In memoriam
Pelé
1940-2022
Edson Arantes do Nascimento, known and loved across the world as Pelé, passed away on 29 December, aged 82 in São Paulo following a lengthy battle with cancer.
Considered by many to be the greatest footballer of all time, he was often referred to as “The King”. He went on to become one of the most recognised names not only in football, or sport, but the global stage. Pelé transcended sport.
Named after the American inventor Thomas Edison and born in 1940 in the Brazilian State of Minas Gerais, he was the son of Celeste Arantes and Fluminense footballer Dondinho.
The young boy with the world at his football feet would eventually grow up to become the game’s first global icon, and the most decorated player in FIFA World Cup™ history.
Aged just 17, Pelé was called up to the Brazil squad that travelled to Sweden in 1958, playing a crucial role in A Seleção’s first-ever World Cup triumph. The teenager scored six goals in that edition, including a brace in his side’s 5-2 victory over Sweden in the final.
“Pelé took football to another level. Not only did he epitomise ‘the beautiful game’, but he also played with an effortless flair, the like of which had never been seen.”
Although still only 21, Pelé was arguably at his technical peak four years later in the World Cup in Chile in 1962, scoring another World Cup goal. Unfortunately, he tore a thigh muscle in Brazil’s second group game, forcing him to watch the rest of the tournament from the touchline, as the South Americans retained their world title. Pelé then went on to score his eighth FIFA World Cup goal in England in 1966, a tournament that ended prematurely for A Seleção following their loss to Portugal and resulting in a group-stage exit.
Many of his critics, including in Brazil, thought his career was over, but he would have his redemption at his final World Cup appearance four years later. The by-then Santos legend led a historic Brazilian side in Mexico to perhaps their most iconic and memorable triumph of all. Pelé scored four times at the tournament, including once in the final against Italy at the Estadio Azteca. Brazil and Pelé had claimed their record third FIFA World Cup title, winning seven consecutive games with their famous jogo bonito. He ended his international career with 12 FIFA World Cup goals to his name.
As the headline of newspaper The i read at the time of his passing: “He played like a god in a kit the colour of sunshine and was more famous than Elvis.”
Rest in peace, Pelé.
“To watch him play was to watch the delight of a child combined with the extraordinary grace of a man in full.”
“My name is Ronald Reagan, I’m the President of the United States of America. But you don’t need to introduce yourself because everyone knows who Pelé is.”
“Pelé was one of the few who contradicted my theory: instead of 15 minutes of fame, he will have 15 centuries.”
“This debate about the player of the century is absurd. There’s only one possible answer: Pelé. He’s the greatest player of all time, and by some distance I might add.”
Pelé facts
Pelé is the youngest scorer, youngest hat-trick scorer, youngest finalist and youngest player to score in a final in World Cup history.
Gunnar Gren, who competed against Brazil in the 1958 decider, made his Sweden debut before Pelé was born. Theirs is the biggest-ever age gap – 20 years – between opponents in a World Cup final.
Uwe Seeler, Pelé, Miroslav Klose, Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi are the only men to score at four or more World Cups. The West German pipped the Brazilian to become the first to do so by less than three minutes in 1970.
Vavá, Pelé, Paul Breitner, Zinedine Zidane and Kylian Mbappé are the only players to have scored in two World Cup finals.
Pelé registered six assists at Mexico 1970 – a record for one World Cup. Four players managed five: Robert Gadocha at Germany 1974, Pierre Littbarski at Spain 1982, Diego Maradona at Mexico 1986 and Thomas Hässler at USA 1994. Pelé also recorded an unprecedented three assists in deciders: one against Sweden in 1958 and two against Italy in 1970.
Uwe Seeler
1936-2022
One of the most legendary strikers in German footballing history, Uwe Seeler was prolific for Hamburger SV and West Germany, for whom he netted 43 times in 72 international appearances.
In 2004, he was named in the FIFA 100, Pelé’s list of the greatest living players, and he held the distinction of being the first footballer to be awarded the Great Order of Merit by the Federal Republic of Germany.
