World Soccer (magazine)

World Soccer is an English-language football magazine, published by Kelsey Media. The magazine was established in 1960 and is the oldest continually published football magazine in the United Kingdom.^[2][3] It specialises in the international football scene. Its regular contributing writers include Brian Glanville, Keir Radnedge, Sid Lowe, Tim Vickery, and Henry Winter. World Soccer is a member of the European Sports Media (ESM), an umbrella group of similar magazines printed in other languages. The members of this group elect a European "Team of the Month" and a European "Team of the Year".

Quick Facts Editor, Categories ...

World Soccer

Cover of the October 2024 issue
Editor	Stephen Fishlock
Categories	Football
Frequency	Monthly
Circulation	331,000 (Jan–Dec 2013)[1]
Founded	1960
Company	Kelsey Media
Based in	Farnborough, Hampshire, UK
Language	English
Website	worldsoccer.com
ISSN	0043-9037

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Since 1982, World Soccer has also organised "Player of the Year", "Manager of the Year" and "Team of the Year" awards.^[4][5]

The magazine was first published in London in October 1960, by Echo Publications. The first edition featured an image of Titus Buberník and Svatopluk Pluskal on the front cover.^[6] It was edited by Robert Bolle, with Graham Payne, editor of weekly sister publication Soccer Star, as features editor; Jack Rollin, who later edited The Football Yearbook for many years, as home editor; and Eric Batty as overseas editor.^[7][8] Batty, who later edited the magazine, published an annual World XI from 1960 to 1992.^[9] Brian Glanville has written a column for the magazine since April 1963.^[10][11] In 1970, Soccer Star, which was first published on 20 September 1952 as Raich Carter's Soccer Star, was incorporated into World Soccer.^[12] Keir Radnedge, who had been associate editor, took over from Philip Rising as editor in the late 1980s and was replaced by deputy editor Gavin Hamilton in January 1998 and became executive editor.^[13] Radnedge continues to have a monthly column in the magazine.^[14][15][16]

TI Media (formerly IPC Magazines, IPC Media and Time Inc. UK) published the magazine until the May 2020 issue with Kelsey Media taking over the following issue after they acquired the title from Future plc (owner of competing title FourFourTwo), the corporate successor of TI Media.^[17] Hamilton, who had worked for World Soccer for 26 years, stepped down as editor after publishing the 60th anniversary edition in June 2020.^[18]

Other regular contributors have included Paul Gardner, with a focus on football in the United States; David Conn; Jonathan Wilson; Mark Gleeson on African football; Tim Vickery, Brian Homewood and Eric Weil on South American football.

The list is based on the voting poll consisted of 74 experts (journalists, TV pundits, current and former players and managers) from around the world.^[53]

(Published July 2013)^[53]

Goalkeepers

More information Pos., Name ...

Pos.	Name	Votes	% of votes
1	Lev Yashin (URS)	31	41.89%
2	Gordon Banks (ENG)	6	8.11%
	Dino Zoff (ITA)
4	Gianluigi Buffon (ITA)	5	6.76%
	Peter Schmeichel (DEN)
6	Iker Casillas (ESP)	4	5.41%
7	Sepp Maier (GER)	3	4.05%
8	Pat Jennings (NIR)	2	2.70%
	Oliver Kahn (GER)
	Edwin van der Sar (NED)

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Full backs

More information Pos., Name ...

Pos.	Name	Votes	% of votes
1	Paolo Maldini (ITA)	48	64.86%
2	Cafu (BRA)	24	32.43%
3	Carlos Alberto Torres (BRA)	18	24.32%
4	Roberto Carlos (BRA)	13	17.57%
5	Djalma Santos (BRA)	11	14.86%
6	Giacinto Facchetti (ITA)	7	9.46%
7	Nílton Santos (BRA)	6	8.11%
8	Berti Vogts (GER)	4	5.41%
9	Lilian Thuram (FRA)	3	4.05%
10	Ruud Krol (NED)	2	2.70%
	Víctor Rodríguez Andrade (URU)
	Karl-Heinz Schnellinger (GER)

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Central defenders

More information Pos., Name ...

Pos.	Name	Votes	% of votes
1	Franz Beckenbauer (GER)	68	91.89%
2	Bobby Moore (ENG)	23	31.08%
3	Franco Baresi (ITA)	22	29.73%
4	Daniel Passarella (ARG)	4	5.41%
5	Fabio Cannavaro (ITA)	3	4.05%
	John Charles (WAL)
	Marcel Desailly (FRA)
	Paul McGrath (IRE)
9	Giuseppe Bergomi (ITA)	2	2.70%

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Midfielders

More information Pos., Name ...

