标签： South America

Narrowing down thousands of elite players across 22 men’s FIFA World Cup tournaments spanning nearly 120 years to a final list of just 10 all-time greats is no small feat, according to senior BBC Sport journalist Alex Bysouth. While Bysouth notes the top six or seven selections are largely undisputed, debate will inevitably rage over the final spots on the ranking, with many iconic players forced to miss out.

Among the standout omissions is Miroslav Klose, the men’s World Cup’s all-time leading goalscorer, who lands just outside the top 10 at 11th. Also left off the final list are Brazilian dribbling legend Garrincha, Italian icon Roberto Baggio, 1958 single-tournament 13-goal record holder Just Fontaine, Dutch revolutionary Johan Cruyff, Portuguese powerhouse Eusébio, German clinical finisher Gerd Müller, and no individual from Spain’s universally celebrated 2010 World Cup-winning squad, whose collective strength left no single player standing out enough to claim a spot. With that context, here is Bysouth’s ranking of the 10 greatest World Cup legends in history:

10. Sir Geoff Hurst, England (1966 Winner)
England’s 1966 home World Cup final was meant to see star striker Jimmy Greaves return from a group stage injury to start, but manager Alf Ramsey opted to retain Hurst — a player who had made his international debut just months earlier. That decision went down in football folklore: the West Ham forward scored the only hat-trick in a men’s World Cup final for 56 years, leading England to their first and to date only World Cup title. Hurst was not the most naturally gifted player in that England squad, but his historic final feat — only matched 56 years later by Kylian Mbappé in Qatar, who finished on the losing side — cements his place in World Cup history. Without Hurst, there would be no iconic “they think it’s all over” commentary, nor the decades of national longing that have followed England’s 1966 triumph.

9. Cafu, Brazil (1994 & 2002 Winner)
The only player in history to feature in three consecutive World Cup finals, Cafu’s legacy stretches from the favelas of São Paulo to the world’s biggest football stages. He came off the bench to claim his first winners’ medal when Brazil beat Italy on penalties in the 1994 Rose Bowl final, finished as a runner-up in 1998 on home soil for France, and lifted the trophy as captain in the 2002 co-hosted tournament in Japan and South Korea. Across four tournaments, Cafu notched 16 World Cup wins — a total only topped by the omitted Miroslav Klose. Before lifting the 2002 trophy, he wrote “100% Jardim Irene” on his Brazil shirt, a tribute to the working-class favela where he grew up, cementing his status as both a World Cup great and a grounded icon of the game.

8. Paolo Rossi, Italy (1982 Winner)
Rossi’s 1982 World Cup run remains one of the greatest fairytale redemption stories in tournament history. Returning to international football just months after a two-year ban over match-fixing allegations he always denied, Rossi rose to the occasion in one of the most iconic World Cup matches of all time: Italy’s second-round clash with tournament favorites Brazil at Barcelona. Expected to rely on their solid defense to grind out a result, Italy found their match-winning hero in Rossi, who scored a hat-trick — including the game-winner — to knock out the Seleção. He went one step further, bagging a brace against Poland in the semi-final, and scoring the opening goal of Italy’s 3-1 final victory over West Germany at the Santiago Bernabéu, securing Italy’s first World Cup title since 1938. His six tournament goals earned him the Golden Boot, Golden Ball, and FIFA World Player of the Year honors.

7. Zinedine Zidane, France (1998 Winner)
A second-generation Algerian immigrant raised in the public housing towers of northern Marseille, Zidane became the face of France’s multicultural 1998 World Cup-winning squad, a team that united the nation behind the tournament hosted on home soil. After a red card against Saudi Arabia in the group stage sidelined him for two matches, Zidane returned in the knockout stage to lead France past Italy and Croatia, before delivering a masterclass in the final against favorites Brazil. He scored two trademark header goals from corner kicks, sparking mass celebrations across Paris that saw a million fans pack the Champs-Élysées, with chants of “Zidane for president” ringing out around the Arc de Triomphe. Zidane’s World Cup legacy is equal parts brilliance and controversy: he is also remembered for a red card after headbutting Marco Materazzi in the 2006 final, which France lost to Italy, but that moment does not overshadow his status as one of the tournament’s greatest ever players.

