7 legends who lead the history of the World Cup, no matter how times change.. Pele remains the king – Youm7
Since the World Cup’s inception in 1930, the competition has become football’s greatest stage and has witnessed the emergence of successive generations of legends who have left an indelible mark on the tournament’s history.
7 legends who lead the history of the World Cup
According to the report published by the British network GIVEMESPORT, Brazil’s Pele leads the list of the 7 best players in the history of World Cups, ahead of legendary names such as Lionel Messi, Diego Maradona and the phenomenon Ronaldo.
Despite the change of generations and the emergence of special names such as Lionel Messi, Cristiano Ronaldo and Kylian Mbappe, Pele remains alone in achieving the most difficult feat in the history of the World Cup, after winning the tournament 3 times.
While modern stars continue to write their history at the tournament, Pele’s numbers and achievements remain the main reason why his name continues to be placed at the top of the list of the best players of the World Cup.
Pele… the undisputed king of the World Cup
Pele has achieved a historic feat that no other footballer has been able to achieve since he won the World Cup three times with Brazil in 1958, 1962 and 1970.
His first title came in 1958 when he was 17, when he became the youngest goalscorer in World Cup history, before he continued to shine with a hat-trick against France in the semi-final, then two goals against Sweden in the final, which ended in a 5-2 victory for Brazil.
In 1970, Pele played an important role in Brazil’s title win, after scoring 4 goals and assisting 6 goals to win the Ballon d’Or.
Pele’s World Cup Stats
Matches: 14
Goals: 12
Pass: 9
Championships: 1958, 1962, 1970
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Messi… the legend who delayed fame
It took many years for Lionel Messi to taste the World Cup, but he finally managed to lead Argentina to the title in 2022.
Messi scored 7 goals and provided 3 assists, including two goals in the final against France, which Argentina won on penalties.
Messi also became the first player in World Cup history to win the Ballon d’Or twice, after he also won it in 2014 despite Argentina losing to Germany in the final.
After reaching the finals of the 2026 World Cup, Messi lost Argentina 1-0 to Spain in extra time.
Lionel Messi’s World Cup Stats
Matches: 34
Goals: 21
Pass: 12
Championship: 2022
Messi
Maradona…Argentinian hero and icon 1986
Diego Maradona is third on the list after playing the most prominent role in Argentina’s 1986 World Cup win.
Maradona won the Ballon d’Or for the tournament’s best player after scoring 5 goals and setting up another 5.
His famous goal against England in the quarter-finals, after he dribbled past several players before slotting the ball into the net, remains one of the greatest goals in World Cup history.
Diego Maradona’s World Cup Stats
Matches: 21
Goals: 8
Pass: 8
Championship: 1986
Maradona
Ronaldo, Phenomenon… Exceptional Excellence 2002
Ronaldo won the World Cup twice with Brazil, but the 2002 edition was the highlight of his career.
Having not featured in the 1994 edition, Ronaldo excelled at the 1998 World Cup scoring 4 goals before reaching his peak in 2002.
Al-Dahira scored 8 goals in the tournament to top the goalscoring list, including two goals in the final against Germany to help Brazil win 2-0 and win their fifth title.
Ronaldo’s statistics at the World Cup
Matches: 14
Goals: 12
Assists: 4
Championships: 1994, 2002
Ronaldo
Mbappe… a legend who writes his own chapters
Despite his young age, Kylian Mbappé has become one of the most outstanding players in the history of the World Cup.
The French striker made his World Cup debut in 2018 when he was nineteen years old and became the second teenager to score in a World Cup final after Pele when he scored against Croatia in a 4–2 victory for France.
At the 2022 World Cup, Mbappe won the Golden Boot after scoring 8 goals, including a historic hat-trick in the final against Argentina.
Taking his tally to 22 goals at the World Cup, he continued to shine in the 2026 edition to top the scorers list.
Kylian Mbappé statistics at the World Cup
Matches: 22
Goals: 22
Assists: 7
Championship: 2018
Mbappe
Klose…the German goal machine
Miroslav Klose has a prominent place in the history of World Cups, having scored 16 goals in 24 matches and participated in 4 editions of the tournament.
Klose scored a hat-trick in his first World Cup in 2002 in an 8–0 win over Saudi Arabia, and then won the Golden Boot at the 2006 World Cup after scoring 5 goals.
In 2014, he finally won the World Cup with Germany, scoring in a historic 7-1 semi-final win over Brazil.
Statistics of Miroslav Klose at the World Cup
Matches: 24
Goals: 16
Assists: 4
Championship: 2014
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Zidane.. France’s genius at the World Cup
Zinedine Zidane completes the list of 7 best players in World Cup history since he won the title for France in 1998.
Zidane scored twice in the final against Brazil as France won 3-0 and won their first ever World Cup.
At the 2006 World Cup, Zidane led France to the final, scoring 5 goals, including Panenka’s penalty in the final against Italy.
Despite being sent off for a header on Marco Materazzi and France losing on penalties, Zidane has cemented his position as one of the World Cup’s most iconic legends.
Zinedine Zidane’s statistics at the World Cup
Matches: 12
Objectives: 5
Assists: 3
Championship: 1998
Zidane
