Players analysis, in distribution.

What month were most goalkeepers born? Do attackers cluster differently from defenders? Where do the GOATs (Pelé, Maradona, Cruyff, Messi, CR7, R9…) fall on the curve — on the modal month or as outliers?

Tournament window — click to toggle
1,149
Players in window
47
Teams
24.4
Avg squad size
2
Tournaments
1938, 2022

Squads by position

Players in the selected window, split by role
GET /aggregates/players?years=1938,2022

By confederation

Where the players come from
GET /aggregates/players?years=1938,2022

Hemisphere split

Northern vs Southern hemisphere national teams
Northern997 (86.8%)
Southern152 (13.2%)
ApiTeam.country × hemisphere classification

Birth month, by position

One chart per role. GOAT pin-marks (gold dots above the bars) call out where iconic players sit. Look for the “relative-age effect” — many youth-academy systems privilege Q1 birthdays (Jan-Mar) for early physical development, and you sometimes see the same skew in elite squads.

Goalkeepers

Birth-month distribution + 1 GOAT marker
GK
Lev Yashin· Oct
Modal month: Mar17 players (12.5%). Range: 617.

Defenders

Birth-month distribution + 2 GOAT markers
DF
Franz Beckenbauer· Sep
Fabio Cannavaro· Sep
Modal month: Jan42 players (12.8%). Range: 1942.

Midfielders

Birth-month distribution + 10 GOAT markers
MF
Bobby Charlton· Oct
Diego Maradona· Oct
Michel Platini· Jun
Zico· Mar
Zinedine Zidane· Jun
Ronaldinho· Mar
Kaká· Apr
Andrés Iniesta· May
Xavi Hernández· Jan
Luka Modrić· Sep
Modal month: Feb43 players (12.3%). Range: 1343.

Attackers

Birth-month distribution + 17 GOAT markers
FW
Pelé· Oct
Garrincha· Oct
Eusébio· Jan
Gerd Müller· Nov
Johan Cruyff· Apr
Karl-Heinz Rummenigge· Sep
Paolo Rossi· Sep
Romário· Jan
Ronaldo (R9)· Sep
Cristiano Ronaldo· Feb
Lionel Messi· Jun
Kylian Mbappé· Dec
Neymar· Feb
Robert Lewandowski· Aug
Mohamed Salah· Jun
Karim Benzema· Dec
Vinícius Jr· Jul
Modal month: Feb35 players (10.9%). Range: 1435.

All players

Every player from the 1938, 2022 squads. Search by name or filter by country, position, birth year or birth month. The C badge marks captains.

