Best Soccer Generation Of All Times (1930 To 2010)

[kingkong]

After the 2006 WC, this thread is now being recycled.
(Jan 2nd 2007)

According to our division of generations, last generation (Gen IV) has till 2010 to show its cards...

The actual poll score is:
(see corrections in post #57)

Gen I - 1
Gen II - 17
Gen III - 20
Gen IV - 14

As you see, the contest btw II, III & IV is very tight...
(Gen I too was fantastic, but no one here saw it)

Keep voting!...
(can vote in + than one)

.................................................................................

BEST SOCCER GENERATION OF ALL TIMES (1930 T0 2010)


OK, folks,

Which was the best among those fantastic four 20-year-old generations? I think it's a reasonably criterious division, since 20 years is the maximum of time in a professional player's life span; besides, who could deny that the first important period in the sport ended with WW II; that the second started with Puskas and ended with Pelé's withdrawal; the third finished with the glorious sunset of the Maradona/Platini's era; and that the fourth was inaugurated by Romário and Zidane?

Of course, many great names are missing in the lists below (if you wish you can edit them, either by making corrections or adding important names I probably forgot, and/or creating your own hypothetic selections for each period); however their main finality is to give an approximate idea to people of different generations in this Forum about the players who played in those different epochs, so they can judge and cast their vote more accurately.

And, please, justify your vote!!!...

I for instance would vote for GENERATION II, by whom, in my opinion, Its Majesty, The Ball, was best treated as an art object by a greater number of geniuses of a wider range of different nations (jogo bonito, folks, that's what - at least for us Brazilians - footbal is all about)...

But...that's up to you!...


SO GO!!!:


GENERATION I (1930 to 38 till late 40’s)

(3 World Cups – one with 13, one with 16, one with 15 countries – a total of 44 WC participations in the period):

Argentina: Stábile, Ferreira, Peucelle, Sastre, Lostau, Labruna, Moreno, Pedernera; Austria: Sindelar, Horvath; Belgium: De Clercq; Brazil: Friendereich, Fausto, Batatais, Patesko, Domingos da Guia, Tim, Romeu, Perácio, Leônidas da Silva, Heleno de Freitas, Zizinho, Jair da Rosa Pinto, Ademir; Czechoslovakia: Planicka, Kopcki; France: Liberati, Laurent; HungarY: Sarosi, Szabo, Koranyi, Lazar, Titkos; Italy: Combi, Meazza, Filó, Schiavio, Ferrari, Orsi, Piola, Foni, Rava, Locatelli; Poland: Piontek; Spain: Zamora; Uruguay: Ballesteros, Nasazzi, Souza, Andrade, Céa, Iriarte, Castro

[Hypothetic selection: Zamora; Domingos da Guia; Fausto, Zizinho, Meazza; Sastre, Moreno, Leônidas da Silva, Friendereich, Labruna, Pedernera]



GENERATION II (50 to 70)

(6 World Cups – one with 13, five with 16 countries - a total of 93 WC participations in the period):