6. Kylian Mbappé, France (2018 Winner)
Mbappé’s World Cup legend is still being written at just 27 years old, with potentially two or three more tournaments left in his career before he retires. As a 19-year-old at the 2018 Russia World Cup, he became France’s youngest ever World Cup goalscorer, the first teenager to score twice in a knockout round match since Pele in 1958 (in a last-16 win over Argentina), and the first teen to score in a World Cup final since Pele, as France lifted the trophy against Croatia. Despite his prolific club success at Paris Saint-Germain and now Real Madrid, Mbappé has yet to win a UEFA Champions League title — his greatest performances have consistently come on the World Cup’s biggest stage. His sensational hat-trick in the 2022 Qatar final against Argentina, including a stunning volley, was a performance worthy of a second title, even if he ultimately ended on the losing side against Lionel Messi.

5. Franz Beckenbauer, West Germany (1974 Winner as Captain, 1990 Winner as Manager)
Nicknamed Der Kaiser, Beckenbauer is one of only a handful of people to win the World Cup both as a player and as a manager. After finishing runner-up in 1966 and third in 1970, he captained host West Germany to the 1974 title against the heavily favored Dutch side led by Johan Cruyff. Despite falling behind to a second-minute penalty before the German side had even touched the ball, the elegant ball-playing defender led his team to a comeback victory over Cruyff’s revolutionary Total Football side, a style that had influenced Beckenbauer’s own approach to the game. After retiring as a player, he moved to the dugout, leading West Germany to the 1986 final (a loss to Argentina) before securing revenge and the 1990 title in Italy, cementing his unique multi-decade World Cup legacy.

4. Lionel Messi, Argentina (2022 Winner)
For years, it looked like World Cup glory would elude Messi, one of the greatest players of his generation and of all time. As he entered his mid-30s, Messi had never lifted the trophy, even after leading Argentina to the 2014 final. His fifth tournament in Qatar got off to a disastrous start, with a shocking opening defeat to Saudi Arabia that left Argentina facing early elimination. But Messi turned the tournament around single-handedly: he notched a goal and an assist in a critical win over Mexico, scored against Australia in the last 16, converted a penalty against the Netherlands in the quarter-final, and scored another spot kick against Croatia in the semi-final to send Argentina to the final. In a classic final against France, Messi scored twice to bring his tournament total to seven goals, and converted his penalty in the shootout to secure Argentina’s first World Cup title since Diego Maradona’s 1986 triumph, finally completing his legacy.

3. Ronaldo (Brazil, 1994 & 2002 Winner)
Ronaldo’s 2002 World Cup triumph remains the sport’s most iconic redemption arc. Like Cafu, the teenage Ronaldo was part of Brazil’s 1994 World Cup squad but did not make an appearance. By 1998, he was the best player on the planet, a dynamic combination of blistering pace, technical skill and ruthless finishing, and carried Brazil to the final, scoring four goals en route. But a pre-match seizure left him disoriented for the final, and Brazil fell to France, leaving the star with a painful legacy he carried for four years. Years of serious knee injury kept him out of club and international football for long stretches ahead of 2002, leaving his place in the squad in doubt. But in Japan and South Korea, the Brazilian legend reclaimed his status, scoring eight goals — including two in the final win over Germany — to erase the memory of 1998, and brought his total World Cup goal tally to 15, a record that stood for years.

