From Nasazzi to Messi: the 22 world champion captains

Leo Messi fulfilled his dream this past Sunday, December 18, and raised the World Cup in the sky in Doha, the first of his career, the third for the Argentine team. Before the captain of the albiceleste, another 21 achieved this since the birth of the World Cup in 1930. José Anasazzi (Uruguay) was the first captain of the world champion. None of them lifted the trophy again as players. Franz Beckenbauer and Didier Deschamps did it as coaches for Germany in 1990 and France in 2018 respectively.

1930: Nasazzi, captain of Uruguay, the first

The first world champion captain was Uruguayan defender José Nasazzi, nicknamed the Negro Jefe for his African, Spanish and Greek origins, as well as his influence on his team’s play. In 1930, Uruguay became the first world champion in history and achieved it after winning 4-2 against . Nasazzi won Olympic gold with his country in Paris 1924 and Amsterdam 1928.

1934: Combi, ‘captain’ of the first World Cup in Italy

Gianpiero Combi, goalkeeper for Juventus in the Golden Quinquenio, who won five consecutive ‘scudetti’ in the 1930s, managed to lift Italy’s first world title as captain, after a 2-1 defeat against Czechoslovakia. He retired after winning that World Cup.

1938: Giuseppe Meazza, pure ‘Azzurra’ legend

The mythical striker Giuseppe Meazza, one of the main legends in the history of Inter, captained Italy to win its second World Cup and did so after defeating Hungary 4-2.

1950: Varela, the Maracanazo captain

Obdulio Varela, called the Black Chief because of his African, Spanish and Greek origins and also because of his influence on the game of his team, is the captain of the Uruguayan team, protagonist of the ‘Maracanazo’: the historic victory of the sky -blue that team against Brazil that left the ‘canarinha’ (2-1) without a coveted title.

1954: Fritz Walter raised the first in Germany

The legendary Fritz Walter, who defended the Kaiserslautern jersey, whose stadium bears his name, between 1937 and 1959, lifted the first World Cup in Germany in the so-called ‘miracle of Bern’ with 3 -2 losses to Hungary.

1958: Hieraldo Bellini, ‘capitâo’ of the first Brazilian title

Brazil won its first World Cup in 1958 with Pelé, Djalma Santos or Garrincha, but the captain of that ‘seleçao’ was defender Hilderaldo Bellini, who played for Vasco and Sao Paulo. Brazil won its first World Cup by defeating Sweden 5-2.

1964: Mauro Ramos raises the second ‘canarinha’

Mauro Ramos who, as captain, lifted the Jules Rimet Cup in front of 70,000 people at the National Stadium in Santiago, where the ‘seleçao’ defeated Czechoslovakia 3-1.

1966: Bobby Moore, in the skies of Wembley

A 4-2 defeat against Germany gave England its first and only World Cup and Queen Elizabeth presented the trophy to English team captain Bobby Moore, an emblem of West Ham, where he played between 1958 and 1974.

1970: Carlos Alberto, for best choice

The 1970 World Cup in Mexico was for what many consider the best team in history, the Brazil of Pelé, Rivelino, Jairzinho, Tostao or Carlos Alberto, the captain of the ‘canarinha’ legend of legends and therefore collected the trophy after 4-1 in Italy.

1974: Beckenbauer before Cruyff’s ‘Clockwork Orange’

In another mythical final, the then Federal Republic of Germany was declared world champion on July 7, 1974 after defeating the Netherlands led by Johan Cruyff, the ‘Clockwork Orange’, 1-2. Another legend, Franz Beckenbauer, was the captain in charge of collecting the trophy won by the German team. The ‘Kaiser’ also won the World Cup as coach of Germany: in 1990 against Argentina (1-0).

1978: Passarella raises Argentina’s first

Argentina, just proclaimed world champion for the third time, won its first world title in 1978, under the command of César Luis Menotti, as hostess, in the midst of a military dictatorship. Daniel Passarella, who later became the coach of the albiceleste, was the captain who collected the trophy after a 3-1 win against the Netherlands on June 25, 1978 at the Monumental stadium.

1982: Zoff made history at age 40

On July 11, 1982, Dino Zoff became the oldest player to play in a World Cup final (at 40 years and 133 days, a record that still stands today) and, as captain of Italy, he oversaw the rise in the sky of Madrid the World Cup after xxxx in Germany.

1986: The best Maradona

Diego Armando Maradona experienced the best moment of his career in the 1986 World Cup in Mexico, where he impressed with his football and his goals (like his work of art against England, where he also endorsed the famous ‘ Hand of God’ Maradona captained Argentina, world champions for the second time, this time after defeating Germany in the final (3-2).

1990: This time, Lothar Matthäus

Germany and Argentina were also protagonists of the next World Cup final, Italy in 1990. This time the German team won (1-0, Andreas Brehme, from a penalty) against the team led by Maradona. Lothar Matthäus, captain of Germany, had to lift the World Cup at the Olympic Games in Rome.

1994: Dunga, fast ‘canarinho’

Twenty-four years after becoming world champions in Mexico in 1970, Brazil reclaimed the world title and did so by beating Italy on penalties in the final. The captain who lifted the trophy to the sky was Carlos Dunga, a versatile expeditious and iron midfielder, later becoming Brazil’s coach for two periods (2006-2010 and 2014-16).

1998: Captain Deschamps

Didier Deschamps, who as coach of France won the 2018 World Cup and became a finalist in Qatar 2022 after losing against Argentina, won as a player -and captain- the first of the ‘bleus’, as hosts in France 1990 after a 3-0 victory over Brazil. Ronaldo had a seizure before the final.

2002: Cafu, the last in Brazil

The first soccer world champion of the current century was Brazil, in Korea and Japan in 2002, its fifth world title and since then it has not been repeated. With Cafu as captain, the ‘canarinha’, along with Ronaldo, Rivaldo or Ronaldinho, defeated Germany 2-0 in the final.

2006: Fabio Cannavaro, for Italy

Italy won its fourth and so far last World Cup in 2006, after defeating France on penalties (5-3, after a 1-1 loss). Fabio Cannavaro, who signed for Real Madrid last summer, is the ‘azzurro’ captain at the Berlin Olympics.

2010: Casillas, captain at the time of Spain

In South Africa 2010 the time came for Spain, who won their first World Cup and did it thanks to the artificial goal scored by Andrés Iniciesta in extra time in the final against the Netherlands (1-0). Iker Casillas lifted the World Cup to the sky as captain of La Roja.

2014: Lahm beats Messi

Before finally reaching his first World Cup, in Qatar 2022, Messi lost the final of Brazil 2014 with Argentina against Germany (1-0, Mario Götze’s goal to give the Germans a fourth World Cup also in addition time). Phillip Lahm was the captain of that German team-

2018: Lloris lifts France’s second

Hugo Lloris is the captain of France who won the second ‘bleu’ world title (4-2 in the final of Russia 2018 against Croatia). The Tottenham goalkeeper and his team failed to retain the title last Sunday after losing on penalties against Argentina. Lloris became the goalkeeper who played the most matches at the World Cup (20), surpassing Manuel Neuer (19).

2022: And finally, Messi

In Qatar 2022, the moment has come for Leo Messi: he is world champion and has managed to lift the long-awaited trophy with Argentina against France, the one that is missing from his dream record, the one that further proves him as best. player in history.