Argentina: Di Stéfano, Carrizzo, Roma, Dominguez, Rattín, Perfumo, Artime, Sanfilippo, Sívori, Solari, Más; Belgium: Thissen; Brazil: Djalma Santos, Nilton Santos, Altair, Julinho, Evaristo, Dino Sani, Didi, Zito, Dida, Garrincha, Vavá, Dorval, Pelé, Coutinho, Pepe, Carlos Alberto, Piazza, Clodoaldo, Gérson, Tostão, Jairzinho, Paulo César Caju, Rivelino; Czechoslovakia: Schrojf, Popluhar, Novak, Masopust, Pluskhal, Viktor, Petras; England: Alf Ramsey, Wright, Taylor, Stanley Matthews, Bobby Moore, Jackie Charlton, Bobby Charlton, Jimmy Greaves, Mullery, Banks, Hurst, Lee, Stiles, Ball, Hunt; France: Kopa, Juste Fontaine, Jonquet, Piantoni; Germany: Fritz Walter, Rahn, Morlock, Turek, Schäffer, Seeler, Schnellinger, Nowak, Haller, Beckenbauer, Schulz, Overath, Tilkowsky, Maier, Vogts, Müller; Hungary: Puskas, Grocsis, Bozsic, Kocsis, Hidegkuti, Czibor, Albert, Tichy, Bene, Nagi, Farkas; Ireland: George Best; Italy: Gigi Riva, Boniperti, Maldini, Capello, Rivera, Trappatoni, Mazzola, Altafini, Sívori, Fachetti, Albertosi, Burgnich, Boninsegna; Iugoslavia: Milutinovic, Bobek, Sekuralak, Kovacevik; Mexico: Carbajal; Peru: Cubillas, Gallardo, Chumpitaz, Mifflin, De La Torre, Challe, Baylon, Sotil; Portugal: Eusébio, Coluna, Augusto, Simões, Torres, Costa Pereira; Romenia: Dumitrache, Lupescu, Dumitru; Russia: Yashin, Kuznetsov, Igor Netto, Chislenko, Chesterniev, Kavasavshivili, Bishovets, Serebrianikov, Metreveli; Spain: Ramallets, Del Sol, Santamaría, Peiró, Suarez, Amancio, Pirri, Gento, Di Stéfano, Puskas; Sweden: Skoglund, Liedholm, Hamrin; Uruguay: Máspoli, Gigghia, Obdúlio Varela, Schiaffino, Del Sol, Santamaría, Cubilla, Pedro Rocha, Manicera, Ancheta, Mazurckiewicz

[Hypothetic selection: Yashin; Carlos Alberto, Beckenbauer, Bobby Charlton, Nilton Santos; Didi, Di Stéfano; Garrincha, Pelé, Puskas, Eusébio]



GENERATION III (early 70’s to early 90’s)

(5 World Cups – two with 16 countries, three with 24 countries – total of 104 WC participations in the period):

Argentina: Fillol, Kempes, Brindisi, Ardiles, Luque, Pasarella, Tarantini, Ramón Díaz, Caniggia, Sensini, Valdano, Maradona; Austria: Krankl, Prohaska, Koncillia, Obermeyer; Belgium: Pfaff, Ceulemans, Clijsters,Wilmots, Scifo, Gerets, Preud’homme; Brazil: Leão, Luís Pereira, Júlio César, Ricardo Gomes, Edinho, Mozer, Oscar, Marinho Chagas, Nelinho, Carpeggiani, Toninho Cerezzo, Zico, Reinaldo, Leandro, Júnior, Sócrates, Éder, Falcão, Careca, Renato Gaúcho; Cameroon: Roger Milla; chile: Figueroa; Colombia: Rincón, Valderrama; denmark: Laudrup; England: Shilton, Keegan, Lineker, Gascoigne, Platt; France: Trésor, Amoros, Battiston, Giresse, Bossis, Tigana, Rocheteau, Six, Platini, Bats, Papin; Germany: Breitner, Netzer, Grabowski, Hoeness, Bonhof, Rumenigge, Schumacher, Littbarski, Fischer, Magath, Matthäus, Allofs, Briegel, Brehme, Völler, Illgner, Klinsmann; Holland: Cruijff, Neeskens, De Jong, Resenbrink, R. and W. Van Der Kerkhof, Krol, Haan, Rep, Rikjaard, Koeman, Gullit, Van Basten; Italy: Zoff, Cabrini, Gentile, Scirea, Antognoni, Conti, Tardelli, Bettega, P. Rossi, Baresi, Causio, Massaro, Cabrini, Bergomi, Collovati, Ancelotti, Vialli, Zenga, Maldini, Baggio, Carnevale, Donadoni, Mancini, Schilacci, Serena; Ireland: Sheridan; Iugoslavia: Djazik, Surjak, Suker, Savicevic, Prosinecki; Paraguay: Romerito; Peru: Oblitas, Uribe; Poland: Tomaszesvski, Zmuda, Lato, Deyna, Szarmach, Bonyek; Portugal: Futre; Romenia: Lupescu, Dumitrescu, Raducioiu, Popescu, Hagi; Russia: Dasaev, Blokhin; Scotland: Dalglish, Dennis Law, Sounness, Archibald; Spain: Zubizarreta, Butragueño, Sanchis, Michel, Hierro; Sweden: Brölin; Uruguay: Pablo Forlan, Morena, Corbo, Silva, Rubén Paz, Francescoli, Rodolfo Rodríguez