2. Diego Maradona, Argentina (1986 Winner)
No player in World Cup history brought more drama, star power and iconic moments than Maradona, who claims the second spot on this list. Left out of Argentina’s 1978 home World Cup win at 17, he made his tournament debut in 1982, where he was sent off for retaliation in a fiery knockout clash with Brazil. His defining tournament came in 1986 in Mexico, where he delivered what many still consider the greatest individual performance in World Cup history. His quarter-final clash with England produced two of the most famous goals in history: the controversial “Hand of God” opening goal, followed by a moment of pure genius, where he dribbled from inside his own half past six England players to score one of the greatest goals the tournament has ever seen. He scored twice more against Belgium in the semi-final, and captained Argentina to a final win over West Germany, finishing the tournament with five goals and five assists. Maradona’s World Cup career ended as dramatically as it played out: he led Argentina to the 1990 final, where they lost, and was sent home from the 1994 tournament after failing a doping test.

1. Pele, Brazil (1958, 1962 & 1970 Winner)
There was never any question who would top this list: Pele remains the only player in men’s World Cup history to win three titles, across three different decades, and for generations, he was the most iconic name in global football. As a 17-year-old in 1958, he fulfilled a promise he made to his father after Brazil’s devastating 1950 Maracana final defeat to Uruguay, scoring a semi-final hat-trick against France and two more in the final win over Sweden to claim his first title. He was part of the 1962 Brazilian squad that retained the trophy, though he missed most of the tournament through injury after scoring in the opening match. A series of brutal tackles in the 1966 tournament led him to vow he would never play in the World Cup again, but he returned in 1970, leading what many consider the greatest World Cup squad of all time to victory in Mexico, scoring in the 4-1 final thumping of Italy and setting up two more goals. Across four World Cups, Pele scored 12 goals in 14 matches and left an unmatched legacy as the greatest World Cup star of all time.

Bysouth has invited football fans to share their own takes on the ranking in public comments, opening the debate up to the global football community.

The 2026 FIFA World Cup hosted across North America is now underway, with live match updates available to global audiences in both English and Spanish. The tournament’s first full match day on Friday delivered a historic result for Canada, which secured a 1-1 draw against Bosnia-Herzegovina at a packed, energized Toronto stadium. This outcome marks a significant milestone for the Canadian men’s national team, which had lost all six of its previous World Cup matches in tournament history. The result also felt like a positive breakthrough after a tough start for Canada, which fell behind early in the fixture.

Bosnia’s Jovo Lukic broke the deadlock in the 21st minute, connecting with a skillful header off a corner kick to silence the raucous home crowd. Canada spent the majority of the match chasing an equalizer, and it finally came in the 78th minute from recent substitute Cyle Larin, who slotted home to level the score and earn Canada its first ever World Cup point. The day’s action will close with a primetime match between the United States and Paraguay in Inglewood, California, and the tournament will shift to its full schedule starting Saturday, with a minimum of four matches scheduled per day through June 27.

The tournament kicked off one day earlier at Mexico City’s iconic Azteca Stadium, where host nation Mexico opened with an impressive 2-0 victory over South Africa in front of a capacity, boisterous crowd.

### What to Watch on June 13: Broadcast Information and Full Match Previews
Fox holds exclusive English-language broadcast rights for the entire tournament in the United States, with all 104 matches airing on either the main Fox broadcast network or cable channel FS1. All fixtures are also available to stream via the Fox One app. For Spanish-language audiences, Telemundo and Universo will carry every match, with streaming access available through Peacock and the official Telemundo app.

Four matches are scheduled for Saturday, June 13, across four North American host cities:
1. Qatar vs. Switzerland, 3 p.m. EDT at Levi’s Stadium in Santa Clara, California (FOX/Telemundo/Peacock)
2. Brazil vs. Morocco, 6 p.m. EDT at MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey (FOX/Telemundo/Peacock)
3. Haiti vs. Scotland, 9 p.m. EDT at Gillette Stadium in Foxborough, Massachusetts (FOX/Telemundo/Peacock)
4. Australia vs. Turkey, midnight EDT at BC Place in Vancouver, British Columbia (FS1/Telemundo/Peacock)

#### Qatar vs. Switzerland
While Qatar qualified automatically for the 2022 World Cup as tournament host, the nation earned its spot in the 2026 field through competitive qualification, marking a new milestone for the program. The side is led by all-time career scoring leader Almoez Ali, who has notched 60 goals across 126 international appearances for Qatar.

