These icons all turned up in places that you'd never expect them to
(Image credit: Alex Livesey/Getty Images)
It's a small world in football. Watch old clips of games from years gone by and you'll most likely recognise players on the bench who went onto bigger things, or team-mates you forgot played together.
The biggest moments in football are no different, either. With 22 players on the field at any one time, there are bound to be instances in which future icons of the sport snuck into frame for seismic occasions.
Well, here are a collection of people that you never realised were there for that.
32. Roy in the USA
Switzerland manager Roy Hodgson in 1994 (Image credit: Mark Leech/Getty Images)
In 1994, Andres Escobar was tragically shot dead after scoring an own goal at the World Cup in the United States mere weeks earlier. He played his last-ever game of football against Switzerland…
…who were managed by one Mr Roy Hodgson. In a managerial career spanning six decades, he's seen plenty.
31. Poch fouled Owen
Mauricio Pochettino of Argentina protests after bringing down Michael Owen (Image credit: Stu Forster/Getty Images)
Michael Owen was fouled by future Tottenham and Chelsea manager, Mauricio Pochettino, at the 2002 World Cup – resulting in the penalty that David Beckham scored to banish the demons of 1998.
Perhaps when you watched this game at the time, you didn‘t take much notice of Argentina’s manager, either. That was future Leeds boss, Marcelo Bielsa.
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30. Kane and Vardy benched
What options to have on the bench… (Image credit: Michael Regan/Getty Images)
Troy Deeney went down in history for scoring an incredible winning goal for Watford in the playoffs against Leicester City. Little did Nigel Pearson realise, he was sitting on incredible goalscoring potential on the bench.
Not only did he elect not to bring on future Foxes legend Jamie Vardy, he had on-loan Tottenham star Harry Kane. Whatever became of that pair?
29. Fergie's international duty
Scotland's manager for the '86 World Cup (Image credit: Schlage/ullstein bild via Getty Images)
Sir Alex Ferguson went to the 1986 World Cup as Scotland’s manager, mere weeks before taking over at Manchester United.
In fact, he was wanted by Arsenal at the time – but committed himself to his country rather than going to Highbury, leaving them hiring Millwall boss, George Graham. It seems weird to think of Fergie as an international boss.
28. Messi's first steps
The Estadio Do Dragao, Porto, fills up for the first time… ahead of a young Lionel Messi's visit (Image credit: Andreas Rentz/Bongarts/Getty Images)
Lionel Messi’s first taste of playing for Barcelona’s senior team came in a friendly against Porto, to mark the opening of the Estadio Dragao stadium in 2003 – a year before Portugal held the Euros.
Jose Mourinho managed the opposition, while Messi’s future manager, Luis Enrique, lined up with him for Barça.
27. Wolves managers won Trebles
Yes, that's Nuno Espirito Santo saving a shot from Frank Lampard in the Champions League (Image credit: Phil Cole/Getty Images)
Nuno Espirito Santo was the backup goalkeeper on the bench for Porto’s 2003/04 treble win under Jose Mourinho, behind first-choice Vitor Baia.
In Barcelona’s 1996/97 season, where Bobby Robson won three trophies with Mourinho as his assistant, Baia was again the No.1 keeper – with another former Wolves manager, Julen Lopetegui, as the backup keeper.
26. Gabby's dad vs Bayern
Gabby Logan's dad was a big deal (Image credit: Visionhaus/Getty Images)
Kids today don't realise that Gabby Logan actually comes from a family of sporting royalty.
The BBC Sport presenter’s dad was once on the losing side to Bayern Munich in a European Cup final: yeah, really. Terry Yorath was in Leeds United’s side in the 1975 showpiece, when the Whites were controversially beaten.
25. Pearson signed Glass
Jimmy Glass scores the goal to keep Carlisle in the league (Image credit: Alamy Stock Photo)
Remember when goalkeeper Jimmy Glass scored his iconic last-gasp winner against Plymouth Argyle to keep Carlisle United up on the final day of the season? Well, Nigel Pearson was the Carlisle manager – and was responsible for bringing Glass in on loan.