Pos.	Name	Votes	% of votes
1	Diego Maradona (ARG)	64	86.49%
2	Johan Cruyff (NED)	58	78.38%
3	Zinedine Zidane (FRA)	28	37.84%
4	Alfredo Di Stéfano (ARG)	24	32.43%
5	Michel Platini (FRA)	18	24.32%
6	Garrincha (BRA)	15	20.27%
7	George Best (NIR)	12	16.22%
8	Cristiano Ronaldo (POR)	7	9.46%
9	Bobby Charlton (ENG)	5	6.76%
	Lothar Matthäus (GER)
11	Andrés Iniesta (ESP)	4	5.41%
	Xavi (ESP)
13	Didi (BRA)	3	4.05%
	Sócrates (BRA)
15	Roberto Baggio (ITA)	2	2.70%
	Toninho Cerezo (BRA)
	Francisco Gento (ESP)
	Ryan Giggs (WAL)
	Stanley Matthews (ENG)
	Johan Neeskens (NED)
	Rivellino (BRA)
	Zico (BRA)

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Strikers

More information Pos., Name ...

Pos.	Name	Votes	% of votes
1	Pelé (BRA)	56	75.68%
2	Lionel Messi (ARG)	46	62.16%
3	Ferenc Puskas (HUN)	11	14.86%
4	Ronaldo (BRA)	9	12.16%
5	Marco van Basten (NED)	5	6.76%
6	Gerd Müller (GER)	4	5.41%
7	Oleh Blokhin (URS)	2	2.70%
	Eusébio (POR)

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• 
  Alex Ferguson
• 
  Rinus Michels
• 
  Helenio Herrera
• 
  Valeriy Lobanovskyi

The list is based on the voting poll consisting of 74 experts (journalists, TV pundits, current and former players and managers) from around the world with each having been allotted 5 managerial picks.

(Published July 2013)^[53][54]

Key

Managers in bold are ranked by World Soccer, France Football and ESPN^[55][56][57]

  Managers ranked top 10 by World Soccer, France Football and ESPN^{[55][56][57][58]}

More information Pos., Name ...