Switzerland is appearing in its sixth consecutive World Cup, entering the tournament ranked 19th in the official FIFA men’s rankings. Despite advancing past the group stage on three separate occasions in tournament history, the Swiss men’s national team has never won a knockout round fixture. Veteran midfielder Granit Xhaka, who earned 145 international caps, leads the side as it chases a historic deep run.

#### Brazil vs. Morocco: Top-10 Group Stage Clash
Brazil enters this tournament as one of the most historically successful men’s World Cup programs, claiming five tournament titles in 1958, 1962, 1970, 1994 and 2002. However, the side has struggled to replicate its historic success in recent decades, falling at the quarterfinal stage in four of the last five tournaments. Even so, Brazil remains a formidable contender, ranked 6th in the world entering Saturday’s fixture, and head coach faces intense pressure to deliver the nation’s sixth World Cup title.

Morocco, ranked 7th globally, is one of Africa’s top men’s programs and made history at the 2022 World Cup by becoming the first African nation to reach the tournament semifinals, where it fell to eventual champion France. The match marks a high-stakes early group stage showdown between two of the top-ranked sides in the tournament.

#### Haiti and Scotland: Long-Absent Underdogs Make Their Return
Both Haiti and Scotland are making their return to the World Cup after decades-long absences, earning their spots against pre-tournament expectations. Haiti is appearing in the World Cup for just the second time in history, with its last appearance coming all the way back in 1974. Ranked 83rd in the world—one of the lowest-ranked sides in the 2026 field—Haiti secured its place in the tournament by outperforming more established Central American powers including Costa Rica and Honduras.

Scotland is also back on the world’s biggest football stage for the first time since 1998. Premier League midfielder Scott McTominay leads the Scottish side, having scored 14 goals in his last 33 international appearances.

#### Australia vs. Turkey: Two Sides Marking Return Trips
Australia is making its sixth consecutive World Cup appearance, and seventh overall, entering the tournament ranked 27th. The side reached the round of 16 at the 2022 tournament, falling to eventual champion Argentina, and has embraced a diverse squad built around immigrant talent ahead of 2026, with a public message that “soccer is for everyone.”

Turkey is competing in its first World Cup since 2002, when the nation pulled off a surprise third-place finish. The Turkish program has climbed steadily up the rankings in recent years, entering the 2026 tournament ranked 22nd globally.

### U.S. Men’s National Team Chases Historic Breakthrough In Home Opener
The host United States men’s national team enters the tournament ranked 17th in the FIFA rankings, with high hopes that home-field advantage can help the side make its first deep run in decades. The U.S. has advanced to the knockout round in four of the last six World Cups it has competed in, but has not advanced past the quarterfinal stage in any modern tournament.

Former top European club manager Mauricio Pochettino was hired as head coach in 2024, tasked with unlocking the team’s potential. Star forward Christian Pulisic enters the tournament in the peak of his career, carrying high expectations from American fans.

Paraguay, the U.S.’s opening opponent, is ranked 47th in the world—lowest in Group D—and is competing in its first World Cup in 16 years. Star attackers Ramon Sosa and Julio Enciso lead the underdog side.

### Breaking: Palestinian Football Head Denied U.S. Visa For Tournament
In off-the-field breaking news, Jibril Rajoub, president of the Palestinian Football Association, remains stranded in Mexico City after being denied a U.S. visa to attend the 2026 World Cup. Rajoub was able to attend the tournament’s opening match between Mexico and South Africa on Thursday, but is one of multiple accredited attendees who have been either denied entry or are still waiting for visa approval from U.S. authorities.

While the Palestinian national team did not qualify for the 2026 tournament, FIFA routinely invites football association presidents from every member nation to attend the quadrennial event as part of its mission to celebrate global unity through the sport.

Other recent tournament news includes the viral rise of a Bosnian song about disillusionment with the American Dream becoming an unexpected World Cup fan anthem, Arsenal star Thomas Partey being sidelined for Ghana’s opening match against Panama in Toronto after he was also denied a U.S. visa, and Mexico manager Javier Aguirre earning opening match praise for a youth-focused tactical gamble that delivered the opening win against South Africa.

