JOE SportsTube: World Cup no-go woe

Theo Walcott has gone from shock inclusion in Sven Goran Eriksson’s 2006 World Cup squad to shock exclusion from Don Fabio’s 2010 equivalent. The omission of the Arsenal winger and other high profile footballers from various World Cup squads this week has since sparked more debate than a budget day Dáil.

But when such debate arises JOE feels more remorse for those football legends who never got to showcase their immense talent on the World’s greatest football stage due to no fault of their own.

And accordingly, in this week’s JOE Sports Tube we pay tribute to the greatest football talent never to play at a World Cup.

George Best

The saying “Maradona good, Pelé better, George Best,” might be a little bit of an exaggeration. However, if the great Northern Ireland international had got the chance to dazzle the watching world at any World Cup it’s believed he could have challenged for ‘the greatest ever’ tag. Before the gargle dimmed the legendary skill merchant’s game he regularly ran rings around the butchering defenders of his era, registered 138 goals for United, collected numerous trophies and was named European Footballer of the Year. But unfortunately for him and football fans everywhere he never got to amaze before the gaze of the watching world.

 

George Weah

George Weah is both the only FIFA Footballer of the Year from Africa and the only person given that award to never play in a World Cup Finals. The former PSG and AC Milan striker is not just the greatest African player of all time but one of the best ever to play the game. Weah had the perfect mix of power, pace and panache but despite twice qualifying for the African Nations Cup with his native Liberia, a team he personally bankrolled, he never made it to the World Cup.

Watch as Weah stands out like a 16 year old banger playing under-10 school boy football.

We know you’re impressed by that but get ready to lift your jaw of the floor as Weah scores a goal worthy of any World Cup:

 

 

Ryan Giggs

He may be the most decorated player in English Football history but criminally a lot of undecorated Premier League flops can boast to achieving more than Ryan Giggs on the International front. There are those that suggest if the Welsh wing wizard had declared for England (a country he represented at underage level) he would have graced and possibly won on the biggest world stage. Now more of a fading playmaker, Giggs at full tilt in his heyday was a sight certainly worthy of a World Cup.

 

Alfredo di Stefano

Despite being regarded as an elite in terms of football history and playing for three countries who now regularly qualify for the great tournament, Alfredo di Stefano never played at a World Cup.

The Argentinean born international, who also represented Columbia and Spain, was instrumental in Real Madrid’s domination of Spanish and European football in the 1950s. His efforts in the five-in-a-row European Cup-winning team have seen him immortalised in Madrid folklore. Stefano scored 216 goals in 282 league matches for Madrid, was named the most influential player over the last 50 years by the Spanish federation and was labelled as the ‘greatest ever’ by Pele.

The footage isn’t of the same quality as the skilful striker but look out for the cheeky back heel mid way through.

 

Matt le Tissier

Unlike our other selections, dislike from his national manager prevented the incredibly skilful but yet laid back (or lazy as his detractors would like to say) Le Tissier from strutting his quality stuff at the World Cup.

Glenn Hoddle, who unsuccessfully tried to sign the Southampton legend when he was Chelsea boss, didn’t deem the first midfielder to score 100 Premier League goals worthy of a place in his 1998 World Cup squad.

Indeed there are many who would agree with reincarnation ambassador Hoddle. JOE Sports Tube argues Le Tissier managed to shine for his club without a quality supporting cast hence he could have been even better on the international stage.

We submit this clip as evidence.

 

Eric Cantona

Cantona was a king on foreign soil. Ever the extrovert, he brought the curtain down on his career when he could still have been in his prime, ensuring that his legend would continue to grow with the passage of time. He won 45 caps for France but they all came at a time – post-Platini, pre-Zidane – when France were plumbing the depths, failing to qualify for the World Cups of 1990 and ’94.

He did play in Euro ’92, when a strikeforce of Cantona and Papin was unable to prevent Les Bleus crashing out without a win from three games, but a combination of ill-will – he called his first international boss Henri Michel “a bag of shit” – and the suspension which followed his Selhurst Park rush of blood (during which time Zidane arrived to replace him) ensured that he never hit the heights for his country that he would for his club.

 

By Jonny Stapleton