Pos.	Name	Years	Notable teams	Votes	% of votes
1	Alex Ferguson (SCO)	1974–2013	Aberdeen, Scotland national team, Manchester United	49	66.22%
2	Rinus Michels (NED)	1960–1992	AFC Ajax, Barcelona, Netherlands national team	46	62.16%
3	José Mourinho (POR)	2000–	Porto, Chelsea, Inter Milan, Real Madrid, Manchester United, Tottenham, Roma	21	28.38%
4	Helenio Herrera (ARG)	1944–1970, 1973–1981	Sevilla, Atlético Madrid, Barcelona, Inter Milan	19	25.68%
5	Pep Guardiola (ESP)	2007–	Barcelona, Bayern Munich, Manchester City	18	24.32%
6	Arrigo Sacchi (ITA)	1985–1999, 2001	Parma, Milan, Italy national team, Atlético Madrid	15	20.27%
7	Valeriy Lobanovskyi (UKR)	1969–2002	Dnipro, Dynamo Kyiv, Soviet Union national team, Ukraine national team	14	18.92%
8	Bob Paisley (ENG)	1974–1983	Liverpool	12	16.22%
9	Herbert Chapman (ENG)	1907–1918, 1921–1934	Northampton Town, Leeds City, Huddersfield Town, Arsenal	9	12.16%
	Béla Guttmann (HUN)	1933–1939, 1945–1951, 1953–1962, 1964–1967, 1973	Milan, São Paulo, Porto, Benfica, Peñarol
	Ernst Happel (AUT)	1962–1992	Feyenoord, Sevilla, Netherlands national team, Brugge, Hamburger SV
	Mário Zagallo (BRA)	1966–1991, 1994–2001	Botafogo, Flamengo, Brazil national team, Vasco da Gama
13	Vittorio Pozzo (ITA)	1912–1922, 1924–1926, 1929–1948	Italy national team, Torino, Milan	8	10.81%
	Vicente del Bosque (ESP)	1987–1990, 1994, 1996, 1999–2005, 2008–2016	Real Madrid, Beşiktaş, Spain national team
	Marcello Lippi (ITA)	1982–2006, 2008–2010, 2012–2014, 2016–2019	Napoli, Juventus, Inter Milan, Italy national team, Guangzhou Evergrande, China national team
	Telê Santana (BRA)	1969–1996	Atlético Mineiro, Palmeiras, São Paulo, Botafogo, Flamengo, Brazil national team
17	Brian Clough (ENG)	1965–1993	Derby County, Leeds United, Nottingham Forest	7	9.46%
18	Ottmar Hitzfeld (GER)	1983–2004, 2007–2014	Borussia Dortmund, Bayern Munich, Switzerland national team	6	8.11%
19	Sepp Herberger (GER)	1930–1942, 1945–1946, 1950–1964	Germany national team, Eintracht Frankfurt	5	6.76%
	Bill Shankly (SCO)	1949–1974	Carlisle United, Huddersfield Town, Liverpool
	Giovanni Trapattoni (ITA)	1974–2013	Milan, Inter Milan, Juventus, Bayern Munich, Fiorentina, Italy national team
22	César Luis Menotti (ARG)	1970, 1972–1984, 1986–1994, 1996–1999, 2002, 2004, 2006, 2007	Argentina national team, Barcelona, Atlético Madrid, Boca Juniors, Independiente	4	5.41%
23	Enzo Bearzot (ITA)	1964–1986	Italy national team	3	4.05%
	Jimmy Hogan (ENG)	1910–1912, 1914–1921, 1924, 1924–1927, 1931–1939	MTK Budapest, Netherlands national team, Fulham, Aston Villa
	Hennes Weisweiler (GER)	1948–1983	Borussia Mönchengladbach, Barcelona, 1. FC Köln
	Helmut Schön (GER)	1952–1984	Germany national team
	Fabio Capello (ITA)	1991–2015, 2017–2018	Milan, Real Madrid, Roma, Juventus, England national team
28	Franz Beckenbauer (GER)	1984–1991, 1993–1994, 1996	Germany national team, Bayern Munich, Marseille	2	2.70%
	Carlos Bilardo (ARG)	1971, 1973–1993, 1996, 1998–2000, 2003–2004	Estudiantes, Colombia national team, Argentina national team, Sevilla, Boca Juniors
	Johan Cruyff (NED)	1985–1996	AFC Ajax, Barcelona
	Vicente Feola (BRA)	1937–1942, 1947–1950, 1955–1956, 1958, 1959, 1961, 1966	São Paulo, Brazil national team, Boca Juniors
	Alf Ramsey (ENG)	1955–1974, 1977–1978	Ipswich Town, England national team
	Gusztáv Sebes (HUN)	1940–1946, 1949–1957	Hungary national team
	Jock Stein (SCO)	1960–1985	Celtic Glasgow, Scotland national team, Leeds United
	Luiz Felipe Scolari (BRA)	1982–2019	Brazil national team, Portugal national team, Grêmio, Palmeiras, Chelsea
36	Luis Aragonés (ESP)	1974–2009	Atletico Madrid, Real Betis, Barcelona, Sevilla, Spain national team	1	1.35%
	Leo Beenhakker (NED)	1965–	AFC Ajax, Netherlands national team, Real Madrid, Feyenoord
	Rafael Benítez (ESP)	1993–	Valencia, Liverpool, Internazionale, Chelsea, Napoli, Real Madrid, Newcastle United
	Marcelo Bielsa (ARG)	1990–	Newell's Old Boys, América, Vélez Sarsfield, Argentina, Chile, Athletic Bilbao, Marseille, Leeds United
	Bob Bradley (USA)	1981–	Chicago Fire, MetroStars, United States national team, Egypt national team, Los Angeles FC
	Matt Busby (SCO)	1945–1969, 1970–1971	Manchester United
	Jack Charlton (ENG)	1973–1996	Middlesbrough, Sheffield Wednesday, Newcastle United, Republic of Ireland national team
	Kazimierz Górski (POL)	1959–1985	Legia Warsaw, Poland national team, Panathinaikos, Olympiacos
	Jupp Heynckes (GER)	1979–2018	Borussia Mönchengladbach, Bayern Munich, Real Madrid, Benfica, Schalke
	Gérard Houllier (FRA)	1973–2011	Paris Saint-Germain, France national team, Liverpool, Lyon
	Tomislav Ivić (CRO)	1967–2004	Hajduk Split, Dinamo Zagreb, Croatia national team, Ajax, Anderlecht, Standard Liège, Galatasaray, Fenerbahçe, Panathinaikos, Porto, Benfica, Paris Saint-Germain, Atlético Madrid, Marseille
	Ștefan Kovács (ROM)	1952–1987	Steaua București, Ajax, France national team, Romania national team, Panathinaikos, Monaco
	Udo Lattek (GER)	1970–2000	Bayern Munich, Borussia Mönchengladbach, Barcelona
	Hugo Meisl (AUT)	1912–14, 1919–37	Austria national team
	Otto Rehhagel (GER)	1972–2010, 2012	Fortuna Düsseldorf, Werder Bremen, Bayern Munich, 1. FC Kaiserslautern, Greece national team
	Carlos Alberto Parreira (BRA)	1968–2010	Fluminense, Brazil national team, Valencia, Fenerbahçe, Corinthians, South Africa national team
	Antoni Piechniczek (POL)	1973–1990, 1993–1997	Polish national team
	Nereo Rocco (ITA)	1947–1977	Padova, Milan
	Árpád Weisz (HUN)	1926–1940	Internazionale, Bologna
	Arsène Wenger (FRA)	1984–2018	Monaco, Nagoya Grampus Eight, Arsenal
	Walter Winterbottom (ENG)	1946–1962	England national team

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In the December 1999 issue, a readers' poll listing the 100 greatest football players of the 20th century was published.^[59]

More information #, Player ...

