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Raymond Kopa

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Raymond Kopa
Kopa in 1962
Personal information
Full name Raymond Kopa[1]
Birth name Raymond Kopaszewski[2]
Date of birth (1931-10-13)13 October 1931[2]
Place of birth Nœux-les-Mines,[2] Pas-de-Calais, France
Date of death 3 March 2017(2017-03-03) (aged 85)
Place of death Angers, Maine-et-Loire, France
Height 1.68 m (5 ft 6 in)[2]
Positions
Youth career
1941–1949 Nœux-les-Mines
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
1949–1951 Angers 60 (15)
1951–1956 Reims 158 (48)
1956–1959 Real Madrid 79 (24)
1959–1967 Reims 244 (36)
Total 541 (123)
International career
1952 France B 1 (1)
1952–1962 France 45 (18)
Medal record
Men's football
Representing  France
FIFA World Cup
Third place1958
* Club domestic league appearances and goals

Raymond Kopa (né Kopaszewski;[3] 13 October 1931 – 3 March 2017) was a French professional footballer who played as a forward and attacking midfielder. Known for his dribbling, playmaking, and prolific goalscoring,[4] he was considered one of the greatest players of all-time,[5][6][7] and an integral part of the France national team during the 1950s.

At club level, Kopa began at his local club Nœux-les-Mines. Following the French national youth football trials in 1949, he signed with Angers, spending two seasons at the club before joining Reims for 1.8 million francs. At Reims, he won two French Division 1 titles and the 1953 Latin Cup, as well as reaching the first ever European Cup final, where they lost to Real Madrid. He signed for Madrid in the summer of 1956, for 52 million francs, helping them win two La Liga titles and three European Cups. Despite being originally set to join Belgian club Anderlecht in the summer of 1959, Kopa rejoined Reims, he remained until his retirement from football in 1967.

Kopa made a total of 45 appearances for the France national team between 1952 and 1962, scoring 18 goals. In March 1955, he was given the nickname "the Napoleon of football", following a 2–1 win against Spain in Madrid. At the 1958 FIFA World Cup, he famously formed a trio with Roger Piantoni and Just Fontaine as France finished third, with Kopa being chosen as the tournament's best player. He retired from international football in October 1963, following a World XI match against England to celebrate The Football Association's centenary.

In 1958, Kopa was awarded the Ballon d'Or.[8] In 1970, he became the first football player to receive the Legion of Honour. In 2004, Pelé named him one of the 125 Greatest Living Footballers at a FIFA Awards Ceremony. He died in Angers on 3 March 2017, at the age of 85.[9]

Early life

[edit]

Kopa was born on 13 October 1931 in Nœux-les-Mines, France.[2] His father was born in Germany,[10] while his grandparents were of Polish ethnicity from Kraków, who moved to France following World War I to work as miners.[3][10][11] His surname, Kopaszewski, was shortened to Kopa while in elementary school.[3]

He began working as a miner at the age of 14, alongside his grandfather, father, and brother.[3] He worked there for just over two year,[12] before losing part of his finger in a mining accident in October 1947.[3][10][13][14] In 1952, Kopa acquired French nationality at his majority.[11]

Club career

[edit]

Early career and Angers

[edit]

In 1941, at the age of 10, Kopa joined the academy of local club US Nœux-les-Mines.[3] In 1949, he entered that year's French national youth football trials [fr], where he won the northern competition and qualified for the national final, finishing second to Jean Saupin [fr]. Afterwards, he expected to get a contract from one of the French Division 1 teams, but only received an offer from Division 2 side Angers.[3][10][12]

He made debut for the club under manager Camille Cottin [fr],[15] and later made 60 appearances across two seasons for the club, scoring 15 goals.[16][17] While at Angers, Kopa also worked as an electrician.[18]

Reims

[edit]

After watching Kopa play in a friendly match, Albert Batteux signed him for Stade de Reims in September 1951[12] for a transfer fee of 1.8 million francs (around £1,300).[3] He made his Reims debut on 2 September 1951, in a 0–0 draw against Strasbourg.[2] At the club, he was mentored by both Batteux, who served as both his club and national team manager,[3][12][19] and teammate Paul Sinibaldi, who became the godfather to Kopa's son Denis.[20]