The talismanic frontman featured at four FIFA World Cups™, scoring in each of them – a feat matched only by Pelé, Miroslav Klose, Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo. Seeler captained the West German side that contested the 1966 final and he retained the armband four years later, when they came third. He became only the second honorary captain of the national team when he received the distinction from the German Football Association (DFB) in 1972.
He spent almost all of his club career at hometown club Hamburg, with whom he lifted the 1959-1960 domestic title and the 1963 German Cup. His record of 404 goals in 476 matches earned him a cult following amongst Die Rothosen faithful. He topped the Bundesliga scoring charts in the competition’s maiden campaign (1963-1964) and was crowned Germany’s Footballer of the Year three times.
“He is one of the greatest ever legends of German football. His performances and the records he set will never be forgotten.”
Seeler was also reputed for his fair play on the pitch and as a role model off it, assisting a host of charities and holding a number of honorary positions.
Admiration for Seeler extended far beyond Hamburg, with fans across Germany referring to him as “Uns Uwe” (“Our Uwe”).
“News of Uwe Seeler’s death hit us all hard,” declared FIFA President Gianni Infantino. “He’s one of the greatest‑ever legends of German football. His performances and the records he set will never be forgotten. He wasn’t just a great striker, but above and beyond that, he was an example of how to be humble and down‑to‑earth.”
Francisco “Paco” Gento López
1933-2022
Spanish footballing icon Paco Gento left a unique legacy on the European game. A veteran of two FIFA World Cups™, the flying winger featured in all five of Real Madrid’s successive European Cup triumphs between 1956 and 1960 and later went on to captain the Madrid side that captured a sixth continental crown in 1966, making him the most decorated player in the history of Europe’s elite club competition.
Gento lined up in all of Los Blancos’ European Cup campaigns between 1955 and 1970, making more than 80 appearances in the continental tournament. During the course of his career, he played in eight European Cup finals, claimed 12 Spanish championship winner’s medals and was capped 43 times by Spain between 1955 and 1969, appearing in the 1962 and 1966 FIFA World Cups.
Born in the village of Guarnizo in the Cantabria region of north-west Spain, Gento made his debut for Real Racing Club de Santander at the age of 19, but only made ten league appearances before signing for Real Madrid in 1953. He earned his first cap for La Roja in 1955 in a 1-1 draw against England in Madrid and featured in his first European Cup final the following year, when Los Merengues met Stade de Reims in Paris, where he provided the assist for José Héctor Rial Laguía’s winner in a game won 4-3 by Madrid.
Gento and the great Alfredo Di Stéfano also combined with devastating effect to strike fear into the heart of opposition defences. Gento’s ferocious pace saw him nicknamed "La Galerna del Cantábrico" ("the Gale of the Cantabrian Sea").
After calling time on his playing days at Madrid, Gento went on to coach a number of lower‑league Spanish teams during the 1970s and early 1980s, including Castellón, the now defunct Palencia CF and Granada CF, before taking on a long-term ambassadorial role at Real Madrid, where he served as honorary president until he passed away at the age of 88.
Samar Banerjee
1930-2022
Samar Banerjee, known as “Badru”, was a talented striker who will be best remembered for captaining India to a fourth‑place finish at the Olympic Football Tournament Melbourne 1956.
His footballing journey began at Milan Samity before he joined Bally Protiva in his native Howrah. A brief spell with Bengal Nagpur Railway followed before he shot to prominence at Mohun Bagan.
He propelled the club to their first-ever Durand Cup triumph in 1953, plundering crucial goals in both the semi-final and final. The club went on to break further new ground in 1954 after securing a maiden Calcutta Football League and Indian Football Association Shield double.
A keen student, the prolific front runner was admitted to study medicine at university but abandoned the course after three years to focus on his football career.
His performances for Mohun Bagan paved the way for national-team selection, where his performances saw him handed the captain’s armband. India took fourth spot at the 1956 Olympics after losing out to Yugoslavia in the semi-finals and Bulgaria in the bronze-medal match. However, India’s exploits represented the nation’s best-ever showing at the Olympics or any other global competition. As the team captain, Badru will forever be associated with that successful campaign, which secured his place in Indian football’s hall of fame.