The epic 2-1 victory was Pearson’s final game in charge. This was 16 years BO (before ostrich-gate).
24. Busquets between the sticks
Carles Busquets attempts to stop Mark Hughes in his tracks (Image credit: Alamy Stock Photo)
Sergio Busquets foiled Manchester United in two European finals – but United actually beat a Busquets in a European final themselves.
Sergio’s father, Carles, was in goal for Barcelona when Manchester United won the Cup Winners Cup in 1991. The future World Cup winner clearly had an aptitude for outfield, failing to follow quite in his father‘s footsteps.
23. Henderson profited from the beach ball
Weird to see Jordan Henderson in action against Liverpool, eh? (Image credit: ANDREW YATES/AFP via Getty Images)
Jordan Henderson has been present for countless big Liverpool moments over the years: the sixth Champions League win, that night against Barcelona, the Europa League victory over Dortmund, the beach ball debacle…
Yes, even though he hadn‘t moved to Anfield yet, Hendo was on the pitch when Liverpool lost to Sunderland’s freak beach ball goal – after he was brought on as a Sunderland substitute.
22. PSG's A-list penalty takers
Ronald De Boer takes a penalty – yes, that's Arteta, Okocha, Poch and Heinze all watching him (Image credit: SNS Group via Getty Images)
Paris Saint-Germain haven't always been rich – but they've always had a rich tradition of bringing cult superstars to the Parc Des Princes.
When Rangers beat PSG on penalties in the UEFA Cup in 2001, PSG’s penalty takers were: Jay-Jay Okocha (missed), Ronaldinho (scored), Mikel Arteta (scored), Gabriel Heinze (missed), Bernard Mendy (scored) and Mauricio Pochettino (missed).
21. Kaka won the World Cup
Can you see Kaka in there? Look for the No.23 (Image credit: Alamy Stock Photo)
Kaka won the 2007 Ballon d'Or and probably entered your conscious a few months before that. But he won the World Cup, too.
The midfielder was in the 2002 Brazil World Cup squad but never made an appearance at the tournament, as the youngest member of the 23. Similarly, a 17-year-old Ronaldo was in the 1994 World Cup squad but never got onto the pitch.
20. Bertrand's crazy debut
Daniel Sturridge and Ryan Bertrand of Chelsea celebrate with the trophy after winning the 2012 Champions League final (Image credit: Darren Walsh/Chelsea FC via Getty Images)
Ryan Bertrand made his debut for Chelsea in the biggest game in football, appearing in the 2012 Champions League final. Oriol Romeu and Daniel Sturridge were on the bench.
Perhaps even more impressively, Trevor Francis – Britain's first million-pound footballer – made his first European Cup appearance in the final for Nottingham Forest… and scored the winner. Talk about paying your fee back.
19. Lineker: stadium reporter
Ronaldo after losing the 1998 World Cup final (Image credit: Getty Images)
Long before his desk duty began, Gary Lineker was the reporter in the Stade de France who broke the news that Ronaldo was set to miss the 1998 World Cup final.
Leicester hero Linksy later corrected the lineup and declared it, “the biggest windup in World Cup history.”
18. Potter pals with Dia
Graham Potter played alongside *ahem* George Weah's cousin (Image credit: Getty Images)
Future Brighton and Chelsea boss Graham Potter played alongside Ali Dia.
Infamously the worst Premier League player ever, Dia lied about being George Weah’s cousin and managed to scam a game for Southampton under Graeme Souness.
17. Ajax vs Puskas
Panathinaikos boss Ferenc Puskas joins the training session for the European Cup Final against Ajax (Image credit: Wesley/Keystone/Getty Images)
Ferenc Puskas – of the award fame, Real Madrid titles and Hungary’s best player – was the opposing manager the first time Ajax won the European Cup… in the dugout with Panathinaikos.
In fact, 'the Galloping Major' struggled with English, despite taking a job with South Melbourne to finish his career – and relied on future Celtic and Spurs boss, Ange Postecoglou, to interpret for him.