With Reims, Kopa won two Division 1 titles in the 1952–53 and 1954–55 seasons,[2][17][12] as well as the 1953 Latin Cup, where he scored twice in the final against AC Milan at the Estádio Nacional do Jamor in Lisbon, and finished as the competition's second-highest goal scorer.[17] Additionally, he helped Reims reach the finals of both the 1955 Latin Cup and 1955–56 European Cup.[2] Before leaving Reims, he received an offer to join AC Milan,[3] who were prepared to break the world transfer record to sign him,[21] but Kopa rejected it as he wanted to join Real Madrid instead.[3][18]

In total, Kopa made 138 appearances for Stade de Reims in the French Division 1, scoring 48 goals.[16] His last game for the club was the 1956 European Cup final, where they lost to Real Madrid.[17] Although he was expected to miss the final due to injury, Batteux played him anyways.[12]

Real Madrid

[edit]

Prior to the 1956 European Cup final,[22][23] Kopa had agreed to join Real Madrid for a transfer fee of 52 million francs[9] (around £38,000).[3][17] Additionally, reports claimed that Madrid had offered Kopa ten times what his salary was at Reims.[12] He made his Madrid debut on 4 October 1956, in a friendly match against French team Sochaux, where he scored a hat-trick in a 14–1 win.[17] Just over two weeks later, he made his La Liga debut, where he scored twice in a 7–1 win against Real Jaén.[17]

At Madrid, Kopa gained the nickname 'Kopita', meaning 'little Kopa'.[3] There, he helped them win two La Liga titles in the 1956–57 and 1957–58 seasons, as well as the 1957 Latin Cup against Benfica[17] and three European Cups in the 1956–57, 1957–58, and 1958–59 seasons.[10][12] During the 1959 European Cup final, Kopa was injured following a bad tackle by Reims's Jean Vincent.[24] After the 1958–59 season, Real Madrid wanted to extend Kopa's contract with the club, and offered him a five-year contract with a large salary increase,[18] but Kopa rejected it as his wife wanted to return to France.[17]

In December 1958, Kopa won the Ballon d'Or, awarded by French magazine France Football, with a total of 71 votes.[25] He had previously finished in third place twice, in 1956, behind teammate Alfredo Di Stéfano and winner Stanley Matthews,[26] and in 1957, tied with Duncan Edwards and behind Billy Wright and winner Di Stéfano.[27]

In total, Kopa played 110 matches for Real Madrid, scoring 32 goals.[28] He later returned to play in a tribute match for club captain Francisco Gento against River Plate in September 1965.[29]

Failed move to Anderlecht and return to Reims

[edit]
Kopa in 1963

On 8 July 1959, it was announced that Kopa would sign with Belgian club Anderlecht, for around 2.5 million francs (around £20,000). As he was ineligible for the 1959–60 Belgian First Division, the plan was to have him play in friendlies and the European Cup for a year, before rejoining Reims in the 1960–61 season.[30] However, just over a week after the announcement, the transfer was cancelled over a contract dispute, as the club wanted to pay Kopa monthly, while he wanted his wages as a lump sum.[31] Instead, he returned to Stade de Reims that summer.[17]

In December 1959, Kopa finished second in the 1959 Ballon d'Or, behind former teammate Di Stéfano.[32] With Reims, he won two Division 1 titles in the 1959–60 and 1961–62 seasons,[17][2] but suffered multiple ankle injuries during this time.[12] In June 1963, Kopa made comments to the press claiming that "players are slaves" because of lifetime contracts, where players were contracted to their clubs until they turned 35. His comments caused a large controversy in French football, which resulted in him getting a six-month suspended ban from football. According to Kopa, he had been asked by teammate Dominique Colonna to make the comments.[12][18]

During the 1963–64 season, Kopa was suspended for two weeks in October 1963 by the French Football Federation, because of his international retirement,[33] with Reims later suffering relegation to Division 2 after finishing 17th in the league.[34] Kopa stayed with Reims in Division 2, and helped them get promoted after winning the league in the 1965–66 season,[2] before later announcing his retirement in the summer of 1967.[35][10][9][17] He later returned to Reims to play one match in the 1968–69 Coupe de France, where he scored.[28]

In total, Kopa played 592 games in his career, scoring 139 goals.[17]

