Two days to go now for the kickoff of Qatar 2022. We now get to #2 in our
squad number lists.

#2 is a number for right-backs and defenders mostly, but we do get some other kinds of players.

Let's begin with Cafu, Brasil's #2 in 1998, 2002 and 2006, captaining the
team in the latter two. He is the only player to have featured in the final of three World Cups, having also substituted an injured Jorginho in the 21st minute
of the 1994 one, then 1998 and 2002. He was preceded by a line of fine Brazilian
right backs all the way back from all time great Djalma Santos (1954, 1962 and 1966), then Leandro (1982) and Jorginho (1990 and 1994). Brasil also had center
back Bellini, captain of the first title in 1958, as #2 in that Cup.

Argentina brings midfielders to the list, starting with Osvaldo Ardiles, World Cup winner in 1978. Sergio Batista, winner of Copa Libertadores with Argentinos Juniors in 1985, World Cup winner in 1986 with #2, also held this number in
WC 1990, in which Argentina made the final again. He later coached Argentina to
the Olympic gold medal in 2008, a credential which would eventually lead him to
replace Maradona at the helm of the senior national team after WC 2010. And there's also defender Roberto Ayala (1998 to 2006), who served as Argentina's captain for a record 63 times.

From Uruguay we could mention central defenders Nelson Gutierrez (1986 and 1990)
and Diego Lugano (2010 and 2014). And there's also Paraguay's fine right
back Francisco Arce, who helped his team reach the second round in 1998 and 2002.

In order not to be accused of South American-centrism, let's mention some worthy
European #2's as well. West Germany's Berti "Der Terrier" Vogts, defender in WC 1974 and 1978 and winner of the former, in which he had to shadow none other than Johan Cruyff in the final, being successful at that. He later coached the German national team, leading them to two Euro finals (losing one and winning the other) and two World Cup quarterfinals. From Italy, we have two already mentioned players, in Tarcisio Burgnich (1970) and Franco Baresi (1982 and 1990).

Poland brings us a goalkeeper, Jan Tomaszewski, hero of their last qualification
match to WC'1974 against England, in Wembley. Famously labeled as "a clown" by Brian Clough before the match, he put on a man of the match performance, only conceding an equalizer on a penalty kick and holding the English to an insufficient
draw in front of their home crowd. Wearing #2 in the final tournament, Tomaszewski
became the first keeper to stop two penalties in two different matches (one in each), against Sweden and West Germany, helping Poland to an unprecedented third
place finish. He would also start in 1978, as Poland finished behind Argentina and Brasil in the second group stage, but this time as #1.

The number's top goalscorer is Romania's Dan Petrescu (1994 and 1998), with a thunderous amount of... two goals. One against the US in the former and one against England in the latter.

A shoutout to our Canadian friends with an honourable mention to Bob Lenarduzzi (1986), who would later coach Canada in the 1990's, overseeing two attempts to qualify to the World Cup, for 1994 and 1998.

And there's Zaire's Mwepu Ilunga, who played in the 1974 tournament. In the last
group stage game, a disgraced Zairean team under pressure from their country's dictator tried as well as they could to hold the incumbent world champions to a respectable score, or else. Near the end of the game, already 3-0 down, on a free
kick to Brasil in front of the penalty area, Ilunga snapped: he ran out of the wall and blasted the ball away, almost hitting Rivelino's face in the process.

His idea was to denounce to the world the threats and ill treatment he and his teammates were receiving from his country's authorities. However, without that context and on the wake of a humiliating 9-0 defeat to Yugoslavia just four days
earlier, what most of the world saw was a moment of comic relief. All he got out
of that was a yellow card and a lot of people laughing at them, having no idea about the kind of pressure the Zairean players were under.

We're almost done, as the Cup looms closer and closer. If you feel I missed anyone
important or made any mistake above, let the world know. And tomorrow, we get to #1!


Best regards,

Lléo

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