Players who won the World Cup and Champions League in the same season
Neil Sutherland once told Jay Cartwright you „can’t complete“ Championship Manager despite the latter earning a role in the England set-up as a result of his work with Woking FC.
Taking a Conference outfit to the Champions League in six seasons simply doesn’t go unnoticed.
Neil was quickly convinced, and while many will question whether a football-based video game or the sport itself can actually be completed, some – not named Mr Cartwright – have made a compelling case, you know, in real life.
We all know the World Cup is football’s Holy Grail; the Magna Carta. Nothing tops it. And while some South Americans may disagree, the Champions League is widely regarded as the crème de la crème of club football.
Imagine winning both in the same season… now that’s completing it, mate.
Six of the nine players to win both competitions in the same season did so in 1974.
The all-conquering Bayern Munich outfit was spearheaded by a German core, with West Germany going on to lift the World Cup in the summer after beating Johan Cruyff’s Total Footballers in the final.
Bayern’s European Cup final triumph was made possible by perhaps the least recognisable name of the six as centre-back Schwarzenbeck scored an incredible late equaliser from distance in extra time against Atletico Madrid to force a replay.
Bayern were irresistible in the second contest as future club president Hoeness and legendary forward Gerd Muller, who scored the winner in the World Cup final, each notched braces in an emphatic 4-0 win.
Beckenbauer captained both teams to glory, while Breitner netted from the spot in West Germany’s victory over the Dutch.
The 1998 Champions League final between Juventus and Real Madrid sits among the most forgettable in the competition’s history.
Predrag Mijatovic’s second half strike was the difference between the two sides as Real Madrid claimed their final European glory of the century.
France would then go on to lift the World Cup with Zinedine Zidane leading the way. In both outfits, midfield workhorse Christian Karembeu went under the radar. His role was key in establishing balance to a pair of aggressive midfield diamonds.
Michael Cox described Karembeu’s role in the 1998 World Cup final as „a peculiar hybrid of a wing-back and a box-to-box midfielder,“ who „shuttled up and down on the right of a very defensive three-man midfield.“
The energetic Frenchman’s function wasn’t quite so specialised at a club level, but his role in Real’s success mustn’t be overlooked.
Unicorn full-back Roberto Carlos had a hand in Mijatovic’s winner in the 1998 final against Juventus, but his impact was more direct in the showpiece event at Hampden Park in 2002.
The Brazilian’s optimistic hooked volley into the box found the left boot of Zidane, who, with one clean swing and strike, netted what many regard as the most iconic strike in Champions League final history.
The Frenchman’s finish propelled Real to glory over Bayer Leverkusen.
Roberto Carlos then helped Brazil avenge the disaster of Paris ’98 in Yokohama four years later as Ronaldo inspired his nation to victory in the 2002 World Cup final.
The full-back made six appearances at the tournament, scoring in the group stage rout over China, and was subsequently named in the World Cup All-Star Team.
Varane’s centre-back partner Samuel Umtiti stole the show at times during France’s ascent to global supremacy in 2018 as the former Barcelona defender netted in their semi-final triumph over Belgium.
Nevertheless, Varane garnered plenty of plaudits for his performances in Russia as Les Bleus kept an impressive four clean sheets at the tournament. Varane also got himself on the scoresheet in the quarter-final win over Uruguay.
By the time the 2018 World Cup rolled around, Varane had established himself as one of Europe’s premier defenders thanks to his exploits in the Spanish capital.
The Frenchman lifted four Champions League trophies with Real Madrid, the last of which arrived just before his travails in Russia.