Best Football Players Of All Time

 

#10 George Best

George Best, (born May 22, 1946, Belfast, Northern Ireland—died November 25, 2005, London, England), Irish-born football (soccer) player who was one of the premier forwards in the game’s history and a fashionable playboy off the field. 

The stylish Best became one of the iconic figures of “Swinging London” during the 1960s.

While still a schoolboy, Best was recommended to Manchester United by a local Belfast football scout, who called the youngster a “genius.” Best joined the club at age 15, and he made his first-division debut two years later, in 1963. 

He was an immediate sensation, scoring acrobatic goals and helping United to a league title in his second season. 

He led the club to another league championship during the 1966–67 season. 

In 1968 he was named European Footballer of the Year and helped United become the first English club to win the European Cup. 

Best scored a total of 178 goals in his 466 career games with United.

#9 Ronaldo Luís Nazário

Ronaldo Luís Nazário de Lima (born 18 September 1976),  is a Brazilian business owner and president of Segunda Division club Real Valladolid, owner of Brasileiro Série A club Cruzeiro, and a former professional footballer who played as a striker.  Nicknamed  O Fenômeno ('The Phenomenon') and R9, he is considered one of the greatest players of all time. 

As a multi-functional striker who brought a new dimension to the position, Ronaldo has been an influence for a generation of strikers that have followed. His individual accolades include being named FIFA World Player of the Year three times and winning two Ballon d'Or awards.

Ronaldo started his career at Cruzeiro and moved to PSV in 1994. He joined Barcelona in 1996 for a then world record transfer fee and at 20 years old, he was named the 1996 FIFA World Player of the Year, making him the youngest recipient of the award. 

In 1997, Inter Milan broke the world record fee to sign Ronaldo, making him the first player since Diego Maradona to break the world transfer record twice. 

At 21, he received the 1997 Ballon d'Or and remains the youngest recipient of the award. By the age of 23, Ronaldo had scored over 200 goals for club and country. However, after a series of knee injuries and recuperation, he was inactive for almost three years. Ronaldo joined Real Madrid in 2002 and won the 2002–03 La Liga title. He had spells at AC Milan and Corinthians before retiring in 2011, having suffered further injuries. Ronaldo played for Brazil in 98 matches, scoring 62 goals and is the third-highest goalscorer for his national team.  At age 17, he was the youngest member of the Brazilian squad that won the 1994 FIFA World Cup.  At the 1998 FIFA World Cup, Ronaldo received the Golden Ball as the player of the tournament after he helped Brazil reach the final, where he suffered a convulsive fit hours before kick-off. 

He won the 2002 FIFA World Cup, starring in a front three with Ronaldinho and Rivaldo. Ronaldo scored twice in the final and received the Golden Boot as the tournament's top goal scorer. 

This achievement, viewed as "redemption" for what occurred at the previous World Cup, saw Ronaldo named the 2002 FIFA World Player of the Year, receive the 2002 Ballon d'Or, and for his return from injury, won the Laureus World Sports Award for Comeback of the Year.  At the 2006 FIFA World Cup, Ronaldo scored his 15th World Cup goal, a tournament record at the time.  He also won the 1997 Copa América, where he became the player of the tournament and the 1999 Copa América, where he was the top goal scorer.

#8 Alfredo Di Stéfano

Alfredo Di Stéfano, (born July 4, 1926, Buenos Aires, Argentina—died July 7, 2014, Madrid, Spain), Argentine-born football (soccer) player and manager, regarded as one of the greatest centre forwards in football history. 

His reputation was based largely on his performance for the Spanish club Real Madrid (1953–64), for which he was an intelligent player with exceptional all-around skill and stamina. 

He was twice named European Footballer of the Year (1957, 1959).

Di Stéfano made his first-division debut for the Buenos Aires club River Plate in 1944. 

There he was the Argentine league’s top scorer, with 27 goals, in 1947, when the club won the first-division championship.

In 1949 Di Stéfano joined the Millonarios, a Bogotá club in a high-paying Colombian professional league, with whom he won four league titles (1949, 1951–53) and was twice the league’s top scorer (1951–52). 

He played for the Argentine national team six times in 1947, helping it win the South American Championship.

In 1953 Di Stéfano arrived at Real Madrid, where he partnered with several outstanding forwards, including Ferenc Puskás, Raymond Kopa, and Gento. 

