Top 11 greatest footballers of all time
Looking for information on the greatest footballers of all time? Search nowhere else! We can handle everyone from Pele to Messi, Maradona to Ronaldo. Learn about the legendary careers of these players, from their outstanding on-field abilities to their many honors and accomplishments. Learn about their defining events, memorable scores, and the contributions they made to football. For anyone curious about the development of football and the stars who have shaped it, our exhaustive guide is the best source available. Why then wait? Discover the best football players ever right now!
Pelé:
Date of birth: October 23, 1940
Height: 1.73 m (5 ft 8 in)
Playing positions: Forward, attacking midfielder
Pelé was the ultimate goal-scoring machine, and many people consider him to be one of the greatest footballers of all time to ever play the game. Amazingly, he tallied 1,282 goals in 1,366 games (including friendlies). He was able to score any type of goal for amusement thanks to his incredible strength, speed, and dribbling skills. According to the Ballon d’Or committee, if non-Europeans had been given the honor before 1995, Pelé would have received it seven times, matching Messi’s total.
The only player to have won the World Cup three times—in 1958, 1962, and 1970—Pelé took his best game to the tournament. He also captured five league championships and two Copa Libertadores in Brazil. Pelé played on teams with extremely gifted players like Carlos Alberto, Garrincha, and Vavá during his international victories. He came to represent these organizations, and he frequently receives all the credit.
Diego Maradona:
Full name: Diego Armando Maradona
Date Of Birth: October 30, 1960
Height: 1.65 m (5 ft 5 in)
Playing positions: Attacking midfielder, second striker
The skill of Diego Maradona was arguably the best ever displayed in football. His dribbling prowess, distinct and clinical goal-scoring, and accurate passing and crossing earned him numerous assists throughout his tenure. In 680 games, he tallied 345 goals from attacking midfield. Many footballers consider him one of the greatest footballers of all time.
Maradona won the 1986 World Cup with Argentina (almost single-handedly), three league championships, and one UEFA Cup with Napoli despite having a much more challenging tenure than Pelé. He struck one of the all-time great goals against England.
Lionel Messi:
Full name: Lionel Andrés Messi
Date of birth: June 24, 1987
Height: 1.70 m (5 ft 7 in)
Playing position: Forward, winger
Lionel Messi came to Spain at the age of 13 after a successful trial with Barcelona, and he made his debut for the team at the age of 16. With the Catalan club, he would eventually capture 10 league championships, 7 domestic cups, and 4 Champions Leagues. Messi moved to Paris Saint-Germain toward the conclusion of his career, where he added another league championship in 2022. He has earned a total of 38 squad awards and 7 individual Ballon d’Or (a record).
Messi is renowned for his lightning-quick feet, agility, strength (despite having a tiny frame), acceleration, and propensity to dribble past opponents. Apart from heading, Messi possesses all the necessary offensive tools, including a precise shot, the ability to take free kicks and penalties, and the initiative to connect plays and make assists.
When he led Argentina to the 2022 World Cup championship, Messi, who has over 750 goals in his career, recently broke the record for most goals scored at a World Cup (11 goals) (he also reached the final in 2014). At age 35, Messi added two more goals in the World Cup final to complete what may be the pinnacle of a remarkable career. He is getting close to scoring 100 goals for Argentina, who he also represented in the 2021 Copa América.
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Cristiano Ronaldo:
Full name: Cristiano Ronaldo dos Santos Aveiro
Date of birth: February 5, 1985
Height: 1.87 m (6 ft 2 in)
Playing position: Striker, winger
When Cristiano Ronaldo joined Manchester United as a midfielder at the age of 18, his career took off. There, he amassed nine victories, including three Premier Leagues and one Champions League. When he joined Real Madrid at the age of 24, he was already playing as a striker. There, he won another 15 medals, including 2 league championships and 4 Champions Leagues. He has won 32 team championships overall (including Euro 2016 with Portugal) as well as 5 solo Ballon d’Or awards.
Ronaldo has scored more than 800 goals in his career, including 140 in the Champions League and 118 for Portugal over five World Cup competitions (all records). He is renowned for his unique abilities, including his step-overs, strong shot, header prowess, positioning awareness, and free-kicks and penalties.
Ronaldo
Full name: Ronaldo Luís Nazário de Lima
Date of Birth: September 18, 1976
Height: 1.83 m
Playing position: Forward
Ronaldo, also known as Ronaldo Luis Nazario de Lima, is a former Brazilian professional football player. Ronaldo, a Brazilian striker, was born in Rio de Janeiro on September 18, 1976. He has played for a number of teams, including Cruzeiro, PSV Eindhoven, Barca, Inter Milan, Real Madrid, and AC Milan. He is renowned for his speed, dribbling prowess, and clinical finishing ability and is regarded as one of the best footballers of all time. Throughout his tenure, Ronaldo received many individual honors, including the Ballon d’Or twice, in 1997 and 2002. In addition, he helped Brazil win two FIFA World Cups in 1994 and 2002. His tally of 15 goals in World Cup competitions was a record that lasted until 2014.
