r/soccerMenace_com

Before the records, the Ballon d'Or awards, and global glory… there was an unstoppable young man who began to write his legend with the Seleção. These were the beginnings of Ronaldo Nazário's journey with the Brazilian National Team: speed, power, and that goal-scoring instinct that changed the history of football. A significant fact: he finished his World Cup career as one of the all-time leading scorers in World Cup history and was key to the 2002 title.

Here are our early testing results.

This is obviously not a very relevant sample size.

Please note that players who have not primarily functioned as central midfielders (CM) have been excluded. While most of these players have occupied multiple midfield positions, they would generally be classified as classic "8s". Some have even spent time on the wing 😄

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There is an expected bias toward modern players. This raises the question: has the position truly evolved, or are we just seeing recency bias? Who do you think is missing from the top 5, and what does your personal top 5 look like?

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Although Croatia and Modrić were eliminated by Portugal in the Round of 32, his passion, leadership, and incredible performances throughout his career will never be forgotten. Seeing two of football’s greatest legends share what could be their final World Cup stage together made the moment even more unforgettable.