80 World Cup Legends — Complete Database
Every legend. Every attribute. Every classic moment. Explore 80 players from 10 World Cup tournaments (1974–2026), each rated across 15 attributes.
The Build a Squad legends database is a curated collection of 80 footballers who defined their eras on the World Cup stage. From Johan Cruyff's Total Football revolution in 1974 to Lamine Yamal's emergence as Spain's next superstar in 2026, every player in this database earned their place through a single, unforgettable tournament performance.
Each player is rated across 15 attributes — Shooting, Passing, Dribbling, Vision, Defending, Physical, Speed, Strength, Agility, Stamina, Handling, Positioning, Heading, Clutch, and Set Pieces — on a scale of 8 to 99. These ratings power the Build a Squad draft simulator, where you can draft these legends into your dream XI and simulate a final.
1974 — West Germany
🏆 West Germany beat Netherlands · Total Football arrives on the world stage as Cruyff mesmerises, but the hosts prevail.
View Full 1974 Year →
97Johan Cruyff
CF · Netherlands
Munich, 1974. The Cruyff Turn — invented live on the world stage. Jan Olsson was the victim. Football was never the same again.
95Franz Beckenbauer
CB · West Germany
Munich, 1974. Der Kaiser lifts the trophy on home soil, redefining the sweeper role for all time.
94Gerd Müller
ST · West Germany
Munich, 1974. Der Bomber scores the winner in the final against the Netherlands. Fourteen World Cup goals — a record that stood for 32 years.
90Johan Neeskens
CM · Netherlands
Munich, 1974. Scores from the penalty spot before a German has even touched the ball. Total Football's engine room.
91Sepp Maier
GK · West Germany
Munich, 1974. The cat-like reflexes deny the Dutch in the final. West Germany's wall between the posts.
84Billy Bremner
CDM · Scotland
Dortmund, 1974. The fiery Scots captain leads his side to an unbeaten campaign — the only team not to lose a game in the tournament.
86Johnny Rep
RW · Netherlands
West Germany, 1974. The flying winger's pace terrorises defences as the Oranje machine rolls to the final.
85Wolfgang Overath
CAM · West Germany
Munich, 1974. The elegant playmaker provides the creative spark as West Germany conquer the world in their own backyard.
1986 — Mexico
🏆 Argentina beat West Germany · Maradona single-handedly drags Argentina to glory with the most iconic individual tournament ever.
View Full 1986 Year →
99Diego Maradona
CAM · Argentina
Buenos Aires, 1986. The Hand of God and the Goal of the Century. Same man. Same match. Same opponent. England never stood a chance.
88Gary Lineker
ST · England
Mexico City, 1986. A hat-trick against Poland. Six tournament goals to claim the Golden Boot. The poacher supreme.
87Harald Schumacher
GK · West Germany
Mexico City, 1986. Carries West Germany to the final almost single-handedly. The save against France in the semi is unforgettable.
87Emilio Butragueño
CF · Spain
Querétaro, 1986. Four goals against Denmark in the Round of 16. El Buitre swoops and destroys.
83José Luis Brown
CB · Argentina
Mexico City, 1986. The unlikely hero rises to head home the opening goal in the final. Tears in his eyes. A defender's dream.
85Jorge Burruchaga
RW · Argentina
Mexico City, 1986. Sprints onto Maradona's through ball and slides home the World Cup-winning goal. The most important run of his life.
84Julio César Romero
CM · Paraguay
Mexico, 1986. The Paraguayan magician weaves through Mexico's midfield. A World Cup that announced a South American genius to the globe.
90Michel Platini
CAM · France
Guadalajara, 1986. Le Roi orchestrates France's midfield masterclass against Brazil in the quarters. One of the greatest matches ever played.
1998 — France
🏆 France beat Brazil · Zidane's two headers seal France's first World Cup on home soil in a stunning final.
View Full 1998 Year →96Zinedine Zidane
CAM · France
Paris, 1998. Two headers from corners. The boy from La Castellane crowns France. The Stade de France erupts into history.
95Ronaldo
ST · Brazil
Paris, 1998. The best player on the planet — until the mysterious seizure before the final. Even a diminished Ronaldo terrorised defences.
87Thierry Henry
LW · France
Paris, 1998. A 20-year-old with electric pace. Three group-stage goals announce the birth of a legend on home soil.
91Dennis Bergkamp
CF · Netherlands
Marseille, 1998. The goal against Argentina. A 50-yard pass, a caress with the right foot, a swivel, a finish. Poetry in motion.
