Football fans are constantly debating who the best player in the history of football is, especially in the past decade with the rise of Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo.
Since the dawn of football history, many legends have emerged, but things changed dramatically with the arrival of Brazilian Pelé, who completely changed the concept of stars and their influence with his performance with his country’s national team at the age of eighteen in the World Cup.
Years later, an unmistakable legend emerged: Argentine Diego Armando Maradona. He surpasses Pelé in his professional career in European football and the magnitude of his achievements, particularly with Napoli.
Between Pelé and Maradona, many distinguished stars emerged, such as Johan Cruyff, Michel Platini, Gerd Müller, Marco van Basten, and others.
After the Maradona era, many distinguished players emerged, such as Ronaldo Nazário and Rivaldo in Brazil, Zinedine Zidane in France, Matthias Sammer in Germany, Stoichkov, Figo, and Nedved, among others.
Starting in 2007, perhaps the greatest era in history began: Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo, 15 years of dominance over all individual achievements, with incredible fan base and unprecedented momentum.
The International Federation of Football History and Statistics (IFFHS) has released its final list of the 10 greatest players in the history of football, based on the individual and collective achievements of all football legends.
10 – Ronaldinho
Winner of the 2005 Ballon d’Or, 2002 World Cup winner with Brazil, 2006 Champions League winner with Barcelona, and many more individual and collective achievements by one of the most important football players in Brazilian history.
9 – Alfredo Di Stéfano
Di Stéfano is perhaps the first football legend to emerge. He was a Real Madrid star in the 1950s, won the Champions League five times, and won the Ballon d’Or twice.
8 – Franz Beckenbauer
He was the first to change the concept of a defender into a modern defender capable of playing the ball intelligently and skillfully. He was a World Cup winner in 1974 and won the Ballon d’Or twice.
7 – Zinedine Zidane
An icon by all standards, he won the 1998 World Cup and runner-up in 2006, won the Champions League with Real Madrid, and achieved numerous successes with Juventus. He also won the 1998 Ballon d’Or.
6 – Ronaldo Nazario
When we talk about Ronaldo Nazario, we may be talking about the most entertaining striker in the history of football. He was deprived of his talent by injuries, but his history is full of individual and collective achievements. He is a two-time World Cup winner and two-time Ballon d’Or winner, representing the world’s elite clubs: Barcelona, Real Madrid, Milan, and Inter.
5 – Johan Cruyff
Cruyff was not only a revolutionary in the world of coaching, but also as a player. The elegance and fun of a midfielder in the 1970s was uncommon. He won the Ballon d’Or three times and is one of the most important players in Dutch and Barcelona football of all time.
4 – Cristiano Ronaldo
Cristiano Ronaldo needs no introduction. He’s the Champions League king with five titles with two clubs, a four-time Golden Boot winner, a four-time European Championship and UEFA Nations League champion, and the second-most-winning Ballon d’Or winner of all time with five. He’s a role model for all young people these days in terms of hard work, perseverance, and struggle.
3 – Diego Armando Maradona
The man with the magical left foot who set the bar high for everyone, single-handedly bringing Argentina the 1986 World Cup and leading Napoli to domestic and continental glory.
2 – Pelé
Pelé’s second place over Maradona may be highly controversial, but there’s no doubt that Pelé was one of football’s most important revolutionaries. Agility, agility, and flexibility, combined with skill and speed, were rare in football at the time. His achievements with the Brazilian national team, winning the World Cup three times, are extraordinary, no matter the circumstances.
1 – Lionel Messi
The greatest of all time, according to the International Federation of Football History and Statistics, is Lionel Messi, the World Cup, South American, and Finalissima champion with Argentina, the Champions League winner four times with Barcelona, and the Ballon d’Or winner eight times. He is Lionel Messi, the phenomenon that will never be repeated. As Zidane described him, he thinks seconds ahead of any other player. The football at his feet is like a magnet, and defending against him is nothing short of a nightmare.
