Sporting Legends Who Passed Away in 2016

December 27, 2016 21:02

1/9 Johan Cruyff (Netherlands): The godfather of ‘total football’ and arguably the most influential player/coach to ever grace the game, the three-time Ballon d’Or lost his battle to lung cancer on March 24. Getty
2/9 Johan Cruyff (Netherlands): The godfather of ‘total football’ and arguably the most influential player/coach to ever grace the game, the three-time Ballon d’Or lost his battle to lung cancer on March 24. Getty
3/9 Muhammad Ali (USA): If ever an athlete transcended their sport, Muhammad Ali was that athlete. The sharp-tongued, quick-witted three-time world heavyweight champion left this world on June 6 at 74 years of age. Getty
4/9 Muhammad Ali (USA): If ever an athlete transcended their sport, Muhammad Ali was that athlete. The sharp-tongued, quick-witted three-time world heavyweight champion left this world on June 6 at 74 years of age. Getty
5/9 Arnold Palmer (USA): The King, as he was popularly known, made golf accessible to the average sports fan. From humble beginnings in Pennsylvania, Palmer rocked the fairways for six decades, winning seven major titles along the way. Getty
6/9 Carlos Alberto (Brazil): Fondly remembered for providing the finishing touch to the ‘greatest ever team’ goal, the man who captained the star-studded, World Cup-winning Brazil team of 1970 died on October 25 of a heart attack. Getty
7/9 The world of football came to a standstill on November 28 as the news broke that the plane carrying Brazilian side Chapecoense, on their way to playing the first leg of the Copa Sudamericana final, crashed in Colombia, killing 71 people. Getty
8/9 Cesare Maldini (Italy): A player and manager of great note, the Italian, who lifted four Scudetti and a European Cup (1963) with AC Milan and racked up 14 caps for the Azzurri, passed away on April 3.
9/9 Joao Havelange (Brazil): On August 16, with the Rio Olympics in full swing, Sepp Blatter’s predecessor on the FIFA presidency throne (1974-1998) died at the age of 100 of pneumonia.