He spent eight seasons at Mohun Bagan before hanging up his boots at the age of 30. He later took up coaching and went on to manage the Bengal football team, whom he guided to Santosh Trophy glory in 1962. Following his spell in the dugout, he took up a role in which he helped to select the national team and retained his ties with the Indian Football Association for a number of years.
Mohun Bagan accorded Banerjee the club’s highest honour, the Mohun Bagan Ratna, in 2009, and the West Bengal Government honoured him with the Award for Lifetime Achievement in Sports and Games in 2017. Banerjee passed away at the age of 92 after suffering COVID-19-related complications.
Wim Jansen
1946-2022
Dutchman Wim Jansen is assured of a place in European footballing folklore. A combative defensive midfielder, he claimed 65 caps for the Netherlands and featured for his country at the 1974 and 1978 editions of the FIFA World Cup™. He played in all of the team’s games at both tournaments, with the Dutch finishing runners-up on both occasions.
Feyenoord proved to be Jansen’s footballing home after he spent a 15-season spell (1965-1980) at the famous sentinel of Dutch football. He captured four league titles, a Dutch Cup and the 1970 European Cup, a triumph that saw the Rotterdam-based outfit become the first club from the Netherlands to secure the coveted continental crown. He was also part of the Feyenoord side that triumphed in the 1974 UEFA Cup.
The tough-tackling midfielder spent a fleeting spell in the North American Soccer League with the Washington Diplomats before bringing the curtain down on his playing career with Feyenoord’s arch-rivals, Ajax. With Johan Cruyff very much the standout player of Jansen’s generation, the wiry-haired, aggressive midfielder blessed with a burst of pace represented the perfect foil for Cruyff’s talents. Indeed, Jansen was described by Cruyff as “one of only four men in the world it’s worth listening to when they talk about soccer”.
“One of only four men in the world it’s worth listening to when they talk about soccer.”
As a coach, Jansen twice led Feyenoord to Dutch Cup success during the 1990s, but his time in the De Kuip hot seat was cut short following a boardroom disagreement. His next destination was Japan, where he spent a season in charge of Sanfrecce Hiroshima before a brief stay in Scotland saw him write a significant chapter in the history books of the Scottish game after he delivered Celtic’s first title in a decade. He was also the first man to manage the Glasgow club without having represented them as a player. Jansen returned to his hometown club as technical director in 2005 and served as assistant to Gertjan Verbeek in the 2008-2009 season.
He passed away due to complications from dementia on 25 January 2022 at the age of 75.
Faouzi Mansouri
1956-2022
Despite spending all of his club career in France, Faouzi Mansouri left an indelible mark on Algerian football. A versatile defender, he was part of the golden generation that recorded the country’s first-ever FIFA World Cup™ victory, a famous 2-1 win over West Germany at Spain 1982 that also earned the Fennec Foxes the distinction of being the first African side to defeat European opposition on the world’s biggest stage.
The impressive defender also represented Algeria at the 1986 FIFA World Cup in Mexico. Although the North Africans failed to progress from the group stage on both occasions, their appearances at the global showpiece left the nation’s supporters with some fine memories.
Born in the Tunisian town of Menzel Bourguiba, Mansouri’s family emigrated to France for financial reasons when he was a child. He took his first steps in the game at the Nîmes Olympique academy, where he spent five seasons between 1975 and 1980, before embarking on a journey that saw him turn out for AS Béziers, Montpellier Hérault SC and FC Mulhouse.
Mansouri is best remembered for his time at Montpellier, where he enjoyed an initial spell between 1981 and 1983 before returning for a second stint in 1985 and 1986.
Jesús del Muro
1937-2022
One of the great Mexican players of his generation, Jesús del Muro was a veteran of three FIFA World Cups™: Sweden 1958, Chile 1962 and England 1966.
