Football Greats Who Never Won the FIFA World Cup (Ranked 25 to 1)
Samuel Eto'o
The 25th spot on this elite list is occupied by Cameroonian legend Samuel Eto'o, who is often regarded as the greatest African player of all time. Cameroon's all-time leading goal-scorer in international football history, Eto'o guided his national side in four different World Cups campaigns and six AFCON campaigns.
Karim Benzema
The 2022 Ballon d'Or winner and French icon Karim Benzema could have been a part of the Les Blues' 2018 World Cup-winning squad, had he not fallen out of favor with head coach Didier Deschamps. Benzema was also a part of the French squad that made it to the final of the 2022 edition of the WC, despite having not played a single match due to an injury.
Andriy Shevchenko
Another Ballon d'Or winner who could not win the FIFA World Cup, Ukraine's Andriy Shevchenko is regarded as one of the greatest strikers of all time, having played for Dynamo Kyiv, AC Milan and Chelsea throughout his career. He did lead Ukraine to the quarter-finals in the country's first-ever FIFA World Cup appearance in 2006.
Clarence Seedorf
One of the greatest midfielders of all time, former Netherlands' international Clarence Seedorf was a part of the side that made it to the semi-finals of the 1998 FIFA World Cup. A UCL winner with three different clubs, Seedorf could never achieve international glory with the Dutch national side, despite appearing in four major tournaments.
Eric Cantona
A poor disciplinary record and a perceived fall-out with coaches within the France national team setup in the 1990s is what cut short Eric Cantona's playing career, despite him being one of the greatest forwards of the era. A FIFA Beach Soccer World Cup winner with the Les Blues, Cantona however, could not win the Men's WC or even feature in it.
Dennis Bergkamp
A Premier League legend, and one of Arsenal and Ajax's greatest ever players, Dennis Bergkamp featured in the 1998 edition of the FIFA World Cup, where Netherlands finished fourth. He is best remembered for scoring a memorable winning goal in the quarter-final against Argentina, which is often regarded as the greatest goal scored in World Cup history.
Karl-Heinz Rummenigge
One of the greatest German forwards of all time, Karl-Heinz Rummenigge was unlucky to have finished runners-up in two editions of the World Cup, in 1982 and 1986. He is another player to have not won the FIFA World Cup, despite having won two Ballon d'Or awards in 1980 and 1981.
George Weah
The only African players to have ever won the Ballon d'Or award, Liberian Goerge Weah played for clubs like Monaco, PSG, AC Milan, Chelsea, Manchester City and Marseille throughout his career. He in fact, remains one of the very few players to have not played at a World Cup, through Liberia came close to qualifying for the 2002 edition.
Zico
Often regarded as the greatest Brazilian player to have never won the World Cup, despite the Selecao having won five of those, Zico was arguably the best player during the 1970s and 1980s. He represented the country in three different editions of the WC in 1978, 1982 and 1986, but could not win any of the tournaments.
Roberto Baggio
Often regarded as the greatest Italian footballer of all time, Roberto Baggio starred for the Azzurri when the team finished third at the 1990 FIFA World Cup. His closest opportunity of winning the WC came in 1994, where he famously missed a decisive penalty in the shootout in the final against Brazil, keeping him away from the trophy.
Socrates
Brazilian midfield legend Socrates captained the Selecao at the 1982 edition of the FIFA World Cup, when they were disappointingly knocked out by Italy in just the second round of the competition. In his second WC appearance in 1986, Brazil once again lost in the early stages to France, keeping Socrates away from the WC trophy.
Kevin Keegan
The only English player to have won the Ballon d'Or award twice in 1978 and 1979, Kevin Keegan managed only one World Cup appearance, as England failed to qualify for both the 1974 and 1978 editions. In his only appearance in 1982, Keegan could only play for the Three Lions once, before being sidelines due to a back injury.
