Pele: If anyone epitomises the spirit of the World Cup, it is Edson Arantes Do Nascimento — popularly knows as Pele. The limelight, vacated because of Ferenc Puskas-less Hungary, was seized by Pele. An upstart, which the football world loved to watch and talk about, Pele started off as a precocious 17-year old in the 1958 World Cup in Sweden, scoring six goals, including a hat-trick against France in the semi-finals and a brace in the final against Sweden. He continued to torment defenders till the 1970 World Cup, where he was part of an incredible team which helped Brazil win their third Trophy.
His link-up play with Garrincha, another member of the double winning side of 1958 and 1962, was so potent that Brazil never lost a World Cup match whenever these two played together. Pele came back with the likes of Jairzinho and Gerson, as part of what is considered the best-ever team, to lift the 1970 World Cup.
Maradona: Images of a short, stocky man slaloming past defenders immediately come to our mind whenever we hear of Diego Armando Maradona. Two moments best describe the Argentine superstar. The first: raising his hand to score what is dubbed as “The Hand of God” goal against England to bring Argentina level in their crucial quarterfinal in the ‘86 World Cup. The second: His mazy run and finish - twisting, turning and leaving anything non-Argentine lying on the mat in his wake to score the “Goal of the Century”— in the same match to take Argentina into the semi-final. In the last-four match Maradona had a brace to his name before he assumed the role of a creative torrent in the final, winning the World Cup for Argentina. In 1990, Maradona pushed his team into the final only to lose to Germany. And in 1994, his career ended the way it had started – with an enforced eviction--Maradona was banned for failing a drugs test in the 1994 edition in the US.
Ronaldo: There was nothing more terrifying in world football for goalkeepers than seeing Ronaldo, ball at his feet, dodging defenders, sidestepping them like he was gaming on a playstation. Performing step-overs for fun, Ronaldo usually completed the misery by rounding the keeper and scoring. The Brazilian's World Cup career was a curious tale of agony and ecstasy. After being selected, but not played, in the ‘94 edition, he was let loose in France four years later and was, along with Rivaldo, at the heart of the Brazilian team that marched into the finals. But due to massive seizures he suffered hours before the final, his game was well below par in the summit clash. The hacks were ready with their first obit pieces for the hitman. But a rejuvenated and a fit-again Ronaldo returned - to torment defenders in Korea and Japan in 2002. While playing in the 2006 World Cup, he also overtook Gerd Muller, scoring 15 goals in World Cups, the most in the history of the tournament.
Beckenbauer: It was the 1974 World Cup final and the Netherlands, who were in their element playing what was known as “Total Football” was up against West Germany. Franz Beckenbauer, controlling the attacking instincts of Johann Cryuff, was instrumental in inspiring West Germany's famous come-from-behind victory (2-1).
‘The Kaiser' epitomised the German spirit; in the semifinal of 1970 World Cup against Italy, a match which finished 4-3 to the Italians, he played on with a dislocated shoulder. Not satisfied by winning the World Cup as a player, Beckenbauer came back to win the World Cup as a coach with West Germany in 1990.
Garrincha: Going for back-to-back World Cup titles in 1962, Brazil was rocked by an injury to Pele, who was ruled out of the tournament after the initial stages. Garrincha seized the initiative and brought home the Selecao's second consecutive World Cup. Scoring braces against England and host-nation Chile in the semifinals, Garrincha was voted the player of the tournament. Widely regarded as the world's greatest dribbler, he was a constant thorn in the opposition defence. He was, perhaps, the true embodiment of the hedonistic, all-round displays that characterised the double-winning ‘Samba' side of 1958 and 1962.