“Chucho”, as he was affectionately known, began his career in the Mexican second tier with Atlas as a forward but he later switched to centre-back, where he would spend the rest of his career. After almost a decade with the Guadalajara-based outfit, he went on to represent CD Veracruz, Cruz Azul, where he was part of the side that secured the club’s first-ever league title and cup crown in the 1968‑1969 season, and Deportivo Toluca.
It is believed that several of the game’s contemporary heavyweights, including Boca Juniors and Pelé’s Santos, were keen to secure Del Muro’s services, but any such move was thwarted by the Atlas board’s insistence on an exorbitant fee for their prized asset.
After calling time on his playing days, Del Muro remained in the game and coached at youth level, most notably with the Mexican national team, where he occupied prominent roles with the U-17 and U-20 sides, helping to nurture the development of the nation’s emerging talents.
In March 2022, the former central defender was inducted into the International Football Hall of Fame, along with Raúl González, Fabio Cannavaro, Roberto Carlos, Antônio Carlos Santos, Didí, Ronaldinho Gaúcho, Pia Sundhage and his compatriots Maribel Domínguez, Oswaldo Sánchez, Vicente Pereda and Pablo Larios.
Kornelius Shilixuleni Ndapewa
1993-2022
The sudden death of highly respected Namibian assistant referee Kornelius Shilixuleni Ndapewa at the age of just 29 shocked the international football community.
Just a month after obtaining her FIFA assistant referee certification, the talented official sadly passed away following a short illness.
A spokesperson from the Oshana Regional Football League described her as a “passionate, beloved and fearless” individual.
“On behalf of the FIFA Referees Committee and the worldwide football family, I wish to extend our condolences to you, to the Namibia Football Association community and, most importantly, to Kornelius Shilixuleni Ndapewa’s family, friends and loved ones,” said Pierluigi Collina.
Ivica Osim
1941-2022
Born as Ivan but known as Ivica, Osim was perhaps most famed for his resignation as Yugoslavia coach on the eve of the 1992 European Championship when he voiced his deep resentment over the Serbian bombardment of his native Sarajevo. He issued a parting shot, stating that, “My country doesn’t deserve to play in the European Championship.”
At no point did Osim regret his decision and he insisted at the time that, “On the scale of human suffering, I cannot reconcile events at home with my position as national manager.” Yugoslavia were subsequently expelled from the finals on account of the country’s war-torn status, with eventual winners Denmark taking their place.
“On the scale of human suffering, I cannot reconcile events at home with my position as national manager.”
Osim’s coaching career saw him travel extensively. He firstly left Yugoslavia for Greece to take up the reins at Panathinaikos, where he delivered Greek Cup success in the 1992-1993 season. He next checked into Austrian football for an eight-year spell with Sturm Graz, whom he twice steered to league glory in the 1997‑1998 and 1998-1999 seasons.
His next destination was Japan, where, between 2003 and 2006, he coached JEF United Ichihara, who, despite not having one of the biggest budgets in the Japanese top flight, enjoyed considerable success. On the strength of his achievements at the Chiba-based club, he was appointed coach of the Japan national team in 2006 and became a massively popular figure. Indeed, a book of his apopthegms, Words of Osim, sold an impressive 400,000 copies.
As for his playing career, Osim started out at local team Željezničar in 1959. Five years after his senior debut for the club, the elegant midfielder shone for Yugoslavia at the Olympic Football Tournament Tokyo 1964 and soon began to attract suitors from overseas. Football Association of Yugoslavia rules prohibited players from moving abroad until their late 20s, however, and so it was not until 1968 that he was able to join Dutch club Zwolsche Boys. He later went on to ply his trade at RC Strasbourg and CS Sedan before securing a move to US Valenciennes. He then returned to Strasbourg for a two-season spell between 1976 and 1978 before calling time on his career.
Osim was capped 16 times by Yugoslavia between 1964 and 1969 and was part of the team that beat the then world champions, England, 1-0 in the semi-finals of the 1968 European Championship in Italy.