1,149 / 1,149
PlayerCountryPositionDOBBirth monthWCsGoals
Kylian MbappéFranceAttacker1998-12-20Dec18
LeônidasBrazilAttacker1913-09-06Sep17
Lionel MessiCArgentinaAttacker1987-06-24Jun17
György SárosiCHungaryAttacker1912-09-15Sep15
Gyula ZsengellérHungaryAttacker1915-12-27Dec15
Silvio PiolaItalyAttacker1913-09-29Sep15
Ernst WilimowskiPolandAttacker1916-06-23Jun14
Gino ColaussiItalyAttacker1914-03-04Mar14
Gustav WetterströmSwedenAttacker1911-10-15Oct14
Julián AlvarezArgentinaAttacker2000-01-31Jan14
Olivier GiroudFranceAttacker1986-09-30Sep14
Álvaro MorataSpainAttacker1992-10-23Oct13
André AbegglenSwitzerlandAttacker1909-03-07Mar13
Arne NybergSwedenAttacker1913-06-20Jun13
Bukayo SakaEnglandAttacker2001-09-05Sep13
Cody GakpoNetherlandsAttacker1999-05-07May13
Enner ValenciaCEcuadorAttacker1989-11-04Nov13
Gonçalo RamosPortugalAttacker2001-06-20Jun13
Marcus RashfordEnglandAttacker1997-10-31Oct13
PerácioBrazilAttacker1917-11-02Nov13
RicharlisonBrazilAttacker1997-05-10May13
Aleksandar MitrovićSerbiaAttacker1994-09-16Sep12
Andrej KramarićCroatiaAttacker1991-06-19Jun12
Breel EmboloSwitzerlandAttacker1997-02-14Feb12
Bruno FernandesPortugalMidfielder1994-09-08Sep12
Cho Gue-sungSouth KoreaAttacker1998-01-25Jan12
Enzo FernándezArgentinaMidfielder2001-01-17Jan12
Ferran TorresSpainAttacker2000-02-29Feb12
Giorgian de ArrascaetaUruguayMidfielder1994-06-01Jun12
Harry KaneCEnglandAttacker1993-07-28Jul12
Héctor SocorroCubaAttacker1912-06-26Jun12
Jean NicolasFranceAttacker1913-06-09Jun12
Kai HavertzGermanyAttacker1999-06-11Jun12
Mehdi TaremiIranAttacker1992-07-18Jul12
Mohammed KudusGhanaMidfielder2000-08-02Aug12
NeymarBrazilAttacker1992-02-05Feb12
Niclas FüllkrugGermanyAttacker1993-02-09Feb12
Oldřich NejedlýCzechoslovakiaAttacker1909-12-26Dec12
Pál TitkosHungaryAttacker1908-01-08Jan12
Rafael LeãoPortugalAttacker1999-06-10Jun12
Ritsu DōanJapanMidfielder1998-06-16Jun12
Robert LewandowskiCPolandAttacker1988-08-21Aug12
RomeuBrazilAttacker1911-03-26Mar12
Salem Al-DawsariSaudi ArabiaAttacker1991-08-19Aug12
Ștefan DobayRomaniaAttacker1909-09-26Sep12
Sven JonassonSwedenAttacker1909-07-09Jul12
Vincent AboubakarCCameroonAttacker1992-01-22Jan12
Wout WeghorstNetherlandsAttacker1992-08-07Aug12
Youssef En-NesyriMoroccoAttacker1997-06-01Jun12
Achraf DariMoroccoDefender1999-05-06May11
Adrien RabiotFranceMidfielder1995-04-03Apr11
Alexis Mac AllisterArgentinaMidfielder1998-12-24Dec11
Alfred BickelSwitzerlandAttacker1918-05-02May11
Alphonso DaviesCanadaAttacker2000-11-02Nov11
André AyewCGhanaAttacker1989-12-17Dec11
Andreas ChristensenDenmarkDefender1996-04-10Apr11
Ángel Di MaríaArgentinaAttacker1988-02-14Feb11
Ao TanakaJapanMidfielder1998-09-10Sep11
Arne BrustadNorwayAttacker1912-04-14Apr11
Aurélien TchouaméniFranceMidfielder2000-01-27Jan11
Bamba DiengSenegalAttacker2000-03-23Mar11
Boulaye DiaSenegalAttacker1996-11-16Nov11
Bruno PetkovićCroatiaAttacker1994-09-16Sep11
Carlos SolerSpainMidfielder1997-01-02Jan11
CasemiroBrazilMidfielder1992-02-23Feb11
Christian PulisicUnited StatesAttacker1998-09-18Sep11
Craig GoodwinAustraliaAttacker1991-12-16Dec11
Cristiano RonaldoCPortugalAttacker1985-02-05Feb11
Daizen MaedaJapanAttacker1997-10-20Oct11
Daley BlindNetherlandsDefender1990-03-09Mar11
Dani OlmoSpainAttacker1998-05-07May11
Davy KlaassenNetherlandsMidfielder1993-02-21Feb11
Denzel DumfriesNetherlandsDefender1996-04-18Apr11
Dušan VlahovićSerbiaAttacker2000-01-28Jan11
Émile VeinanteFranceAttacker1907-06-12Jun11
Eric Maxim Choupo-MotingCameroonAttacker1989-03-23Mar11
Eugen WalaschekSwitzerlandAttacker1916-06-20Jun11
Famara DiédhiouSenegalAttacker1992-12-15Dec11
Frenkie de JongNetherlandsMidfielder1997-05-12May11
Fryderyk ScherfkePolandAttacker1909-09-07Sep11
Gareth BaleCWalesAttacker1989-07-16Jul11
GaviSpainMidfielder2004-08-05Aug11
Géza ToldiHungaryAttacker1909-02-11Feb11
Giuseppe MeazzaCItalyMidfielder1910-08-23Aug11
Haji WrightUnited StatesAttacker1998-03-27Mar11
Hakim ZiyechMoroccoMidfielder1993-03-19Mar11
Harry AnderssonSwedenAttacker1913-03-07Mar11
Hendrik IsemborghsBelgiumAttacker1914-01-30Jan11
Henry MartínMexicoAttacker1992-11-18Nov11
Hwang Hee-chanSouth KoreaMidfielder1996-01-26Jan11
İlkay GündoğanGermanyMidfielder1990-10-24Oct11
Ismaïla SarrSenegalAttacker1998-02-25Feb11
Iuliu BaratkyRomaniaAttacker1910-05-14May11
Ivan PerišićCroatiaAttacker1989-02-02Feb11
Jack GrealishEnglandAttacker1995-09-10Sep11
Jean-Charles CastellettoCameroonDefender1995-01-26Jan11
Jenő VinczeHungaryAttacker1908-11-20Nov11
João FélixPortugalAttacker1999-11-10Nov11
Jordan HendersonEnglandMidfielder1990-06-17Jun11
José MagriñáCubaAttacker1917-12-14Dec11