During his 11 seasons in Madrid, Di Stéfano led the league in scoring in four straight seasons (1956–59) and helped the team to win eight first-division titles (1954–55, 1957–58, 1961–64), the Spanish Cup (1962), five European Cups (1956–60), and the inaugural Intercontinental Cup (1960; played annually between the European and South American champions). 

After playing two seasons (1964–66) with RCD Espanyol (in Barcelona), he retired, having played 521 official club games and scored 377 goals. 

During his stay in Madrid, Di Stéfano became a Spanish citizen and played 31 times for his adopted country between 1957 and 1961, scoring 23 goals.

After his retirement as a player, Di Stéfano coached in both Spain and Argentina, enjoying league titles at Boca Juniors (Argentina) in 1970 and at Valencia (Spain) in 1971.

#7 Franz Beckenbauer

Franz Anton Beckenbauer ( born 11 September 1945) is a German former professional football player and manager. 

In his playing career he was nicknamed Der Kaiser ("The Emperor") because of his elegant style, dominance and leadership on the field, and also as his first name "Franz" is reminiscent of the Austrian emperors. 

He is widely regarded to be one of the greatest players in the history of the sport. 

A versatile player who started out as a midfielder, Beckenbauer made his name as a central defender. 

He is often credited as having invented the role of the modern sweeper (libero). 

With success at club and international level, he is one of nine players to have won the FIFA World Cup, the European Champions Cup and the Ballon d'Or.

Twice named European Footballer of the Year, Beckenbauer appeared 103 times for West Germany and played in three FIFA World Cups and two European Championships. 

He is one of three men, along with Brazil's Mário Zagallo and France's Didier Deschamps, to have won the World Cup as a player and as a manager; he lifted the World Cup trophy as captain in 1974, and repeated the feat as a manager in 1990.

He was the first captain to lift the World Cup and European Championship at international level and the European Cup at club level. 

He was named in the World Team of the 20th Century in 1998, the FIFA World Cup Dream Team in 2002, the Ballon d'Or Dream Team in 2020, and in 2004 was listed in the FIFA 100 of the world's greatest living players

#6 Zinedine Zidane

Zinedine Zidane, byname Zizou, (born June 23, 1972, Marseille, France), French football (soccer) player who led his country to victories in the 1998 World Cup and the 2000 European Championship. He later found success as a manager.

After playing for the junior team US Saint-Henri, Zidane joined Cannes in 1989 and quickly became the focal point of the team’s offense. 

A rangy midfielder, he had exceptional upper body strength and footwork skills that were complemented by his superior field vision. 

In 1992 he was transferred to Bordeaux, where he scored a career-high 10 goals in his first season with the team. 

Two years later Zidane was named Best Young Footballer in France and made his debut in international competition with two goals in 17 minutes against the Czech Republic.

In 1995 Zidane helped secure a place in the Union of European Football Associations (UEFA) Cup final for his Bordeaux club. 

The following summer, however, he was transferred to the Juventus club in Italy, where he soon became as much of a favourite as he had been in France. 

In 1997 Zidane appeared on Juventus’s winning team at the World Club championship and UEFA Super Cup as well as on its Italian league-winning squad. 

Juventus also reached the Champions League final in 1997 and 1998. 

Zidane joined Real Madrid in 2001, and the following year the team won the Champions League title and the European Super Cup. 

The Fédération Internationale de Football Association (FIFA) named Zidane World Player of the Year three times (1998, 2000, and 2003).

#5 Johan cruyff

Johan Cruyff, byname of Hendrik Johannes Cruijff, (born April 25, 1947, Amsterdam, Netherlands—died March 24, 2016, Barcelona, Spain), Dutch football (soccer) forward renowned for his imaginative playmaking. 

He won numerous honours, including European Footballer of the Year (1971, 1973, and 1974).

Cruyff joined the youth development squad of Amsterdam’s Ajax soccer club when he was 10 years old. 

He was 17 when he made his debut with the senior team. After helping Ajax win six league titles, four national cups, and three European Champion Clubs’ Cups (now known as the UEFA [Union of European Football Associations] Champions League), he was transferred to FC Barcelona in 1973. 

Captained by Cruyff, Barcelona won the Spanish League championship in 1974 and was runner-up in 1976 and 1977.