With 352 goals in 518 professional games and 62 goals in 98 international games for Brazil, Ronaldo ranks among the top scorers in football history. Ronaldo has engaged in a number of business endeavors since he stopped playing football. He has also served as a football ambassador and a broadcast pundit. He is considered one of the greatest footballers of all time.
Johann Cruyff:
Full name: Hendrik Johannes Cruijff (internationally spelled Cruyff)
Date Of Birth: April 25, 1947
Height: 1.78 m (5 ft 10 in)
Playing positions: Forward, attacking midfielder
Johann Cruyff possessed the strength, ability, and ball control of Zinedine Zidane as well as the dribbling and speed of George Best. He was the epitome of a football player, possessing perfect grace, a clinical aptitude, and a calculating intellect. In 710 games as an offensive midfielder, Cruyff scored 401 goals, making him a prolific goalscorer as well. He earned 10 league championships and three European Cups, but he was unable to win an international medal.
Michel Platini:
Full name: Michel François Platini
Date of birth: June 21, 1955
Height: 1.77 m
Playing positions: Midfielder
Former UEFA president and retired French professional player Michel Platini (Union of European Football Associations). Platini, a former offensive midfielder for Nancy, Saint-Étienne, Juventus, and the French national team, was born on June 21, 1955, in Joeuf, France. He was regarded as one of the greatest footballers of all time and excelled at goal-scoring and passing. Throughout his career, Platini received numerous individual honors, including the Ballon d’Or three times in succession from 1983 to 1985. Platini started working in football administration after he stopped playing, first as the co-president of the 1998 FIFA World Cup organizing group and then from 2007 to 2015 as the president of UEFA. However, a corruption controversy marred his term in office. Michel Platini is also considered one of the greatest footballers of all time.
Alfredo Di Stefano:
Full name: Alfredo Stéfano Di Stéfano Laulhé
Date of Birth: July 4, 1926
Height: 1.76 m (5 ft 9.5 in)
Playing position: Forward
Alfredo Di Stéfano must be the first forward on the roster. He was Real Madrid’s most prolific goal scorer, tallying 511 goals in 702 appearances. But he wasn’t your typical attacker; he was active all over the field, tackling, passing, and controlling play. The most complete player to ever honor the game, he was.
Di Stéfano won five European Cups with Real Madrid, netting in each of the championship games. In his career, he earned 13 league championships (1945–1966). Despite winning a Copa América with Argentina, his international record is bad because he did not play in a World Cup. In the history of football, he is considered one of the greatest footballers of all time.
Marco van Basten:
Full name: Marcel van Basten
Date of Birth: October 31, 1964
Height: 1.88 m
Playing position: Forward
Former director and former professional football player from the Netherlands, Marco van Basten. Van Basten, an attacker who was born on October 31, 1964, in Utrecht, the Netherlands, played for Ajax Amsterdam, AC Milan, and the Netherlands national team. He is renowned as one of the best players in football history and is known for his technical proficiency, wit, and precise finishing. Throughout his tenure, Van Basten received many individual honors, including the Ballon d’Or three times in 1988, 1989, and 1992. With AC Milan, he also captured three Serie A championships and three European Cups. Van Basten turned to coach after quitting playing due to ongoing injury issues. He currently serves as the head coach of Ajax, the Dutch national team, and AZ Alkmaar.
Lothar Matthäus:
Full name: Lothar Herbert Matthäus
Date of birth: March 21, 1961
Height: 1.74 m
Playing position: Midfielder, Defender
German former professional player Lothar Matthäus is also a former coach. Matthäus, a defensive player for Borussia Mönchengladbach, Bayern Munich, Inter Milan, and the German national team, was born on March 21, 1961, in Erlangen, West Germany. He is regarded as one of the best football players of all time and is renowned for his adaptability, technical acumen, and leadership qualities. Throughout his tenure, Matthäus received numerous individual honors, including the 1990 Ballon d’Or, and he assisted West Germany in winning the FIFA World Cup. He also won a Serie A championship and a UEFA Cup with Inter Milan in addition to seven Bundesliga championships, three DFB-Pokals, and a UEFA Cup with Bayern Munich.
Zinedine Zidane:
Full name: Zinedine Yazid Zidane
Date of birth: June 23, 1972
Height: 1.85 m (6 ft 1 in)
Playing position: Attacking midfielder
His individual talent, ball control, physical power, and passing were Zidane’s strong points. His greatest performances frequently came in the most crucial matches, displaying a character not often seen in other athletes. He played 789 games as a midfielder and tallied 159 goals. Zinedine Zidane won the 1998 World Cup and the 2000 European Championships with France. He achieved three league championships and one European Cup with Juventus and Real Madrid, respectively. After quitting, Zidane applied his smarts to managing the football team, leading Real Madrid to three straight European Championships.
