World Soccer (magazine)


World Soccer is an English-language football magazine published by Kelsey Media. The magazine was established in 1960 and is the oldest continually published football magazine in the United Kingdom. It specialises in the international football scene. Its regular contributing writers include Brian Glanville, Keir Radnedge, Sid Lowe and Tim Vickery. World Soccer is a member of the European Sports Magazines, an umbrella group of similar magazines printed in other languages. The members of this group elect a European "Team of the Month" and a European "Team of the Year".
Since 1982, World Soccer has also organised "Player of the Year", "Manager of the Year" and "Team of the Year" awards.
The magazine marked its 60th anniversary in 2020 with a series of articles looking back on the past 60 years in international football.

History

The magazine was first published in London in October 1960 by Echo Publications. The first edition featured an image of Titus Buberník and Svatopluk Pluskal on the front cover. It was edited by Robert Bolle, with Graham Payne, editor of weekly sister publication Soccer Star, as features editor; Jack Rollin, who later edited The Football Yearbook for many years, as home editor; and Eric Batty as overseas editor. Batty, who later edited the magazine, published an annual World XI from 1960 to 1992. Brian Glanville has written a column for the magazine since April 1963. In 1970, Soccer Star, which was first published on 20 September 1952 as Raich Carter's Soccer Star, was incorporated into World Soccer. Keir Radnege, who had been associate editor, took over from Philip Rising as editor in the late 1980s and was replaced by deputy editor Gavin Hamilton in January 1998 and became executive editor. Radnege continues to have a monthly column in the magazine.
TI Media published the magazine until the May 2020 issue with Kelsey Media taking over the following issue. Hamilton, who had worked for World Soccer for 26 years, stepped down as editor after publishing the 60th anniversary edition in June 2020.
Other regular contributors have included Paul Gardner, with a focus on football in the United States; David Conn; Jonathan Wilson; Mark Gleeson on African football; Tim Vickery, Brian Homewood and Eric Weil on South American football.

Award winners

World Player of the Year

By player
By country
#CountryWins
18
26
26
45
54
54
71
71
71
71
71

Young Player of the Year

All-time wins

By manager
By country
#CountryWins
1/
7
26
26
44
44
44
73
81
81
81
81

World Team of the Year

By team

Referee of the Year

The list is based on the voting poll consisted of 74 experts from around the world.

GoalkeeperDefendersMidfieldersForwards















Goalkeepers

Pos.NameVotes% of Votes
13141.89%
268.11%
268.11%
456.76%
456.76%
645.41%
734.05%
822.70%
822.70%
822.70%

Full backs

Pos.NameVotes% of Votes
14864.86%
22432.43%
31824.32%
41317.57%
51114.86%
679.46%
768.11%
845.41%
934.05%
1022.70%
1022.70%
1022.70%

Central defenders

Pos.NameVotes% of Votes
16891.89%
22331.08%
32229.73%
445.41%
534.05%
534.05%
534.05%
534.05%
922.70%

Midfielders

Pos.NameVotes% of Votes
16486.49%
25878.38%
32837.84%
42432.43%
51824.32%
61520.27%
71216.22%
879.46%
956.76%
956.76%
1145.41%
1145.41%
1334.05%
1334.05%
1522.70%
1522.70%
1522.70%
1522.70%
1522.70%
1522.70%
1522.70%
1522.70%

Strikers

Pos.NameVotes% of Votes
15675.68%
24662.16%
31114.86%
4912.16%
556.76%
645.41%
722.70%
722.70%

