The World Team of the 20th Century or MasterCard 20th Century team (as it was sponsored by MasterCard) was chosen in 1998 to honour the best association football players of the 20th century. The team was consisted of an eleven-member side, with one goalkeeper, four defenders, three midfielders, and three forwards (4–3–3 formation).
History The team was announced on 10 June 1998, in conjunction with the opening ceremonies of the 1998 FIFA World Cup in France. The team was selected in plurality voting undertaken by a panel of 250 international football journalists from amongst the members of eleven-member sides styled as the South American and European Teams of the 20th Century. Those two continental selections were announced a month earlier by the same panel, featuring players who represented national teams of the CONMEBOL and UEFA confederations and would be the pool for the World selection. That meant that no player from outside Europe or South America was eligible for selection for the World Team.
Selection teams for players from the nations of CONCACAF, the Confederation of African Football, and collectively the Asian and Oceania Football Confederations were also chosen by separate, smaller juries of journalists situated respectively in North and Central America, Africa, and Asia and Oceania. They were announced alongside the European and South American teams, but players selected to the former sides were not considered for selection to the world team.
The continental selection All the team selections were sponsored by MasterCard and announced on 15 May 1998.
Continental selections FIFA also published the best XIs of the Century for CONCACAF, UEFA, Africa and the Asian and Oceania Football Confederations.Ramos, Balboa named to MasterCard CONCACAF 20th Century team (15/05/1998) – soccertimes.com MasterCard sponsored the team selections which were announced on 15 May 1998. The first two selections (UEFA, CONMEBOL) worked as the pool for choosing the World's Best Eleven.
Pool for the World Selection ContinentGoalkeeperDefendersMidfieldersForwardsEurope Lev Yashin Franz Beckenbauer Bobby Moore Paolo Maldini Franco Baresi Johan Cruyff Michel Platini Bobby Charlton Eusebio Ferenc Puskas Marco Van BastenSouth America Ubaldo Fillol Daniel Passarella Nilton Santos Elías Figueroa Carlos Alberto Torres Alfredo Di Stéfano Roberto Rivellino Didi Pelé Diego Maradona Garrincha
Rest of the world ContinentGoalkeeperDefendersMidfieldersForwardsCONCACAF Antonio Carbajal Marcelo Balboa Gilberto Yearwood Bruce Wilson Gustavo Peña Ramon Ramirez Mágico González Tab Ramos Julio Dely Valdés Hugo Sánchez Hernan MedfordAfrica Thomas N'Kono Ali Shehata Ibrahim Youssef Emmanuel Kunde Mwepu Ilunga Segun Odegbami Theophile Abega Abedi Pele Laurent Pokou Roger Milla Rabah MadjerAsia/Oceania Chow Chee Keong Kim Ho-kon Masami Ihara Soh Chin Ann Cheung Chi Doy Karim Bagheri Kim Joo-sung Majed Abdullah Kunishige Kamamoto Khodadad Azizi Cha Bum-kun
World selection The formation chosen was 4–3–3.
PositionPlayerNational side(s)represented by yearProfessional club(s)represented by yearRank on theFIFA Magazine and Grand Juryenumeration of the topFIFA players of the 20th centuryContinental, FIFA World Cup,IFFHS, and FIFA awardsGoalkeeperLev Yashin Soviet Union(1954–1970)FC Dynamo Moscow (1949–1971)UnrankedEuropean Footballer of the Year (1963), UEFA Jubilee Award (Russia)World Cup All-Star TeamThe constitution of the all-star team for each FIFA World Cup contested prior to 1998 was determined by a panel of journalists concomitant to the selection of the all-star team for the latter year's World Cup; all-star teams were selected contemporaneously only in 1998 and thereafter. (1958)FIFA World Cup All-Time Team,To be considered for selection to the FIFA 100, a player must have been living upon the team's selection in February 2004 and announcement on 4 March 2004; Lev Yashin, Bobby Moore, and Garrincha, consequently, were ineligible for