Luis Figo
One of the greatest footballers of all time and the third player from Portugal to win the Ballon d'Or award, Luis Figo is best remembered for his infamous transfer from Barcelona to Real Madrid in 2000. He represented Portugal in two editions of the FIFA World Cup, reaching closest in 2006, when the team finished fourth.
Lev Yashin
The only goalkeeper in international football history to win the Ballon d'Or award, Soviet Union legend Lev Yashin appeared in four different editions of the FIFA World Cup from 1958 to 1970. Also a part of the FIFA World Cup All-Time Dream Team, Yashin finished his career with a record 150 penalty save,s the most by a keeper in history.
Ruud Gullit
A Ballon d'Or winner in 1987, Netherlands icon Ruud Gullit captained the team that finished as winners at the UEFA Euro 1998. Also a key member of Netherlands' 1990 FIFA World Cup squad, Gullit could not lay his hands on the WC trophy, similar to his national side, having made it to the round of 16 in the 1990 edition.
Oliver Kahn
The only goalkeeper to be awarded the Golden Ball in an edition of the FIFA World Cup, German legend Oliver Kahn however, could never win the trophy throughout his playing career. He is best remembered for having led the German team to the 2002 WC final, where he made a costly error that resulted in the Brazilian team winning the WC.
Paolo Maldini
All four of Italian great and AC Milan legend Paolo Maldini's World Cup campaigns ended in disappointment, as he made it to the final of the 1994 edition as well as the semi-final of the 1990 edition. Surprisingly, four years after he had retired from playing football internationally, Italy eventually won the World Cup in 2006, in Maldini's absence.
George Best
Irish football legend and Manchester United great George Best is often described as the greatest player ever to have never played at a World Cup. While he did represent Northern Ireland from 1964 to 1997, he lost out his only opportunity to feature in a World Cup in 1982 due to his drinking addiction and decline in form and fitness.
Eusebio
Another player known for his prolific goal-scoring abilities and athleticism, Portuguese icon and 1965 Ballon d'Or winner Eusebio was the first-ever player to win the European, WC and UCL Golden Boot. He was however, left without a WC trophy, having achieve a best third-place finish with Portugal in the 1966 editions of the FIFA World Cup.
Marco van Basten
Had he not retired at the age of 28 due to an injury, Dutch great Marco van Basten could have become the greatest football player of all time, having won the Ballon d'Or title thrice before ending his career. Van Basten never scored a goal in the World Cup finals, appearing in the 1990 edition of the tournament, where they lost in the second round itself.
Michel Platini
Frenchman Michel Platini was thrice voted as the greatest player in the world from 1983 to 1985, and was a key player of France's 1984 European Championship winning side, where he finished with the Golden Ball. Platini however, could not win the WC throughout his career, despite making in to the semi-finals in 1982 and 1986.
Ferenc Puskas
One of football's first superstars, Hungarian icon Ferenc Puskas became an Olympic champion in 1952, while also leading his national side to the final of the 1954 World Cup, where they lost to West Germany. Puskas went on to be recognized as the greatest top division score of the 20th century, with an award being named after him by FIFA.
Alfredo Di Stefano
A Real Madrid legend from the 1950s and 1960s, Alfredo Di Stefano was the force behind the club's five consecutive European Cup triumphs. Despite having played for three different countries, including Argentina, Colombia and Spain, Di Stefano could never win the World Cup trophy.
Johan Cruyff
The most influential footballer from the 20th century, Dutch legend and three-time Ballon d'Or winner Johan Cruyff was a proponent of 'Total Football', developed by Rinus Michels. An Ajax and Barcelona legend, Cruyff led Netherlands to the final of the 1974 World Cup, but eventually lost to winners West Germany, which was his closest attempt.
Cristiano Ronaldo
Second only to Lionel Messi in number of Ballon d'Or awards won, Portuguese legend Cristiano Ronaldo remains the greatest player to have never won the FIFA World Cup, despite having played in five different editions since 2006. The 2026 WC would be Ronaldo's sixth appearance, with the 40-year-old aiming to lift the coveted trophy.