Freddy Rincón
1966-2022
A pivotal part of Colombia’s golden generation that played in three consecutive FIFA World Cups™ (1990, 1994 and 1998), Freddy Rincón always played with a smile on his face. A commanding midfielder who amassed 85 caps for Los Cafeteros and netted 17 goals, “El Coloso” left an indelible mark on the game.
His most memorable goal came in Colombia’s 1990 FIFA World Cup group-stage encounter against West Germany at Milan’s San Siro. Having comfortably kept the Europeans at bay for 88 minutes, the Colombians were facing heartbreak when Pierre Littbarski struck, but Rincón slotted home an injury‑time leveller to book the South Americans’ spot in the last 16 after a 28-year absence from the tournament.
Rincón also notched a brace in Colombia’s famed 1994 FIFA World Cup 5-0 qualifying win over Argentina in Buenos Aires in 1993.
Born in the western Colombian town of Buenaventura in 1966, Rincón enjoyed iconic status amongst a whole generation of La Tricolor followers and featured in the same squad as the likes of Carlos Valderrama, Faustino Asprilla, Óscar Córdoba and Wilmer Cabrera.
He began his professional career in his homeland with Santa Fe and América de Cali, with whom he twice lifted the domestic title, before landing a move to Brazilian outfit Palmeiras. Following a loan spell with Napoli, he became the first Colombian to sign for Real Madrid in 1995, enjoying a two-season spell at the Santiago Bernabéu before returning to South America, where he captained Brazil’s Corinthians to glory in the inaugural FIFA Club World Cup™ in 2000.
He retired as a player in 2004 and later went on to coach a number of lower-league teams in Brazil. He subsequently served as assistant to former Brazil coach Vanderlei Luxemburgo at Atlético Mineiro in 2010 and acted as number two to Jorge Luis Pinto at Colombian side Millonarios in 2019.
Leonel Sánchez
1936-2022
Widely regarded as Chile’s greatest-ever player, Leonel Sánchez had a clear appreciation of his place in the minds of his compatriots, saying: “I think I’m Universidad de Chile’s most iconic player and one of Chile’s greatest-ever forwards.”
Blessed with a delicious left foot, Sánchez’s legend was founded on more than 500 appearances, 200 goals and countless flashes of brilliance. There was the sublime 40-yard strike in 1959 that forever changed the face of the rivalry between Universidad de Chile and Colo-Colo or the free kick that caught the great Soviet keeper Lev Yashin off guard at the 1962 FIFA World Cup™ in Chile, where the hosts claimed a third-place finish and Sánchez topped the tournament scoring charts along with Brazilian duo Vavá and Garrincha, Yugoslavia’s Dražan Jerković, Hungary’s Flórián Albert and Valentin Ivanov of the Soviet Union.
Sánchez made his senior club debut at the age of 17 for Universidxad de Chile, who had only tasted league glory once in their history (in 1940).
He spent 17 years of a career that spanned two decades with the Ballet Azul, helping the Santiago-based outfit to secure six league titles between 1959 and 1969.
Besides his on-field mastery, Sánchez, the son of a professional boxer, had another side to his game. He is widely remembered for his disputes with several Italian players in the now infamous 1962 FIFA World Cup match during which he knocked Mario David to the ground with a punch after the Italian defender had fouled him. David retaliated a few minutes later by kicking Sánchez in the head when challenging for the ball and received his marching orders. Later on, Sánchez was again involved as Humberto Maschio was left with a broken nose after receiving a left hook. The match became known as the “Battle of Santiago” and played its part in the introduction of the game’s current disciplinary system involving yellow and red cards.
Sánchez rejected the overtures of Real Madrid, Juventus and AC Milan, but in 1969, after a contract rule was settled, Universidad de Chile were forced to sell their precious jewel. The final throes of his career saw him turn out for a number of Chilean clubs, including Colo-Colo, Palestino and Ferroviarios.