[Hypothetic selection: Schumacher; Leandro, Baresi, Pasarella, Marinho Chagas; Crujff, Platini; Van Basten, Maradona, Zico, Roger Milla]



GENERATION IV (early 90’s to May 2010)

(4 World Cups – one with 24 and three with 32 countries – a total of 120 WC participations in the period):

Argentina: Redondo, Batistuta, Simeone, Ayala, Ortega, Crespo, Zanetti, Aimar, Killy Gonzalez, Verón, Saviola, Samuel, Riquelme, Tevez, Messi, Agüero; Belgium: Oliveira, Wilmots, Van der Elst; Brazil: Taffarel, Marcos, Dida, M. Santos, Branco, Bebeto, Romário, Raí, Aldair, Leonardo, Ronaldo, Cafu, Roberto Carlos, César Sampaio, Rivaldo, Emerson, Belleti, Edmundo, G. Silva, Kléberson, Edilson, Jardel, Liédson, M. Paraíba, Edmilson, Lúcio, Juan, Cicinho, Zé Roberto, J. Pernambucano, Kaká, Amoroso, Ricardo Oliveira, Serginho, Adriano, Ronaldinho, Robinho, Fred, Nilmar; Bulgária: Sirakov, Stoichkov, Kostadinov, Penev; Cameroon: Etto’o, Biyick, M’Boma; Chile: Salas, Zamorano; Colombia: Mondragon, Aristizábal, Valencia, Asprilla; Croatia: Boban, Prosinecki, Jarni, Simic; Denmark: Schmeichel, B. Laudrup, Jörgensen, Gravesen, Gronkjaer; Ecuador: Aguinaga, Tenório; England: Seaman, Beckham, Shearer, Sheringham, McManaman, Scholes, Ince, Owen, Rio Ferdinand, Cole, Gerrard, Lampard, Wayne Rooney; France: Barthez, Candela, Lizarazu, Vieira, Djorkaeff, Deschamps, Desailly, Zidane, Pires, Henry, Thuram, Karembeau, Petit, Trezeguet, Makelele, Cissé, Wiltord, Giuly; Germany: Oliver Khan, Möller, Ziege, Bierhoff, Neuville, Klose, Ballack, Asamoah, Jeremies, Bode; Holland: F., R. de Boer, Overmars, Bergkamp, Van der Sar, Winter, Kluivert, Seedorf, Davids; Ireland: R. Keane, Cunningham; Italy: Pagliuca, Toldo, Buffon, P. Maldini; Gattuso, Costacurta, Signori, Zola, Canavarro, Nesta, Del Piero, Inzaghi, Vieri, Gilardino, Totti; Iugoslavia: Savicevic, Mihajlovic, Stankovic, Kovacevic; Japan: Nakata, Inamoto; Mexico: Jorge Campos, Hugo Sánchez, García Aspe, Borgetti, Palencia; Nigeria: Okocha, Ikpeba, Amunike, Kanu Adepoju, Babangida, Amokachi, Oliseh, Okpara, Babayaro, Orkoronkwo; Norway: Solskjaer, Flo; Paraguay: Chilavert, Arce, Rivarola, Gamarra, Enciso, Brizuela; Portugal: Vitor Baía, Jorge Costa, F. Couto, Figo, J. Pinto, Pauleta, Deco, Rui Costa, Nuno Gomes; Romênia: Stelea; Rússia: Salenko; Scotland: Gallagher; Senegal: Diouf, Camara; Spain: Beriguistain, Bakero, Guardiola, Luís Henrique, Morientes, Canizares, Amor, Casillas, Helguera, Puyol, Raul, Mendieta, Xavi, Nadal; Sweden: Ravelli, Larsson, Ibrahimovic; Switzerland: Chapuysat; Turkey: Sukur; Ukrain: Shevchenko; Uruguay: D. Forlan, Recoba; Wales: Giggs

[Hypothetic selection: O. Khan; Thuram, Aldair, Gamarra, Roberto Carlos; Zidane, Stoichkov; Ronaldinho, Romário, Ronaldo, Henry]

[King Adriano]

thanx for using the advice King Kong now here a lot of people will have the opportunity 2 see it.

