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Top 10 Greatest Footballers Of All Time
Football has seen the influx of great players who at a point dominated their world; however, let us have a look at the top ten greatest footballers of all time.
Football has seen the influx of great players who at a point dominated their world; however, let us have a look at the top ten greatest footballers of all time.
10. Eusébio
Country: Portugal
Position: Striker
International Goals: 41 (64 matches)
Club Goal: 424 (436 matches)
Eusébio is considered by many as one of the greatest footballers of all time. During his professional career, he scored 733 goals in 745 matches (41 goals in 64 matches for Portugal). Nicknamed the Black Panther, the Black Pearl, or o Rei (the King), he was famous for his speed, technique, athleticism, and his ferocious right-footed shot, making him a prolific goalscorer. He is considered S.L. Benfica’s greatest ever player.
9. Franz Beckenbauer
Country: West Germany
Position: Central Defender
International Goals: 14 (103)
Club Goal: 79 (560)
Known as Der Kaiser, Franz Beckenbauer was the man behind the majority of Germany’s footballing triumphs over the years which you probably already know, was a lot of triumphs.
His achievement, 1972 & 1976 Ballon d’Or, FIFA World Cup All-Time Team, 1966 FIFA World Cup Best Young Player Award, four-time German Footballer of the Year, 1974 FIFA World Cup, 1972 UEFA European Championships, three European Cups, five Bundesliga titles, four DFB-Pokals, one Intercontinental Cup.
While Paolo Maldini was the most complete footballer of the past 30 years, Franz Beckenbauer was the most complete footballer EVER.
Put simply, anything you could possibly want a footballer to be able to do, Beckenbauer could – and did – do it.
A goalscorer: yes.
An incredible defender: yes.
A great athlete: yes.
A consummate professional: yes.
A leader: yes. In a big, big, way.
A winner: yes.
Oh, historically, he’s also one of two defenders to EVER win the Ballon d’Or. Oh, and yes, of course, he won it TWICE.
8. Johan Cruyff
Country: Netherland
Position: Forward/ Attacking Midfielder
International Goals: 33 (48 matches)
Club Goals: 291 (514 matches)
Hendrik Johannes Cruyff was a Dutch professional football player and coach. As a player, he won the Ballon d’Or three times, in 1971, 1973, and 1974. Cruyff was a proponent of the football philosophy known as Total Football explored by Rinus Michels and is widely regarded as one of the greatest and the most prolific players in the history of the sport.
7. Michel Platini
Country: France
Position: Midfielder
International Goals: 41 (72 matches)
Club Goal: 312 (580 matches)
Michel Platini is undoubtedly the greatest goalscoring midfielder of all time.
In three consecutive seasons in his prime, Platini won the Golden Boot award in a league that boasted the best defenders of all time; scratch that, the best footballers of all time.
Platini was similarly potent for France, guiding the nation to their first-ever major football success by scoring nine (yes, NINE) goals in five games at the 1984 UEFA European Championships.
6. Zinedine Zidane
Country: France
Position: Attacking Midfielder
International Goals: 31 (108 matches)
Club Goals: 95 (506 matches)
Zinedine Zidane undoubtedly is one beautiful b**tard with a ball at his feet.
Headbutts aside (and even then, the headbutt was technically superb), Zizou was the most elegant footballer of all time, pirouetting his way around Europe; usually winning while doing so. Zidane won A LOT.
Three World Cup final goals and the best goal in UEFA Champions League history in the 2002 final, it’s fair to say that Zidane wasn’t just one of the most entertaining footballers of all time, but also one of the most ‘clutch’.
5. Ronaldinho
Country: Brazil/ Portugal
Position: Attacking Midfielder
International Goals: 33 (97 matches)
Club Goals: 266 (699 matches)
Ronaldo de Assis Moreira, popularly called Ronaldinho is one hell of a player with good ball work and creative dribbling style; Often considered one of the best players of his generation and regarded by many as one of the greatest of all time, Ronaldinho won two FIFA World Player of the Year awards and a Ballon d’Or.
