The World Cup is a showcase of the best players in football. And sometimes the best deals really are the most obvious ones.
Over the years, fans have become sceptical about signing players on the back of a big international tournament.
Manchester United fell for it with Karel Poborsky after Euro ’96. And then Kleberson after his World Cup heroics in 2002.
But sometimes the players are so good that you just can’t go wrong.
Here is a look at five players I saw at the World Cup who I was desperate for United to sign.
Gabriel Batistuta (1998)
Gabriel Batistuta was the perfect striker. He scored four goals at World Cup 94 in an ill-fated campaign for Argentina. In 1998 he was still at his peak.
Batistuta became the first player in World Cup history to score hat-tricks at two World Cups with a clinical showing in 1998 against Jamaica, following his goal glut against Greece in 1994.
He was also on target as Argentina knocked England out. Manchester United needed an elite striker in 1998, after a disappointing debut season from Teddy Sheringham, with Arsenal on the rise.
Batistuta was playing in Serie A and was too expensive. United signed Dwight Yorke instead, and you have to say it worked out perfectly.
I still believe Batistuta would have been a major hit at United. His goal at Old Trafford for Fiorentina in the Champions League group stages in 2000 showed how explosive he was.
Ronaldinho (2002)
2002 was dominated by the great Brazil side. Unlike R9 Ronaldo and his tortured injury history and an ageing Rivaldo. Ronaldinho was just emerging.
Along with the rest of the football world, we were left asking ‘who is this magical attacker?’
Ronaldinho was not as prolific as his two Brazilian teammates, but he had enough trickery for both combined, and knew how to come up with a big goal when one was needed.
United made a serious play to try and sign Ronaldinho in 2003 as a replacement for David Beckham. We almost got him.
Barcelona pipped us to the deal, one of the only clubs who could have done. Ronaldinho became an absolute superstar there, and Manchester United missed out.
It wasn’t all bad news. United went out and signed teenage prospect Cristiano Ronaldo for half the price.
Wesley Sneijder (2010)
2010 was peak Wesley Sneijder. He led Inter Milan to win the Champions League and then carried the Netherlands all the way to the World Cup Final.
Sneijder was the goalscoring midfielder Manchester United needed as a replacement for Paul Scholes.
United fans were also craving the signing of a big name after the 2009 departures of Cristiano Ronaldo and Carlos Tevez.
The Red Devils were heavily linked to Sneijder in the summer of 2011, but advances were rejected by Inter Milan.
Sir Alex Ferguson insisted Sneijder was never a serious target, but the Dutch midfielder insisted there was contact.
After a fruitless transfer saga, a move for Sneijder might not have worked out anyway. 2010 was his peak, and by 2013 he had signed with Galatasaray for just £5 million.
Toni Kroos (2014)
Germany’s World Cup team of 2014 were an absolute machine, demolishing Brazil 7-1 on their way to winning the trophy.
Their midfield featured an ageing Bastian Schweinsteiger and young superstar Toni Kroos. Manchester United signed the wrong one.
To be fair, David Moyes had lined up a move for Toni Kroos before the World Cup, with the midfielder ready to leave Bayern Munich.
Moyes’ sacking hit pause on the move, and for some unknown reason, new boss Louis van Gaal didn’t fancy Kroos.
Kroos, who put on a passing clinic at the tournament, signed for Real Madrid in 2014 and went on to win five Champions League titles.
Which one of these World Cup legends would have been the best signing for Man Utd?
Harry Maguire (2018)
Jose Mourinho fell out with Manchester United’s board in 2018 over his desire to sign Harry Maguire, with a deal blocked.
Maguire was one of the best players in England’s surprise run to the World Cup semi-finals.
Starring for Leicester City at the time, Maguire looked like a leader, a player with aerial presence in the box, who would thrive under Mourinho in a way that 2017 signing Victor Lindelof struggled.
His quarter-final goal against Lindelof’s Sweden underlined the idea this was an upgrade, while Phil Jones was sat on the bench and Chris Smalling failed to make the squad.
I thought Maguire would be a perfect fit, a player who was ready-made for the Premier League, and now proven on the world stage.
A ridiculous pattern of events followed. Jose Mourinho was fired, and then Ed Woodward splashed out a staggering £80 million to sign Maguire 12 months later.
Maguire’s spell at Old Trafford has been a rollercoaster ride, but he is still here in 2026 with 271 club appearances and has the total respect of supporters.
Receive a digest of our best United content each week direct to your mailbox
