Being a World Cup winner is every player’s dream as winning a World Cup is the pinnacle of a footballer’s career.
But, for some of those who can boast of winning the World Cup, the thorn in their side will be that they did not play a single minute at the tournament itself.
Infantino hails ‘best World Cup’ ever, discusses ‘transformative legacy’
So far, 101 players have won the World Cup over the years without playing any minutes.
It makes sense that 33 of the 101 members of this Zero Minutes club are goalkeepers, but there are also 32 defenders, 18 midfielders and 18 strikers.
Ronaldo Nazario is one of them, as he was a 17-year-old member of Brazil‘s 1994 winning side.
For Spain, goalkeepers Pepe Reina and Victor Valdes and defender Raul Albiol won the World Cup with Spain at South Africa 2010. They were the only players not used by Vicente del Bosque.
Three repeat winners
If winning a World Cup is difficult, being a two-time champion is even more complicated. It is even more extraordinary to do it without playing on either occasion.
Well, that is what Alphonse Areola can achieve this Sunday. The West Ham goalkeeper was part of the France squad that won its second World Cup at Russia 2018, watching every game from the bench. And if Les Bleus win again he will become the first two-time French champion without playing in a World Cup.
Although it may seem strange, Areola‘s case would not be the first. Goalkeeper Guido Masetti, who spent much of his career with Roma, was a member of the winning Italy sides of 1934 and 1938.
It took 24 years to find more players to repeat the feat after Masetti, and it was another goalkeeper, Fluminense legend Carlos Jose Castilho, achieved glory with Brazil in 1958 and 1962 without making his debut in either championship.
A teammate of his in the Canarinha’s winning squad at those two World Cups, Jose Macia, better known as Pepe, also has two World Cups to his name, in 1958 and 1962, without having played a single match.
Pepe is the only outfield player to have won two World Cups without playing a single minute.
The finalists who haven’t played in 2022
Both Argentina coach Lionel Scaloni and France coach Didier Deschamps have used 24 of their 26 players called up for Qatar 2022.
Argentina‘s Geronimo Rulli and Franco Armani and France‘s Alphonse Areola and Karim Benzema could join this exclusive club of uncapped champions when either La Albiceleste or Les Bleus win Sunday’s final.
Read More: World News | Entertainment News | Celeb News
Marca