International career

[edit]
Kopa with France in 1960

Kopa made 45 appearances for the France national team between 1952 and 1962, scoring 18 goals.[16] His debut for France came on 5 October 1952, in a 3–1 win against West Germany in Colombes.[3][36]

At the 1954 FIFA World Cup, Kopa played in both of France's matches, a 1–0 loss against Yugoslavia and a 3–2 win against Mexico where he scored a penalty, as France were eliminated in the group stage.[37] Following their elimination, the French press began targeting Kopa due to his Polish background, with one journalist yelling at him to "Go back to the mine!".[12]

In March 1955, following a 2–1 win against Spain at the Estadio Santiago Bernabéu in Madrid, Spanish newspaper Marca gave him the nickname 'Pequeño Napoleon' ('Little Napoleon'),[3][17][9] while Daily Express journalist Desmond Hackett called him the "Napoleon of football".[12][38] After his performance that match, he caught the attention of Real Madrid president Santiago Bernabéu, who had been in attendance, and declared Kopa a transfer target for the club.[39][38] Later on, Kopa called this match the best of his career.[40]

Following his transfer to Real Madrid in the summer of 1956, he did not play for France again until the 1958 FIFA World Cup,[36] where he formed a trio with teammates Roger Piantoni and Just Fontaine that later continued at Reims between 1959 and 1962.[10][14] In Sweden, Kopa scored three goals, including against Paraguay and Scotland in the group stage, and against West Germany in the third place match, as France finished third.[41] Afterwards, he was chosen as the best player of the tournament.[9]

During 1960 European Nations' Cup qualifying, Kopa made three appearances, being a 7–1 win against Greece and both matches against Austria,[36] as France qualified for the final tournament. However, he missed the 1960 European Nations' Cup due to an injury.[42] His final match for France came on 11 November 1962, being a 3–2 loss to Hungary.[36]

As well as France, Kopa played for a Europe XI against the United Kingdom in Belfast on 13 August 1955, and for a World XI against England on 23 October 1963, to celebrate the centenary of The Football Association.[43] Following the World XI match, Kopa announced his international retirement following disagreements with France selection committee member Georges Verriest.[44] Despite his retirement, there were calls for him to be included in France's squad for the 1966 FIFA World Cup in England,[45] although he was not included in their 40-man shortlist for the tournament in May 1966.[46]

Post-football career

[edit]

Following his retirement, Kopa launched his own sportswear brand. He later retired from that in 1991, eventually settling in Corsica.[10][3] In 1985, he competed in that year's Paris–Dakar Rally, where he finished 64th alongside Étienne Smulevici [fr] in a Mitsubishi Pajero.[47]

Personal life

[edit]

Kopa's wife Christiane (née Bourigault) was a basketball player who he met while playing at Angers.[10] Her brother, Claude Bourrigault, was also a French footballer who spent most of his career at Angers.[48] Kopa and Christiane had three kids together, but their son Denis died of cancer in 1963 at the age of four.[10][12]

In 1961, Kopa helped Eugène N'Jo Léa, Just Fontaine, and Jacques Bertrand create the Union Nationale des Footballeurs Professionnels, a trade union for professional footballers in France,[13] and later served as the union's vice-president.[18] In 1970, Kopa became the first footballer to be awarded the Légion d'Honneur.[10] In March 2004, Kopa was named by Pelé as one of the 125 greatest living footballers.[49]

Death and legacy

[edit]
The statue of Kopa located outside the Stade Auguste-Delaune.

Kopa died in Angers on 3 March 2017, at the age of 85,[50] having reportedly been hospitalized a week before his death.[9] His funeral was held at the Saint-Maurice Cathedral five days later.[51]

Less than a month after his death, Angers announced they were renaming the Stade Jean-Bouin after him.[52] In December 2018, Stade de Reims built a statue of Kopa outside of the Stade Auguste-Delaune.[53]

In 2018, France Football launched the Kopa Trophy, awarded to the best young footballer in the calendar year, which was named in his honor. The award's first recipient was fellow Frenchman Kylian Mbappé.[54]

Career statistics

[edit]