[Feanor]

I would go for 1950-1970. I think Pele, Garrincha, Di Stefano, Puskas, Eusebio were the best. Although the generation 1970-1990 with Cruijff, Beckenbauer, Zico, Platini, Maradona, Van Basten stands close.

But, King Kong, what kind of selection are those ? I assume they are not teams, because theu have no defense.

[pisulino]

Originally Posted by Feanor

I would go for 1950-1970. I think Pele, Garrincha, Di Stefano, Puskas, Eusebio were the best. Although the generation 1970-1990 with Cruijff, Beckenbauer, Zico, Platini, Maradona, Van Basten stands close.

But, King Kong, what kind of selection are those ? I assume they are not teams, because theu have no defense.

As far as I can see....the Teams are complete!

Thank you King......it's a nice refreshing post.

[kingkong]

Originally Posted by pisulino

As far as I can see....the Teams are complete!

Thank you King......it's a nice refreshing post.

You're wellcome, Pisulino!...

Of course, people may not agree with my selections; I might even be placing a few players in wrong positions (specially in Generation I, which I didn't see).

But I think that from 1950 on they make some sense (of course, as I said before, you can contrive your own ideal selections too, that's what the lists I configured above were made for)...

I'd also ask people (although I know how hard that can be) not to put their heart in first place, and try to weigh the names of the players in those different eras, clearly stating a non-passionate reason (or reasons) for their preferences, instead of voting in such or such generation just because that was their generation; maybe I myself did that, although I tried to justify my vote in a rational way...

Those rational arguments would even have more strength than the vote itself (which by its own nature - although biased - is just an impersonal, cold datum, and actually states nothing)...

[kingkong]

Originally Posted by Feanor

I would go for 1950-1970. I think Pele, Garrincha, Di Stefano, Puskas, Eusebio were the best. Although the generation 1970-1990 with Cruijff, Beckenbauer, Zico, Platini, Maradona, Van Basten stands close.

But, King Kong, what kind of selection are those ? I assume they are not teams, because theu have no defense.

"Oh-oh"!...

Beckenbauer belongs to GENERATION II (1950-1970), even though he was Wc in 1974; but, at the 1970 WC, in which he had a brilliant participation, he already had his fame established for long, and was already known in the whole world as The Kaiser (Pelé and him were practically contemporary)...

As far as defenses are concerned, football in the first period used five, and sometimes six, forwards; in the second period, as in the first, the forwards were so talented and aggressive that their teams (Santos, Real, Milan, Benfica) simply could afford taking two or three goals that their strikers would score more...

Tight defenses as a "game philosophy" became widespread afterwards specially in some countries of Europe (Italy, England mainly) as a natural reaction to this more offensive football...

[BRISTOLUK]

Ordinarily I'd say current is best. The pace of today's game is quicker, the pressure to perform is greater...so to stand out today means you're probably better than 'yesterday's' players.
But there's another factor. The rules today make it easier for talent to succeed and that's great. No tackles from behind, offside rule changes favouring the attacking team, players no longer getting away with six or seven fouls before the ref notices etc.
So it makes me wonder if gen 3 would have been better again if they played under today's rules. Of course, some of those defenders wouldn't have lasted 10 minutes before getting red cards today.

But then, how about those from gen 1 and 2? They'd have a good case for saying they could have done better without heavy boots, mudheaps for playing surfaces and leather balls that soaked up water and had a nasty knot in the lace that put a nice dent in your head if you were brave enough to head it.
On the other hand, they could score by thumping the goalie into the net with the ball.
I'm going with gen 3 for reasons of nostalgia.

[kingkong]

Originally Posted by Feanor

I would go for 1950-1970. I think Pele, Garrincha, Di Stefano, Puskas, Eusebio were the best. Although the generation 1970-1990 with Cruijff, Beckenbauer, Zico, Platini, Maradona, Van Basten stands close.

But, King Kong, what kind of selection are those ? I assume they are not teams, because theu have no defense.

Hey,

Don't forget to cast your vote!...

