Sport
An XI of Serbia’s greatest World Cup players
Serbia has always been one of the beating hearts for football in Eastern Europe. No matter what form they have been named, be it Yugoslavia or Serbia, they have always been a tricky team to overcome. There have been plenty of appearances for Serbia in the World Cup at least once every decade to varying results. Appearing at 12 World Cups, their best result has been two fourth place finishes as Yugoslavia in 1930 and 1962. Recent ventures have been less successful since becoming Serbia with 1998 being the only time they got out of the group stages since the Eastern Bloc split in 1992. So with all that in mind, who exactly would make Serbia’s greatest World Cup XI?
GK: Milutin Soskic
Milutin Soskic may not seem a familiar name in Western football but he is a legend in Serbia. He was a big part of the Yugoslavia team that was one of the best in the world during the early 1960s. Soskic was the main keeper in the 1962 squad which finished in 4th place in Chile. His record of only conceding 7 goals in 6 games is the best of any Serbian goalkeeper at the World Cup as well as one of the most successful. If you add to the success he found by being in the victorious 1960 Olympic squad, Soskic remains one of the best Serbian keepers of all time.
RB: Slobodan Komljenovic
Slobodan Komljenovic isn’t quite as revered as some of his colleagues of the 1990s but he was a player who always delivered. Deployed as a right-back, he was quite attacking and often found himself in goalscoring positions. It was here where succeeded often like he did in at the 1998 World Cup finals. It would be Komljenovic who would score twice in the tournament including the only goal in a win 1-0 win against the US to send them through to the last 16. He would also score in that matcha against The Netherlands but the Dutch would emerge 2-1 winners knocking Yugoslavia out of the tournament. A short but successful stint in the international spotlight.
LB: Aleksandar Kolarov
There have been very few left-backs who are quite like Aleksandar Kolarov. A physical defender, Kolarov could mix that with frightening pace making him a nightmare to deal with. His set-pieces were deadly too delivered with fierce speed and swerve making him hard to gauge. Kolarov appeared at both the 2010 and 2018 World Cups for Serbia captaining his nation in the latter. He was particularly influential in Russia and even scored the winning goal thanks to a stunning free-kick against Costa Rica. It’s a quality that has enabled Kolarov to continually prove himself as one of the best full-backs of the 21st century.
CB: Nemanja Vidic
Few defenders could stand their ground quite like Nemanja Vidic. The imperious defender was hardly ever beaten using his excellent heading and tackling skills to neutralize any threats entering the box. Vidic was a part of both the 2006 and 2010 squads that played in the group stages of both tournaments. Injuries prevented him from playing in the 2006 finals however he played every minute in South Africa although Serbia were eliminated in the group stages. An unfortunate excite for one of Serbia’s greatest ever defenders.
CB: Branislav Ivanovic
Capable of playing as a right back or centre back, Branislav Ivanovic always found a way to upset opponents. The former Chelsea defender was known for being a powerful figure who could always win a duel anywhere on the pitch. It was why Ivanovic was a key part of both the 2010 and 2018 teams that played in the World Cup group stages. Ivanovic played in every game of both tournaments and 2018 made a huge landmark for the player. Reaching his 105th game for his country, Ivanovic became the all-time caps record holder for Serbia retiring after the match against Switzerland where they lost and were eliminated from the tournament.
CM: Dejan Stankovic
Very few players had quite a longevity quite like Dejan Stankovic. His career saw him participate in three World Cups through three different decades – 1998, 2006 and 2010. A technical maestro, Stankovic could pass and create chances in an instance making him an essential member of the squad. His efforts helped him continually impress against stronger opponents and helped him claim the Serbian Player of the Year award in both 2006 and 2010. Having done that, Stankovic is just one of 4 Serbian players to appear in 9 World Cup matches and the only player in World Cup history to appear for three separate nations – a real legend.
CM: Dragoslav Sekularac
One of Yugoslavia’s forgotten legends, Dragoslav Sekularac was a star before his times. A veteran of both the 1958 and 1962 World Cup teams, the midfielder was known for quick feet and slick passing moves. Able to unlock defences instantly, it was his passes that helped the Yugoslavia team finish fourth in 1962 having also reached the last eight in 1958 . it is a legacy that is still revered to this day and that many players only dream to emulate.
CM: Dragan Stojkovic
Perhaps Serbia and Yugoslavia’s biggest star of the 1990s, Dragan Stojkovic could deliver when the pressure was on. His technical skillset was at an elite level and could break teams in a blink of an eye. His performances in the 1990 were particularly memorable and a brace in the second round win over Spain secured him a spot in the overall 1990 All-Star team . It was here where he would captain his nation for much of the 1990s as well as in 1998 where he would bag a third goal making him joint second highest scorer for Yugoslavia/Serbia at a World Cup and the only player to score in multiple tournaments. Having retired shortly after the 1998 finals, Stojkovic remains one of the best to ever play for Serbia at the World Cup.
FW: Todor Veselinovic
One of Yugoslavia’s premier strikers of the 1950s, Todor Veselinovic was always able to score when the pressure was on. Having played in both the 1954 and 1958 tournaments, Veselinovic came into his own in the 1958 tournament. He would score three goals in the tournament helping his side reach the last eight in Sweden and finish in the top ten scorers for the entire tournament. A leader of a side often forgotten amongst other great sides of that era.
FW: Milan Galic
When Yugoslavia were at their most successful in the 1960, they had Milan Galic leading the line. Galic had a knack for always finishing on a consistent basis and this made him one of the stars of the side that finished fourth in 196. It was in this tournament where he would score 3 goals as the sides reached the last four – earning a nomination in that year’s Ballon D’Or prize. With 37 goals in 52 games, Galic remains having one of the highest goals: game ratio for his country to this present day.
FW: Dragan Dzajic
A force of nature along the left touchline, Dragan Dzajic mesmerized opponents and fans with his creative output. Whether it was silky skills or amazing passes, Dzajic would always come out on top against a rival player. He was a key member of the 1974 team that reached the second round of matches and was a goalscorer in a 9-0 thrashing of Zaire earlier in the tournament. It was a defining moment for a player who is often considered one of Serbia’s and Yugoslavia’s greatest ever players.