George Cohen
1939-2022
Few players leave such an indelible impression on the history of their club or team that a statue is erected in their honour, so the sculpture of George Cohen that stands proudly outside Craven Cottage, the home of Fulham, is testament to the impact he had on the Cottagers as well as on English football in general. The former right-back began his professional career in 1956 at just 17 and played for the same club until he retired 13 years later.
The only other shirt he wore bore the colours of England, for whom he won 37 caps. Thrust into the international limelight by Sir Alf Ramsey in 1964, when he played in a preparatory match for the 1966 FIFA World Cup™, Cohen rapidly made the position on the right flank his own thanks to his attacking qualities, which were comparatively rare for a full-back at the time. He played every minute of every match for the Three Lions on their triumphant march to the title in 1966 and was made vice-captain by Ramsey for the legendary final against West Germany, which England won 4-2 after extra time.
Strangely, this ultimate prize in football would be the only honour won by Cohen in his entire career, and it was in 2016, on the 50th anniversary of that victory, that Fulham unveiled his statue.
He was, however, the recipient of many other tributes, particularly from legendary coach Ramsey, who described him as “England’s greatest right-back” as well as from celebrated Northern Irish winger George Best, for whom Cohen was “the best full-back I ever played against”.
Forced to retire in 1969 due to injury, Cohen, whose nephew Ben won the Rugby World Cup with England in 2003, briefly coached the Fulham youth team and the England U-23 team.
Cohen, who was selected by supporters in 2004 as right-back in England’s best-ever XI, passed away on 23 December 2022, leaving two other legends, Sir Bobby Charlton and Sir Geoff Hurst, as the only remaining survivors of England’s World Cup-winning team. However, his talent and exploits will always be etched in stone at Fulham and, indeed, in the memories of everyone who loves football.
Siniša Mihajlović
1969‑2022
Widely considered one of the greatest free-kick takers of all time, boasting a devastating ability to turn games in his team’s favour from set pieces, Siniša Mihajlović represented Yugoslavia and Serbia and Montenegro with distinction on 67 occasions. During a 12-year international career, he plundered ten goals and featured at the 1998 FIFA World Cup France™.
At club level, Mihajlović shone for FK Vojvodina and the Crvena zvezda side that secured European Cup glory in the 1990-1991 campaign before claiming the Intercontinental Cup crown a few months later.
He plied his trade in Italian football between 1992 and 2006, turning out for AS Roma and Sampdoria, while subsequent spells with Lazio and Internazionale brought Serie A title success. It was during his time in Italy that Mihajlović established himself as one of the most iconic defenders in the game, with his hat-trick of free kicks in Lazio’s 5-2 league victory over Sampdoria on 13 December 1998 representing a particularly memorable feat, as he became the first-ever player to hit a trio of free-kick goals in a single game.
He continues to lead the Italian top-flight standings for the number of free kicks scored, with 28 in total, a haul that places him ahead of some illustrious names, including Andrea Pirlo and Diego Maradona. After calling time on a career that yielded more than 500 appearances, Mihajlović took up his first management assignment at Bologna in the 2008-2009 season.
Barring a spell in charge of Serbia between 2012 and 2013, during which he was ultimately unsuccessful in his efforts to guide the Balkan nation to the 2014 FIFA World Cup Brazil™, he spent practically all of his coaching career in Italy, where he occupied the hot seat at clubs including Fiorentina, Sampdoria, AC Milan and Torino.
He was reappointed by Bologna in January 2019 and remained at the helm until September 2022. He continued to serve as head coach at the Stadio Renato Dall’Ara while undergoing chemotherapy after having been diagnosed with leukaemia in the same year as his reappointment.
“Siniša Mihajlović was one of Serbia’s most celebrated footballers and coaches. On the pitch, his free kicks embodied a passion for, and dedication to, the beauty of the game that left a lasting impression on the world of sport, and his death is a great loss to all of us. Our heartfelt condolences go out to his family and loved ones during this difficult time,” declared FIFA President Gianni Infantino.
André Sinédo
1978-2022
A powerful defender who spent the bulk of his career with AS Magenta in his native New Caledonia, André Sinédo was capped 27 times by his national team during a career that yielded seven league titles and six Caledonian Cup crowns.
