Football, also called soccer, is considered the most popular and forever-watched sport globally. It is famous worldwide because of its simple rules for players and accessible equipment. Throughout history, this beautiful game has seen many shining and talented players. These stars leave an impactful mark in the sport’s history with their skills and achievements. Defining the best footballer of all time is subjective because everyone has their opinion.
So, here we are discussing the list of the 12 best footballer of all time whose ability and charming looks have left an awe-inspiring memory in the fan’s hearts.
1. Pelé
Pelé is a Brazilian footballer who is generally considered the king of football. He is the perfect combination of dazzling skills, flexibility, and style. With Brazil, he won three World Cups in 1958, 1962, and 1970. His creative ability to score goals and lead opportunities for his fellows is incomparable. His record of over 1000 professional thunderous goals and alluring dribbling in his career remains unique and amazes spectators. Due to his remarkable performances, he also won multiple titles of player of the year in the FIFA World Cup.
2. Franz Beckenbauer
Franz Beckenbauer, or Der Kaiser, is a versatile German Footballer. He is an excellent defender and is generally regarded as the best footballer of all time in the sport’s history. He is known for his football IQ passing and incredible control on the pitch. The graceful player has practically invented the libero advanced sweeper role, which has more presence, build-up, and attacks than the traditional sweeper. He was the one who led Germany to success in the 1974 World Cup.
3. Lionel Messi
The record-setter with eight Ballon d’Or awards, La Pulga, Lionel Messi is an Argentine professional footballer. He can skillfully dribble through the whole team and find inch-perfect passes for teammates. Early in his career, Messi was often criticized for his lack of international achievements. However, this was later destroyed after his 2021 Copa America win and his 2022 World Cup win. Throughout his career, he answered all the questions regarding longevity, consistency, and achievement so that his abilities cannot be doubted.
4. Cristiano Ronaldo
The Portuguese Sensation, Cristiano Ronaldo, is regarded as a true gem of his generation in the sports field. With his winning mentality, speed, and athletic skills, he was considered a challenging opponent and mesmerized his fans. He started his journey by playing at Sporting Clube de Portugal, and after that, he made his first debut in 2002. Due to his great history of goal scoring, he has won different titles for leagues and five titles in the UEFA Champions League. His dedication to physical fitness separates him from other players.
5. Zinedine Zidane
The legendary Zinedine Zidane is a former French player known as Zizou. He manifested elegance and intelligence, winning the World Cup in 1998, the Champions League in 2002, and the Serie A Winner twice. He was known as a big game player and often showed up when his teammates needed him most. After retirement, he started coaching and is now a professional football manager. In the 2022 World Cup, held in Qatar, he was selected as an ambassador for attempting to host the stage.
6. Lothar Matthäus
A versatile German player, Lothar Matthäus is a box-to-box midfielder of all time. He is famous for his subtle passing, positional sense, and powerful shooting ability. His captivating skill set helped him captain Germany for the 3rd FIFA World Cup win in 1990, defeating Maradona. After upholding the World Cup trophy, he was awarded with Ballon d’Or and Player of the Year. Throughout history, he was the only outfield player to face off in five finals of World Cups- 1982, 1986, 1990, 1994, and 1998.
7. Zico
Zico, officially named Arthur Antunes Coimbra, is considered as the best footballer of all time in Brazil of the late 1970s and early 1980s. He is known as ‘White Pele’ and is famous for his goal-scoring and dribbling talent. Zico’s goal-scoring record puts him amongst the best goalscorers of all time. Although he is a midfielder, in 1979, he scored 72 goals in a calendar year. Zico is underrated among European fans but is one of the greatest free-kick takers ever.
8. Ronaldo Luís Nazário
Never in football have we seen a more terrifying combination of raw, explosive skills than the phenomenon of Ronaldo. The Brazilian retired footballer, who played as a striker, is the youngest ever Ballon d’Or receiver at 21. Ronaldo’s raw talent, close control, and explosiveness led to him being in debate for the GOAT position at a very young age. At the 2006 World Cup, he completed the record of scoring 15 goals by scoring three goals. He was severely injured two times, one in 2000 and another in 2008, which slowed down his skills in the field.
9. George Best
George Best, also named the Belfast Boy, is a Northern Irish professional footballer. He is famous for his skillful dribbling style on the pitch, mesmerizing his fans and defenders. He was the fashionable playboy all over the field and became one of the most famous iconic figures in the late 1960s. Best won the European Cup in 1968 with his incredible performances. He was considered the most outstanding player in British history, but because of his drinking habits, he died from a liver infection after a liver transplant in 2002.
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10. Michel Platini
Michel Platini is a former Brazilian footballer who was the most dominant player during Syria’s golden age. Platini’s long passes were the stuff of legends, so he became the most outstanding passer of all time. With his remarkable goal-scoring skills, he won three Ballon d’Ors and was a tournament performer in 1984, scoring nine goals in five games to win the first national trophy. After his commendable career, he became the president of UEFA, which ended due to controversial scandals that damaged his reputation and legacy as a player.
11. Diego Maradona
The hand of God, Diego Armando Maradona, is one of the greatest Argentine players ever. No one has reached the height of Maradona before as a player. He shredded through every opposition on his way to his 1986 World Cup win against England. His divine talent to win and playmaking abilities make him different from other players, as no one has been able to carry a team quite like Maradona. He showed his interest in football from a young age when he was only eight.
12. Johan Cruyff
Three-time European Cup winner and three-time Ballon d’Or winner, Hendrik Johannes Cruijff, is an elegant football player, generally known as John Cruyff. He is known for his expert technical brilliance, speed, otherworldly vision, and ability to play anywhere on the pitch. He is renowned as the most significant Dutch football player in history. Cruyff greatly supports ‘Total Football,’ a football,’ philosophy invented by Rinus Michels, who was appointed manager. He died from lung cancer in 2016.
Wrap up
All these players have left an unforgettable mark on the history of sports, inspiring future players. Their extraordinary skills, achievements, creative contributions, and dedication to the game make them appropriate for the title of best footballer of all time. Although there may be ongoing debates about personal likings and preferences, one thing is clear: their effect on the football world is so true that it cannot be doubted.