16. Der Kaiser saw Gazza cry up close
The greatest man in German football history was mere feet away from one of English football's most iconic moments (Image credit: Bongarts/Getty Images)
1966 World Cup final loser turned 1974 World Cup-winning captain Franz Beckenbauer had a front-row seat for Paul Gascoigne’s waterworks in 1990.
Gazza was booked for unsporting behaviour, following a tackle right in front of the Germany bench – and Der Kaiser was Die Mannschaft boss at the time.
15. Foden was there for the Aguero goal
Sergio Aguero scored that goal in front of a young Phil Foden (Image credit: Getty Images)
As he told FFT in 2020, Phil Foden was actually mere feet away from Sergio Aguero when the City striker netted against QPR – though not on the pitch.
“I was directly behind the net when Aguero scored,” he said. “Then we celebrated on the pitch. That was my main highlight as a City fan – it’s mad to think I play with those players now.”
14. Ronaldinho: Olympian
Ronaldo – AKA Ronaldinho – in action against Nigeria at the 1996 Olympic Games (Image credit: David Cannon/Allsport/Getty Images)
Ronaldinho was at the 1996 Olympic Games… sort of.
Due to Ronaldo Guiaro being named in the squad, 19-year-old Ronaldo Nazario went by Ronaldinho on his back – Portuguese, of course, for ‘Little Ronaldo’. Imagine the nickname had stuck and Ronaldinho had called himself ‘Ronaldinhodinho’.
13. Sullivan's gloom
Two iconic goals, one unfortunate stopper (Image credit: Stu Forster/Allsport/Getty Images)
Neil Sullivan has been present for two of the Premier League's most iconic ever goals. Both David Beckham’s halfway-line goal and Paulo Di Canio’s scissor kick were scored against poor Sullivan.
Luckily, he wasn't the Wimbledon keeper the day of Tony Yeboah's iconic hat-trick for Leeds in 1996.
12. Iraola's final appearance
A future Basque Bournemouth boss on the Europa League stage (Image credit: Getty Images)
Future Bournemouth manager Andoni Iraola was the losing captain in the 2012 Europa League final with Athletic Bilbao, in the final in which Radamel Falcao scored a brace for Atletico Madrid.
Marcelo Bielsa was the manager for the Basque side that day. Iraola took many of his out-of-possession principles from the Argentine master into management with him.
11. Daei at Camp Nou in 1999
Superstar of international football, Ali Daei, trudges off the Camp Nou pitch between Mehmet Scholl (No.7) and Alexander Zickler (No.21) (Image credit: Alexander Hassenstein/Bongarts/Getty Images)
Iranian striker Ali Daei is known most notably on the internet for being the world's top international goal-scorer with 108 goals, before Cristiano Ronaldo overtook him.
Daei was on the bench for Bayern Munich when Manchester United beat them in the 1999 Champions League final, however.
10. Pep saw Henry ruin Roma
Thierry Henry tears Roma apart in 2003 (Image credit: Grazia Neri/Getty Images)
Thierry Henry’s cult hat-trick against Roma in 2003 remains one of the Frenchman‘s most famous nights in the Champions League. FFT often forgets that Gabriel Batistuta played for Roma during this time – but so did Henry‘s future manager.
Pep Guardiola was an unused sub for the fixture, five years before becoming Barcelona manager.
9. Souness's flag audience
Dean Saunders went to Galatasaray in the 90s, following Graeme Souness (Image credit: Alamy Stock Photo)
Graeme Souness planting a Galatasaray flag in the pitch against Fenerbahce in 1996 has become an incredible image that's stood the test of time. A few Premier League folk stand out of shot, however.
Brad Friedel was Souness's goalkeeper and Dean Saunders scored the only goal of the game, while Aston Villa cult star Dalian Atkinson was on the opposing side.
8. The Cruyff turn venue
Johan Cruyff in action for the Netherlands against Sweden in 1974 (Image credit: Sepia Times/Universal Images Group via Getty Images)
Not so much an iconic person – but an icon nonetheless.