The temperamental Cruyff, along with Franz Beckenbauer of West Germany, was regarded as the world’s finest player in an era when the European game was dominated by “total football,” a style of play developed by Dutch coach Rinus Michels that emphasized all-around skill, versatility, and creativity. 

Cruyff debuted with the Dutch national team when he was 19 and went on to score 33 goals in 48 international matches. 

In the 1974 World Cup tournament, the Dutch team, led by Cruyff and including Johan Neeskens and Ruud Krol, put on a memorable display of total football that earned them the nickname “Clockwork Orange” (a name borrowed from the novel but inspired by the team’s orange jerseys). 

Although the Netherlands lost to West Germany in the championship match, Cruyff’s individual brilliance won him the tournament’s Golden Ball (Most Valuable Player) award.

#4 Cristiano Ronaldo

Cristiano Ronaldo dos Santos Aveiro (born 5 February 1985) is a Portuguese professional footballer who plays as a forward and captain for  both Saudi Pro League club Al Nassr and the Portugal national team. 

Widely regarded as one of the greatest players of all time, Ronaldo has won five Ballon d'Or awards, a record three UEFA Best Player in Europe, and four European Golden Shoes, the most by a European player. 

He has won 33 trophies in his career, including seven league titles, five UEFA Champions Leagues, the UEFA European Championship and the UEFA Nations League. 

Ronaldo holds the records for most appearances (183), goals (140) and assists (42) in the Champions League, goals in the European Championship (14), international goals (123) and international appearances (201). 

He is one of the few players to have made over 1,100 professional career appearances, and has scored over 850 official senior career goals for club and country, making him the highest goalscorer of all time.

Ronaldo began his senior career with Sporting CP, before signing with Manchester United in 2003, winning the FA Cup in his first season. 

He would also go on to win three consecutive Premier League titles, the Champions League and the FIFA Club World Cup; at age 23, he won his first Ballon d'Or. 

Ronaldo was the subject of the then-most expensive association football transfer when he signed for Real Madrid in 2009 in a transfer worth €94 million (£80 million). 

He became a key contributor and formed an attacking trio with Karim Benzema and Gareth Bale which was integral to the team winning four Champions League wins from 2014 to 2018, including La Décima. 

During this period, he won back-to-back Ballons d'Or in 2013 and 2014, and again in 2016 and 2017, and was runner-up three times behind Lionel Messi, his perceived career rival. 

He also became the club's all-time top goalscorer and the all-time top scorer in the Champions League, and finished as the competition's top scorer for six consecutive seasons between 2012 and 2018. 

With Real, Ronaldo won four Champions Leagues, two La Liga titles, two Copas del Rey, two UEFA Super Cups and three Club World Cups. In 2018, he signed for Juventus in a transfer worth an initial €100 million (£88 million), the most expensive transfer for an Italian club and for a player over 30 years old. 

He won two Serie A titles, two Supercoppa Italiana trophies and a Coppa Italia, became the inaugural Serie A Most Valuable Player and became the first footballer to finish as top scorer in the English, Spanish and Italian leagues. 

He returned to Manchester United in 2021, finishing his only full season as the club's top scorer, before his contract was terminated in 2022. In 2023, he signed for Al Nassr.

Ronaldo made his international debut for Portugal in 2003 at the age of 18 and has since earned more than 200 caps, making him both the country and history's most-capped player of all time, recognized by the Guinness World Records.

With more than 100 goals at international level, he is also the sports all-time top goalscorer. 

Ronaldo has played in and scored at eleven major tournaments; he scored his first international goal at Euro 2004, where he helped Portugal reach the final. 

He assumed captaincy of the national team in July 2008. In 2015, Ronaldo was named the best Portuguese player of all time by the Portuguese Football Federation. 

The following year, he led Portugal to their first major tournament title at Euro 2016, and received the Silver Boot as the second-highest goalscorer of the tournament. 

This achievement would see him receive his fourth Ballon d'Or. 

He also led them to victory in the inaugural UEFA Nations League in 2019, receiving the top scorer award in the finals, and later received the Golden Boot as top scorer of Euro 2020.

One of the world's most marketable and famous athletes, Ronaldo was ranked the world's highest-paid athlete by Forbes in 2016, 2017, and 2023, and the world's most famous athlete by ESPN from 2016 to 2019. 

Time included him on their list of the 100 most influential people in the world in 2014. 

