All eyes are now firmly on the World Cup. The 48-team summer bonanza will capture the hearts of billions around the globe over the next 6 weeks or so.
Before we get to the actual football, though, the build-up to the tournament can sometimes be the best part of the World Cup.
Sticker albums, magazines, documentaries, kit launches and squad announcements all seem to bring everyone a little closer in the months leading up to arguably the biggest sporting spectacle on the globe.
Every four years, the promotional campaigns by qualified nations dominate social media, none more so than this year.
Scotland celebrated their return to a first World Cup in 28 years by having Scott McTominay’s famous overhead kick immortalized on limited edition £20 notes. Only 100 of the notes have been printed by the Bank of Scotland, signifying that they will become a collector’s item.
It got me thinking, which other footballers have appeared on banknotes (or coins) down the years?
As it turns out, quite a few…
Johan Cruyff
Johan Cruyff is perhaps the most influential footballer of all time. He won three European Cups with Ajax, helping redefine how football should be played in the process.
The Dutchman took this philosophy into a storied coaching career, leading Barcelona to its first European title. More importantly, he revolutionized La Masia, Barcelona’s youth academy, inspiring a generation of players and coaches, including Pep Guardiola.
“Cruyff built the cathedral. It is up to us to maintain it.” The Spaniard said and Cruyff’s legacy is still talked about now.
It is surprising, then, that the first time he appeared on currency came a year after his death. The Royal Dutch Mint issued commemorative Johan Cruyff five euro coin in 2017, in what quickly became something of a collector’s item.
George Best
Like Cruyff, George Best wasn’t immortalised on a bank note until after his death. The Manchester United icon died in 2005 after a battle with alcoholism. A year later, to mark the first anniversary of his passing, the Ulster Bank in Northern Ireland issued one million £5 notes featuring Best on them.
These can now be found on eBay for around £100 (or more) nowadays. A wise investment indeed if you had bought one over 20 years ago! But buyer beware, the resell market was apparently flooded with fakes generated by unscrupulous characters (or Manchester City fans).
The Best of the Rest
Being printed on a banknote is special, but over the years, plenty of players have been minted onto coins.
Former Czech Republic and Juventus midfielder Pavel Nedved featured on a set of special commemorative coins, along with legends from previous eras, including Josef Masopust and Antonín Panenka.
There is a set of Texaco Coins dated from 1969, with English players such as Geoff Hurst, Bobby Moore, Martin Peters and Bobby Charlton.
With the rise of cryptocurrency in recent years, seeing McTominay’s stunning goal against Denmark on a banknote was refreshing to say the least.
Will there be more players celebrated with money around the globe following the conclusion of the World Cup this summer?
Perhaps McTominay on a £50 note after he scores the winner in the final? Ah, a man can dream.