88Lilian Thuram
RB · France
Paris, 1998. Two goals in the semi against Croatia — the only two he ever scored for France. Written in the stars.
86Cláudio Taffarel
GK · Brazil
Paris, 1998. Taffarel stands tall between the posts as Brazil fight through every round. A wall in the shootouts.
89Davor Šuker
ST · Croatia
Paris, 1998. The Golden Boot. Six goals, each one more audacious than the last. The lob against Germany is perfection.
86Edgar Davids
CDM · Netherlands
France, 1998. The Pitbull with the goggles. Snarling, snapping, driving the Dutch midfield forward with relentless energy.
2002 — South Korea & Japan
🏆 Brazil beat Germany · Ronaldo exorcises his 1998 final demons, scoring twice as Brazil win a record fifth title.
View Full 2002 Year →96Ronaldo
ST · Brazil
Yokohama, 2002. Eight goals. The golden boot. Two in the final. The Phenomenon returns from the wilderness to claim his crown.
91Rivaldo
LW · Brazil
South Korea, 2002. The outrageous bicycle kick against Turkey. The look of pain — then the goal. Rivaldo at his theatrical best.
90Ronaldinho
CAM · Brazil
Seogwipo, 2002. The audacious free-kick lob over David Seaman. A grin from ear to ear. Football as joy.
92Oliver Kahn
GK · Germany
Yokohama, 2002. The first goalkeeper to win the Golden Ball. Carried Germany to the final on his back — and his fists.
88Michael Ballack
CM · Germany
Seoul, 2002. Scores the winner in the semi then misses the final through suspension. The cruellest twist in football.
89Roberto Carlos
LB · Brazil
South Korea & Japan, 2002. Marauding runs, thunderbolt free kicks. The left-back who attacked like a striker. A World Cup winner at last.
86Miroslav Klose
ST · Germany
Sapporo, 2002. Five headed goals. The perfect hat-trick of headers. Klose announces himself as the ultimate World Cup striker.
83Park Ji-sung
CM · South Korea
Daejeon, 2002. The lung-busting run and goal against Portugal. South Korea reach the semi-finals. A nation believes.
2006 — Germany
🏆 Italy beat France · Zidane's headbutt in the final. Cannavaro's masterclass. Italy's fourth star.
View Full 2006 Year →95Zinedine Zidane
CAM · France
Berlin, 2006. A Panenka in the final. Then the headbutt. Then the red card. Then the walk past the trophy. Football's most dramatic farewell.
93Gianluigi Buffon
GK · Italy
Berlin, 2006. Concedes just two goals all tournament — one an own goal, one a penalty. The safest hands in football history.
91Andrea Pirlo
CM · Italy
Dortmund, 2006. Three assists in the semi against Germany. The regista conducts the orchestra. Cool as you like.
92Fabio Cannavaro
CB · Italy
Berlin, 2006. The 5'9" centre-back who outjumped everyone. Ballon d'Or winner. Italy's immovable wall.
91Thierry Henry
ST · France
Paris, 2006. Henry's goal against Spain in the Round of 16. France surge to the final on the back of Henry's pace and Zidane's genius.
86Alessandro Del Piero
LW · Italy
Dortmund, 2006. Comes off the bench to seal the semi-final against Germany with a sublime curler. Il Pinturicchio delivers.
85Fernando Torres
ST · Spain
Germany, 2006. El Niño's pace and power hint at what's to come. Three group-stage goals announce Spain's new number nine.
83Fabio Grosso
LB · Italy
Berlin, 2006. Scores the winning penalty in the final. Before that, the last-minute goal against Germany in the semi. A left-back's fairy tale.
2010 — South Africa
🏆 Spain beat Netherlands · Iniesta's late volley delivers Spain's maiden World Cup. Tiki-taka conquers the world.
View Full 2010 Year →94Andrés Iniesta
CM · Spain
Johannesburg, 2010. 116th minute. Iniesta scores the only goal of the final. Rips off his shirt to reveal: 'Dani Jarque siempre con nosotros.' Tears for everyone.
93Xavi Hernández
CM · Spain
South Africa, 2010. 599 passes completed in the tournament. Xavi is the metronome. Every Spanish attack flows through his boots.
90David Villa
ST · Spain
Durban, 2010. Five goals. Each more vital than the last. The chip against Honduras, the winner against Paraguay. Spain's assassin.
90Diego Forlán
CF · Uruguay
Cape Town, 2010. Golden Ball winner. The dipping volley against Germany for third place. Forlán rewrites what a Uruguayan striker can be.
