The outcome is that despite the Netherlands scoring 47 goals in their recent run as champions, not one of their players has broken into the all-time top 18 – an indication of just how difficult it is for a modern-day player to do so. To reach the list, a player needs a total of 10 UFWC goals. Of the current Dutch squad, Robin van Persie has nine, Dirk Kuyt and Wesley Sneijder eight, Klaas-Jan Huntelaar six, and Arjen Robben and Rafael van der Vaart five.

There have, however, been a couple of very minor changes to the list, both involving the goals totals of 19th-century players. Of course, many goals in that era were disputed, and one will never know for certain who scored them. I have, however, used the best (and most official) sources at my disposal!

Here is the current list (please note some of these players have more in-depth biographies in the UFWC Hall of Fame):

1) Gunnar Nordahl (Sweden) (1921-95)
29 goals in 19 games, 1942-47

The UFWC’s all-time top scorer by a huge margin, he played a total of 33 games for Sweden between 1942 and 1948, scoring 43 goals.

The UFWC games he scored in during this period are listed below (holder in capitals):
04/10/42 SWEDEN beat Denmark 2-1 (scored 1)
12/09/43 Sweden lost to HUNGARY 2-3 (scored 2)
07/11/43 Sweden beat HUNGARY 7-2 (scored 2)
24/06/45 SWEDEN beat Denmark 2-1 (scored 1)
01/07/45 SWEDEN beat Denmark 4-3 (scored 1)
30/09/45 SWEDEN beat Denmark 4-1 (scored 1)
21/10/45 SWEDEN beat Norway 10-0 (scored 4)
07/07/46 Sweden beat SWITZERLAND 7-2 (scored 1)
06/10/46 SWEDEN drew with Denmark 3-3 (scored 1)
15/06/47 SWEDEN beat Denmark 4-1 (scored 2)
26/06/47 SWEDEN beat Denmark 6-1 (scored 1)
28/06/47 SWEDEN beat Norway 5-1 (scored 4)
24/08/47 SWEDEN beat Finland 7-0 (scored 3)
14/09/47 SWEDEN beat Poland 5-4 (scored 2)
05/10/47 SWEDEN beat Norway 4-1 (scored 2)
19/11/47 SWEDEN lost to England 2-4 (scored 1)

As is clear from this list, the vast majority of his games were against Scandinavian nations, all of whom were pretty weak at the time. However, if there was any doubt about the man’s pedigree, his record at AC Milan would put that to rest. Whilst there, he was part of the Swedish Gre-No-Li trio with Nils Liedholm and the aforementioned Gunnar Gren. He won two league titles, and was the top scorer in Serie A five times. Indeed, he still holds the post-war record for most goals in a season in Italy.

Unfortunately, his move to Italy, at the age of just 27, ended his international career, and this, coupled with World War II, denied him the chance to play in a World Cup. He did, however, win an Olympic gold in London in 1948.

It is presumably his failure to appear in a World Cup, along with the fact that his career largely predated TV coverage of football, that has cost him the recognition he deserves. Nordahl is a true legend of the game, and a true legend of UFWC.

2=) Hughie Gallacher (Scotland) (1903-57)
20 goals in 15 games, 1925-35

A contender for the accolade of greatest ever Scottish goalscorer, Gallacher was a star of the ‘Wembley Wizards’ side that thrashed England 5-1 in 1928. In total, he scored 23 goals in 20 internationals. He spent most of his club career south of the border, with Newcastle and Chelsea amongst others. Standing a diminutive 5’5”, his no-nonsense approach often landed him in trouble, both on and off the pitch. In retirement, he struggled to find a niche for himself. He turned to alcohol and, in 1957, committed suicide on a railway line.

2=) Steve Bloomer (England) (1874-1938)
20 goals in 17 games, 1895-1907

Steve Bloomer remains a Derby County legend, more than a century since he made his debut. His goalscoring record was phenomenal for club and country alike. He scored 28 in just 23 games for England, and is the third highest scorer in the English top flight, after Jimmy Greaves and Dixie Dean. In 1906, he moved to Middlesbrough for £750, but returned to Derby four years later. He spent the First World War as a prisoner in Germany. He also played baseball for Derby!

