K minus 23 days - Legends - Yashin, Moore, Cafu, Maldini, Beckenbauer

The legends we are about to look at here are considered to be some of the best in their positions, not only for their club or country, but also in their contemporary footballing world

Legends Part I - Garrincha, Meazza, Puskas, Eusebio, Pele

Category: Goalkeepers / Defenders        Period: 1958-2006

Lev Yashin is not just a shot stopper, he's the penalty stopper. Yashin is the only goalkeeper to win the Ballon d'Or and is considered as the greatest goalkeeper ever in the history of football. His posture and composure, athletic and commanding made him a wall in front of the goalpost

His statistics are staggering, having kept around 300 clean sheets and saved more than 150 penalties, he won an Olympic gold, played three world cups and was instrumental in taking USSR to quarters in 1958 and 1962 and then led them to a fourth place finish in 1966. He was also part of 1970 campaign as a back-up and an assistant coach, where they reached the quarters again

He's dubbed as Black Spider all over the world although his fans prefer to call him the Black Panther

Robert Frederick Charles Moore or simply Bobby Moore is the best defender England have produced and was acknowledged by none other than Pele as the best he has ever faced

Moore captained England to their only World Cup victory to date, in 1966. He earned 108 caps for England and played every minute of all the games he played, never came on as a sub and never got substituted. After playing 1962 World Cup, in his first outing for England, Moore became the youngest captain of the team

Despite playing as a defender, Moore is involved in taking the game to the opposition and providing with crucial assists, he assisted two of the three goals scored by George Hurst at the 1966 World Cup final

Cafu earns his place in this list simply for being part of three World Cup finals, in 1994, 1998 and 2002, the only footballer to do so. He won two of them. But his defending skills are much renowned too, having earned the most caps by a Brazilian footballer

Cafu is part of 16 wins for Brazil in World Cups, another record. He made his Cup debut in 1994 final against Italy following an injury to Jorginho. He successfully led Brazil to 2002 World Cup victory after reinstated as a captain due to Emerson's injury

Cafu, as like others on this list, have been named in Pele's 125 greatest living footballers list in 2004

Maldini rose to fame as the best Italian defender of all time, replacing his mentor Franco Baresi, another legend of Italian football. And like his mentor, Maldini made a mark in World Cups despite not winning one. Having made it to the final in 1994, he was also part of Italian team in 1990, 1998 and 2002 finals

Maldini practically owned the left flank, not just in defense but in making runs and providing with excellent crosses. His ability to control the game earned him a nickname "Il Capitano" or The Captain, which reciprocated with the fact that he captained his national and club teams with unmatched leadership skills

Franz Anton Beckenbauer is considered as the best defender of all time and is arguably the best German footballer. Nicknamed as Der Kaiser or "The Emperor" due to his domination on the football pitch and elegance in style. Beckenbauer won the football World Cup as both captain and coach, the only one to do so. Due to his versatility, he often "swept up" the ball from the box and provided excellent counter attacking opportunities for his team

He's one of the most revered footballers having captained to win the 1974 World Cup, finishing runner up in 1966 and a third place in 1970. Despite being a defender, he's famous for his game changing goals. He was twice accorded the prestigious Ballon d'Or, a rarity for a defender to even win once

Legends Part III - Kocsis, Fontaine, Charlton, Muller, Cruyff
Legends Part IV - Maradona, Romario, Klinsmann, Zidane, Cannavaro
Legends Part V - Platini, Matthaus, Lineker, Baggio, Ronaldo