Items16The creator’s order
  1. 1Obdulio VarelaObdulio VarelaBorn 20 Sept 1917Uruguay's captain at the 1950 World Cup is remembered for what he did after Brazil scored first in the decisive match at the Maracanã: he took the ball, walked slowly to the referee to dispute the goal and let the noise die down before restarting. Uruguay came back to win 2-1. Varela's calm in…0i
  2. 2Mário ColunaMário ColunaBorn 6 Aug 1935Benfica's Mozambique-born captain through the club's 1960s peak, Coluna was the senior figure who looked after a young Eusébio when he arrived in Lisbon from the same country, and he led Portugal to third at the 1966 World Cup. Benfica people called him the Sacred Monster for his authority in…0i
  3. 3Bobby MooreBobby MooreBorn 12 Apr 1941England's 1966 captain is also remembered for 1970: after being arrested on a false theft charge in Bogotá days before the World Cup, he played superbly, and his tackle on Jairzinho and embrace with Pelé after Brazil's win became images of sporting grace. At West Ham he captained a side that rarely…0i
  4. 4SócratesSócratesBorn 19 Feb 1954Sócrates captained Brazil's beloved 1982 side, which did not win the World Cup, and at Corinthians helped lead Corinthians Democracy, where players voted on team decisions under Brazil's military government and wore shirts urging people to vote. A qualified doctor, he showed how a captaincy could…0i
  5. 5Tony AdamsTony AdamsAdams captained Arsenal for 14 years, but the part that lasts is what happened in 1996, when he publicly said he was an alcoholic while still captain. He stayed in the role, won two more doubles and founded the Sporting Chance clinic for athletes with addiction. His openness helped change how…0i
  6. 6Paolo MaldiniPaolo MaldiniBorn 26 Jun 1968Maldini captained Milan for over a decade and Italy at three major tournaments, and he did it with remarkably few bookings for a defender who played more than 900 professional matches. His leadership was a standard of preparation and fairness rather than shouting. When some Milan ultras jeered him…0i
  7. 7Javier ZanettiJavier ZanettiBorn 10 Aug 1973Inter's captain for 15 years, Zanetti played almost 860 matches for the club and was famous for barely missing a game. Off the pitch he and his wife set up the PUPI foundation for children in Buenos Aires, and inside the club he was the bridge between owners, coaches and a constantly changing…0i
  8. 8Carles PuyolCarles PuyolBorn 13 Apr 1978Puyol captained Barcelona through their greatest era, yet the moment people recall came at Wembley in 2011, when he handed the armband to Eric Abidal, back from liver cancer surgery, so Abidal could lift the Champions League trophy. He also stopped team-mates from over-celebrating, once telling a…0i
  9. 9Didier DrogbaDidier DrogbaBorn 11 Mar 1978After Ivory Coast qualified for their first World Cup in 2005, captain Drogba knelt with team-mates in the dressing room and, on live television, asked the country's warring sides to lay down their weapons. He later helped take a national team match to the rebel-held city of Bouaké as a peace…0i
  10. 10Christine SinclairChristine SinclairBorn 12 Jun 1983Sinclair captained Canada for most of two decades and retired as international football's all-time leading scorer, man or woman. In 2023 she and her team-mates went public over pay and cuts in their federation's support, striking briefly before a match. Canada won Olympic gold in 2021, but her…0i