91Iker Casillas
GK · Spain
Johannesburg, 2010. The one-on-one save against Robben in the final. Saint Iker. Spain's last line, and their first hero.
88Carles Puyol
CB · Spain
Durban, 2010. The flying header against Germany in the semi. The lion-maned warrior rises highest. Spain are in the final.
89Wesley Sneijder
CAM · Netherlands
South Africa, 2010. Five goals from midfield. Sneijder carries the Dutch to the final with a string of match-winning displays.
87Thomas Müller
RW · Germany
South Africa, 2010. Five goals, three assists. The Golden Boot for the 20-year-old raumdeuter. Nobody knows where he'll pop up next.
2014 — Brazil
🏆 Germany beat Argentina · 7-1. The Mineirazo. Germany dismantle the hosts 7-1 in the semi before Götze wins the final.
View Full 2014 Year →96Lionel Messi
CF · Argentina
Belo Horizonte, 2014. Four group-stage goals drag Argentina forward. The Golden Ball — but the final slip haunts him. For now.
94Manuel Neuer
GK · Germany
Belo Horizonte, 2014. The sweeper-keeper. Neuer plays as an 11th outfielder against Algeria. A goalkeeper reimagined.
90James Rodríguez
CAM · Colombia
Rio de Janeiro, 2014. The chest-and-volley against Uruguay. Golden Boot winner. The most beautiful goal of the tournament.
91Thomas Müller
RW · Germany
Belo Horizonte, 2014. Five goals in the 7-1. Hat-trick against Portugal. Müller is everywhere and nowhere. The ultimate raumdeuter.
91Arjen Robben
RW · Netherlands
Salvador, 2014. The sprint from halfway against Spain. He cut inside. He always cut inside. And it always worked.
90Toni Kroos
CM · Germany
Belo Horizonte, 2014. Two goals in 69 seconds during the 7-1. Kroos dissects Brazil with metronomic precision. Total control.
87Mats Hummels
CB · Germany
Rio de Janeiro, 2014. The towering header to knock France out. Hummels commands the defence as Germany march to the title.
87Ángel Di María
LW · Argentina
Brasília, 2014. The extra-time winner against Switzerland. Di María's hamstring gives out in the quarters — and with it, Argentina's width.
2018 — Russia
🏆 France beat Croatia · Mbappé announces himself to the world. France's golden generation lifts the trophy.
View Full 2018 Year →92Kylian Mbappé
ST · France
Kazan, 2018. A 19-year-old tears Argentina apart. Two goals. Pure lightning. The passing of the torch from Messi to Mbappé.
93Luka Modrić
CM · Croatia
Moscow, 2018. Golden Ball winner. The boy who fled war carries Croatia to a World Cup final. Every blade of grass is his canvas.
90Antoine Griezmann
CF · France
Moscow, 2018. Four goals, two assists. The panenka penalty against Croatia in the final. Cold-blooded celebration. World champion.
89Harry Kane
ST · England
Moscow, 2018. Six goals to claim the Golden Boot. The hat-trick against Panama. England believe — football's coming home.
88Raphaël Varane
CB · France
Nizhny Novgorod, 2018. A towering header against Uruguay. Varane is imperious at the back. Cool, composed, a champion.
86Hugo Lloris
GK · France
Moscow, 2018. Captains France to glory. The crucial saves against Belgium in the semi. France's safe hands lift the trophy.
91Eden Hazard
LW · Belgium
Kazan, 2018. Hazard dances through Brazil's midfield. Belgium reach the semi-finals. Third place. The Red Devils' golden generation at its peak.
87Ivan Rakitić
CM · Croatia
Sochi, 2018. Scores the winning penalty against Denmark. Then again against Russia. Croatia's ice-cold midfield metronome.
2022 — Qatar
🏆 Argentina beat France · Messi's coronation. The greatest final ever played: 3-3, penalties, tears, redemption.
View Full 2022 Year →97Lionel Messi
CF · Argentina
Lusail, 2022. Seven goals. Five assists. A brace in the final. The greatest World Cup performance ever. The missing trophy. Finally.
95Kylian Mbappé
LW · France
Lusail, 2022. A hat-trick in the final and it's not enough. Mbappé scores three times and still loses. The cruel beauty of football.
88Antoine Griezmann
CM · France
Lusail, 2022. Reborn as a deep-lying playmaker. Griezmann's reinvention drives France to another final. Football IQ off the charts.
