Best international players of the 90s

The 1990s. What a time to be alive. There was hip-hop, there was Britpop - and, my word, were there some great footballers.

A word of warning before we receive any angry comments… Diego Maradona is not on this list – and nor is David Beckham.

For us, the Argentine produced his very best stuff for his country in the 1980s, whereas Becks shone in the 2000s.

So, if there are one or two famous names missing from this list, you know why.

Of course, this is all subjective, so try not to get too mad if we’ve missed off your favourite number nine.

32. Henrik Larsson

The man with the trademark dreads enjoyed successful spells at Celtic, Barcelona and Manchester United. He won numerous trophies, including league titles and domestic cups, and represented Sweden over a hundred times between 1993 and 2009. A prolific goal scorer, the Swedish icon never tasted glory on the international stage, but he still filled his trophy cabinet with club honours.

31. Thomas Ravelli

Like a lot of goalkeepers, Thomas Ravelli bordered on eccentric at times, but his shot-stopping abilities were second to none, and he represented Sweden with distinction. He played in two World Cups, helping his country to finish third in America in 1994. Ravelli wore the gloves an incredible 143 times for Sweden, from 1981 to 1997.

30. Bixente Lizarazu

Bayern Munich’s famed French full-back achieved a rare double: European Championship and World Cup glory. He was known for making his way forward and putting in dangerous crosses – and he weighed in with a number of spectacular strikes, too. In terms of the best attacking full-backs of the 1990s, they didn’t come much better than Lizarazu, who won 97 caps for his country. 

29. Alan Shearer

The number nine scored five goals in fives matches for England at Euro 96. It might have won the striker the Golden Boot, but the Three Lions crashed out in the semi-finals. No one thumped the ball home like Shearer, and there were few better in the air. The Geordie scored 30 goals in 63 games for his country.

28. Hakan Sukur

Turkey might not have been a team that the top international sides feared in the 1990s, but Hakan Sukur was a dangerous player, one that was capable of causing trouble for any world-class defence. The prolific striker scored 51 goals in 112 appearances for his country, and an incredible 249 in the Turkish league, most of which were for Galatasaray.

27. Patrick Kluivert

Patrick Kluivert is regarded as one of the most talented Dutch footballers of his generation. Although he didn’t manage to win any silverware with his country, the striker scored a number of crucial goals to help the Netherlands to the semi-finals of the 1998 World Cup. A cool finisher, Kluivert registered 40 goals in 79 appearances wearing the famous orange shirt.

26. Didier Deschamps

There aren’t many tournaments that the iconic French footballer Didier Deschamps doesn’t have on his CV. On the international stage, he added Euro 2000 success to World Cup glory in 1998. He was nicknamed the "The Water Carrier" because as a defensive midfielder, his contribution to the team centred on winning the ball and starting moves. He excelled at it. 

25. Ronald Koeman

England fans will never forget how the Dutch player managed to escape a red card after his foul on David Platt in a World Cup Qualifier at Wembley in 1993. Nor will they forget his wonderful free-kick that followed, which ended their hopes of going to America the following year. None of this should detract from what a gifted defender Koeman was.

24. Youri Djorkaeff

The midfielder-cum-forward reached the pinnacle of his career whilst playing for the French national team. He played a significant role in his country’s success on home soil in 1998, and was victorious with Les Bleus at the European Championship two years later. He was a fine dribbler and finisher, but was occasionally criticised for his inconsistency. 

23. Faustino Asprilla

Colombian forward Faustino Asprilla was a real box of tricks – erratic, yes, but a player you could never take your eyes off. His return of 20 goals from 57 internationals doesn’t tell the full story. His goal scoring ability and flair made the former Newcastle man a fan favourite, and one of Colombia’s most iconic footballers.

22. Andriy Shevchenko

The striker made his international debut in 1995, and went on to represent Ukraine over 100 times. He served as the team’s captain for several years, often carrying the weight of a nation on his shoulders. He was deadly in front of goal and scored 48 times for his country, his class extending into the 2000s when he won the Ballon d’Or in 2004.

21. Gheorghe Hagi

The Romanian playmaker made 124 appearances for his country, and for most of that time he was their main man, the one player capable of doing something extraordinary. Hagi played a key role in leading Romania to the last 16 of the World Cup in 1990 and the quarter-finals in 1994, scoring a number of crucial goals along the way.

20. Emmanuel Petit

You had to be good if you were going to have your hair in a ponytail in the 1990s – and this midfielder, who formed a solid partnership with Didier Deschamps, certainly was. He made his international debut in 1990 at the age of 20. Eight years later he scored the third goal at the World Cup final in Les Bleus’ 3-0 win over Brazil. 

19. George Weah

On his day, George Weah was simply unstoppable. Although Liberia did not qualify for any major international tournaments during his career, the striker is regarded as one of the greatest African footballers of all time. In 1995, the AC Milan legend became the first player to win the FIFA World Player of the Year award.

18. Andreas Brehme

Brehme must have been a manager’s dream. The no-nonsense left-back was capped 86 times by West Germany and Germany during his career, the highlight of which was the 1990 World Cup, when Brehme ruthlessly dispatched the only goal of the game from the spot to beat Argentina in a bad-tempered final. 