Club

[edit]
Appearances and goals by club, season and competition[28]
Club Season League Cup[a] European Cup Total
DivisionAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoals
Angers1949–50Division 230710–317
1950–51307––307
Total 601410–6115
Reims1951–52Division 133833–3611
1952–53331330–3613
1953–54311163–3714
1954–55311150–3611
1955–563055470429
Total 1584822107018758
Real Madrid1956–57La Liga2262082328
1957–5827821733612
1958–59301051714212
Total 79249222611032
Reims1959–60Division 1361451–4115
1960–613054210357
1961–6230250–352
1962–633414142424
1963–6425250–302
1964–65Division 229331–324
1965–6627371–344
1966–67Division 133321–354
1968–69Division 2–11–11
Total 244333685228543
Career total 5411196820348643147

International

[edit]
Appearances and goals by national team and year[16]
National teamYearAppsGoals
France 195252
195363
195464
195564
195610
195700
195874
195940
196031
196130
196240
Total4518
Scores and results list France's goal tally first, score column indicates score after each Kopa goal.
List of international goals scored by Raymond Kopa[36]
No. Date Venue Opponent Score Result Competition
111 November 1952Stade Olympique Yves-du-Manoir, Paris, France Northern Ireland2–03–1Friendly
23–1
314 May 1953Stade Olympique Yves-du-Manoir, Paris, France Wales2–16–1Friendly
44–1
520 September 1953Stade Josy Barthel, Luxembourg, Luxembourg Luxembourg2–16–11954 FIFA World Cup qualification
630 May 1954Stade Heysel, Brussels, Belgium Belgium3–33–3Friendly
719 June 1954Charmilles Stadium, Geneva, Switzerland Mexico3–23–21954 FIFA World Cup
811 November 1954Stade Olympique Yves-du-Manoir, Paris, France Belgium1–22–2Friendly
92–2
1017 March 1955Estadio Chamartín, Madrid, Spain Spain1–12–1Friendly
1115 May 1955Stade Olympique Yves-du-Manoir, Paris, France England1–01–0Friendly
129 October 1955St. Jakob Stadium, Basel, Switzerland  Switzerland1–02–1Friendly
1323 October 1955Dinamo Stadium, Moscow, Soviet Union Soviet Union1–02–2Friendly
148 June 1958Idrottsparken, Norrköping, Sweden Paraguay6–37–31958 FIFA World Cup
1515 June 1958Eyravallen, Örebro, Sweden Scotland1–02–11958 FIFA World Cup
1626 June 1958Ullevi, Gothenburg, Sweden West Germany2–16–31958 FIFA World Cup
171 October 1958Parc des Princes, Paris, France Greece1–07–11960 European Nations' Cup qualifying
1827 March 1960Praterstadion, Vienna, Austria Austria4–24–21960 European Nations' Cup qualifying

Honours

[edit]

Reims[2]

Real Madrid[2][25]

France

Individual

Orders

Notes

[edit]