86Enzo Fernández
CM · Argentina
Lusail, 2022. The 21-year-old who bossed the final. Best Young Player of the Tournament. The next great Argentine midfielder.
88Emiliano Martínez
GK · Argentina
Lusail, 2022. The save. The one from Kolo Muani in the 123rd minute. Dibu stretches out his left leg and stops time itself.
84Nicolás Otamendi
CB · Argentina
Lusail, 2022. The warrior at the heart of Argentina's defence. Every tackle, every header. Otamendi bleeds for the shirt.
85Julián Álvarez
ST · Argentina
Lusail, 2022. Four goals including a brace in the semi. The Spider runs himself into the ground for Messi. Selfless brilliance.
84Gavi
CM · Spain
Doha, 2022. At 18, the youngest World Cup scorer since Pelé. Gavi's fearless energy hints at Spain's bright future.
2026 — USA, Mexico & Canada
🏆 TBD beat TBD · The first 48-team World Cup. A new generation of stars takes centre stage across North America.
View Full 2026 Year →90Lamine Yamal
RW · Spain
North America, 2026. At 18, the heir to Messi's throne. The youngest Ballon d'Or contender brings his magic to the biggest stage.
90Pedri
CM · Spain
North America, 2026. The new Xavi-Iniesta hybrid. Pedri dictates every tempo, sees every pass. Spain's midfield maestro enters his prime.
92Jude Bellingham
CAM · England
North America, 2026. The complete midfielder. Goals, assists, tackles, leadership. Bellingham carries England's golden generation on his shoulders.
93Vinícius Jr.
LW · Brazil
North America, 2026. The torchbearer for Brazilian flair. Vinícius electrifies the continent with sprints, skills, and unstoppable finishing.
89Gianluigi Donnarumma
GK · Italy
North America, 2026. The 6'5" giant in goal. Donnarumma dominates his area, a wall of reflexes and reach. Italy's present and future.
88William Saliba
CB · France
North America, 2026. The Rolls-Royce defender. Saliba glides, tackles, and commands. France's rock at the back for a new era.
89Florian Wirtz
CAM · Germany
North America, 2026. The jewel of German football. Wirtz threads passes through impossible gaps and scores goals of breathtaking quality.
85Endrick
ST · Brazil
North America, 2026. At 19, the youngest Brazilian to score at a World Cup since Pelé. Endrick's thunderbolt strikes announce a new era.
How Are Ratings Calculated?
Player ratings in Build a Squad are informed by publicly available performance data from sources like Transfermarkt and FBref. We study tournament statistics, historical match reports, and advanced metrics to ground every legend in real performance context.
That said, our rating methodology is entirely original. We don't import or replicate any third-party rating system. Each of the 15 attributes per player is independently calibrated by our team to reflect what made that legend special in their specific World Cup campaign. The result is a rating set designed for competitive draft balance, not historical ranking.
The 15 attributes are: Shooting (SHO), Passing (PAS), Dribbling (DRI), Vision (VIS), Defending (DEF), Physical (PHY), Speed (SPD), Strength (STR), Agility (AGI), Stamina (STA), Handling (HAN), Positioning (POS), Heading (HEA), Clutch (CLU), and Set Pieces (SPT).
Frequently Asked Questions
How many players are in the Build a Squad database?
The database contains 80 legendary players — 8 per tournament — drawn from 10 World Cups spanning 1974 to 2026. Every player has a unique set of 15 attribute ratings and a "classic moment" describing their most iconic World Cup contribution.
Why does each tournament only have 8 players?
Eight players per tournament is a deliberate design choice for draft balance. With 10 tournaments and 8 players each, the draft pool is exactly 80 — enough variety for meaningful choices across 11 rounds without overwhelming new players. Each tournament's 8 are carefully selected to cover all positional groups (GK, DEF, MID, FWD) and represent the defining stories of that World Cup.
How are the Overall Ratings (OVR) calculated?
Each player's OVR is a weighted composite of their 15 attributes, with positional relevance factored in. A goalkeeper's Handling and Positioning carry more weight than their Shooting. A forward's Shooting and Positioning matter more than their Defending. The weights are calibrated to ensure fair comparison across all positional groups within the draft simulator.
Will more players or tournaments be added?
We plan to expand the database in future updates. Possible additions include earlier World Cups (1958, 1966, 1970), additional players from existing tournaments, and special themed packs. Follow us on social media or check the leaderboard for announcements.
Draft These Legends
You've seen the ratings. Now put them to work. Build your dream XI from these 80 legends and simulate a final — all in about 3 minutes.