GOAT reference

Curated. Inclusion in this list isn't a championship ranking — it's a span of Ballon-d'Or winners + nominees + commonly-cited GOATs across eras, used for the overlay above.

30 / 30
PlayerCountryPositionDOBBirth monthWCsGoals
PeléBrazilAttacker1940-10-23Oct0
GarrinchaBrazilAttacker1933-10-28Oct0
EusébioPortugalAttacker1942-01-25Jan0
Bobby CharltonEnglandMidfielder1937-10-11Oct0
Lev YashinSoviet UnionGoalkeeper1929-10-22Oct0
Gerd MüllerWest GermanyAttacker1945-11-03Nov0
Johan CruyffNetherlandsAttacker1947-04-25Apr0
Franz BeckenbauerWest GermanyDefender1945-09-11Sep0
Diego MaradonaArgentinaMidfielder1960-10-30Oct0
Michel PlatiniFranceMidfielder1955-06-21Jun0
ZicoBrazilMidfielder1953-03-03Mar0
Karl-Heinz RummeniggeWest GermanyAttacker1955-09-25Sep0
Paolo RossiItalyAttacker1956-09-23Sep0
RomárioBrazilAttacker1966-01-29Jan0
Ronaldo (R9)BrazilAttacker1976-09-22Sep0
Zinedine ZidaneFranceMidfielder1972-06-23Jun0
RonaldinhoBrazilMidfielder1980-03-21Mar0
KakáBrazilMidfielder1982-04-22Apr0
Fabio CannavaroItalyDefender1973-09-13Sep0
Andrés IniestaSpainMidfielder1984-05-11May0
Xavi HernándezSpainMidfielder1980-01-25Jan0
Cristiano RonaldoPortugalAttacker1985-02-05Feb0
Lionel MessiArgentinaAttacker1987-06-24Jun0
Luka ModrićCroatiaMidfielder1985-09-09Sep0
Kylian MbappéFranceAttacker1998-12-20Dec0
NeymarBrazilAttacker1992-02-05Feb0
Robert LewandowskiPolandAttacker1988-08-21Aug0
Mohamed SalahEgyptAttacker1992-06-15Jun0
Karim BenzemaFranceAttacker1987-12-19Dec0
Vinícius JrBrazilAttacker2000-07-12Jul0

Hat-tricks (3+ goals in a match)

Every individual 3+ goal performance in World Cup history. Oleg Salenko's 5-goal haul in 1994 v Cameroon is the all-time single-match record.

