100 World Cup heroes (100-81): Sportsmail counts down the iconic players... kicking off with stars Valderrama, Scifo and Barthez

By Craig Hope for MailOnline

Published: 07:36 EDT, 3 March 2014 | Updated: 04:55 EDT, 7 March 2014

This week marks 100 days until the World Cup kicks off in Brazil.

To celebrate this milestone, Sportsmail will be counting down the 100 greatest stars in the tournament’s history.

Now this list is not necessarily the best players – hence there is no Lionel Messi or Cristiano Ronaldo – nor is it a collection of the most decorated.

Who will be No 1? Pele? Ronaldo? Zidane? Or Maradona? We'll reveal our ultimate World Cup hero on Friday

Rather, this is a line-up of those who are World Cup icons, the players whose names are synonymous with the greatest competition on earth.

Each day this week we’ll be revealing 20 players, crowning the No 1 on Friday.

So will it be Pele? Zidane? Maradona? Or Ronaldo? They’re all in the running.

Before then, however, let us remember some of those stellar names – and some not so – who have illuminated our summer months and etched their name in World Cup folklore.

100: Saeed Al-Owairan (Saudi Arabia) - 1994 and 1998

What better place to start than with the man nicknamed ‘The Maradona of the Arabs’?

His goal against Belgium at USA 94 is the stuff of legend, collecting the ball some 20 yards inside his own half before charging through the heart of the opposition backline and sliding home.

Wonder goal: Saudi Arabia's Saeed Owairan celebrates his solo strike against Belgium

99: Gerry Armstrong (Northern Ireland) - 1982

The Watford striker had already scored in a 1-1 draw with Honduras when he bagged the only goal against hosts Spain in Valencia, smashing home after Billy Hamilton's cross had been fumbled by the goalkeeper.

That was enough to see Northern Ireland through to the next group stage where he again found the back of the net in a 4-1 defeat by France.

Northern soul: Gerry Armstrong scored three times for Northern Ireland at the 1982 finals

98: Alcides Ghiggia (Uruguay) - 1950

It was his goal which broke Brazilian hearts and won the World Cup for Uruguay at the Maracana in 1950. Ghiggia notched four times at that tournament, the only goals he ever scored for his country.

He is the only surviving member of the team and of his goal he once remarked: 'Only three people have ever silenced 200,000 people at the Maracana with a single gesture: Frank Sinatra, Pope John Paul II and me.'

Having a ball: Alcides Ghiggia scored the goal which won the 1950 World Cup as Uruguay defeated Brazil in the Maracana Stadium

97: Tomas Skuhravy (Czechoslovakia) - 1990

The second-top scorer at Italia 90, the striker bagged a memorable hat-trick against Costa Rica as his five goals took Czechoslovakia to the last eight where they were beaten by eventual champions West Germany.

Czech him out: Tomas Skuhravy was second top scorer at Italia 90

96: Socrates (Brazil) - 1982 and 1986

Captain of the greatest side never to win a World Cup – Brazil of 1982 – he lit up the tournament with his range of passing, all the while married to a nonchalant action. Indeed, he scored one penalty at Mexico 86 without the need for a run-up.

Maestro: Brazil midfielder Socrates shields the ball from Scotland's John Wark during the 1982 World Cup

95: Tomas Brolin (Sweden) - 1990 and 1994

The driving force behind the Sweden side of USA 94 which defied the odds to finish third, Brolin chipped in with three goals en route and was named in the tournament’s all-star XI.

94: Gerson (Brazil) - 1966 and 1970

Regarded as the best passer in World Cup history, Gerson was man-of-the-match in the 4-1 victory over Italy in the final of Mexico 70 – scoring the second – and was runner-up to Pele as player of the tournament.

Pass master: Gerson (left) was the Silver Ball winner as Brazil lifted the trophy in 1970

93: Thomas Muller (Germany) - 2010

His five goals earned the then 20-year-old the Golden Boot and young player of the tournament prize at South Africa 2010 as Germany finished third.

