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The beautiful game has produced some truly extraordinary talents on the world's biggest stage. Join us as we count down our picks for the most legendary and iconic players to have graced the FIFA World Cup! Our countdown includes Cristiano Ronaldo, Johan Cruyff, Franz Beckenbauer, Kylian Mbappé, and more! Which player do you think deserves the top spot? Let us know in the comments!
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00:00Iconic goal for Lionel Messi
00:05Who has burst out of an evening's anonymity
00:10To light up the night
00:12Welcome to WatchMojo
00:14And today we're counting down our picks
00:16For the top 10 exceptional players
00:18Both past and present
00:20Who have outstanding World Cup legacies
00:3110. Cristiano Ronaldo
00:34Few players have carried expectations
00:36Like Cristiano Ronaldo at the World Cup
00:38But his tournament story
00:40Has always felt slightly incomplete
00:49Across five editions
00:50From 2006 to 2022
00:53Ronaldo delivered moments of brilliance
00:55Most notably his stunning hat-trick
00:57Against Spain in 2018
00:59A game that showcased his clutch gene
01:02On the global stage
01:03He became the first man to score
01:05In five different World Cups
01:07A testament to longevity
01:08And elite consistency
01:10It's Ronaldo
01:11It's 1-0 Portugal
01:17And it's a moment of World Cup history
01:20Yet despite the numbers
01:21Deep tournament runs
01:23Eluded him
01:24With a fourth place finish in 2006
01:26Remaining his peak
01:28For all his greatness
01:29The World Cup
01:30Was the one stage
01:31Where dominance
01:32Never fully translated
01:33Into ultimate glory
01:35With the 2026 tournament
01:36On the horizon
01:37The question remains
01:39Whether he can finally lift the trophy
01:41A sixth World Cup
01:43Thomas this is truly remarkable
01:46Great achievement
01:47Absolutely
01:48But you know
01:49You look at the squad
01:50And you think
01:50This is one of the best squads
01:51In the World Cup
01:52Number 9
01:53Johan Cruyff
01:54Elegance met revolution
01:55When Johan Cruyff
01:57Stepped onto the World Cup stage
01:58In 1974
01:59Johan Cruyff
02:01Is the Netherlands
02:02Most celebrated footballer
02:04And undoubtedly
02:05One of the finest
02:06Attacking players
02:07Of his generation
02:08The face of total football
02:09Cruyff didn't just play
02:11He conducted
02:12Dictating tempo
02:13With intelligence
02:14And effortless skill
02:15He led the Netherlands
02:16To their first ever final
02:18Dazzling audiences
02:19With his iconic Cruyff turn
02:21And fluid movements
02:22That redefined
02:23Attacking play
02:24Known ever since
02:26As the Cruyff turn
02:27It remains a much televised
02:29Piece of genius
02:30And an undying image
02:32Of the tournament
02:32Thousands have performed it since
02:35But no one can deny
02:36That Cruyff introduced
02:37The move to the world
02:38Though the Dutch
02:39Fell to West Germany
02:40In the final
02:41Cruyff's influence
02:42Transcended the results
02:43He was awarded
02:45The Golden Ball
02:45As the tournament's
02:46Best player
02:47Anchoring his legacy
02:48In the game's history
02:49In just one World Cup appearance
02:51Cruyff left an imprint
02:53So profound
02:54That his style
02:55Continues to shape
02:56Football philosophy
02:57Decades later
02:58Cruyff's contribution
02:59To the game
03:00On the world stage
03:01Will be forever etched
03:02In the memory
03:03Of football fans
03:04The world over
03:05Number 8
03:06Franz Beckenbauer
03:07Commanding
03:08Composed
03:09And revolutionary
03:10Franz Beckenbauer
03:11Redefined what a defender
03:13Could be
03:13Nicknamed the Kaiser
03:15Franz Beckenbauer
03:16Was an outstanding talent
03:18And remains Germany's
03:19Most celebrated footballer
03:20Known as Der Kaiser
03:22He brought stability
03:23To the back line
03:24Often stepping into midfield
03:26To control matches
03:27His World Cup journey
03:28Peaked in 1974
03:29When he captained
03:31West Germany
03:31To glory on home soil
03:33Defeating the Netherlands
03:34In the final
03:35Beckenbauer
03:36Beckenbauer
03:36Became the first captain
03:37To lift the brand new
03:38FIFA World Cup
03:39After Brazil
03:40Won the right
03:41To keep the Jules Rimet
03:42Trophy in 1970
03:43But his legacy runs deeper
03:46He also starred in 1966
03:48And 1970
03:50Famously playing through injury
03:51With his arm in a sling
03:53During the latter
03:54Beckenbauer's intelligence
03:55And leadership
03:56Made him the heartbeats
03:58Of his team
03:59He won the World Cup
04:00As both a player
04:01And a manager
04:02Standing out
04:02As one of football's
04:04Most complete
04:04And enduring figures
04:097. Kylian Mbappe
04:16Current France captain
04:18Kylian Mbappe
04:19Didn't just arrive
04:20At the World Cup
04:20He exploded onto it
04:36At just 19
04:38He became a global superstar
04:40In 2018
04:41Playing a key role
04:42In France's title run
04:44And scoring in the final
04:45Against Croatia
04:46His blistering pace
04:48And fearless attacking
04:49Made him nearly unstoppable
04:51Then in 2022