#PlayerTeamOpponentStageYearGoals
1Oleg SalenkoRussiaCameroonGroup19945
2Ernst WilimowskiPolandBrazilRound of 1619384
3AdemirBrazilSwedenFinal round19504
4Sándor KocsisHungaryWest GermanyGroup19544
5EusébioPortugalNorth KoreaQuarter-final19664
6Emilio ButragueñoSpainDenmarkRound of 1619864
7Bert PatenaudeUnited StatesParaguayGroup19303
8Pedro CeaUruguayYugoslaviaSemi-final19303
9Guillermo StábileArgentinaMexicoGroup19303
10Edmund ConenGermanyBelgiumRound of 1619343
11Angelo SchiavioItalyUnited StatesRound of 1619343
12Oldřich NejedlýCzechoslovakiaGermanySemi-final19343
13LeônidasBrazilPolandRound of 1619383
14Gyula ZsengellérHungaryDutch East IndiesRound of 1619383
15Harry AnderssonSwedenCubaQuarter-final19383
16Gustav WetterströmSwedenCubaQuarter-final19383
17Oscar MíguezUruguayBoliviaGroup19503
18Estanislao BasoraSpainUruguayFinal round19503
19Sándor KocsisHungarySouth KoreaGroup19543
20Erich ProbstAustriaCzechoslovakiaGroup19543
21Carlos BorgesUruguayScotlandGroup19543
22Suat MamatTurkeySouth KoreaGroup19543
23Josef HügiSwitzerlandAustriaQuarter-final19543
24Just FontaineFranceParaguayGroup19583
25Just FontaineFranceWest GermanyThird place19583
26PeléBrazilFranceSemi-final19583
27Florian AlbertHungaryBulgariaGroup19623
28Geoff HurstEnglandWest GermanyFinal19663
29Franz BeckenbauerWest GermanySwitzerlandGroup19663
30Helmut HallerWest GermanySwitzerlandGroup19663
31EusébioPortugalBrazilGroup19663
32Gerd MüllerWest GermanyBulgariaGroup19703
33Gerd MüllerWest GermanyPeruQuarter-final19703
34Andrzej SzarmachPolandHaitiGroup19743
35Dušan BajevićYugoslaviaZaireGroup19743
36Robbie RensenbrinkNetherlandsIranGroup19783
37Teófilo CubillasPeruIranGroup19783
38Karl-Heinz RummeniggeWest GermanyChileGroup19823
39Zbigniew BoniekPolandBelgiumSecond round19823
40László KissHungaryEl SalvadorGroup19823
41Paolo RossiItalyBrazilSecond round19823
42Gary LinekerEnglandPolandGroup19863
43Igor BelanovSoviet UnionBelgiumRound of 1619863
44Tomáš SkuhravýCzechoslovakiaCosta RicaRound of 1619903
45MíchelSpainSouth KoreaGroup19903
46Gabriel BatistutaArgentinaGreeceGroup19943
47Gabriel BatistutaArgentinaJamaicaGroup19983
48Miroslav KloseGermanySaudi ArabiaGroup20023
49PauletaPortugalPolandGroup20023
50Gonzalo HiguaínArgentinaSouth KoreaGroup20103
51Thomas MüllerGermanyPortugalGroup20143
52Xherdan ShaqiriSwitzerlandHondurasGroup20143
53Cristiano RonaldoPortugalSpainGroup20183
54Harry KaneEnglandPanamaGroup20183
55Gonçalo RamosPortugalSwitzerlandRound of 1620223
56Kylian MbappéFranceArgentinaFinal20223
56 hat-tricks · 6with 4+ goals · Salenko's 5 (1994) is the only 5-goal haul on record