A global icon of the sport, he was renowned for his technical skills, creativity, and dribbling ability, as well as his use of tricks, feints, overhead kicks, no-look passes, and accuracy from free kicks. He is a former player and ambassador for Barcelona
4. Cristiano Ronaldo
Country: Portugal
Position: Forward
International Goals: 133 (216 matches)
Club Goals: 680 (905 matches)
Right, let’s get this out of the way: Cristiano Ronaldo is the best; but Lionel Messi is better. If you are wondering why so, then check out Why Messi is the GOAT and better than Ronaldo.
Cristiano Ronaldo dos Santos Aveiro is a crazy-ass football player when it comes to creativity. He handles the ball with simplicity and the ability of one who knows what to do with it.
Ronaldo is the highest-scoring footballer of all time, Ballon d’Or in 2008, 2013, 2014, 2016 & 2017; FIFA World Player of the Year in 2008, 2016 & 2017; UEFA Best Player in Europe Award in 2014, 2016 & 2017; four-time European Golden Shoe winner; two-time PFA Players’ Player of the Year; UEFA Champions League all-time top goalscorer; Real Madrid’s all-time top goalscorer; five UEFA Champions Leagues; two La Liga titles; three Premier League titles; two Scudetti; two Copa del Rey; one FA Cup; and one UEFA European Championship.
He’s won absolutely everything (except for the World Cup) at least 20 times, and he’s scored more goals than anyone else ever. EVER!!!!!!
3. Lionel Messi
Country: Argentina
Position: Forward
International Goals: 73 (145 matches)
Club Goals: 672 (778 matches)
Messi is ‘arguably’ the greatest player in LaLiga history and one of the best in football history; born Lionel Andrés Messi is often considered as the best player in the world. He won a school of records to himself: Ballon d’Or in 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2015 & 2019; FIFA World Player of the Year2009; Barcelona all-time top goalscorer; La Liga all-time top goalscorer; six-time Pichichi winner; Argentina’s all-time top goalscorer; most goals scored in a calendar year; UEFA Men’s Player of the Year in 2011 & 2015; seven-time La Liga Player of the Year; 2014 FIFA World Cup Golden Ball; 2005 Young European Footballer of the Year; five-time European Golden Shoe winner; four Champions Leagues; nine La Liga titles; and six Copa del Rey.
You must have read it a million times on Twitter. Someone is probably tweeting it this very second:
“Lionel Messi is the GOAT!!! THE GOAT!!! If you disagree you know nothing about football!!! Nothing!!!”
While these Tweets are incredibly grating, they do kind of have a point. Because let’s face it, Messi is one of the greatest footballers of all time. His goal-scoring IS unique and clinical, and his passing and crossing were precise with his sharp dribbling skill, free-kick, and smooth race with the ball, he leaves his opponents in awe.
However, the reason why he’s only third on this list of the top ten greatest footballers of all time is because of the FIFA World Cup. It’s a competition he’s never won, and it’s a competition in which he’s never scored a goal in any knockout round games.
2. Diego Maradona
Country: Argentina
Position: Attacking Midfielder
International Goals: 34 (91 matches)
Club Goals: 259 (490 matches)
Diego Maradona’s talent was without a doubt the greatest ever seen in football. His dribbling ability was mesmerizing, his goal-scoring was unique and clinical, and his passing and crossing were precise—earning him many assists in his career. Widely regarded as one of the greatest players in the history of the sport, he was one of the two joint winners of the FIFA Player of the 20th Century award. He died 25 November 2020
With a much more difficult career than Pelé, he still won the 1986 World Cup with Argentina as well as three league titles and one UEFA Cup with Napoli. Against England, he scored one of the greatest goals of all time.
1.Pelé
Country: Brazil
Position: Forward Attacking Midfielder
International Goals: 77 (92 matches)
Club Goals: 643( 757matches)
Pelé was the ultimate goal-scoring machine in his native Brazil, and he is often ranked the best player ever to grace the sport. He scored an incredible 1,282 goals in 1,366 games. His sheer power, strength, pace, and dribbling ability saw him score all varieties of goals for fun. Born Edson Arantes do Nascimento was labelled by FIFA as the greatest player to ever leave.
He brought his goal-scoring to the World Cup, which saw Brazil win the tournament in 1958, 1962, and 1970. He also won two Copa Libertadores and five league titles. These victories saw him within teams of highly talented players, including Garrincha and Carlos Alberto. He became a symbol for these teams, and as a result, he is often accredited with all of the praise.
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