[Ronni]

very interesting lists. However I notice that I tend to feel the players I didn't see myself much more as "legends" than the ones I could see, and yet I feel much more related to the latter ones. So it's difficult to choose.
Since you said "early 90's to today" and I feel there was some sort of vacuum right after the last good Maradona's strikes in the very beginning of the 90's, I'd stay with generation III (instead of IV) since I saw them playing. Although the names of generation II impress me more.

[pisulino]

Originally Posted by BRISTOLUK

Ordinarily I'd say current is best. The pace of today's game is quicker, the pressure to perform is greater...so to stand out today means you're probably better than 'yesterday's' players.
But there's another factor. The rules today make it easier for talent to succeed and that's great. No tackles from behind, offside rule changes favouring the attacking team, players no longer getting away with six or seven fouls before the ref notices etc.
So it makes me wonder if gen 3 would have been better again if they played under today's rules. Of course, some of those defenders wouldn't have lasted 10 minutes before getting red cards today.

But then, how about those from gen 1 and 2? They'd have a good case for saying they could have done better without heavy boots, mudheaps for playing surfaces and leather balls that soaked up water and had a nasty knot in the lace that put a nice dent in your head if you were brave enough to head it.
On the other hand, they could score by thumping the goalie into the net with the ball.
I'm going with gen 3 for reasons of nostalgia.

Good points,
I would like to quote my Father who told me of the generation I and some of the II.
The players back them did not have any support; and by that I mean financial, physical, etc. The players used to show up with their poor boots under their arms, put them on and play. Like you have mentioned, the ball was a 1/2 a ton bomb that if you happen to make a mistake and kick or headed the wrong way may cause either foot fracture or brain damage.

Now it's all more refined, organized and players are more spoiled. Everything is looked after for them. Please don't get me wrong the talent still there but I would like to honor those that went through hell just to defend their colors.

[kingkong]

Originally Posted by BRISTOLUK

Ordinarily I'd say current is best. The pace of today's game is quicker, the pressure to perform is greater...so to stand out today means you're probably better than 'yesterday's' players.But there's another factor. The rules today make it easier for talent to succeed and that's great. No tackles from behind, offside rule changes favouring the attacking team, players no longer getting away with six or seven fouls before the ref notices etc.
So it makes me wonder if gen 3 would have been better again if they played under today's rules. Of course, some of those defenders wouldn't have lasted 10 minutes before getting red cards today.

But then, how about those from gen 1 and 2? They'd have a good case for saying they could have done better without heavy boots, mudheaps for playing surfaces and leather balls that soaked up water and had a nasty knot in the lace that put a nice dent in your head if you were brave enough to head it.
On the other hand, they could score by thumping the goalie into the net with the ball.
I'm going with gen 3 for reasons of nostalgia.

BRISTOLUK,

As far "the pace of today's game" being quicker, that's something very relative, and for me you erroneously evaluate it in an absolute way...

If you observe physical preparation in each of those four generations, you'll see that they were the best possible ones for each of those epochs; as a matter of fact they represented the maximum that physical fitness theory and practice could proportionate to athletes in specific eras.

Be it in 1930 or 2006 the players of the different generations have always been the great laboratory for those sempiternally evolving technological conquests; from the physiological point of view they - in any epoch - will always be (and always were) the tip of the iceberg...

That applyes to any sport: who will display the courage to earnestly affirm that today's basketball players are "better" than Jordan (90s), Magic Johnson (80s), Jabbar (70s), Oscar Robertson, Wilt Chamberlain (60s), etc, just because they play "faster"?!!!...; or that Schumacher and Barrichello (who run at 200 miles/hr) are "better" than Fangio and Jim Clark (who "ran" at 120 miles/hr)?!!!...

In absolute terms I have to agree with you that the "pace of today's game is quicker"; not in relative ones, though: if you see things in perspective you'll probably notice that - in any epoch - the inherent tension (or, in your terms, "pace" or "pressure to perform") of the game remains practically the same; in the 30's the players did absolutely the maximum that they could within their epoch's fitness parameters; so did the Maradonas, Platinis and Zicos in the 80's, and so will do the Messis, Rooneys and Ronaldos in the Third Milemnium!...

How injust would be to say that Ronaldinho was "better" than Cruyjff, Maradona, Di Stéfano or Sastre just because he was "faster" and "stronger" and played 20, 30, 40 or 50 years later!...

