CASTROL INDEX FIFA WORLD CUP™ LEGENDS

This FIFA World Cup™ is fondly remembered for the quality of the football on show, a view borne out by the 84% passing accuracy registered in Spain, the highest in any Finals tournament between ’66 and ’06. Striker Paolo Rossi would inspire Italy to victory, netting his Golden Shoe-winning six goals from just seven shots on target and posting a 46% goals to shots conversion rate overall. The consummate fox-in-the-box netted just one of his goals and mustered just one of his 13 shots from outside the area.

Zico is the only member of Brazil’s entertaining yet ultimately unsuccessful side to make the Castrol Index Top 10, coming in second place. However, creative midfielders Pierre Littbarski, of West Germany, and France’s Alain Giresse also make it into the top five. The more prosaic Poland, who finished 3rd, boast two entries with striker Zbigniew Boniek and goalkeeper Jozef Mlynarczyk.

Other than Boniek and top-scorer Rossi, no other strikers make the Top 20, with Northern Ireland’s Gerry Armstrong the next highest placed forward. Tough-tackling midfielder Marco Tardelli, he of the famous goal celebration in the final, comes in 15th position, although Azzuri defenders Scirea, Cabrini and Collovati do appear above him.