04:52Mbappe elevated
04:54His legacy further
04:55Scoring a historic
04:56Hat-trick
04:57In the final
04:57Against Argentina
04:58Only the second player
05:00To ever do so
05:12He also claimed
05:13The Golden Boots
05:14With 8 goals
05:15Already with 12
05:17World Cup goals
05:18Across just 2 tournaments
05:19He is rewriting records
05:21In real time
05:22Few players have commanded
05:23The stage so early
05:24In their careers
05:25And with potential
05:26To add even more
05:27To his World Cup legacy
05:29No surprise
05:30It's Kylian Mbappe
05:33Number 6
05:35Miroslav Klose
05:36No one has found the net
05:38More times in World Cup history
05:39Than Miroslav Klose
05:41First go of the game
05:42Less than 4 minutes played
05:44Miroslav Klose
05:46Carp wheels away
05:48Across 4 tournaments
05:49From 2002 to 2014
05:51The German striker
05:53Built a reputation
05:54For unerring finishing
05:55And impeccable positioning
05:57He announced himself
05:58With a hat-trick
05:59On debut in 2002
06:01And remained a consistent
06:03Scoring threat
06:03For over a decade
06:09In 2014
06:10Klose surpassed
06:12Ronaldo Nazario
06:13To become
06:13The all-time
06:14Leading World Cup scorer
06:16With 16 goals
06:17Helping Germany
06:18Lift the trophy
06:19In Brazil
06:20While never the flashiest player
06:22His efficiency
06:23And reliability
06:24Made him invaluable
06:25Klose didn't dominate headlines
06:27But when it mattered most
06:29He delivered goals
06:30And in football
06:31That's everything
06:44Number 5
06:45Zinedine Zardarn
06:46Pressure creates legends
06:48But sometimes
06:49It also reveals
06:50Their breaking point
06:51It was what happened
06:52In the final
06:53That would draw
06:54The world's attention
06:55Like never before
06:57Zinedine Zardarn's
06:58World Cup story
06:59Is one of brilliance
07:00And contradiction
07:01In 1998
07:02He rose to immortality
07:04Scoring two iconic headers
07:06In the final
07:07To lead France
07:08To their first World Cup title
07:09Against Brazil
07:11His composure
07:12And technical mastery
07:13Define that tournament
07:15Zardarn
07:25Then in 2006
07:27Zidane delivered
07:28A masterclass run
07:29Carrying France
07:30To the final
07:31With performances
07:32Of flair and control
07:33But that final
07:35Against Italy
07:35Also brought one of football's
07:37Most shocking moments
07:38His infamous headbutt
07:40On Marco Maderazzi
07:41And the subsequent red card
07:43Despite the drama
07:44Zidane was awarded
07:46The golden ball
07:47As the tournament's
07:48Best player
07:48Not many players
07:50Have combined such artistry
07:51With such intensity
07:54Zidane
07:54The flawed genius
07:56With a final shocking chapter
07:58In his legacy
07:59Walked off
08:00Never
08:01To play again
08:02Number 4
08:03Ronaldo Nazario
08:05At his peak
08:05Ronaldo Nazario
08:07Was unstoppable
08:08And the World Cup
08:09Became his ultimate stage
08:19After a heartbreaking end
08:21To the 1998 final
08:23Where a mysterious seizure
08:25Hours before kickoff
08:26Overshadowed his performance
08:27Ronaldo returned in 2002
08:29With a vengeance
08:30He scored 8 goals
08:32In that tournament
08:33Including in the final
08:34Against Germany
08:35Leading Brazil
08:36To their 5th title
08:43His combination of speed
08:45Power
08:45And finishing
08:46Was devastating
08:47Across multiple
08:48World Cups
08:49He tallied
08:4915 goals
08:50Briefly holding
08:51The all-time scoring record
08:53Ronaldo didn't just score
08:54He dominated defenses
08:56And defined an error
08:57His 2002 triumph
08:59Remains one of the
09:00Great personal comebacks
09:01In World Cup history
09:02Ronaldo
09:03He promised a goal
09:04In every game
09:05The big guy delivers
09:07In the 87th minute
09:09Number 3
09:10Diego Maradona
09:11Some players
09:12World Cup campaigns
09:13Are great
09:14Diego Maradona's
09:15In 1986
09:16Was legendary
09:18He was a truly
09:19Outstanding talent
09:20And the ability
09:21He possessed
09:22Was beyond compare
09:23Almost single-handedly
09:25He carried Argentina
09:26To glory
09:27Delivering one of the
09:28Most dominant
09:28Individual performances
09:29Ever seen
09:30His two goals
09:31Against England
09:32In the quarter-final
09:33One controversial
09:34The other magical
09:35Captured both the chaos
09:37And genius of his game
09:38He glided past
09:40Several English players
09:41Before rounding goalkeeper
09:42Peter Shilton
09:43And scoring
09:44It was quite simply
09:45The product of pure genius
09:47Maradona's vision
09:49Dribbling
09:49And leadership
09:50Made him unstoppable
09:51Throughout the tournament
09:52He finished with
09:53Five goals
09:54And a few decisive assists
09:56Controlling matches
09:57Like few ever have
09:59While his 1990 run
10:00Also achieved the final
10:02It is 1986
10:03That defines him
10:04For many
10:05That campaign
10:06Remains the gold standard
10:07Of individual brilliance
10:09On the World Cup stage
10:10His finals career
10:12Included a number
10:13Of spectacular moments
10:14And he remains
10:15One of the finest
10:16And most enigmatic players
10:18To have graced
10:19The world stage
10:202.