selection. FIFA Order of Merit (1988)Defender (fullback)Carlos Alberto Torres Brazil(1964–1977)Fluminense (1963–1966, 1974–1977)Santos FC (1966–1974)Flamengo (1977)Botafogo (1971)New York Cosmos (1977–1980, 1982)California Surf (1981)UnrankedFIFA 100World Cup All-Star Team (1970)Defender (centre-back)Franz Beckenbauer West Germany(1965–1977)Bayern Munich (1965–1977)New York Cosmos (1977–1980, 1983)Hamburger SV (1980–1982)4European Footballer of the Year (1972, 1976)FIFA World Cup Best Young Player Award (1966), FIFA World Cup Bronze Boot (1966), FIFA World Cup Silver Ball (1974) FIFA World Cup All-Star Team (1966, 1970, 1974)FIFA World Cup All-Time Team, FIFA World Cup Dream TeamIFFHS Best European Player 1956–1990FIFA 100, FIFA Order of Merit (1984, 2004) Defender (centre-back)Bobby Moore England(1962–1973)West Ham United (1958–1974)Fulham (1974–1977)San Antonio Thunder (1977)Seattle Sounders (1978)14UEFA Jubilee Award (England)World Cup All-Star Team (1966), FIFA World Cup All-Time Team, FIFA Order of Merit (1996)Defender (fullback)Nílton Santos Brazil(1949–1963)Botafogo (1949–1965)UnrankedWorld Cup All-Star Team (1958)FIFA 100MidfielderJohan Cruyff Netherlands(1966–1978)Ajax Amsterdam (1964–1973, 1981–1983)FC Barcelona (1973–1978)Los Angeles Aztecs (1979)Washington Diplomats (1980–1981)Levante UD (1981)Feyenoord (1983–1984)5European Footballer of the Year (1971, 1973, 1974), UEFA Jubilee Award (Netherlands)World Cup All-Star Team (1974)FIFA 100, FIFA Order of Merit (2010)MidfielderAlfredo Di Stéfano Argentina(1947) Colombia(1949) Spain (1957–1962)River Plate (1943–1945, 1947–1949)Huracán (1946–1947)Millonarios (1949–1953)Real Madrid (1953–1964)RCD Espanyol (1964–1966)2European Footballer of the Year (1957, 1959), UEFA Jubilee Award (Spain)FIFA 100, FIFA Order of Merit (1994)MidfielderMichel Platini France(1976–1987)AS Nancy (1972–1979)AS Saint-Étienne (1979–1982)Juventus (1982–1987)7European Footballer of the Year (1983, 1984, 1985), Onze d'Or (1983, 1984, 1985)World Cup All-Star Team (1982, 1986)World Soccer Player of the Year (1984, 1985)FIFA 100ForwardGarrincha Brazil(1955–1966)Botafogo (1953–1965)Corinthians (1966)Atlético Junior (1968)Flamengo (1968–1969)Olaria (1972)7World Cup Golden Shoe Award (1962), World Cup All-Star Team (1958, 1962)ForwardDiego Maradona Argentina(1977–1994)Argentinos Juniors (1976–1981)Boca Juniors (1981–1982, 1995–1997)FC Barcelona (1982–1984)SSC Napoli (1984–1991)Sevilla FC (1992–1993)Newell's Old Boys (1993)3Onze d'Or (1986, 1987), FIFA Player of the Century, South American Footballer of the Year (1979, 1980)World Cup Golden Ball Award (1986), World Cup Bronze Ball Award (1990), FIFA World Cup Silver Shoe (1986), World Cup All-Star Team (1986, 1990)FIFA World Cup Dream TeamWorld Soccer Player of the Year (1986)Honorary Ballon d'Or (1995) FIFA 100ForwardPelé Brazil(1956–1971)Santos FC (1956–1974)New York Cosmos (1975–1977)1 South American Footballer of the Year (1973), World Cup Golden Ball Award (Best Player) (1970), World Cup Silver Ball (1958), World Cup Best Young Player (1958), World Cup All-Star Team (1958, 1970), FIFA World Cup All-Time Team, FIFA Player of the Century, IFFHS Player of the Century, Player of the Century by France Football's Ballon d'Or Winners, FIFA Ballon d'Or Prix d'Honneur (2013), FIFA 100, FIFA Order of Merit (1984, 2004) Athlete of the Century by International Olympic Committee
See also FIFA World Cup Dream Team FIFA 100 FIFA World Cup awards FIFA Player of the Century World Soccer's Greatest Players of the 20th Century IFFHS:The World Team
References
Sources Brown, Gerry, and Morrison, Michael (eds.; 2003). ESPN Information Please Sports Almanac. New York City: ESPN Books and Hyperion (joint). .
External links Analysis of the constitution of the world team in the International Herald Tribune Enumeration of the European, South American, and world teams by Infoplease Ramos, Balboa named to MasterCard CONCACAF 20th Century team. SoccerTimes