By Matthew Judge
Winning the greatest prize football has to offer in the shape of the World Cup is the pinnacle of any player’s career.
Past legends of the game such as Pele, Diego Maradona and Fabio Cannavaro have all helped lead their respective countries to glory and managed to get their hands on the famous trophy, but what about the mediocre players who were carried to victories on the shoulders of others?
Here are seven of the most undeserving footballers to lift the World Cup…
7. Alain Boghossian (France 1998)
Although he enjoyed playing club football alongside compatriot Liliam Thuram at Parma and winning the 1999 UEFA Cup, Alain Boghossian was one of a few players in France’s 1998 World Cup triumph that was carried to glory by the quality of other team-mates.
While Aime Jacquet’s 1998 squad contained various stars such as Fabien Barthez, Laurent Blanc, Marcel Desailly and Youri Djorkaeff, it also had a couple of average players among them, such as Boghossian.
The midfielder was capped just 26 times by France throughout his playing career, scoring two goals and appeared for Les Blues in the 1998 final against Brazil, replacing the injured Christian Karembeu.
6. Cristian Zaccardo (Italy 2006)
Since Cristian Zaccardo won the World Cup in 2006 with Italy, he hasn’t featured at another international tournament for his country.
The defender, who can play either at centre-back or full-back, was 24 when he tasted World Cup glory under Marcello Lippi eight years ago.
While most certainly not the worst player to lift the World Cup, Zaccardo – who currently plays for AC Milan – will be remembered for playing just three times on the road to Italy’s 2006 triumph, scoring an own goal off an attempted clearance against USA in the Azzurri’s second fixture.
5. Luizão (Brazil 2002)
While his name sounds similar to current Benfica centre-back, Luizão – or Luiz Bombonato Goulart in full – was one of Brazil’s strikers in the squad that won the World Cup in 2002.
Luizao received just 17 caps for Brazil throughout his playing career, with a highpoint in his country’s jersey being the two goals he scored in their last game of the 2002 FIFA World Cup Qualification against Venezuela.
He made a couple of substitute appearances for Luiz Felipe Scolari’s Selecao squad in 2002, but was overall an ordinary forward in a victorious Brazil team.
4. Kleberson (Brazil 2002)
Scolari will be hoping to lift his second World Cup with Brazil in 2014, having previously guided the Selecao to glory in 2002.
Sprinkled between the stars such as Roberto Carlos, Ronaldinho and Rivaldo, Scolari’s squad that year also contained a couple of second-rate players – one of those being former Manchester United midfielder Kleberson.
Kleberson’s move to Old Trafford in 2003 was disastrous to say the least, with the midfielder making just 20 appearances for the Red Devils and being widely hailed as one of Sir Alex Ferguson’s worst ever purchases in his time as United boss.
For Brazil, Kleberson – who currently plays for Indy Eleven in the North American Soccer League – has 32 caps and was actually benched for his country’s first four games in 2002 before eventually breaking into the starting line-up for the rest of the competition.
3. Roque Júnior (Brazil 2002)
Not many players can boast winning the World Cup, the Copa Libertadores and also the Champions League, but that speaks volumes about the crazy career Roque Junior had as a player.
The centre-back, who famously helped ship 20 goals in just five games during a loan spell at Leeds United, is – along with Luizao and Kleberson -fortunate to say he has a World Cup winners’ medal when considering how standard he was.
Junior was one of many Brazilian players in 2002 that were carried to greatness by the talents of team-mates such as Cafu, Lucio, Gilberto Silva and more.
The former AC Milan and Bayer Leverkusen defender, however, was a popular man for his country and received 48 caps for the Selecao.
2. Stéphane Guivarc’h (France 1998)
Famously voted the worst striker of the Premier League era by the Daily Mail in 2009, Stéphane Guivarc’h was lucky to earn a winners’ medal with France in 1998, with his displays on the international scene over the course of his career being somewhat disappointing.
The former Newcastle and Rangers forward was part of Guy Roux’s Auxerre side that won the league and cup double in 1996.
Having scored over 40 league goals for both Rennes and Auxerre respectively in his last two seasons leading into the 1998 World Cup, Guivarc’h subsequently earned himself a call-up for the tournament, but failed to shine.
Guivarc’h started each of Les Blues’ seven games along the way to winning the World Cup that year, scoring no goals, while he scored just once in his total 14 appearances for France.
1. Bernard Diomède (France 1998)
Bernard Diomede will largely be remembered for his misfire spell at Liverpool under Gerard Houllier between 2000 and 2003, where he was brought to Anfield on the back of picking up a World Cup winners’ medal with France in 1998.
The winger, who also won the league and cup double along with Guivarc’h at Auxerre in 1996, played three games in Les Blues’ 1998 success, but failed to regain his place in the national team after that tournament.
Diomède, in total, received eight caps for France and didn’t score a single goal.
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