The hard player: Khalilou Fadiga
Born on 30 December 1974 in Dakar, Khalilou Fadiga is a Senegalese attacking midfielder who made his mark across several European clubs throughout his career. He first established himself at AJ Auxerre, with 82 appearances and 15 goals, before moving to FC Bruges for 70 matches and 13 goals. He also turned out for RFC Liège (26 matches, 5 goals), FC Lommel (48 matches, 2 goals) and Bolton Wanderers (18 matches, 1 goal).
At international level, he earned 37 caps and scored 4 goals with the Senegal national team. A roaming career spread across several European leagues, which makes him a tough name to pin down for anyone outside the most devoted fans.
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PlayThe medium player: Dejan Stanković
Born on 11 September 1978 in Belgrade, Dejan “Deki” Stanković occupies a unique place in World Cup history: he is the first footballer to have played in three different World Cups representing three different national teams. First Yugoslavia in France in 1998, then Serbia and Montenegro in Germany in 2006, and finally Serbia in South Africa in 2010 – a direct consequence of his country’s turbulent history. Across all his international appearances, he accumulated 103 caps and 15 goals.
At club level, the Belgrade midfielder made 208 appearances for Lazio Rome, scoring 34 goals, before establishing himself at Inter Milan with 326 matches and 42 goals, winning five Italian league titles across the two clubs. Known for his technical quality, precise passing and powerful shot, he competed at the highest level for nearly twenty years. He later moved into coaching after hanging up his boots.
The easy player: Ferenc Puskás
Born Ferenc Purczeld Biró on 1 April 1927 in Budapest, Puskás is the kind of player whose numbers alone tell a staggering story. At Budapest Honvéd, he scored 434 goals in 405 matches – a ratio that borders on absurd. Real Madrid then came calling, and he added 242 goals in 262 games, having obtained Spanish nationality in 1961. He kept playing until the age of 40, then turned to coaching.
With the Hungarian national team, his 84 goals in 85 appearances set a record that held into the 2000s. The Ferenc-Puskás stadium in Budapest bore his name from 2002, later renamed Puskás Aréna in 2019. FIFA immortalised his goalscoring talent through the Puskás Award, handed out annually for the best goal of the year since 2009. He passed away on 17 November 2006 in Budapest, the city where it all began.