Johan Cruyff’s iconic turn was performed in front of the Yellow Wall – well, Orange Wall, for the afternoon – as the Netherlands were playing Sweden at the 1974 World Cup at Dortmund’s Westfalonstadion.
7. Busby the Olympian
Manchester United football manager Matt Busby hands the Team of the Year Trophy to Celtic manager Jock Stein (Image credit: Getty Images)
Manchester United fans know Matt Busby as one of their greatest coaches ever – and the first manager to lift a European Cup with an English side – but guess what he has in common with Stuart Pearce…
No, it's not that he subbed a keeper on in the last game of the season: Busby coached the Great Britain football side at the 1948 Olympic Games in London. He did better than Pearce in 2012, too, getting Team GB to the semi-finals.
6. Keeper rivals turned team-mates
Asmir Begovic scored on a windy day against Southampton… against a future team-mate (Image credit: Chris Brunskill/Getty Images)
One Bournemouth goalkeeper actually scored against another in the Premier League.
Asmir Begovic’s strike for Stoke City against Southampton was scored against Polish custodian Artur Boruc, who he would replace in goal when he signed for Cherries in 2017.
5. Beckham's unlikely colleagues
Incredibly, Lucas Moura's career overlapped with Golden Balls' (Image credit: Xavier Laine/Getty Images)
David Beckham finished the final match of his career on the same team as Alphonse Areola and Lucas Moura.
The latter pair would go onto become well-known Premier League stars but somehow shared Goldenballs‘ last moments as a professional, when they were brought on by Carlo Ancelotti in PSG’s last game of the 2012/13 season against Brest.
4. Materazzi watched *that* celebration
The horrors that this man witnessed… (Image credit: Getty Images)
Oh the things he's seen.
Marco Materazzi was on the pitch when Robbie Fowler did his famous line-sniffing celebration – still not the most controversial thing he ever witnessed on a pitch, mind. The Italian defender had a stint at Everton in his youth.
3. The Fulham connection in Seville
French midfielder Jean Tigana is nutmegged by West Germany's Felix Magath (No.14) (Image credit: AFP via Getty Images)
The Night of Seville is one of the most iconic World Cup matches ever. West Germany and France would draw 3-3 after extra-time with Die Mannschaft advancing on penalties, while goalkeeper Harald Schumacher would knock out Les Bleus‘ Patrick Battiston cold in one of football‘s most shocking incidents to go unpunished.
Two future Fulham managers were present, too: Jean Tigana of France and Felix Magath of West Germany.
2. Navas' nightmare against Neymar
Keylor Navas was thrashed by Barcelona (Image credit: Manuel Queimadelos Alonso/Getty Images)
Neymar’s debut in European football was a moment that all of Brazil tuned in for and one that Barcelona fans eagerly awaited, with a new crown prince cameoing in a thrashing for Barça against Levente.
Keylor Navas had a better view than most, conceding seven goals to the Catalans.
1. O'Leary's a 49er
David O'Leary played a part in a piece of Arsenal history (Image credit: Shaun Botterill/Getty Images)
Arsenal’s record appearance holder, David O’Leary, left Highbury some 11 years too late to become a part of the Invincible side who went 49 games unbeaten.
But he still played his part in helping the Gunners to that milestone, in a way. The Irishman was in the opposing dugout for the defining 49th game, as his former side beat then-employers Aston Villa 3-0.
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Mark White has been at on FourFourTwo since joining in January 2020, first as a staff writer before becoming content editor in 2023. An encyclopedia of football shirts and boots knowledge – both past and present – Mark has also represented FFT at both FA Cup and League Cup finals (though didn't receive a winners' medal on either occasion) and has written pieces for the mag ranging on subjects from Bobby Robson's season at Barcelona to Robinho's career. He has written cover features for the mag on Mikel Arteta and Martin Odegaard, and is assisted by his cat, Rosie, who has interned for the brand since lockdown.