Strike: Thomas Muller (right) rifles the ball home in Germany's 4-1 victory over England in the 2010 World Cup

92: Didier Deschamps (France) - 1998

He only ever appeared at one tournament but Deschamps – nicknamed ‘The Water Carrier’ – was instrumental in skippering France to their first World Cup triumph.

Glory: Deschamps is congratulated by Michel Platini before lifting France's first ever World Cup trophy in 1998

91: Sandor Kocsis (Hungary) - 1954

Top scorer with 11 and Silver Ball winner behind compatriot Ferenc Puskas, Kocsis’ goals took Hungary to the final in Switzerland where they were controversially beaten by West Germany.

Magnificent Magyar: Hungary's Sandor Kocsis bagged 11 goals as his side made it to the final in 1954

90: Emilio Butragueno (Spain) - 1986 and 1990

Worthy of entry simply on account of his four-goal show which felled the Danish Dynamite of 1986, the Real Madrid marksman was the tournament’s second-top scorer behind Gary Lineker and took his place in the all-star squad.

Four-midable: Emilo Butragueno scored four goals in one match for Spain at Mexico 86

89: Oleg Salenko (Russia) - 1994

The Russian is the only player ever to win the Golden Shoe for a nation eliminated at the group stage, famously firing five against Cameroon at USA 94.

Five star: Salenko is congratulated by Cameroon legend Roger Milla following his five goals for Russia at USA 94

88: Jose Nasazzi (Uruguay) - 1930

The first captain to lift the Jules Rimet Trophy, the full-back was also the Golden Ball winner during the inaugural tournament in his homeland.

Flying high: Jose Nasazzi was the first captain to lift the Jules Rimet Trophy

87: Kazimierz Deyna (Poland) - (1974 and 1978) 

The creative midfielder was one of the greatest players of his generation and was the Bronze Ball winner in 1974 as he inspired Poland to a third-placed finish.

Later appearing for Manchester City, he died in a car accident in California aged 41 and has since been voted Poland’s greatest-ever player.

City slicker: Kazimierz Deyna, pictured with his wife Mariola Deyna at Maine Road, signed for Manchester City having starred at the World Cup for Poland

86: Guillermo Stabile (Argentina) - 1930

Top scorer with eight goals and a Silver Ball winner behind Nasazzi in 1930, Stabile scored all of his international goals at the World Cup.

Top scorer: Argentina's Guillermo Stabile beats USA goalkeeper Jim Douglas en route to becoming leading marksman in 1930

85: Careca (Brazil) - 1986 and 1990

A scorer of seven goals across two World Cups, Careca made his name with five strikes at Mexico 86 and was the star of a Brazilian side in transition.

Samba star: Careca in action against Scotland at Italia 90

84: Carlos Valderrama (Colombia) - 1990, 1994 and 1998

The flamboyant playmaker starred at three tournaments and was the face – or hair – of a Colombian side which promised much but, ultimately, failed to match expectation.

Hair raiser: Carlos Valderrama starred at three World Cups for Colombia

83: Enzo Scifo (Belgium) - 1986, 1990, 1994 and 1998

Young player of the tournament at Mexico 86, the classy Belgian was a veteran by the time he appeared at his fourth and final World Cup in 1998 having scored three times from 16 appearances.

Red alert: Opposition defences were never safe with Belgium's Enzo Scifo in the vicinity

82: Fabien Barthez (France) - 1998, 2002 and 2006

Conceding only twice and winner of the Yashin Award for best goalkeeper as France celebrated victory in 1998, Barthez was also in between the posts as Les Bleus were beaten during a penalty shootout in the 2006 final against Italy.

Safe hands: Fabien Barthez conceded only twice as France lifted the World Cup in their homeland in 1998

81: Iker Casillas (Spain) - 2002, 2006 and 2010

The Real Madrid netminder became only the third goalkeeper to captain his country to victory at South Africa 2010. He conceded just twice during the tournament – keeping out a penalty in the quarter-final against Paraguay – and pulled off a string of top-drawer saves in the 1-0 win over Holland in the final.

Champion: Spain goalkeeper Iker Casillas lifts the 2010 trophy in South Africa