The World Cup is the pinnacle of professional football and is the tournament that most players dream of winning when they start their careers.
Just eight nations have lifted the prestigious trophy to date, with Brazil’s tally of five successes the most achieved by a single country.
Numerous players have set some notable records since the tournament was first staged, so read on as we take a look at who has etched their names into World Cup folklore.
Most championships – Pele
A recent study by Betway Insider rated Pele as one of the top five greatest players of all-time and it is impossible to argue with their assessment.
Pele netted six goals in four appearances to help Brazil win the 1958 World Cup and he added another two titles to his CV (1962 & 1970) before the end of his career.
No other player in history has won three World Cups and Pele’s achievement will be tough to beat given the strength of international teams in the modern era.
Most matches played – Lothar Matthaus
Lothar Matthaus played in five World Cups for Germany (1982, 1986, 1990, 1994 & 1998) to rack up a record 25 appearances at final tournaments.
He was a key member of Germany’s winning squad in 1990 and retired from international football having made a record 150 appearances for his country.
Legendary Argentinian playmaker Diego Maradona rated Matthaus as the best rival he ever had – high praise from someone who knew a thing or two about talent.
Most goals scored – Miroslav Klose
No player has netted as many goals at World Cup finals as German striker Miroslav Klose, who bagged 16 in 24 appearances across four separate tournaments.
He is one of just 13 players to score a hat-trick on their World Cup debut, achieving the feat in a comprehensive 8-0 victory over Saudi Arabia in 2002.
Klose scored his 16th World Cup goal in front of previous record holder Ronaldo as Germany demolished Brazil 7-1 in the 2014 final.
Most goals scored in a match – Oleg Salenko
Oleg Salenko enjoyed a reasonable career at club level, but achieved his biggest feat playing for Russia against Cameroon at the 1994 World Cup.
He netted five goals in that game, although his efforts counted for nothing as Brazil and Sweden claimed the top two spots in Russia’s group.
Salenko’s five-goal haul took his tally to six for the tournament and he finished as the joint top scorer alongside Bulgaria star Hristo Stoichkov.
Most goals scored in a final – Geoff Hurst
Geoff Hurst took advantage of an unfortunate injury to Jimmy Greaves to cement his name in the record books at the 1966 World Cup.
He was called up for the quarter-final against Argentina, and retained his place as England subsequently progressed to the final against West Germany.
Hurst famously scored a hat-trick as England clinched the World Cup title at Wembley Stadium and he remains the only man to achieve the feat.