“Eder”, as he was nicknamed, passed away suddenly at the age of 44 and was head coach of the AS Magenta U-18 team at the time of his passing.
Lim Kia Tong
1952-2022
A devoted servant of the game in his native Singapore and across the south-east Asia region, Lim was a highly respected figure in the global footballing community after serving as deputy chairman of the FIFA Disciplinary Committee and chairman of the Asian Football Confederation Disciplinary Committee.
Lim, a lawyer by profession, was appointed as a member of the Football Association of Singapore (FAS) Council in 1999, before being named FAS Vice-President in 2007.
Lim occupied a number of roles that allowed him to foster the development of the game in his homeland. In April 1999, he took up his first position in football as a FAS Council member before being elected chairman of the association’s Appeals Committee, Disciplinary Committee, Football Excellence Committee and Players’ Status Committee, among other roles. He took up the FAS Vice-President post in April 2007 and was later named President. Between 1999 and 2001, Lim also served as team manager of the national futsal sides from U-18 to U-20 level.
By his own admission, Lim remained a relatively low-profile figure up until the 2014 FIFA World Cup™. He was part of the Disciplinary Committee that handed Uruguay striker Luis Suárez a four‑month ban and a fine of CHF 100,000 for biting Italian defender Giorgio Chiellini in a group-stage encounter, which thrust him into the limelight.
In May 2013, two years after becoming a member of the FIFA Disciplinary Committee, Lim was elected as the body’s deputy chairman, an appointment that made him the first Singaporean to occupy a leadership role on a FIFA committee. He was also part of the FIFA Ad Hoc Electoral Committee in 2015 and 2016 and continued to sit on the Disciplinary Committee from 2017 to 2021.
Lim combined his many voluntary roles within football with his other two true passions in life: reading and practising law. After graduating with honours in 1979, he embarked on a private practice career in January 1980 that spanned 42 years.
FIFA remembers
Haidar Abdul-Razzaq, Iraq
Twanny Agius, Malta
Rustam Akramov, Uzbekistan
Franklin Anangonó, Ecuador
Javier Astúa, Costa Rica
Hans Bangerter, Switzerland
Armand Barraud, Switzerland
Mahmoud Bayati, IR Iran
Billel Benhammouda, Algeria
Víctor Benítez, Peru
Aldiglade Bhamu, Zimbabwe
Billy Bingham, Northern Ireland
Rıdvan Bolatlı, Türkiye
Tony Boskovic, Australia
Tomás Boy, Mexico
Chia Boon Leong, China PR
Cho Jung-hyun, Korea Republic
Elias Coelho Filho, Brazil
Lamin Conteh, Sierra Leone
Marco Cornez, Chile
Justice Christopher, Nigeria
Kossi Dakey, Togo
Henri Depireux, Belgium
David Dias, Angola
Kiro Dojčinovski, North Macedonia
Hans-Jürgen Dörner, Germany
József Duró, Hungary
Milan Dvořák, Czechia
Nils Arne Eggen, Norway
Naci Erdem, Türkiye
Sumanta Ghosh, India
Jürgen Grabowski, Germany
Josué Grande, Peru
Henk Groot, Netherlands
Roland Guillas, France
Alberto Gurrola, Mexico
Freddy Hall, Bermuda
Johan Hamel, France
Jens Jøorgen Hansen, Denmark
Jürgen Heinsch, Germany
