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?

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1,056
Players in window
48
Teams
22.0
Avg squad size
2
Tournaments
1986, 1994

Squads by position

Players in the selected window, split by role
GET /aggregates/players?years=1986,1994

By confederation

Where the players come from
GET /aggregates/players?years=1986,1994

Hemisphere split

Northern vs Southern hemisphere national teams
Northern880 (83.3%)
Southern176 (16.7%)
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: Aug19 players (13.7%). Range: 619.

Defenders

Birth-month distribution + 2 GOAT markers
DF
Franz Beckenbauer· Sep
Fabio Cannavaro· Sep
Modal month: Jan35 players (10.4%). Range: 2235.

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: Sep41 players (11.9%). Range: 1941.

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: Apr27 players (11.5%). Range: 1327.

All players

Every player from the 1986, 1994 squads. Search by name or filter by country, position, birth year or birth month. The C badge marks captains.

1,041 / 1,041
PlayerCountryPositionDOBBirth monthWCsGoals
Diego MaradonaCArgentinaMidfielder1960-10-30Oct26
Gary LinekerEnglandAttacker1960-11-30Nov16
Hristo StoichkovBulgariaAttacker1966-02-08Feb16
Oleg SalenkoRussiaAttacker1969-10-25Oct16
CarecaBrazilAttacker1960-10-05Oct15
Emilio ButragueñoSpainAttacker1963-07-22Jul15
Jürgen KlinsmannGermanyAttacker1964-07-30Jul15
Kennet AnderssonSwedenAttacker1967-10-06Oct15
Roberto BaggioItalyAttacker1967-02-18Feb15
RomárioBrazilAttacker1966-01-29Jan15
Alessandro AltobelliItalyAttacker1955-11-28Nov14
Florin RăducioiuRomaniaAttacker1970-03-17Mar14
Gabriel BatistutaArgentinaAttacker1969-02-01Feb14
Ihor BelanovSoviet UnionMidfielder1960-09-25Sep14
Jorge ValdanoArgentinaAttacker1955-10-04Oct14
Martin DahlinSwedenAttacker1968-04-16Apr14
Preben ElkjærDenmarkAttacker1957-09-11Sep14
BebetoBrazilAttacker1964-02-16Feb13
Dennis BergkampNetherlandsAttacker1969-05-10May13
Gheorghe HagiCRomaniaMidfielder1965-02-05Feb13
Jan CeulemansCBelgiumMidfielder1957-02-28Feb13
Jesper OlsenDenmarkMidfielder1961-03-20Mar13
José Luis CamineroSpainMidfielder1967-11-08Nov13
Nico ClaesenBelgiumAttacker1962-10-07Oct13
Rudi VöllerWest GermanyAttacker1960-04-13Apr13
Tomas BrolinSwedenAttacker1969-11-29Nov13
Enzo ScifoBelgiumMidfielder1966-02-19Feb22
Julio SalinasSpainAttacker1962-09-11Sep22
Nasko SirakovBulgariaAttacker1962-04-26Apr22
Abderrazak KhairiMoroccoAttacker1962-11-20Nov12
Adolfo ValenciaColombiaAttacker1968-02-06Feb12
Adrian KnupSwitzerlandAttacker1968-07-02Jul12
Claudio CaniggiaArgentinaAttacker1967-01-09Jan12
Daniel AmokachiNigeriaAttacker1972-12-30Dec12
Dino BaggioItalyMidfielder1971-07-24Jul12
Emmanuel AmunikeNigeriaMidfielder1970-12-25Dec12
Fernando QuirarteMexicoDefender1956-05-17May12
Fuad AnwarSaudi ArabiaMidfielder1972-10-13Oct12
Hong Myung-boSouth KoreaDefender1969-02-12Feb12
