Playmaker Platini guides France to the semis.

Not every great player can win the World Cup – for that matter, not every great player can even reach a World Cup, see George Best – but France legend Michel Platini certainly left his mark on the world stage nonetheless.

Capped 72 times, the midfield maestro was at the heart of a France side that reached the semi-finals of the 1982 and '86 tournaments (making the FIFA All-Star XI both times), and picked up a winners’ medal at the ’84 European Championship.

Confirming his stature, Platini is also the only player to win the Ballon d’Or award three years on the trot (’83, ’84 and ’85).

He recently announced his plans to stand for re-election as the president of UEFA.