Johan Cruyff

Johan Cruyff won three consecutive Ballon d'Or awards (1971, 1973, 1974) and led Ajax to three consecutive European Cups (1971–73) before taking the Netherlands to the 1974 World Cup Final, where his "Cruyff Turn" became the most iconic dribbling move in football history. As a manager he invented Total Football's successor — positional play — which he implemented at Barcelona, laying the foundation for the club's dominance under Pep Guardiola 20 years later. His influence on modern football tactics is arguably greater than any other individual in the sport's history.