4) Gabriel Batistuta (Argentina) (born 1969)
18 goals in 23 games, 1992-98

Argentina’s all-time top scorer, with 56 goals in total, ‘Batigol’ spent most of his career with Fiorentina, although it was to be Roma that gave him his only Serie A title. On the international front, he won two Copa Americas. In 1998, he became the first player ever to score hat-tricks in two different World Cups. He currently runs a construction company in Argentina.

5) Gunnar Gren (Sweden) (1920-91)
16 goals in 22 games, 1942-58

Most famous as part of AC Milan’s formidable Swedish ‘Gre-No-Li’ trio, Gren’s international career spanned 18 years. He starred in the Swedish teams that won gold at the 1948 Olympics, and reached the World Cup final on home territory ten years later. At club level, he won league titles with IFK Gothenburg and Milan.

6=) Anton Schall (Austria) (1907-47)
15 goals in 11 games, 1931-32

Schall was a star of Austria’s 1934 World Cup ‘Wunderteam’ that lost to hosts Italy in the semi-finals. It remains a highly controversial match, with Mussolini seemingly directly responsible for some strange refereeing decisions from Ivan Eklind (who again appeared to favour Italy in the final). Schall won seven Austrian championships with Admira Vienna. In 1947, he won the Swiss Cup as manager of FC Basel, but died months later.

6=) Pele (Brazil) (born 1940)
15 goals in 14 games, 1957-62

Globally feted as the greatest footballer of all time, Pele has won three World Cups, and scored over 1000 goals in his career (although many of these were in matches of very dubious standing). He only played for two clubs, Santos and New York Cosmos. His nearest rival for the accolade ‘greatest player ever’, Diego Maradona, has scored a mere five UFWC goals.

6=) Michel Platini (France) (born 1955)
15 goals in 18 games, 1976-85

Currently the President of UEFA, Platini was French national captain for eight years, taking his side to two World Cup semi-finals, both ending in defeat to West Germany. In between, his side won Euro 84, Platini himself scoring nine goals in five games. He later had less success as the manager of France. With Juventus, he won the Italian league (twice), the Coppa Italia, the Cup-Winners Cup and the European Cup.

9=) Matthias Sindelar (Austria) (1903-39)
13 goals in 12 games, 1931-32

‘The Mozart of Football’, Sindelar was one of the greatest Austrian players of all time. His international career was ended by the Nazi Anschluss of 1938, and his subsequent refusal to play for the German team. A year later, he died from carbon monoxide poisoning. Recorded officially as an accident, there are plenty who believe it was not.

9=) Oliver Bierhoff (Germany) (born 1968)
13 goals in 19 games, 1996-2001

A German hero following his goals at Wembley that won Euro 96, Bierhoff’s best years were spent in Italy, with Udinese and Milan. He is currently general manager of the German national team.

11=) Robert Hamilton (Scotland) (1877-1948)
11 goals in 6 games, 1899-1911

Hamilton spent most of his long career with Rangers, with whom he won numerous honours. Four of his UFWC goals came in an 11-0 win over Ireland in 1901, which is still Scotland’s record victory.

11=) Vivian Woodward (England) (1879-1954)
11 goals in 11 games, 1904-10

Fiercely determined to remain amateur when all around him were turning professional, Woodward scored 29 goals for England, which remained the national record for over 40 years. That’s not to mention the 57 goals he scored for England Amateurs. He twice captained Great Britain to Olympic football gold.

11=) Stan Mortensen (England) (1921-91)
11 goals in 11 games, 1947-50

Mortensen is the only player since 1894 to score an FA Cup final hat-trick, and still the match in question (the 1953 final) is referred to as the Matthews Final! After that match, Blackpool – the club with which Mortensen remains synonymous – did not reach Wembley again until 1991. Mortensen died that very day.

11=) Antonio Valentin Angelillo (Argentina) (born 1937)
11 goals, 1956-57 (approx 11 games, but I am unable to find exact records for his career)

Like many South American-born players of his era, Angelillo appeared for two different countries. He moved to Inter in 1957, ending his Argentina career. He scored 33 goals in Serie A in 1958-59 (nobody has scored as many since), and subsequently represented Italy. He still works for Inter, as a South American scout.