A skilled alpine skier from Bedford in the United Kingdom has pulled off a remarkable feat of endurance and skill, tackling one of the most challenging terrain stretches in the Peruvian Andes: the icy southwest ridge of 6,162-meter Mount Ranrapalca. Fay Manners, an experienced climber and backcountry skier known for pushing her limits in high-altitude environments, recently reflected on the journey that tested every ounce of her training and nerve.

The southwest ridge of Ranrapalca has long been regarded as a formidable objective for even the most seasoned mountaineers, with consistently unstable ice conditions, sharp vertical drops, and rapidly shifting high-altitude weather that can turn a routine descent into a life-threatening situation in minutes. Manners spent weeks acclimatizing to the thin Andean air, scouting the route from lower vantage points and adjusting her equipment to account for the unique challenges of the glaciated terrain.

In her post-expedition reflection, Manners described the mix of focus and exhilaration that defined the descent, recalling how every turn required deliberate, careful judgment to avoid hidden crevasses and ice sheets that could give way without warning. She also highlighted the quiet awe of being on one of the Andes’ most striking peaks, with panoramic views of surrounding glacial summits stretching out across the horizon as she made her way down the ridge.

The successful descent cements Manners’ reputation as one of the UK’s most ambitious backcountry alpine athletes, and adds a notable new entry to the list of challenging high-altitude ski descents completed in the Peruvian Andes in recent years. For the alpine community, Manners’ achievement highlights both the growing interest in exploring under-documented big mountain routes in South America, and the level of preparation and respect for the mountains required to pull off such a challenge safely.

As the 2026 FIFA World Cup gets underway on U.S. soil, global soccer fans have turned their collective attention to the host nation’s squad. But for the tight-knit community of Paraguayans living across the United States, this tournament marks a far more personal milestone: the return of their beloved national team to the world’s biggest soccer stage after a 16-year drought.

Paraguay last qualified for the World Cup in 2010, when the squad recorded its best-ever finish, advancing all the way to the quarterfinals. This year’s appearance marks the ninth time the nation, currently ranked 40th globally by FIFA, has competed in the tournament. Drawn into Group D alongside the U.S., Turkey and Australia, Paraguay will face off against Australia on June 19 and Turkey on June 25, both matches hosted in Santa Clara, California.

For the estimated 37,000 Paraguayans calling the U.S. home, the moment has been decades in the making, and fans have been organizing watch parties, community gatherings and match-day celebrations across the country. While steep ticket prices for the opening Group D match against the U.S. — with some seats reselling for more than $1,000 apiece — have put the fixture out of reach for most local fans, many have scraped together funds to secure tickets for the team’s later matches in California.

Thirty-two-year-old Santiago Araujo is one of the lucky fans who scored tickets to Paraguay’s match against Australia, set to take place just 80 miles from his family’s Paraguayan restaurant, Cafe Guarani, in the coastal California town of Pacific Grove. Araujo, who moved to California with his family when he was 11 years old, says soccer is woven into the cultural identity of every Paraguayan. “Every Paraguayan I know wants to go,” he explained. “It’s not like there’s seasons of any other sports in Paraguay. I used to sleep with a soccer ball as my toy.”

His family’s restaurant is leaning into the excitement, hosting pre- and post-match celebrations that bring the local Paraguayan community together over traditional dishes including manioc empanadas and iced yerba mate. Similar gatherings are planned at I Love Paraguay Restaurant in Queens, New York, where a large concentration of Paraguayan Americans resides. Other major Paraguayan American communities are based in Bernardsville, New Jersey — an affluent town that Paraguayan President Santiago Peña visited in 2024.

