Top 10 Best Football Players of All Time

Soccer is one of the most popular sports in the world, and the best players have become icons to millions of fans around the world. And ranking the top best football players of all time is an incredibly subjective task, surpassing even the most subjective endeavors throughout history.

Comparing athletes from different areas is indeed a challenging task due to various factors, comprising changes in training strategies, technology, policies of the sports, and overall athletic rule and regulations. And it is quite hard to compare 21st-century players to someone from the early 20th century because a few individuals have witnessed all the athletes on both lists at the peak of their careers.

Throughout the years, various players have emerged as the best of the best, and these top 10 football players are widely considered to be the greatest of all time. Let’s break them down one by one.

10. Andres Iniesta

Andres Iniesta, a Spanish midfielder, is one of the most popular players in the history of football. For the majority of his career, he has played for Barcelona, where he won 8 La Liga titles, 6 Copa del Rey titles, and 4 UEFA Champions League titles. He was very a crucial part of the Spanish national team, where he won the World Cup in 2010, and the European Championship in 2007 and 2012.

In addition to it, his control, passing ability as well as a vision made him one of the most decorated players of his generation.

9. Ronaldo

A Brazilian forward, Ronaldo is broadly considered one of the greatest ever. He played for Inter Milan, Barcelona, AC Milan, and Real Madrid throughout his career.  Furthermore, he has won several titles including 1 Series A title, 2 La Liga titles, 1 Serie A title, and one UEFA Champions League title.

Additionally, Ronaldo won the World Cup of 2002 and Copa America of 1997 with Brazil. For this, his passion, speed, and expertise made him one of the most feared strikers in history.

8. Alfredo Di Stefano

An Argentine forward, Alfredo Di Stefano is generally considered the most powerful and skilled player of all time. In his career, he has played for Real Madrid. And he won 5 European Cup titles, 8 La Liga titles, and one of the Copa del Rey titles.

In fact, he was a significant part of the Argentina national team, where he got the Copa America in 1947, 1955 as well as 1957. And he made it happen with his well-rounded strength and passion to score goals and defend, and all of these abilities made him the complete package of his generation.

7. Franz Backenbauer

A German defender, Franz Backenbauer is one of the most skilled and complete players in soccer history. During his career, he played for Hamburg and Bayern Munich. Throughout his career, he got 4 DFB-Pokal titles, 5 Bundesliga titles, and one of the UEFA Cup titles.

Additionally, he was a crucial member of the West Germany national team, where he got the 1974 World Cup and 1972 European Championship. He was a decorated player with his ability to deal with the game, tactical awareness, and leadership qualities. And all of these qualities made him one of the top best players in the history.

6. Johan Cruyff

Another revolutionary figure, a Dutch forward, Johan Cruyff is often referred to as one of the most influential players in history. Throughout his career, he played for Barcelona and Ajax. And he got 1 European Cup title, 4 La Liga titles, and 8 Eredivvisie in his time.

In the Netherlands team, he was a very significant figure. For this team, he won the European Championship in 1988. Thus Johan Cruyff proved himself a visionary and creative athlete of all time in his generation.

 

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5. Zinedine Zidane

A French striker and midfielder, Zinedine Zidane is considered one of the greatest athletes in history. In his career, he played for Real Madrid and Juventus. And he made himself won one of the UEFA Champions League titles, 1 La Liga title, and 2 Serie A titles.

In the France national team, he was a very significant figure and he made it won the World Cup in 1998 as well as the European Championship in 2000. And proved himself one of the most visionary and revolutionary players in the history.

4. Pele

Another iconic figure, a Brazilian forward, Pele is one of the crucial figures in history. During his career, he has played for New York Cosmos and Santos. And he made them win two North American Soccer League titles and three Campeonato Paulista titles and 2 Torneio titles.

Apart from that, Pele was a decorated part of the Brazilian national team and won the World Cup of 1958 and 1970 during his time. He made it happen with his tactical awareness and skills, hence proving himself one of the greatest players in the world.

3. Cristiano Ronaldo

One of the best and most followed athletes around the world, Cristiano Ronaldo is a Portuguese forward player. During his time, he has played for several clubs including Sporting Lisbon, Manchester United as well as Real Madrid. With his speed and power of goal-scoring, he has won 5 UEFA Champions League, 4 La Liga titles, and 5 Premier League titles.

No doubt his career has been splendid in winning the games. And his passion for the game, ability to score, and skills made him one of the greatest players ever.

2. Diego Maradona

An Argentina forward, Diego Maradona is considered the greatest player ever. During his time, he has played for Sevilla, Napoli, and Barcelona. And he has got one of the UEFA Cup titles, one of the Serie A titles, and two La Liga titles.

Moreover, Diego Maradona was an important part of the Argentina national team. In 1986, he won the World Cup with his dribbling and passion and proved himself one of the most decorated and complete players of his time.

1. Lionel Messi

A revolutionary figure, Argentina forward Lionel Messi is widely considered one of the best players football players of all time. During his time, he played for Barcelona. And he won four UEFA Champions League titles, eight Copa del Rey titles, and ten La Liga titles. Moreover, he was also a significant figure on Argentina's national team, and in 2008 he won the Olympic Gold Medal. And he is famous for his speed dribbling and passion for goal.