15=) George Ker (Scotland)
10 goals in 5 games, 1880-82

Ker only represented Scotland five times, yet scored three goals on his debut, twice in each of his next three games, and once on his final appearance. In 1884, he emigrated to North America, and nothing has been heard of him since.

15=) Dixie Dean (England) (1907-80)
10 goals in 7 games, 1927-31

Destined to remain forever as the highest goalscorer in a single English league season (60 goals for Everton in 1931-32), William Ralph Dean scored 18 goals in just 16 internationals. He died of a heart attack, suffered at Goodison Park whilst watching the Merseyside derby.

15=) John Goodall (England) (1863-1942)
10 goals in 11 games, 1888-96

Preston went through the entire 1888-89 season unbeaten in league or FA Cup – the only team ever to achieve this. Goodall was top scorer. He then moved to Derby, where he stayed for over a decade. He later played in France for Roubaix, and also played cricket for Derbyshire.

15=) Igor Chislenko (USSR) (1939-94)
10 goals in 17 games, 1966-67

During his international career, Chislenko helped his nation finish second in the 1964 European Nations Cup, and then fourth in both the 1966 World Cup and the 1968 European Championships. He won two league winners medals in his long association with Dinamo Moscow.

The Netherlands mounted a stunning second-half comeback, as they defended their UFWC title and booked a place in the World Cup Semi Finals, sending one of the tournament favourites crashing out.

The first half belonged to Brazil, as they looked like world-beaters for the majority of the 45 minutes. And it looked like they could wind up winners by a good margin, as they got the ball in the net twice in the first 10 minutes. Even though the first one was ruled out for offside, the second one most definately was not. A magnificent pass from Felipe Melo from half way found the run of Robinho, who latched onto the ball and hit it to the left of the Dutch goalkeeper, giving the Brazilians a dominant start.

This goal was shortly followed by a decent effort from Dirk Kuyt for the Netherlands, but for the most part the champions failed to get into the match, as the Brazilian defence stood firm and smothered out any attacks as they came. Brazil could easily have doubled their lead in the 25th minute, as a cross in from Daniel Alves found Juan in the box, but under pressure from the defence he could only hit the ball over. And Kaka had his own chance of a goal after 30 minutes, as he curled a shot towards the top corner, only for a save from Maarten Stekelenburg to deny him.

The Netherlands’ first half performance was summed up by their attempted ‘sneaky touch’ corner which failed miserably, as they seemed to lack any fresh ideas, with even Arjen Robben struggling to get past the defence.

However a moment of luck for the Dutch early in the second half was enough for them to spark an incredible revival. A cross in from Wesley Sneijder from a free kick had the Brazilian defenders confused, and while Julio Cesar missed the ball, it found Felipe Melo who headed the ball into his own net (a goal which would later be awarded to Sneijder), giving the Netherlands a free pass back into the match. And they were more than happy to take advantge of it, as they stepped it up a gear against a visibly shaken Brazil. And after some decent chances, they eventualy took the lead. A corner, taken by Robben, found an unmarked Dirk Kuyt at the front of the box, who flicked it back into the mass of bodies, where Wesley Sneijder was on hand to head the ball passed Cesar to the delight of the Dutch fans.

But things were about to get worse for Brazil. In a moment of madness Felipe Melo stamped on Arjen Robben after fouling him, forcing the referee to give him a straight red card, making Brazil’s almost impossible mission even harder. But neither side took their foot off the pedal, as both sides went in search of another goal to help their cause. However even though they had the lead it was the Netherlands who looked most likely to score, as Klaas Jan Huntelaar and Kuyt both had golden chances of putting Brazil out of their misery, but failed to convert.

The result comes as a major surprise as Brazil, one of the pre-tournament favourites, were also favourites to overthrow the Netherlands as UFWC champions. It also means that this incredible reign by the Netherlands is now the joint-longest in terms of title defences, a record which they will break if they make it to the World Cup Final.

Their next UFWC title match will be against the winners of the Quarter Final match between Uruguay and Ghana, on July 6th.

Enjoying the World Cup, are you? Maybe not if you’re a fan of England (or France, or Italy…), but, after a bit of a lacklustre start, South Africa 2010 is turning into something of a football feast. And Friday’s WC quarter final / UFWC title match looks set to be one of the highlights of the tournament.