For many fans, even the dream of attending a match comes with steep barriers. Ana Di Sessa, a Paraguayan American based in New Jersey, says she would love to travel to the California matches, but the combined cost of flights, accommodation and overpriced tickets puts the trip out of budget for most working-class fans. Zoraida Pereira, a 43-year-old travel agent based in Bernardsville who moved to the U.S. from Paraguay more than 30 years ago, says she has only sold travel packages for the later Santa Clara matches, as opening game prices are prohibitive for nearly all her clients. Even when forced to choose between her host and home nations on the pitch, Pereira’s loyalty is clear: “I am rooting for Paraguay this time around. They’ve been out for so long.”

For the team itself, the moment carries just as much emotional weight. Midfielder Miguel Almirón, a 32-year-old veteran who plies his club trade with Major League Soccer’s Atlanta United, grew up watching the 2010 World Cup squad and dreamed of one day getting the chance to compete on soccer’s global stage. “It’s going to be something beautiful in that moment, not just for me, but also for my family and for all the Paraguayan fans, and for anyone who’s been with us through all the tough moments,” Almirón said. “There are going to be a lot of emotions at that moment. We take it on with responsibility, because we know so many people are depending on us.”

That excitement extends 5,000 miles back to Paraguay, a small landlocked South American nation of roughly 7 million people bordered by Argentina, Bolivia and Brazil, best known for its vast grasslands, rich biodiversity and indigenous Guarani cultural heritage. A new documentary titled *El Renacer Albirrojo* (The Red-and-White Rebirth) chronicles the national team’s 16-year journey to qualify for the tournament, and the squad was sent off to the U.S. with a massive public celebration capped by fireworks. Many Paraguayan Americans report that friends and family are traveling from Paraguay to the U.S. to attend the matches, joining local fans to cheer on the team.

For 34-year-old Rodrigo Valdez, a computer engineer based in San Diego who was born in the U.S. but raised in Paraguay, the tournament is a once-in-a-generation opportunity. Even with a 4-month-old newborn at home, his wife encouraged him to buy a ticket to the Australia match as a first Father’s Day gift. Valdez will drive more than 450 miles to Santa Clara to see the match, after gathering with local family and friends to watch the opening game against the U.S. in San Diego. “It was a unique opportunity for us that we are living in California,” he said. “It will be very meaningful.”

AUBURN, Alabama (AP) — The soccer world breathed a collective sigh of relief Tuesday as Lionel Messi confirmed he is fully prepared to compete in his sixth FIFA World Cup, shaking off a recent muscle injury to mark his return with a penalty goal in Argentina’s final pre-tournament friendly. The reigning world champion’s captain entered the match off the bench, playing the final 20 minutes of Argentina’s 3-0 rout of Iceland, just days out from the global tournament kicking off and his 39th birthday.

Messi’s injury scare came in late May, during his last club appearance for Inter Miami, where he picked up muscle fatigue and a minor strain in his left hamstring that kept him out of action in the weeks leading up to Argentina’s pre-World Cup warm-up slate. The injury had sparked widespread concern among soccer fans worldwide about whether the Argentine legend would be at full fitness for what is widely expected to be his final World Cup campaign.

Coming on in the 70th minute of the tune-up match, Messi needed just two minutes to find the back of the net. After Argentine forward Lautaro Martínez was fouled inside the Icelandic 18-yard box, Messi stepped up to take the penalty and rifled a left-footed shot high into the net to seal the three-nothing win. The goal pushes Messi’s all-time record for Argentina to 117 international strikes, keeping his status as the nation’s leading goal scorer intact.

Argentina, which enters the tournament chasing its fourth World Cup title following victories in 1978, 1986, and 2022, will kick off its 2026 campaign against Algeria on June 16 in Kansas City. The South American giants are drawn in Group J alongside Austria and Jordan. Tuesday’s clash marked just the second meeting between Argentina and Iceland. The two sides first faced off at the 2018 World Cup, where the European underdogs earned a 1-1 draw – a match remembered for Messi missing a late penalty that would have given Argentina the win.

For up-to-date coverage of the 2026 FIFA World Cup, follow AP’s full coverage hub at: https://apnews.com/hub/fifa-world-cup