Perhaps you’re going to your first ever soccer game, or dating a soccer fanatic; either way, you want to know as much as possible about the game and famous soccer players so you appear knowledgeable on the subject.
Soccer is a game that is universal; in fact, the final tournament has been given the name “World Cup”. The Federation Internationale de Football Association (FIFA) is the governing body of the sport of soccer, with countries eligible to vie for the World Cup registered within the organization. FIFA is second only to the United Nations in membership size. Officially, there are 208 countries registered with FIFA, enabling them with the opportunity to be selected to play in the World Cup. Several other countries, although not registered with FIFA, regularly play the game of soccer.
The game itself is an easy one to understand. The teams involved in a match generally number around 16, although a minimum of 7 players and a maximum of 11 can be on the field at a time. Five named substitutes can be waiting on the sidelines in most cases.
The positions are:
▪Goalie (1)
▪Defenders/Fullbacks (2-3)
▪Midfielders (2, 3 or 4)
▪Forwards (1, 2 or 3)
▪Sweeper (possibly 1)
▪Stopper (possibly 1)
All of the players, with the exception of the goalie, have the freedom to move around the entire field. Their positions are relative, however, whether playing defense or offense. The objective of soccer is to gain more goals than the other team; a goal obtained by kicking the ball into the goal net of the opposing team.
Children begin playing soccer at an early age, and advance through the sport as they grow. Players on profession teams have generally been playing the sport for many years, honing their skills and building their reputation in their position.
All of the players chosen for professional teams excel in the sport, and have gleaned experience through years of playing and competing. However, there are some that truly outshine all other players, standing out as exceptional and earning them the distinction of being some of the most famous soccer players in the sport. The following list details 15 of some of the biggest names in soccer history.
Pele is indisputably considered to be the greatest soccer player of all time. While he has long since retired from actively playing the game, Pele made an early impact on the sport when he entered the international soccer scene in 1956 at the young age of 16. So talented was the young man that his teammates persuaded the coaching staff at the national level to allow the boy to play in the 1958 World Cup just one year after he began playing in Brazil.
Diego Maradona picked up where Pele left off, with the only difference being the team on which he played. Argentina’s greatest, Maradona began his role at age 15 playing for the Argentinos Juniors but emerged onto the international arena only one year later. He is possibly best known for the infamous “Hand of God” play in 1986 against England. While he remained one of the very best of the game, his issues with drug abuse plagued him to the end in 1996.
Franz Beckenbauer A German player nicknamed “The Kaiser” who is known to have developed the role of attacking sweeper, Franz Beckenbauer helped the team earn the 1967 Winner’s Cup, 1974 European Cup, 1975 European Cup, 1976 European Cup as well as the 1972 European Championship and 1974 World Cup. He was voted European Footballer of the Year in both 1972 and 1976, and is known as the only player to have lifted the World Cup as both a player and a manager.
Lev Yashin: A goal tender of dream purportions, Lev Yashin or the Black Spider as he came to be known, was the Soviet Union’s greatest player and a soccer idol; one of the world’s most famous soccer players. His start was almost accidental; he was on the verge of leaving the world of soccer to play hockey when the starter for Moskow’s Dynamo, Alexei Khomich, was injured and Yashin stepped into the position.
Temporary became permanent as Yashin wowed his teammates and coaching staff. Playing in the Soviet Super League garnered Yashin world recognition, and was the first Soviet to be awarded European Footballer of the Year. (continued...)