All of them were as "good" or "skilled" as any other who in the future might beat the 100 mts record while playing soccer: talent will always exist, independently of your "age" or how much you "run"...

Gérson (by the way a folklorically "lazy" genius) used to say; "Running? Who meee...??? Who has to run is the ball!!!...)

[BRISTOLUK]

Originally Posted by kingkong

BRISTOLUK, As far "the pace of today's game" being quicker, that's something very relative, and for me you erroneously evaluate it in an absolute way...
How injust would be to say that Ronaldinho was "better" than Cruyjff or Maradona just because he was "faster" and "stronger" and played 20 or 30 years later!...

Well, pace was just one of half a dozen things I mentioned and some I didn't. I don't believe I suggested one player could be said to be better than other merely from being faster or stronger.
Pace, also, is not just a question of running faster. It's running into the correct position, QUICKLY. It's 'seeing' something quickly or reacting to something quickly. A defender today cannot foul as freely as previously. His opponent can push the offside rules more than previously. Today's defender has more to cope with than yesterday's top defender. He has to think more quickly because of these things. It follows that today's top defender stands above yesterday's. This is not to denegrate the player of yesterday. It just recognises that fitness levels, techniques and conditions change. Usually for the better. Goalscoring is easier now because of the rule changes...but this could be negated by better defending. There are so many variables. But one constant is a faster pace; in thought, reaction, movement, running over a variety of distances...even the pace of the ball is different. Goalkeepers don't catch shots like they used to (even 10 years ago) because the pace and flight of the ball is different.

I think you are seeing assumptions I haven't made.

[Chingchangchung]

"not in relative ones, though: if you see things in perspective you'll probably notice that - in any epoch - the inherent tension (or, in your terms, "pace" or "pressure to perform") of the game remains practically the same; in the 30's the players did absolutely the maximum that they could within their epoch's fitness parameters"

Sure but that doesn't necesarily mean players from before would be able to reach the maximum of today's fitness parameters. Did that make sense?

[kingkong]

Originally Posted by Chingchangchung

"not in relative ones, though: if you see things in perspective you'll probably notice that - in any epoch - the inherent tension (or, in your terms, "pace" or "pressure to perform") of the game remains practically the same; in the 30's the players did absolutely the maximum that they could within their epoch's fitness parameters"

Sure but that doesn't necesarily mean players from before would be able to reach the maximum of today's fitness parameters. Did that make sense?

CHING,

Of course not, unless they ressurrected in our days and received the same benefits (nourishment, physical fittness preparation, etc) of today's players.

One shouldn't try to transport "in block" players from one epoch to the other and confront them; they are not "highlanders" but simply 'flesh and bones' people (besides that would be undeniably unfair not only to the older generations - but also to the PRESENT generation compared to the future ones!)...

Try to imagine instead how would those players behave under different physiological conditions (I said "different", not necessarily "better": their condition was the best possible for their respective epochs).

But, could you imagine Labruna, Leônidas da Silva, Puskas, Di Stéfano, Pelé, Garrincha, Best receiving nowadays benefits?

Or, going further: could you imagine the GENERATION II "hypothetic selection" contrived above receiving today's benefits and facing selections of any of the other three generations (in any combination of players you can think of)?...

Because of the much higher concentration of geniuses (Yashin, Beckenbauer, Di Stéfano, Pelé, Garrincha, Puskas, Bobby Charlton, Rivelino, Stanley Matthews, Rivelino, Eusébio, Didi, George Best etc) - in every position!... - that GEN II undeniably displays, I'm definitely convinced that (independently of the most "modern" defensive tactics you might use against them) it would simply be a massacre...

[Chingchangchung]

Man there are some big words in there! Glad to know we have a well educated poster in here.

"But, could you imagine Labruna, Leônidas da Silva, Puskas, Di Stéfano, Pelé, Garrincha, Best receiving nowadays benefits?"

The thing is they may not necessarily benefit from todays training methods and preparation. Football in those days placed much less emphasis on the physical side of the game compared to today, pace of the game was much slower and the style of play was different. even if they did they may not progress as fast physicaly and mentally as the best players of today.