17. Brian Laudrup

Brian Laudrup was still in his teens when he made his debut for Denmark, and he went on to become an integral part of the team for more than a decade. The highlight came in 1992 when Denmark upset the odds to triumph at the European Championship. He earned 82 caps and scored 21 goals.

16. Dennis Bergkamp

What the Dutchman lacked in pace, he more than made up for with skill and finishing. His goal in the 1998 World Cup quarter-final against Argentina, where he controlled a long pass before flipping the ball past Roberto Ayala and finishing with the outside of his boot, is regarded as of the greatest goals in the tournament’s history.

15. Davor Suker

The silky playmaker made over 60 appearances and scored 45 goals for Croatia, winning the Golden Boot at the 1998 World Cup for his six goals as his country finished third. The audacious goal that he scored at Euro 96 – a chip over the onrushing Peter Schmeichel – was a demonstration of the type of technical ability he had in his locker.

14. Gabriel Batistuta

“Batigol” scored all types of goals, but he was known more for his ferocious finishing. The Fiorentina legend represented his country from 1991 to 2002, during which time he netted 55 times in 78 games – most of which came via that dangerous right foot. It took someone called Lionel Messi to break that goal-scoring record.

13. Hristo Stoichkov

Bulgaria might not have been one of the strongest sides in world football in the 1990s, but with Hristo Stoichkov’s creativity they punched well above their weight in both the 1994 World Cup and 1996 European Championship. His six goals in America in ’94 helped his country to reach the semi-finals for the first time in their history.

12. Paul Gascoigne

A fit and firing “Gazza” was a very special talent - he could run the show. He would petrify defenders and cause havoc running with the ball at his feet. His iconic goal against Scotland at Wembley in Euro 96 could have inspired the Three Lions to go and win the tournament, but they bowed out in the semi-finals. 

11. Lilian Thuram

Lilian Thuram made his debut for France in 1994, and went on to become one of the most successful and decorated players in French football history. The athletic right-back played a crucial role in their winning World Cup campaign in 1998, scoring two goals in Les Bleus' semi-final against Croatia. 

10. Roberto Baggio

There weren’t many players in the 1990s that were quite so elegant as Roberto Baggio, who was wonderfully gifted with the ball at his feet. Forget the tears at the 1994 World Cup – all the greats have missed penalties. We choose to remember his stunning solo goal against the Czech Republic – and the many others like it.

9. Jurgen Klinsmann

Jurgen Klinsmann was a natural goal scorer, equally as happy scoring tap-ins as he was diving headers. A World Cup winner in Italy in 1990, where he scored three goals, and a European Championship winner six years later, Klinsmann was capped 108 times by his country and racked up 47 goals.

8. Roberto Carlos

Not many players in the history of the game have been able to change the game from left-back, but Roberto Carlos was not your average defender. He made his international debut in 1992, and a decade later he would lift the World Cup. Along the way, he clattered strikers and scored a freakish number of goals from long range. 

7. Pavel Nedved

Pavel Nedved played a crucial role in the Czech Republic’s success at Euro 96. He was one of the standout performers of the tournament, helping his team reach the final. In his pomp, he was one of the world’s best midfielders. He made 91 appearances for his country and scored 18 goals.

6. Romario

When the little Brazilian went through on goal, there was usually only one outcome. Romario was one of the most prolific strikers of his generation. At the 1994 World Cup in America, he scored five goals en route to the final to help Brazil lift the Jules Rimet trophy for a fourth time. He also won the Copa America twice.

5. Peter Schmeichel

The big Dane saw one v ones as a personal challenge. He wasn’t a bad shot shopper, either, and can rightly claim to be one of the best goalkeepers of all time. As well as representing Denmark in two World Cups, he played an instrumental role in helping his country to win the European Championship in 1992.

4. Zinedine Zidane

To get the ball off “Zizou”, you had to foul him – and even that wasn’t easy. Forget the infamous red card in the World Cup final in 2006. Eight years earlier, he scored two goals in the final to help France win the World Cup for the first time. He was instrumental again two years later, as France completed a famous double at Euro 2000.  

3. Paolo Maldini

Paolo Maldini’s world-class defensive qualities are matched by his incredible longevity. The Italian was a Rolls Royce of a defender, and represented gli Azzurri at four World Cups. If you were composing a list of the world’s best ever defenders, Maldini would be one of the first on the list. Capped 126 times by his country, he rarely put in a poor performance. 

2. Ronaldo

We’re talking the Brazil guy here – the Portuguese fella came along a little later. Despite battling with serious injuries throughout his career, the famous number nine still racked up 62 goals for his country. No one could run with the ball like this World Cup winner. He had everything: strength, agility, speed, and a range of different finishes.

1. Lothar Matthäus

Very few players could dictate a game quite like the great German Lothar Matthäus. One of his many highlights came at the 1990 World Cup, where he captained his country to World Cup glory. He could tackle, he could split a defence with a pass, he could dribble, and he could shoot – all exceptionally well.