References

[edit]
  1. 1 2 3 "Décret du 6 avril 2007 portant promotion et nomination" [Decree of 6 April 2007 on promotion and appointment]. Official Journal of the French Republic (in French). 2007 (84). 8 April 2007. PREX0710142D. Retrieved 15 March 2025.
  2. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 "Raymond Kopa". L'Équipe (in French). Paris. Retrieved 5 June 2019.
  3. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 Gaillard, William (4 February 2011). "Goals, not coal, for Kopa". uefa.com. Archived from the original on 22 August 2022. Retrieved 8 April 2026.
  4. ↑ The Greatest Offensive Midfielders of All-Time. xtratime.org
  5. ↑ "The 50 Greatest Footballers of All Time". Sports Illustrated. 21 May 2019. Retrieved 24 December 2023.
  6. ↑ Carney, Jimmi (31 May 2011). "The 100 Best Footballers of All Time". Bleacher Report. Archived from the original on 3 June 2011. Retrieved 24 December 2023.
  7. ↑ Ritchie, Calum (23 November 2023). "25 Greatest Players Of All Time (Ranked)". GiveMeSport. Retrieved 24 December 2023.
  8. ↑ Pierrend, José (31 October 2006). "European Footballer of the Year ("Ballon d'Or") 1958". RSSSF.
  9. 1 2 3 4 5 6 Associated Press (3 March 2017). "Raymond Kopa, the 'Napoleon' of Soccer, Dies at 85". The New York Times. Retrieved 9 April 2026.
  10. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 Glanville, Brian (3 March 2017). "Raymond Kopa obituary". The Guardian. Retrieved 8 April 2026.
  11. 1 2 Boli, C; Grognet, F; Gastaut, Y (2010). Allez la France! football et immigration. Gallimard. ISBN 978-2070129638.
  12. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 "Il capitale umano di Raymond Kopa". Calcio Romantico (in Italian). 24 August 2014. Retrieved 13 April 2026.
  13. 1 2 "Mémoires de mines - Les débuts du footballeur Raymond Kopa à Noeux-les-Mines - Ina.fr". Mémoires de mines.
  14. 1 2 Braun, Didier. "L'Équipe de France de football, c'est l'histoire en raccourci d'un siècle d'immigration" (PDF). L'Équipe. Archived from the original (PDF) on 13 January 2012. Retrieved 15 August 2009.
  15. ↑ "SCO Angers - Figures". www.sco1919.com. Retrieved 10 April 2026.
  16. 1 2 3 4 Strack-Zimmermann, Benjamin. "Raymond Kopa (Player)". www.national-football-teams.com. Retrieved 6 April 2026.
  17. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 Thacker, Gary (20 November 2019). "The rare genius of Raymond Kopa". These Football Times. Retrieved 9 April 2026.
  18. 1 2 3 4 5 Jucha, Nicolas (23 May 2016). "Raymond Kopa, un destin qui dépasse le football". SOFOOT.com (in French). Retrieved 12 April 2026.
  19. ↑ Kssis-Martov, Nicolas (3 March 2017). "Raymond Kopa, l'homme de deux football". SOFOOT.com (in French). Retrieved 12 April 2026.
  20. ↑ Philippe Rey-Gorez and Alexandre Audabram (2 April 2018). "Paul Sinibaldi, ancienne star du Stade de Reims, est mort" (in French). France Bleu. Retrieved 8 April 2026.
  21. ↑ "Little Napoleon". The Sunday Post. No. 2635. 26 February 1956. p. 20. Retrieved 28 October 2026.
  22. ↑ "Remembering Raymond Kopa, the Napoleon of Football". World Soccer. 3 March 2017. Retrieved 9 April 2026.
  23. ↑ "Kopa 1956 - 1959". www.realmadrid.com. Retrieved 9 April 2026.
  24. ↑ "Reims succumb to Madrid for a second time". UEFA.com. 1 September 2014. Retrieved 12 April 2026.
  25. 1 2 3 4 5 Hanot, Gabriel. "Palmarès Ballon d'Or – 1958 – Raymond Kopa". www.francefootball.fr. Retrieved 20 February 2017.
  26. 1 2 Pierrend, José Luis (23 October 2008). "European Footballer of the Year ("Ballon d'Or") 1956". RSSSF. Archived from the original on 16 January 2009. Retrieved 19 December 2008.
  27. 1 2 Pierrend, José (18 April 2007). "European Footballer of the Year ("Ballon d'Or") 1957". RSSSF.
  28. 1 2 3 "Raymond Kopa - Fiche de stats du joueur de football". www.pari-et-gagne.com. Retrieved 5 May 2026.
  29. ↑ "Real Madrid Tribute To Gento". Express & Star. No. 28187. Reuters. 2 September 1965. p. 38. Retrieved 27 October 2026.
  30. ↑ Nicholson, Tom (8 July 1959). "Anderlecht Will Sign Kopa!". Daily Record. No. 19870. p. 14. Retrieved 27 October 2026.