Ilie DumitrescuRomaniaAttacker1969-01-06Jan12
Jean-Pierre PapinFranceAttacker1963-11-05Nov12
Jon GoikoetxeaSpainMidfielder1965-10-21Oct12
Jorge BurruchagaArgentinaMidfielder1962-10-09Oct12
JosimarBrazilDefender1961-09-19Sep12
Julio César RomeroParaguayMidfielder1960-08-28Aug12
Klaus AllofsWest GermanyAttacker1956-12-05Dec12
Luis GarcíaMexicoAttacker1969-06-01Jun12
Michel PlatiniCFranceMidfielder1955-06-21Jun12
Philippe AlbertBelgiumDefender1967-08-10Aug12
Ramón CalderéSpainMidfielder1959-01-16Jan12
Roberto CabañasParaguayAttacker1961-04-11Apr12
Rudi VöllerGermanyAttacker1960-04-13Apr12
SócratesBrazilMidfielder1954-02-19Feb12
Wim JonkNetherlandsMidfielder1966-10-12Oct12
Yannick StopyraFranceAttacker1961-01-09Jan12
Yordan LetchkovBulgariaMidfielder1967-07-09Jul12
BrancoBrazilDefender1964-04-04Apr21
Georges GrünCBelgiumDefender1962-01-25Jan21
Hugo SánchezMexicoAttacker1958-07-11Jul21
Oscar RuggeriArgentinaDefender1962-01-26Jan21
Abdelkrim Merry "Krimau"MoroccoAttacker1955-01-13Jan11
Abel BalboArgentinaAttacker1966-06-01Jun11
Ahmed RadhiIraqAttacker1964-03-21Mar11
Aitor BegiristainSpainAttacker1964-08-12Aug11
Alain SutterSwitzerlandMidfielder1968-01-22Jan11
Alberto García AspeMexicoMidfielder1967-05-11May11
Andoni GoikoetxeaSpainDefender1956-08-23Aug11
Andreas BrehmeWest GermanyDefender1960-11-09Nov11
Andrés EscobarColombiaDefender1967-03-13Mar11
Antonio AlzamendiUruguayAttacker1956-06-07Jun11
Aron WinterNetherlandsMidfielder1967-03-01Mar11
Bernard GenghiniFranceMidfielder1958-01-18Jan11
Bryan RoyNetherlandsAttacker1970-02-12Feb11
Carlos ManuelPortugalMidfielder1958-01-15Jan11
Cho Kwang-raeSouth KoreaMidfielder1954-03-19Mar11
Choi Soon-hoSouth KoreaAttacker1962-01-10Jan11
Colin ClarkeNorthern IrelandAttacker1962-10-30Oct11
Dan PetrescuRomaniaDefender1967-12-22Dec11
Daniel BorimirovBulgariaMidfielder1970-01-16Jan11
Daniel VeytBelgiumAttacker1956-12-09Dec11
Daniele MassaroItalyAttacker1961-05-23May11
David EmbéCameroonAttacker1973-11-13Nov11
DiamantinoPortugalMidfielder1959-08-03Aug11
Djamel ZidaneAlgeriaAttacker1955-04-28Apr11
Dmitri RadchenkoRussiaAttacker1970-12-02Dec11
Dominique RocheteauFranceAttacker1955-01-14Jan11
Earnie StewartUnited StatesAttacker1969-03-28Mar11
EdinhoCBrazilDefender1955-06-05Jun11
EloySpainAttacker1964-07-10Jul11
Enzo FrancescoliUruguayAttacker1961-11-12Nov11
Eric WynaldaUnited StatesAttacker1969-06-09Jun11
Erwin SánchezBoliviaMidfielder1969-10-19Oct11
Erwin VandenberghBelgiumAttacker1959-01-26Jan11
Fahad Al-GhesheyanSaudi ArabiaAttacker1973-08-01Aug11
Fernando HierroSpainMidfielder1968-03-23Mar11
Finidi GeorgeNigeriaMidfielder1971-04-15Apr11
François Omam-BiyikCameroonAttacker1966-05-21May11
Franky VercauterenBelgiumMidfielder1956-10-28Oct11
Gaston TaumentNetherlandsAttacker1970-10-01Oct11
Georges BregySwitzerlandMidfielder1958-01-17Jan11

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