't know that Alf Ramsey didn't receive a medal in 1966.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/8093891.stm

 

[Zola]

Easy 50k

 

[Spudulike]

Greaves - 57 appearances for England. 44 goals. Puts the Rooney scoring stat for England in perspective

 

[Boyne]

Greaves - 57 appearances for England. 44 goals. Puts the Rooney scoring stat for England in perspective

Indeed, a brilliant record. As was his record at club level. Possibly only Lineker and Fowler have come close to him as England strikers?

 

[Spudulike]

Indeed, a brilliant record. As was his record at club level. Possibly only Lineker and Fowler have come close to him as England strikers?

Agreed. I'll check their stats later. Shearer's stats must be good plus Owen's, if compared to the games he played.

I don't want to slate Rooney but, sadly, England haven't achieved much while he's been in the team and we're getting worse...

 

[Spudulike]

Wiki says:

Owen - 40 goals in 89 appearances (26 competitive goals);

Fowler - (I was well out here) 7 goals in 26 Intl. appearances;

Shearer - 30 goals in 63 appearances;

If only one of the above (even Robbie) was available for England now.

 

[ForeverCarefree]

Wiki says:

Owen - 40 goals in 89 appearances (26 competitive goals);

Fowler - (I was well out here) 7 goals in 26 Intl. appearances;

Shearer - 30 goals in 63 appearances;

If only one of the above (even Robbie) was available for England now.

Peter Crouch 22 goals in 42 appearances.... Prolific. 

 

[erskblue]

Jimmy Greaves. Puskas, Platini, George Best, Zico, Socrates, Platini, Cruyff,

Ruud Krol Dennis Bergkamp, Ruud Guillit, Marco van Basten, 

Lubanski of Poland was some player in the late 60s/mid 70s.

Our very own Zola

And Messi so far

 

[Teritus]

My Dad says (fwiw ) that Greaves is hands down the best player he ever saw. I wish I'd seen him play. Good call Andy.

Mine also says that it was Milos Milutinovic but a pinch of salt and all that Spud!

Though Greaves must have been exceptional based on all that I've heard, etc.

 

[erskblue]

I'll add Roberto Bettega, who missed Italy's 1982 World Cup win through an injury he received when playing for Juventus before the tournament.

 

[erskblue]

John Charles who played for Juventus and Wales and who became a legend over there.

My old man would also say Tom Finney and Sir Stanley Matthews too.

 

[Zola]

George Best

 

[PloKoon13]

Peter Crouch is still the closest thing England has to Ibrahimovic... which says more about English football than it does about Crouch I suppose.