Items22The creator’s order
  1. 1Pak Doo-ikPak Doo-ikBorn 17 Dec 1936Pak Doo-ik's goal at Ayresome Park in Middlesbrough beat Italy and sent North Korea, at their first World Cup in 1966, into the quarter-finals. The local crowd adopted the team. They then went 3-0 up against Portugal before Eusébio's four goals turned it. His strike remains the shorthand for a…0i
  2. 2EusébioEusébioBorn 25 Jan 1942Portugal had never reached a World Cup before 1966. Eusébio scored nine goals in England, including four in the comeback from 3-0 down against North Korea, and took them to third place and the Golden Boot. Benfica teammates such as Mário Coluna and José Torres formed the spine, but it was Eusébio's…0i
  3. 3Lakhdar BelloumiLakhdar BelloumiBorn 29 Dec 1958Algeria's debut at the 1982 World Cup opened with a 2-1 win over European champions West Germany, Rabah Madjer and Belloumi scoring. Belloumi, African footballer of the year in 1981, was the playmaker who made Algeria look comfortable against anyone. They went out only on goal difference after West…0i
  4. 4Roger MillaRoger MillaBorn 20 May 1952Persuaded out of semi-retirement at 38, Milla came off the bench to score four goals at Italia 90, danced at the corner flag and took Cameroon to the quarter-finals, the first African side to get that far. The team had already beaten holders Argentina in the opener through François Omam-Biyik's…0i
  5. 5Peter SchmeichelPeter SchmeichelBorn 18 Nov 1963Denmark only played Euro 92 because Yugoslavia were excluded ten days before it began. Schmeichel's goalkeeping, including the shoot-out save from Marco van Basten in the semi-final, carried them to a 2-0 final win over Germany. Brian Laudrup, John Jensen and Kim Vilfort were vital too, but no…0i
  6. 6Hristo StoichkovHristo StoichkovBorn 8 Feb 1966Bulgaria had never won a World Cup match before 1994. Stoichkov's six goals, a shared Golden Boot, helped them beat Argentina in the group and holders Germany in the quarter-final on the way to fourth place; that December he won the Ballon d'Or. Yordan Letchkov's diving header beat Germany and…0i
  7. 7Gheorghe HagiGheorghe HagiBorn 5 Feb 1965Hagi's long-range lob against Colombia opened Romania's 1994 World Cup, and his passing ran a 3-2 last-16 win over Argentina, Ilie Dumitrescu scoring twice. Romania went out to Sweden only on penalties in the quarter-final. The Maradona of the Carpathians gave a mid-ranked side a creative player of…0i
  8. 8Saeed Al-OwairanSaeed Al-OwairanBorn 19 Aug 1967At their first World Cup in 1994, Saudi Arabia reached the last 16, sealed by Al-Owairan's run from his own half past several Belgian players for the only goal in Washington. It is still one of the great solo goals at a World Cup. Sami Al-Jaber and goalkeeper Mohamed Al-Deayea were the team's other…0
  9. 9Davor ŠukerDavor ŠukerBorn 1 Jan 1968Croatia were playing their first World Cup as an independent country in 1998. Šuker scored in six of their seven matches, won the Golden Boot with six goals and opened the scoring in the semi-final against France, before Croatia took third place. Zvonimir Boban, Robert Prosinečki and Slaven Bilić…0i
  10. 10El Hadji DioufEl Hadji DioufBorn 15 Jan 1981Senegal's World Cup debut in 2002 began by beating holders France 1-0, Papa Bouba Diop scoring after Diouf's run and cross. Diouf's pace and nerve made him the face of a team that reached the quarter-finals, equalling Cameroon's African record, before a golden goal against Turkey ended it. He was…0i