World Cup legends ranking places Sir Geoff Hurst at No 10, Cafu at No 9

Sir Geoff Hurst, the hat‑trick hero of England's only World Cup triumph, has been named the 10th‑greatest World Cup legend of all time in a ranking published by BBC Sport senior journalist Alex Bysouth on 11 June 2026. The list, which attempts to whittle down thousands of players from 22 tournaments spread over almost a century, sparked immediate debate after leaving out Miroslav Klose – the tournament's all‑time top scorer – as a close 11th, while Garrincha, Roberto Baggio and Just Fontaine missed the cut entirely. Johan Cruyff, Eusebio and Gerd Muller also failed to make the top 10, with Bysouth noting that the collective nature of Spain's 2010 vintage meant no individual from that side was included. Hurst, who made his international debut only months before the 1966 final, was selected by Sir Alf Ramsey ahead of returning star striker Jimmy Greaves for the showpiece at Wembley. His three goals against West Germany remain a feat matched only by Kylian Mbappe in the 2022 final – and Mbappe was on the losing side. Bysouth wrote: "Without Hurst there would be no 'they think it's all over…', no 60 years of hurt…" The full‑back Cafu, the only man to appear in three successive World Cup finals, was ranked ninth. The Brazilian came off the bench in the 1994 final, was a beaten finalist in 1998 and lifted the trophy as captain in 2002. The ranking closes with an invitation for readers to have their say in the comments.