  31. ↑ "Kopa Counts Himself Out". Daily Record. No. 19877. 16 July 1959. Retrieved 27 October 2026.
  32. 1 2 Pierrend, José (15 December 2006). "European Footballer of the Year ("Ballon d'Or") 1959". RSSSF.
  33. ↑ "Two week suspension for Kopa". Belfast News-Letter. 26 October 1963. p. 8. Retrieved 28 October 2026.
  34. ↑ "Saison 1963/1964 Ligue 1, Coupe de France, Coupe Charles Drago, Classement, Résultats". www.pari-et-gagne.com. Retrieved 10 April 2026.
  35. ↑ "Soccer Round The World". Sports Argus. No. 31570. 1 July 1967. p. 7. Retrieved 28 October 2026.
  36. 1 2 3 4 5 "Raymond Kopa – national football team player".
  37. ↑ "World Cup 1954 finals". www.rsssf.org. Retrieved 6 April 2026.
  38. 1 2 Charnay, Kevin (23 May 2016). "Le jour où l'Espagne a découvert Raymond Kopa". SOFOOT.com (in French). Retrieved 12 April 2026.
  39. ↑ Coudrais, Richard (17 March 2025). "17 mars 1955 : Napoléon Kopa conquiert Madrid" [17 March 1955 : Napoléon Kopa conquered Madrid]. Chroniques bleues (in French).
  40. ↑ "De passage à Quimper pour dédicacer un livre Les vérités de Raymond Kopa". Le Télégramme (in French). 29 October 2009. Retrieved 10 April 2026.
  41. ↑ "World Cup 1958 finals". www.rsssf.org. Retrieved 8 April 2026.
  42. ↑ "Yugoslavia shock France to reach decider in first EURO finals game". UEFA.com. 1 October 2003. Retrieved 12 April 2026.
  43. ↑ Mamrud, Roberto (13 January 2025). "Matches of Supranational Representative Teams 1937-1970". www.rsssf.org. Retrieved 8 April 2026.
  44. ↑ "Kopa's 'No' To France". Belfast News-Letter. 25 October 1963. p. 14. Retrieved 27 October 2026.
  45. ↑ "Depreciated". Newcastle Evening Chronicle. No. 27624. 12 February 1966. p. 9. Retrieved 28 October 2026.
  46. ↑ "Kopa in the cold". Birmingham Daily Post. No. 33560. 24 May 1966. p. 24. Retrieved 28 October 2026.
  47. ↑ "Final Results Rallye Paris-Dakar - Cars 1985". eWRC-results.com. Retrieved 10 April 2026.
  48. ↑ "Abécédaire: Elus". anjou.foot (in French).
  49. 1 2 "Pele's list of the greatest". BBC Sport. 4 March 2004. Retrieved 9 April 2026.
  50. ↑ Bouchez, Yann (3 March 2017). "Raymond Kopa, figure du football français, est mort". Le Monde (in French). Retrieved 3 March 2017.
  51. ↑ "Décès. Raymond Kopa, légende du football français, s'en est allé". Ouest France (in French). 3 March 2017. Retrieved 12 April 2026.
  52. ↑ "Angers : Le stade Jean-Bouin devient Raymond-Kopa". L'Équipe (in French). 27 March 2017. Retrieved 8 April 2026.
  53. ↑ Lermusieaux, Jocelyn (4 October 2024). "Six ans après Raymond Kopa, la statue de Just Fontaine inaugurée à Reims ce dimanche". L'Équipe (in French). Retrieved 13 April 2026.
  54. ↑ "Kylian Mbappé est le vainqueur du premier Trophée Kopa" [Kylian Mbappé is the winner of the first Kopa Trophy]. France Football (in French). 3 December 2018. Archived from the original on 27 June 2019. Retrieved 3 December 2018.
  55. ↑ "On this day, Real Madrid lifted club's second Latin Cup". RealMadrid.com. 23 June 2020. Retrieved 8 June 2022.
  56. ↑ "KOPA considerado el delantero centro del major equipo del mundo (1)" (in Spanish). Mundo Deportivo. 22 January 1959. Archived from the original on 1 March 2021. Retrieved 29 December 2020.
  57. ↑ "KOPA considerado el delantero centro del major equipo del mundo (2)" (in Spanish). Mundo Deportivo. 22 January 1959. Retrieved 29 December 2020.
  58. 1 2 Garin, Erik; Pierrend, José Luis (18 January 2018). "France – Footballer of the Year". Rec.Sport.Soccer Statistics Foundation. Archived from the original on 8 October 2018. Retrieved 11 April 2026.
  59. ↑ "French Player of the Year Winners". FBref.com.
  60. ↑ "Matches of FIFA XI".
  61. ↑ "ERIC BATTY’S WORLD XI – THE SIXTIES" Retrieved on 26 November 2015
  62. ↑ World Soccer: The 100 Greatest Footballers of All Time Retrieved on 28 November 2015
  63. ↑ "Legends". Golden Foot. Archived from the original on 25 September 2015. Retrieved 23 September 2015.
  64. ↑ "UEFA President's Award". UEFA.com. 2 January 2014. Retrieved 1 June 2017.
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