He is the first footballer and the third sportsman to earn US$1 billion in his career.

#3 Maradona

Diego Maradona, in full Diego Armando Maradona, (born October 30, 1960, Lanus, Buenos Aires, Argentina—died November 25, 2020, Tigre, Buenos Aires), Argentine football (soccer) player who is generally regarded as the top footballer of the 1980s and one of the greatest of all time. 

Renowned for his ability to control the ball and create scoring opportunities for himself and others, he led club teams to championships in Argentina, Italy, and Spain, and he starred on the Argentine national team that won the 1986 World Cup.

Maradona displayed football talent early, and at age eight he joined Las Cebollitas (“The Little Onions”), a boys’ team that went on to win 136 consecutive games and a national championship. 

He signed with Argentinos Juniors at age 14 and made his first-division debut in 1976, 10 days before his 16th birthday. 

Only four months later he made his debut with the national team, becoming the youngest Argentine ever to do so. 

Although he was excluded from the 1978 World Cup-winning squad because it was felt that he was still too young, the next year he led the national under-20 team to a Junior World Cup championship.

Maradona moved to Boca Juniors in 1981 and immediately helped them gain the championship. 

He then moved to Europe, playing with FC Barcelona in 1982 (and winning the Spanish Cup in 1983) and then SSC Napoli (1984–91), where he enjoyed great success, raising the traditionally weak Naples side to the heights of Italian football. 

With Maradona the team won the league title and cup in 1987 and the league title again in 1990. Maradona’s stint with Napoli came to an end when he was arrested in Argentina for cocaine possession and received a 15-month suspension from playing football. 

Next he played for Sevilla in Spain and Newell’s Old Boys in Argentina. 

In 1995 he returned to Boca Juniors and played his last match on October 25, 1997.

Maradona’s career with the Argentine national team included World Cup appearances in 1982, 1986, 1990, and 1994. 

He dominated the 1986 competition in Mexico. In a 2–1 quarterfinal victory over England, he scored two of the most memorable goals in World Cup history. 

The first was scored with his hand (the referee mistakenly thought the ball had struck his head), a goal now remembered as the “Hand of God” goal. 

The second occurred after Maradona gained possession of the ball at midfield and dribbled through a pack of English defenders and past the keeper before depositing the ball in the goal. 

He did not finish the 1994 World Cup, because he tested positive for the drug ephedrine and was again suspended. 

Maradona also played on South American championship-winning teams in 1987 and 1989.

#2 Pele

Pelé, byname of Edson Arantes do Nascimento, (born October 23, 1940, Três Corações, Brazil—died December 29, 2022, São Paolo, Brazil), Brazilian football (soccer) player, in his time probably the most famous and possibly the best-paid athlete in the world. 

He was part of the Brazilian national teams that won three World Cup championships (1958, 1962, and 1970).

After playing for a minor league club at Bauru, São Paulo state, Pelé (whose nickname apparently is without significance) was rejected by major club teams in the city of São Paulo. 

In 1956, however, he joined the Santos Football Club, which, with Pelé at inside left forward, won nine São Paulo league championships and, in 1962 and 1963, both the Libertadores Cup and the Intercontinental Club Cup. 

Sometimes called “Pérola Negra” (“Black Pearl”), he became a Brazilian national hero. 

He combined kicking power and accuracy with a remarkable ability to anticipate other players’ moves. 

After the 1958 World Cup, Pelé was declared a national treasure by the Brazilian government in order to ward off large offers from European clubs and ensure that he would remain in Brazil. 

On November 19, 1969, in his 909th first-class match, he scored his 1,000th goal.

Pelé made his international debut in 1957 at age 16 and the following year played his first game in the World Cup finals in Sweden. 

The Brazilian manager was initially hesitant to play his young star. 

When Pelé finally reached the field, he had an immediate impact, rattling the post with one shot and collecting an assist. 

He had a hat trick in the semifinal against France and two goals in the championship game, where Brazil defeated Sweden 5–2. 

At the 1962 World Cup finals, Pelé tore a thigh muscle in the second match and had to sit out the remainder of the tournament. 

Nonetheless, Brazil went on to claim its second World Cup title. Rough play and injuries turned the 1966 World Cup into a disaster for both Brazil and Pelé, as the team went out in the first round, and he contemplated retiring from World Cup play. 