Ronnie Hellström, Sweden
Alexander Horváth, Slovakia
John Hughes, Scotland
Andrzej Iwan, Poland
Miodrag Ješić, Serbia
Marcel Mauron, Switzerland
Peter McDonald, Republic of Ireland
Morton McKnight, Northern Ireland
Mick Meagan, Republic of Ireland
Rómulo Méndez, Guatemala
Abdelmalek Messaoud, Algeria
Kálmán Mészöly, Hungary
Katie Meyer, USA
Alberto Michelotti, Italy
Abdelkader Mokhtatif, Morocco
Julio Morales, Uruguay
Ahmed Mostafa, Egypt
Adel Al Mulla, Qatar
Manuel Muñoz, Chile
Terry Neill, Northern Ireland
Carlos Adolfo Riquelme, Paraguay
Francesco Rizzo, Italy
Gerhard Rodax, Austria
Ramazan Rragami, Albania
Andrejs Rubins, Latvia
Goran Sankovič, Slovenia
Víctor Santos, Andorra
Stavros Sarafis, Greece
David Sassoli, Italy
Hussein Sattar, Singapore
Piet Schrijvers, Netherlands
Vyacheslav Semenov, Ukraine
Rolando Serrano, Colombia
Oleksandr Shyshkov, Ukraine
Shebby Singh, Malaysia
Aarno Turpeinen, Finland
Rotislav Václavíček, Czechia
Luciano Vassalo, Ethiopia
José Luis Violeta, Spain
Wendell Lucena Ramalho, Brazil
Leo Wilden, Germany
David Wilson, Scotland
Giuseppe Wilson, Italy
Maryan Wisniewski, France
Georgi Yartsev, Russia
Charles Yohane, Zimbabwe
Fevzi Zemzem, Türkiye
Abdelhamid Zouba, Algeria
Ibrahim Zukanović, Bosnia and Herzegovina
Viktor Zvyagintsev, Ukraine
Bernd Bransch, Germany
Egidius Braun, Germany
Per Bredesen, Norway
Omar Borrás, Uruguay
Titus Buberník, Czechia
Ganbold Buyannemekh, Mongolia
Luis Calderón, Peru
Ahmet Çalık, Türkiye
Javier Cárdenas Martínez, Mexico
François Carrard, Switzerland
Joaquim da Silva Carvalho, Portugal
Des Casey, Republic of Ireland
Fernando Chalana, Portugal
Gulab Chauhan, India
Chen Chengda, China PR
Bo Ingemar Erlandsson, Sweden
Carlo Facchin, Italy
Wolfgang Fahrian, Germany
Brian Fear, Wales
Máté Fenyvesi, Hungary
Jim Fleming, Canada
Fred (Frederico Rodrigues de Oliveira), Brazil
Carlo Galli, Italy
Francisco Rodríguez García, Spain
Alex Gilady, Israel
Cor van der Gijp, Netherlands
Einārs Gņedojs, Latvia
Fernando Gomes, Portugal
Andy Goram, Scotland
David John-Williams, Trinidad and Tobago
Joseph Kabungo, Zambia
József Kardos, Hungary
Karim Bavi, IR Iran
Evaristo Kasunga, Zambia
Yoshio Kikugawa, Japan
Bello Koformata, Nigeria
Anatoli Kuksov, Ukraine
Janusz Kupcewicz, Poland
Ernst Lämmli, Switzerland
Le Hung Dzung, Vietnam
Kamel Lemoui, Algeria
Luciano Macías, Ecuador
Sergei Mandreko, Russia
Babu Mani, India
Jacques N’Gguea, Cameroon
Luciano Nizzola, Italy
Jürgen Nöldner, Germany
Maurice Norman, England
Théodore Nzue, Gabon
Frank O’Farrell, Republic of Ireland
Fabián O’Neill, Uruguay
Juan Carlos Orellana, Chile
Jorge Ovando, Guatemala
František Plass, Czechia
Andrés Prieto, Chile
Héctor Pulido, Mexico
Duckson Puslas, Sri Lanka
François Remetter, France
Francis Rion, Belgium
Milutin Šoškić, Serbia
Joachim Streich, Germany
Pleun Strik, Netherlands
Robert Sulimae, Solomon Islands
Madhav Suvarna, India
El Hadji Malick Sy, Senegal
György Szilágyi, Hungary
Narendar Thapa, India
Dan Theis, Luxembourg
András Törőcsik, Hungary
Orlando de la Torre, Peru
Alfredo Torres, Mexico
József Tóth, Hungary
Duncan Tshegofatso, Botswana
Jason Di Tullio, Canada