SPORTSYOUNGEST PLAYER IN A WORLD CUP
Norman Whiteside (b. 7 May 1965) was picked to start in
Northern Ireland’s first group-stage game of the 1982 World
Cup, against Yugoslavia, aged just 17 years 41 days. The match,
which was held in Zaragoza, Spain, on 17 Jun, ended goalless.
Whiteside went on to play in all of Northern Ireland’s games
during the 1982 tournament (including the team’s shock win
over the host nation, Spain).MOST MINUTES PLAYED
IN THE WORLD CUP
Famously reliable Italian
defender Paolo Maldini was
in the starting 11 for every
game Italy played at World
Cup tournaments between
1990 and 2002. He was never
substituted, even when
games went into extra-time
or penalties (which happened
often for his defence-heavy
team). In total, Maldini
played 2,217 min of World
Cup football (that’s 36 hr,
or a day and a half).MOST WORLD
CUP FINALS GOALS
(INDIVIDUAL)
Expert finisher Miroslav
Klose (DEU) scored
16 goals in the course
of his 24 World Cup
appearances for Germany
between 2002 and 2014.
At the 2006 World Cup, he
scored five goals to win
the coveted “Golden Boot”
trophy (awarded to the
highest-scoring player of
the tournament). He is also
one of only 46 players to
have scored a hat-trick in
a World Cup game since the
first tournament in 1930.FIRST TO WIN THE WORLD CUP AS BOTH CAPTAIN AND COACH
In 1974, Franz Beckenbauer (above, then 28 years old) captained West Germany to victory in
the World Cup final against the Netherlands. Almost exactly 16 years later, Beckenbauer, now
44 (above right) and manager of the national team, presided over West Germany’s victorious
run in the 1990 World Cup.
The first person to win as both player and coach was Brazil’s Mário
Zagallo, who was part of the Brazilian team that won in 1958 and 1962 as
well as the manager of the team that won in 1970.
MOST GOALS SCORED
IN THE WORLD CUP
AS CAPTAIN
Attacking midfielder Diego
Maradona scored six goals at
World Cup tournaments during his
eight-year stint (1986–1994) as
the captain of the Argentinians.
The team reached the World Cup
final twice during his time as
captain – in 1986 (when they won)
and in 1990 (when they lost to
West Germany). These two runs
mean that Maradona also holds
the record for most World Cup
appearances as captain (16).OLDEST PLAYER
IN THE WORLD CUP
Colombian goalkeeper Faryd
Mondragón (b. 21 Jun 1971)
was aged 43 years 3 days
when he came on as a late
substitute during Colombia’s
comfortable 4–1 group-
stage victory over Japan in
Cuiabá, Brazil, on 24 Jun 2014.
Mondragón’s appearance broke
the record set by striker Roger
Milla (CAM) at the 1994 World
Cup (see opposite).YOUNGEST PLAYER IN
A WORLD CUP-WINNING TEAM
Pelé (BRA, b. 23 Oct 1940; above right) started the 1958
World Cup in Sweden having played only once for his country.
His first appearance set a record for youngest World Cup
player (which stood until 1982, see above). He followed this
up with youngest goalscorer (see opposite page) before
becoming the youngest player in a World Cup-winning team
on 29 Jun, aged 17 years 249 days. Pelé’s career earned him
seven GWR titles, which we presented to him in 2013 (top).The Argentine
superstar Lionel
Messi considers
Maradona to be “the
greatest there’s
ever been”.