Greatest football players of all time: Does Messi, Ronaldo, Pele or someone else take the crown as the best footballer ever?

In the agelong and distinguished annals of shot history, lone a prime fewer players tin assertion to person near a genuinely indelible people connected the crippled with their sheer quality connected the field.

While immoderate person flirted with the highest levels for a little period, and others person had decades astatine the apical without ever rather breaking into that elite group, each present and again an extra-special endowment comes on that tin mates exceptional prime with singular longevity.

The precise champion players tin wed those 2 components with unforgettable moments and immense occurrence too, and lone past tin they beryllium regarded among football's existent greats.

Ranking a apical 10 database of those greats is simply a fool's errand, with immoderate legends bound to miss retired - nary uncertainty inexplicably to some.

The honourable mentions successful this peculiar countdown see luminaries specified arsenic Eusebio, Gerd Muller, Garrincha, George Best, Ronaldinho and Lev Yashin, and determination are countless others who merit acknowledgement too.

Nonetheless, Sports Mole has taken connected the intolerable task of whittling the past of the beauteous crippled down to its 10 top exponents, truthful beryllium back, bask and nary uncertainty disagree with our apical 10 footballers of each time.

10. Ferenc Puskas (Hungary)

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Known arsenic the 'Galloping Major', Ferenc Puskas remains 1 of the top goalscorers to person ever graced the sport, boasting a phenomenal grounds of 806 goals successful conscionable 793 authoritative games for nine and country.

No less than 84 of those came successful conscionable 85 outings for Hungary, who became the champion planetary squad successful the satellite with Puskas starring the charge.

The Mighty Magyars went 32 games unbeaten, including winning golden astatine the 1952 Olympics and hammering England 6-3 distant and 7-1 astatine location successful 2 of the astir celebrated results of each time, but someway mislaid to West Germany successful the 1954 World Cup last - 1 of the biggest upsets successful the past of football.

That match, which Puskas scored successful contempt playing with a hairline fracture successful his ankle, yet denied him the the accidental to triumph the biggest prize successful the sport, arsenic 2 years aboriginal helium refused to instrumentality to communist Hungary and was subsequently blocked from appearing for the nationalist team.

However, arguably the champion years of his vocation were yet to come; Puskas joined European champions Real Madrid arsenic a 31-year-old successful 1958 and formed a devastating concern with Alfredo Di Stefano to further fortify Los Blancos' estimation arsenic the top squad connected the continent.

Puskas went connected to people 242 goals successful conscionable 262 games for Madrid, helping them to 3 much European Cups successful summation to 5 La Liga titles - adding to the 5 league crowns helium won successful Hungary.

A four-time victor of the Pichichi Trophy for apical scorer successful Spain, Puskas present has FIFA's grant for the champion extremity of each twelvemonth named aft him.

9. Ronaldo (Brazil)

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A funny premix of greatness and yet inactive unfulfilled potential, Ronaldo whitethorn good person been challenging towards the apical of this database had helium not suffered immoderate debilitating genu injuries during his career.

Certainly, arsenic a young subordinate helium seemed marked for greatness; by the property of 21, helium had already breached the world-record transportation interest doubly and go the youngest-ever victor of the FIFA World Player of the Year and Ballon d'Or awards - records which inactive basal today.

Ronaldo had a World Cup winners' medal by the property of 17 - albeit arsenic an unused subordinate of the 1994 Brazil squad - and was the prima of the 1998 World Cup, winning the Golden Ball but suffering a acceptable hours earlier the last against France which led to an ineffective show aft his 'will he, won't he' enactment became 1 of the large World Cup mysteries.

It was astatine Inter Milan wherever things began to spell incorrect for possibly the top young subordinate determination has ever been, with Ronaldo suffering back-to-back superior genu injuries - the 2nd coming conscionable six minutes aft helium returned to the tract from his first.

Those efficaciously sidelined him for 3 years from 1999 to 2002, and the chartless of conscionable however bully helium would person been without those injuries is 1 of the biggest 'what ifs' successful football.

Even so, Ronaldo bounced backmost and enjoyed a hugely palmy 2nd fractional to his vocation too, winning the Golden Boot en way to helping Brazil to 2002 World Cup glory - his 2nd winners' medal - and becoming the competition's all-time starring scorer 4 years aboriginal successful Germany.

At nine level, Real Madrid's Galacticos took thing of a hazard by signing a erstwhile Barcelona subordinate with lone 17 top-flight outings implicit the erstwhile 3 seasons, but they reaped the rewards, with Ronaldo going connected to people 104 goals successful 177 games and helping them to 2 La Liga titles.

Individually, Ronaldo was a three-time FIFA World Player of the Year and two-time Ballon d'Or winner, portion helium ended his planetary vocation with 62 goals successful 98 games for Brazil.

8. Alfredo di Stefano (Argentina)

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Before Pele burst onto the country astatine the 1958 World Cup, Alfredo Di Stefano was the benchmark for footballing greatness.

The Don of the large Real Madrid squad which dominated shot successful the 1950s, Di Stefano is arguably the astir implicit footballer to person ever graced the game, often picking the shot up from his ain goalkeeper connected the borderline of his ain country to spark a sweeping squad determination which helium would past finish.

Di Stefano was 1 of lone 3 players to beryllium portion of each of Madrid's 5 successive European Cup triumphs from the inaugural variation of the tourney successful 1955 to 1960, and remarkably scored successful each of those finals, including a hat-trick successful the past 1 arsenic Real Madrid blew Eintracht Frankfurt distant successful what is inactive regarded arsenic 1 of the top squad performances ever.

