John Charles, 72; was soccer player

WAKEFIELD, England -- John Charles, a member of the 1958 Wales World Cup team, died yesterday, a hospital spokesman said. He was 72.

Mr. Charles, who was one of the most popular players in Italian soccer in the late 1950s and early 1960s, became ill last month and had surgery to remove a blood clot on his leg.

Mr. Charles scored 93 goals in 155 matches for Juventus, helping the squad clinch three league titles and two Italian Cups during his five-year stint from 1957-62. He also played for Roma and Cardiff, and retired in 1996.

With Wales, Mr. Charles scored 15 goals and earned 38 caps. Two years ago, he was made life president of the Football Association of Wales. He also received the CBE, Commander of the Order of the British Empire, from Queen Elizabeth II a year earlier.