The 30 best players in World Cup history
By James Dudko
7. Cafu, Brazil
Cafu is the greatest full-back to ever grace a World Cup. It’s a bold statement considering he played for Brazil, a nation not short of greats at the position, including World Cup winners Carlos Alberto and Nilton Santos.
Yet Cafu represented his country with distinction at four tournaments, making a mammoth 20 appearances along the way. He was a winner in two finals, getting his hands on the prize in 1994 and 2002.
Comfortable in either a back four or as a wing-back in a five-man defence, Cafu was a marauding menace going forward. He raided relentlessly into the final third, combining power, directness and traditional South American flair.
Cafu was as important an attacking outlet as any of the star forwards and creative midfielders Brazil have ever fielded. His peak came in ’02 when he outworked and out-thought teams in a 5-3-2 formation nobody could live with.
He wore the captain’s armband in every game before collecting the trophy. Cafu had already appeared in all-but one match of Brazil’s run to the final in ’98.
Cafu’s first taste of glory came at USA ’94 when he had a cameo role, making appearances off the subs bench in the last 16, quarterfinal and final.
In terms of consistency at the highest level, Cafu knows few equals in World Cup history.