INTRODUCTION Some call soccer the beautiful game 4
For 90 minutes the play rarely stops Players are free to move around the field as they see fit And when everything comes together for a goal it’s a magical moment The best players race around the field as if the ball is glued to their feet They can beat defenders with cunning footwork and score with rocket shots The best players must be smart and creative They must have great vision instincts and confidence And they must ultimately have great fitness The average soccer player runs 7 miles 11 3 km over a 90-minute game Here are some of the greatest players in soccer history 5
ALFREDO DI STÉFANO 6 Real Madrid was on its way to the wrong side of history It was 1956 The Spanish soccer club had reached the final of the first European Cup But Real Madrid was trailing Stade de Reims of France 2 0 after just 10 minutes Then Alfredo di Stéfano made his move The speedy forward raced into the top of the penalty box In a flash he received a pass and touched it into space Then before two defenders could close in he drove a right-footed shot to the back of the net That was the start of a comeback Real Madrid eventually won 4 3 Di Stéfano had a knack for winning He won two league titles with River Plate in his native Argentina Then he won four Colombian league titles in five years with Millonarios It was with Real Madrid that di Stéfano became a legend though Alfredo di Stéfano makes a play on the ball in 1963
