The 50 Greatest Athletes To Ever Walk The Planet

48. Johan Cruyff

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Cruyff was instrumental in fostering a new wave of soccer players. Inventive and brash, Cruyff had no qualms about going at opposing defenders with his wildly deep bag of tricks. Players past and present continue to imitate Cruyff’s attack-minded approach with much fervor. However, few — if any — are able to bring the same sort of innate creativity to the table. Sadly, the iconic Cruyff passed away in 2016 at the age of 68.