World Cup final survivors

[ursus arctos]

Reportedly had been a regular smoker for over 20 years before quitting more than a decade ago

The cancer was first diagnosed last year, but kept very quiet by the family

[Various Artist]

Just catching up with this thread, and rereading through it from the beginning, it's quite a shock to see how many additions have been necessitated in only the last eight months. Had it started even a couple of years ago it would have been still more of a change, of course: the balance has tipped drastically in the England '66 side between living and non-living in little more than that span, prior to which only two(?) were gone – I think that Alan Ball was the only one to die between 1993 and 2018 – whereas quite abruptly there's now barely a man left hale and hearty from that lineup.

Moving much further towards the present day, it's quite startling too to twig only this minute that losing Maradona has suddenly 'advanced the narrative', so to speak, into the '90s. We've now lost the first finalist from any World Cup I actually watched (1990, I mean; I was too young at the time for 1986), which is rather a sobering realisation.
Losing Rossi so soon afterwards also means that the number of deceased participants from the ten finals of my entire lifetime has increased by fully 50% – from 4 to 6 – in just these last few weeks.

[Various Artist]

Just two or three bits of housekeeping I spotted, sorry G-Man:

1954: 21 (11 Hungary, 10 West-Germany)
1958: 17 (9 Sweden, 9 Brazil)
1962: 18 (9 Brazil - 9 Czechoslovakia)
1966: 9 (7 English, 3 West-Germany)
1970: 5 (3 Brazil: Felix, Carlos Alberto, Everaldo -- 2 Italy: Rosato, Facchetti)
1974: 3 (all Netherlands: Cruyff, Suurbier, Rensenbrink)
1978: 5 (Rensenbrink, plus subs Galvan, Houseman [Argentina] and Nanninga, Suurbier [Netherlands])
1982: 2 (Italy: Scirea, Rossi)
1986: 3 (3 Argentina: Cuciuffo, Brown, Maradonna -- 1 West-Germany: Eder)
1990: 1 (Argentina: Maradonna)
1994: and thereafter: 0

1958's tally should unfortunately read 18 (9+9) not 17.
Maradona not 'Maradonna'.
There's also a stray 'a' in "I looked up how many of the World Cup final a starting XIs had died", incidentally.

[jwdd27]

It's the first time I've noticed Norbert Eder's entry for 1986. He's a player that completely passed me by, although I watched that tournament and had the sticker album.

Seven of his nine caps were in that World Cup, during he which he missed only five minutes. Only made his debut in May (aged 30). That's quite a "moment in the sun", although he won titles with Bayern (and lost a European cup final).

[G-Man]

I added the names of the dead guys only after Maradona's death (thanks for the proofing, VA, by the way).

Eder was a solid player whom I liked when he was at Nurnberg. In the 1980s Bayern bought lots of such solid players to support their star players, guys like Dremmler, Horsmann, Weiner, Niedermayer, Duernberger (who, I think came from their own youth, actually) and Eder. A few made it into the German national team as a result. Dremmler and Eder even played in World Cup finals, which were career trajectories nobody expected.

[Various Artist]

I added the names of the dead guys only after Maradona's death (thanks for the proofing, VA, by the way)

You're welcome mate. Your maths for 1958 still needs some work though!

But ahh, right, that would explain why I didn't remember seeing those before either. And I confess Eder's name meant nothing to me until now either, so thanks for that brief biography here to both of you gents.

[longeared]

Leopoldo Luque from Argentina 1978, died aged 71.

[tee rex]

There was a discussion here about players' names (Yeboah etc) that you shouted when seeing spectacular goals, or scoring any kind of goal at all yourself. After the 1978 World Cup ours was Luque. In our age group, he was probably the first foreigner to have that honour.

[Jah Womble]

RIP, Leopoldo Luque - brave dude who played on in 1978, despite the death of his brother during the tournament. (Although this may have been under pressure, of course.)

Seem to remember his name was quickly usurped in school kickabouts once Kempes hit his stride, however.

[Satchmo Distel]

As I mentioned a few months ago, Maradona's surgeon had the same name, so that name has not had a good few months:

https://www.npr.org/2020/11/30/94004...%20his%20brain.

On 1978 shout-outs, maybe Gemmill, who scored the tournament's best solo goal?

[longeared]

Tarcisio Burgnich died yesterday aged 82, played for Italy in the 1970 final. Scored their second goal in the semi final.

[ursus arctos]

Also won the Euros in 1968 and was a key member of Grande Inter.

His Friulian origins account fir his unusual name,

Only 5'9", but built like the proverbial brick shithouse and "uncompromising" in style.

[Flynnie]

I had no idea Tata Brown had died. Of Alzheimer's too at age 62, that is fucking grim. Headers, man.

[Satchmo Distel]

Burgnich was a survivor born in the 30s (1939) so we are seeing an inevitable thinning of that category, given that they'd be at least 81 as of now and would have been heading some very heavy balls in the 1950s-1960s.

[Satchmo Distel]

Gerd Muller RIP thread:

G-Man: "Müller is the first of West Germany's 1974 team to go, and only the second in the squad (the first was Heinz Flohe)."

https://www.onetouchfootball.com/for...ip#post2498008

[G-Man]

Thanks for locating this thread, Satchmo. I've now bookmarked it.

[jwdd27]

(West) Germany 1982 now the earliest finalists with 11 men standing.

[G-Man]

Infdeed. West Germany 1982, then West Germany 1990, then all other finalists.

[Rogin the Armchair fan]

Thanks for locating this thread, Satchmo. I've now bookmarked it.

Humph.

[1974ddr]

And now Roger Hunt joins the list... still maintaining that the ball crossed the line...

[G-Man]

So now it's only George Cohen, Bobby Charlton and Geoff Hurst left of the 1966 team. Germany still has eight left.

[1974ddr]

The stats aren't good from the English point of view; on top of West Germany's 8-3 lead in survivors from the Final, they lead 16-7 in survivors from the 1966 squad. In addition to the three England players named above, only Ron Flowers, George Eastham, Ian Callaghan and Terry Paine are still with us.

[Satchmo Distel]

Is the explanation that the English game had more heading plus less regulation of player diets?

[Sam]

West Germany's squad had (at the time of the tournament obviously) an average age of a sprightly 25 to England's 26.5, which almost definitely doesn't have an awful lot to do with it really.

[Rogin the Armchair fan]

So now it's only George Cohen, Bobby Charlton and Geoff Hurst left of the 1966 team. Germany still has eight left.

And Bobby Charlton was a smoker - he had a fag at half-time during the final - so has definitely defied the usual medical warnings.