The Argentine besides won 8 La Liga titles during his trophy-laden clip successful Spain, yet leaving Real Madrid arsenic the club's all-time starring goalscorer and the highest scorer successful the European Cup too, though some marks person since been surpassed.

A Ballon d'Or victor successful 1957 and 1959, possibly the lone happening missing from Di Stefano's database of accolades is occurrence connected the planetary stage; unusually, Di Stefano played for 3 antithetic nationalist teams during his vocation - Argentina, Colombia and Spain - but ne'er made it to a World Cup for a assortment of reasons.

7. Franz Beckenbauer (West Germany)

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Strikers get each the glory successful football, arsenic proven by this list, truthful it takes a genuinely peculiar antiaircraft subordinate to musculus his mode into the speech of the top ever.

Franz Beckenbauer surely fits the bill, having achieved everything determination was to execute astatine some nine and planetary level for Bayern Munich and West Germany respectively.

For Bayern, 'Der Kaiser' became the archetypal skipper to assistance the European Cup 3 times erstwhile Bayern's large squad of the mid-1970s won 3 successful a row.

As improbable arsenic it seems today, Bayern were successful the 2nd tier of German shot erstwhile Beckenbauer joined successful 1963, but by the clip helium near immoderate 14 years aboriginal helium had won 4 Bundesliga titles, 4 DFB-Pokals and the European Cup Winners' Cup, successful summation to those 3 European Cup triumphs, establishing Bayern arsenic the ascendant unit successful German shot - a presumption they inactive bask today.

Incredibly, Beckenbauer's planetary grounds is possibly adjacent much impressive; successful his 5 large tournaments with his country, West Germany reached the last successful 4 of them and finished 3rd successful the other.

A young Beckenbauer marked England's prima Sir Bobby Charlton retired of the 1966 World Cup final, albeit successful a losing effort, and scored to assistance sound the aforesaid opponents retired 4 years later, earlier the semi-final of that 1970 World Cup saw him dislocate his enarthrosis and play connected arsenic Germany narrowly mislaid to Italy successful the 'Game of the Century'.

Beckenbauer was handed the armband successful 1971 and subsequently led Germany to the Euro 1972 rubric earlier adding the World Cup crown to his honours database 2 years later, nullifying Johan Cruyff successful the final. Two years aft that, Beckenbauer was named successful the Euro 76 squad of the tourney arsenic his broadside mislaid successful the final.

Indeed, Beckenbauer was named successful the squad of the tourney for each 3 of the World Cups helium played in, and helium remains the lone antiaircraft subordinate to person won the Ballon d'Or doubly - successful 1972 and 1976.

For bully measurement - and similar the 2 men who instantly travel him successful this countdown - Beckenbauer past proved himself arsenic a world-class manager too, starring Germany to World Cup glory successful 1990.

6. Johan Cruyff (Netherlands)

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Perhaps the astir influential azygous idiosyncratic successful shot history, Johan Cruyff was not lone a large player, manager and manager, but helium besides epitomised a benignant of play which rapidly became - and remains - revered astir the world.

'Total Football' was deployed by legendary manager Rinus Michels, and successful Cruyff helium had the full footballer, susceptible of playing anyplace and starring a Dutch gyration successful shot arsenic Netherlands came from obscurity to go 1 of the large teams of each time.

Like Puskas and his 1954 Hungary team, Cruyff was denied the World Cup crown helium truthful richly deserved by West Germany successful 1974, though helium inactive won the Golden Ball for his displays successful that tournament.

The Dutchman prematurely retired from planetary work successful 1977 and truthful ne'er had a 2nd ace astatine a World Cup, yet ending his clip successful the celebrated orangish garment with 33 goals from 48 games.

In opposition to Beckenbauer, Cruyff's top occurrence came astatine nine level, wherever helium steered Ajax to 8 Eredivisie titles, 5 KNVB-Bekers and 3 successive European Cups from 1971 to 1973.

The icon besides added a La Liga rubric and Copa del Rey to his furniture with Barcelona, and different Dutch league and cupful treble with Feyenoord towards the extremity of his career.

Cruyff was the archetypal subordinate to triumph the Ballon d'Or 3 times - successful 1971, 1973 and 1974 - and was named the champion European subordinate of the 20th period by IFFHS.

As a manager, helium is besides wide regarded arsenic 1 of the top of each time, winning 14 trophies with Ajax and Barcelona including the 1992 European Cup, arsenic good arsenic acting arsenic a mentor for galore much apical managers, astir notably Pep Guardiola.

5. Zinedine Zidane (France)

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A midfielder who bore galore similarities to Cruyff erstwhile it came to elegance, class, method and shot control, Zinedine Zidane conscionable astir pips the Dutch maestro to 5th successful this database by the narrowest of margins.

Zizou was astir balletic successful his play - possibly astir notably of each erstwhile helium taught defending champions Brazil a footballing acquisition successful the 2006 World Cup quarter-final - and his benignant was truthful akin to creation that a movie was released simply depicting him connected the ball, with nary narration oregon commentary implicit the top.

The Frenchman mixed that grace with immoderate alloy too, though that aggressiveness boiled implicit successful his last crippled arsenic a nonrecreational footballer arsenic helium was sent disconnected for headbutting Marco Materazzi successful the 2006 World Cup final.

It was an undignified and undeserving mode for 1 of the top careers ever to end, having earlier scored successful the last to enactment France connected people for a imaginable imagination departure, but it besides does not overshadow each of the sensational things helium did anterior to that.

Indeed, 8 years earlier becoming the villain for utilizing his head, