Ranking the 10 greatest player rivalries in football

#3 Johan Cruyff vs Franz Beckenbauer

Franz Beckenbauer and Johan Cruyff played only 4 games against each other

Rivalries aren't formed in a day, are they? They come into being over a period of years when two players are constantly pitted against each other. And yet, here's a rivalry that has gone down as one of the best ever, one that was seen for only four games!

Franz Beckenbauer and Johan Cruyff ruled the world in the 70s; they were two dynamic players who shaped the history of the sport. Vying for the title of the 'Best of the generation' title, Cruyff and Beckenbauer first came face to face in the quarterfinals of the European Cup. They captained their sides Ajax and Bayern Munich respectively.

However, they set the base for their rivalry when they met on the grandest stage of football - the FIFA World Cup. The Netherlands lost to Germany in the World Cup finals of 1974, regarded by many as the greatest football game ever played.

They might be compared to each other, but Cruyff and Beckenbauer shared a really good friendship off the pitch.