10:21Lionel Messi
10:22For years
10:23The World Cup
10:23Was the missing piece
10:24In Lionel Messi's legacy
10:26Until 2022
10:27Changed everything
10:38After coming close
10:40In 2014
10:41Where he led
10:42Argentina to the final
10:43And won the golden ball
10:45Messi returned to Qatar
10:46With determination
10:47What followed
10:49Was a tournament
10:49For the ages
10:50Seven goals
10:51Clutch performances
10:52Across every knockout round
10:54And a defining display
10:55In the final
10:56Against France
11:10He finally lifted the trophy
11:13Completing one of the greatest
11:14Journeys in football history
11:16Across five World Cups
11:17With 13 goals
11:19Messi combined
11:20Playmaking
11:21Leadership
11:21And scoring
11:22At the highest level
11:23In doing so
11:24He didn't just win
11:25He wrote his name
11:27Among the game's
11:27True immortals
11:29Currently
11:29Fans wonder
11:30If he'd play
11:31A key role
11:32As Argentina
11:33Look ahead
11:34To the 2026 tournament
11:48Before we unveil
11:50Our top pick
11:50Here's a few
11:51Honourable mentions
11:52Just Fontaine
11:54His 1958
11:55World Cup record
11:56Is unbroken
12:03Get Muller
12:04He scored the winning goal
12:06In the World Cup
12:071974 final
12:12Gerincha
12:12Helped win
12:13Back-to-back
12:14World Cup titles
12:15With Brazil
12:16Brazil won 3-1
12:17To retain their crown
12:19With Gerincha
12:20The undoubted star
12:21Of the tournament
12:22Eusebio
12:23He won the golden boots
12:25In the 1966 World Cup
12:27An enduring icon
12:28Eusebio turned out
12:30To be the star
12:30Of the tournament
12:31In 1966
12:32His impact
12:33On English soil
12:34Was quite simply
12:35Remarkable
12:36Carlos Alberto
12:37Scored one of the best goals
12:39In the 1970
12:40World Cup tournament
12:41Alberto fires
12:43A low curving shot
12:44Which travels past
12:45Goalkeeper
12:46Albertosi
12:46And crashes
12:47Into the net
12:49Brazil's victory
12:50Had been capped
12:51By a goal
12:52Of the highest quality
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13:01At TerribleInfluence.com
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13:201. Pele
13:22Before global superstars
13:24Became the norm
13:25There was Pele
13:26The original icon
13:27Of the World Cup
13:28He holds the prestigious record
13:30Of being a FIFA World Cup winner
13:32On no less than
13:33Three occasions
13:34At just 17
13:35He lit up the 1958 tournament
13:37Scoring twice in the final
13:39To lead Brazil to victory
13:41He would go on
13:42To win three World Cups
13:43In 1958
13:441962
13:46And 1970
13:47A record that still stands
13:49Pele was paraded as a hero
13:51He handled the pressure
13:52Of representing his country
13:54With the maturity of a veteran
13:55And he would go on
13:56From this success
13:57His 1970 campaign
13:59In particular
14:00Showcased his complete brilliance
14:03Blending skill
14:03Vision
14:04And leadership
14:05In one of the greatest teams
14:07Ever assembled
14:08Pele scored 12 World Cup goals
14:10And delivered countless
14:11Unforgettable moments
14:13More than just a player
14:14He became the face
14:15Of football itself
14:16When it comes to
14:17World Cup greatness
14:18Pele remains the benchmark
14:20On the 11th of December 2000
14:22Pele was named
14:24Player of the Century
14:25By FIFA's Grand Jury
14:27For his contribution
14:28To the game
14:28Are there any players
14:30We missed on our list?
14:31Let us know
14:32In those comments below
14:33We'll be back to why
14:34We'll be back to the rescue
14:36Oneund
14:38I think
14:38You can do
14:39Wirk
14:39We'll be back to
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