Returning in 1970 for one more World Cup tournament, he teamed with young stars Jairzinho and Rivelino to claim Brazil’s third title and permanent ownership of the Jules Rimet Trophy. 

Pelé finished his World Cup career having scored 12 goals in 14 games.

#1 Lionel Messi

Lionel Andrés Messi (born 24 June 1987), also known as Leo Messi, is an Argentine professional footballer who plays as a forward for and captains both Major League Soccer club Inter Miami and the Argentina national team. 

Regarded as one of the greatest players of all time, Messi has won a record seven Ballon d'Or awards and a record six European Golden Shoes, and in 2020 he was named to the Ballon d'Or Dream Team. 

Until leaving the club in 2021, he had spent his entire professional career with Barcelona, where he won a club-record 34 trophies, including ten La Liga titles, seven Copa del Rey titles and the UEFA Champions League four times. 

With his country, he won the 2021 Copa América and the 2022 FIFA World Cup. 

A prolific goalscorer and creative playmaker, Messi holds the records for most goals in La Liga (474), most hat-tricks in La Liga (36) and the UEFA Champions League (eight), and most assists in La Liga (192) and the Copa América (17). 

He also has the most international goals by a South American male (104). 

Messi has scored over 800 senior career goals for club and country, and has the most goals by a player for a single club (672).

Messi relocated to Spain from Argentina aged 13 to join Barcelona, for whom he made his competitive debut aged 17 in October 2004. 

He established himself as an integral player for the club within the next three years, and in his first uninterrupted season in 2008–09 he helped Barcelona achieve the first treble in Spanish football; that year, aged 22, Messi won his first Ballon d'Or. 

Three successful seasons followed, with Messi winning four consecutive Ballons d'Or, making him the first player to win the award four times.

During the 2011–12 season, he set the La Liga and European records for most goals scored in a single season, while establishing himself as Barcelona's all-time top scorer. 

The following two seasons, Messi finished second for the Ballon d'Or behind Cristiano Ronaldo (his perceived career rival), before regaining his best form during the 2014–15 campaign, becoming the all-time top scorer in La Liga and leading Barcelona to a historic second treble, after which he was awarded a fifth Ballon d'Or in 2015. 

Messi assumed captaincy of Barcelona in 2018, and won a record sixth Ballon d'Or in 2019. 

Out of contract, he signed for French club Paris Saint-Germain in August 2021, spending two seasons at the club and winning Ligue 1 twice. 

Messi joined American club Inter Miami in July 2023, winning the Leagues Cup in August of that year.

An Argentine international, Messi is the country's all-time leading goalscorer and also holds the national record for appearances. 

At youth level, he won the 2005 FIFA World Youth Championship, finishing the tournament with both the Golden Ball and Golden Shoe, and an Olympic gold medal at the 2008 Summer Olympics. 

His style of play as a diminutive, left-footed dribbler drew comparisons with his compatriot Diego Maradona, who described Messi as his successor. 

After his senior debut in August 2005, Messi became the youngest Argentine to play and score in a FIFA World Cup (2006), and reached the final of the 2007 Copa América, where he was named young player of the tournament. 

As the squad's captain from August 2011, he led Argentina to three consecutive finals: the 2014 FIFA World Cup, for which he won the Golden Ball, the 2015 Copa América, winning the Golden Ball, and the 2016 Copa América. 

After announcing his international retirement in 2016, he reversed his decision and led his country to qualification for the 2018 FIFA World Cup, a third-place finish at the 2019 Copa América, and victory in the 2021 Copa América, while winning the Golden Ball and Golden Boot for the latter. 

For this achievement, Messi received a record-extending seventh Ballon d'Or in 2021. 

In 2022, he led Argentina to win the 2022 FIFA World Cup, where he won a record second Golden Ball, scored seven goals including two in the final, and broke the record for most games played at the World Cup (26).

Messi has endorsed sportswear company Adidas since 2006. According to France Football, he was the world's highest-paid footballer for five years out of six between 2009 and 2014, and was ranked the world's highest-paid athlete by Forbes in 2019 and 2022. 

Messi was among Time's 100 most influential people in the world in 2011, 2012 and 2023. 

In 2020 and 2023, he was named the Laureus World Sportsman of the Year, with Messi being the first team-sport athlete to win the award. 

In 2020, Messi became the second footballer and second team-sport athlete to surpass $1 billion in career earnings.