Greatest Managers of All Time

The list is based on the voting poll consisting of 74 experts from around the world with each having been allotted 5 managerial picks.
Key
Pos.NameYearsNotable teamsVotes% of Votes
11974–2013Aberdeen, Scotland national team, Manchester United4966.22%
21960–1992AFC Ajax, Barcelona, Netherlands national team4662.16%
32000–Porto, Chelsea, Inter Milan, Real Madrid, Manchester United, Tottenham2128.38%
41944–1970, 1973–1981Atlético Madrid, Barcelona, Inter Milan1925.68%
52007–Barcelona, Bayern Munich, Manchester City1824.32%
61985–1999, 2001Milan, Italy national team1520.27%
71969–2002Dnipro, Dynamo Kyiv, Soviet Union national team, Ukraine national team1418.92%
81974–1983Liverpool1216.22%
91907–1918, 1921–1934Leeds City, Huddersfield Town, Arsenal912.16%
91933–1939, 1945–1951, 1953–1962, 1964–1967, 1973Milan, São Paulo, Porto, Benfica, Peñarol912.16%
91962–1992Feyenoord, Sevilla, Netherlands national team, Hamburger SV912.16%
91966–1991, 1994–2001Botafogo, Flamengo, Brazil national team, Vasco da Gama912.16%
131912–1922, 1924–1926, 1929–1948Italy national team, Torino, Milan810.81%
131987–1990, 1994, 1996, 1999–2005, 2008–2016Real Madrid, Beşiktaş, Spain national team810.81%
131982–2006, 2008–2010, 2012–2014, 2016–2019Napoli, Juventus, Inter Milan, Italy national team, Guangzhou Evergrande, China national team810.81%
131969–1996Atlético Mineiro, São Paulo, Botafogo, Flamengo, Brazil national team810.81%
171965–1993Derby County, Leeds United, Nottingham Forest79.46%
181983–2004, 2007–2014Borussia Dortmund, Bayern Munich, Switzerland national team68.11%
191930–1942, 1945–1946, 1950–1964Germany national team, Eintracht Frankfurt56.76%
191949–1974Huddersfield Town, Liverpool56.76%
191974–2013Milan, Inter Milan, Juventus, Bayern Munich, Fiorentina, Italy national team56.76%
221970, 1972–1984, 1986–1994, 1996–1999, 2002, 2004, 2006, 2007Argentina national team, Barcelona, Atlético Madrid, Boca Juniors, Independiente45.41%
231964–1986Italy national team34.05%
231910–1912, 1914–1921, 1924, 1924–1927, 1931–1939MTK Budapest, Netherlands national team, Fulham, Aston Villa34.05%
231948–1983Borussia Mönchengladbach, Barcelona, 1. FC Köln34.05%
231952–1984Germany national team34.05%
231991–2015, 2017–2018Milan, Real Madrid, Roma, Juventus, England national team34.05%
281984–1991, 1993–1994, 1996Germany national team, Bayern Munich, Marseille22.70%
281971, 1973–1993, 1996, 1998–2000, 2003–2004Estudiantes, Colombia national team, Argentina national team, Sevilla, Boca Juniors22.70%
281985–1996AFC Ajax, Barcelona22.70%
281937–1942, 1947–1950, 1955–1956, 1958, 1959, 1961, 1966São Paulo, Brazil national team, Boca Juniors22.70%
281955–1974, 1977–1978Ipswich Town, England national team22.70%
281940–1946, 1949–1957Hungary national team22.70%
281960–1985Celtic Glasgow, Scotland national team, Leeds United22.70%
281982–2019Brazil national team, Portugal national team, Grêmio, Palmeiras, Chelsea22.70%
361974-2009Atletico Madrid, Barcelona, Spain national team11.35%
361965–AFC Ajax, Netherlands national team, Real Madrid, Feyenoord11.35%
361993–Valencia, Liverpool, Internazionale, Chelsea, Napoli, Real Madrid, Newcastle United11.35%
361990–Newell's Old Boys, América, Vélez Sarsfield, Argentina, Chile, Athletic Bilbao, Marseille, Leeds United11.35%
361981–Chicago Fire, MetroStars, United States national team, Egypt national team, Los Angeles FC11.35%
361945–1969, 1970-1971Manchester United11.35%
361973–1996Middlesbrough, Sheffield Wednesday, Newcastle United, Republic of Ireland national team11.35%
361959–1985Legia Warsaw, Poland national team, Panathinaikos, Olympiacos11.35%
361979–2018Borussia Mönchengladbach, Bayern Munich, Real Madrid, Benfica, Schalke11.35%
361973–2011Paris Saint-Germain, France national team, Liverpool, Lyon11.35%
361967-2004Hajduk Split, Dinamo Zagreb, Croatia national team, Ajax, Anderlecht, Standard Liège, Galatasaray, Fenerbahçe, Panathinaikos, Porto, Benfica, Paris Saint-Germain, Atlético Madrid, Marseille11.35%
361952-1987Steaua București, Ajax, France national team, Romania national team, Panathinaikos, Monaco11.35%
361970-2000Bayern Munich, Borussia Mönchengladbach, Barcelona11.35%
361912-14, 1919-37Austria national team11.35%
361972-2010, 2012Fortuna Düsseldorf, Werder Bremen, Bayern Munich, 1. FC Kaiserslautern, Greece national team11.35%
361968-2010Fluminense, Brazil national team, Valencia, Fenerbahçe, Corinthians, South Africa national team11.35%
361973-1990, 1993-1997Polish national team11.35%
361947-1977Padova, Milan11.35%
361926-1940Internazionale, Bologna11.35%
361984-2018Monaco, Nagoya Grampus Eight, Arsenal11.35%
361946-1962England national team11.35%

The Greatest Players of the 20th century

In the December 1999 issue, a readers' poll listing the 100 greatest football players of the 20th century was published.

Eric Batty's World XI

By player