# Player 1 Pelé 2 Diego Maradona 3 Johan Cruyff 4 Franz Beckenbauer 5 Michel Platini 6 Alfredo Di Stéfano 7 Ferenc Puskás 8 George Best 9 Marco van Basten 10 Eusébio 11 Lev Yashin 12 Bobby Charlton 13 Ronaldo 14 Bobby Moore 15 Gerd Müller 16 Roberto Baggio 17 Stanley Matthews 18 Zico 19 Franco Baresi 20 Garrincha 21 Paolo Maldini 22 Kenny Dalglish 23 Gabriel Batistuta 24 Eric Cantona 25 Gheorghe Hagi

# Player 26 Romário 27 Jairzinho 28 Zinedine Zidane 29 Ruud Gullit 30 John Charles 31 Lothar Matthäus 32 Gordon Banks 33 Jürgen Klinsmann 34 Dennis Bergkamp 35 Karl-Heinz Rummenigge 36 Gary Lineker 37 Giuseppe Meazza 38 Rivellino 39 Didi 40 Ian Rush 41 Peter Schmeichel Paolo Rossi 43 George Weah 44 Michael Owen 45 Just Fontaine 46 Duncan Edwards 47 Dino Zoff 48 Hristo Stoichkov 49 David Beckham 50 Tom Finney

# Player 51 Rivaldo 52 Claudio Caniggia 53 Tostão 54 Frank Rijkaard 55 José Luis Chilavert 56 Kevin Keegan 57 Paul Gascoigne 58 Roger Milla 59 Michael Laudrup 60 Andriy Shevchenko 61 David Ginola Glenn Hoddle Sócrates 64 Roberto Carlos Alan Shearer 66 Daniel Passarella 67 Davor Šuker 68 Dixie Dean Sándor Kocsis Juan Alberto Schiaffino Christian Vieri 72 Mario Kempes Johan Neeskens Luigi Riva =75 José Nasazzi

# Player =75 Günter Netzer 77 Alessandro Del Piero Carlos Valderrama 79 Ricardo Zamora 80 Enzo Francescoli 81 Edgar Davids Francisco Gento 83 Jim Baxter Falcão Ryan Giggs Sepp Maier 87 Zbigniew Boniek Pat Jennings György Sárosi 90 Giacinto Facchetti 91 Alan Hansen Raymond Kopa Bryan Robson Matthias Sammer 95 Ladislao Kubala Neville Southall 97 Gérson 98 Paulo Futre Preben Elkjær 100 Bebeto

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In 2009, a World Player of the Decade was announced based on the reader's votes from 2000 to 2009 in the annual Player of the Year polls.^[60]

More information #, Player ...

World Player of the Decade 2000s

# Player Points 1 Ronaldinho 781 2 Lionel Messi 759 3 Cristiano Ronaldo 708 4 Thierry Henry 619 5 Kaká 567 6 Fabio Cannavaro 401 7 Pavel Nedvěd 394 8 Michael Owen 330 9 Luís Figo 290 10 Zinedine Zidane 270 11 Raúl 261 12 Ronaldo 260 13 Andriy Shevchenko 230 14 Andrés Iniesta 215 15 Michael Ballack 180 16 Xavi 163 17 Rivaldo 150 18 Fernando Torres 149 19 Samuel Eto'o 146 Frank Lampard

# Player Points 21 Steven Gerrard 134 22 Deco 130 23 Francesco Totti 107 24 Ruud van Nistelrooy 99 25 Oliver Kahn 90 26 Paolo Maldini 82 27 Didier Drogba 79 28 Juan Román Riquelme 77 29 Adriano 73 30 Iker Casillas 59 31 Andrey Arshavin 54 32 Zlatan Ibrahimović 53 33 Gianluigi Buffon 49 34 David Villa 46 35 Roy Makaay 40 36 David Beckham 37 37 Wayne Rooney 36 38 Diego Forlán 21 39 Gabriel Batistuta 20 Henrik Larsson

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Since the first year of publication of World Soccer and over a 30-year period, overseas editor Eric Batty published his team selection of the best players over the season.