Few tipsters were heard to name the Netherlands as potential winners before the World Cup began, but regular followers of the UFWC will not have been surprised to have seen the Dutch continue their incredible unbeaten run (23 games) and win all four WC matches. Built around a solid defence, the Dutch side also has the attacking guile to harm any opposition. Ranked fourth in the world by both the UFWC and FIFA, the Netherlands, some say Holland, are an impressive side.

The Netherland’s brilliant orange shirts have always illuminated football, and against Slovakia on Monday they put out a team that lined up wearing shirts numbered one to eleven – a fantastic footballing sight that harked back to the nation’s heady days of the 70s. (Read what happened when the Netherlands met Brazil at the 74 World Cup here.) It remains to be seen whether the Netherlands and Brazil will play in orange and yellow, with the likelihood being that a clash of colours will force a change. A shame.

Amazingly, Brazil haven’t been involved in the UFWC competition since 1998 – and their last victory was against the Netherlands. That was in the World Cup semi final, when the Brazilians beat the Dutch on penalties after a 1-1 draw. But the tournament ended in agony for Brazil – hosts France won the final 3-0 to take both the World Cup and the UFWC title.

The Brazilians are currently on a ten-match unbeaten run, and are ranked number one by FIFA (and sixth by the UFWC). They won their first two group games, then drew 0-0 with Portugal, before seeing off Chile 3-0 in the round of 16. They’ve not yet settled into the samba style that has delighted in previous tournaments, but they seem to be improving with each game, and may go into this one as slight favourites.

There are plenty of star players to keep your eyes on, including Robben, Van Persie and Sneijder for the Dutch and Kaka, Robinho and Fabiano for the Brazilians. The Netherlands and Brazil have scored seven and eight goals respectively during this WC, and have both conceded two. It’s going to be tight, but one thing is for sure – this is going to be one of the most fascinating and hotly-anticipated UFWC matches in recent history.

The winners will play Uruguay or Ghana in the semi final, and must fancy their chances of reaching the final. So get the beer and snacks in and plump up the cushions for Netherlands vs Brazil – a huge UFWC/WC clash that I, for one, am not going to attempt to predict the outcome of. Enjoy.

Why not watch the game in an official UFWC T-shirt – including exclusive Netherlands and Hughie the mascot shirts? Check out the UFWC T-shirt store.

Unofficial champs the Netherlands went into this World Cup tournament game unbeaten in 14 UFWC matches. Brazil were official champions and had pretty much dominated the world game since the 50s. But more than a match between unofficial and official champions, this was a clash between two of the most skilful and entertaining sides football had ever produced.

The Dutch were all about total football – pioneered by coach Rinus Michels, and personified by captain Johan Cruyff. Their tasty side also contained the likes of Johan Neeskens, Johnny Rep, and Ruud Krol.

The Brazilians played Samba Soccer – showing legendary beach-honed skill and technique. Although Pelé and Carlos Alberto had left the scene, the likes of Jairzinho and Rivelino were very much still around.

This was the final second round group match, and essentially a World Cup semi-final. The Netherlands needed a draw to top their group and proceed to the final. But a win for Brazil would see them leapfrog the Dutch and go through.

Regrettably, the Netherlands’ brilliant orange and Brazil’s golden yellow first choice shirts were deemed to clash, so the sides lined up in unfamiliar white and blue respectively.

Lacking their most illustrious stars and their famous yellow kit, Brazil didn’t quite look like the team adored by football fans around the world. Neither did they play like them. Despite the promise of skill and technique, the first half was a tale of missed opportunities and bad tackles – mostly from the surprisingly brutal Brazilians.

But Brazil’s attempts at kicking, tripping, and stamping on the Dutch were to no avail. Five minutes after the restart Neeskens met a Cruyff cross at the near post and poked it expertly over Brazilian keeper Emerson Leao.

The confident Dutch retained possession of the ball, and struck again after 65 minutes. Krol’s cross from the left was met with a flying volley from the onrushing Cruyff, who deflected the ball into the net with an outstretched right boot.

The frustrated Brazilians had no way back, and the game was effectively over when Luis Pereira was sent off for kicking away Neeskens’ legs. The Netherlands went on to meet West Germany in the World Cup final, and Brazil went home. The Brazilians would in later years reclaim the UFWC and the World Cup, but for now their dominance of world football was over.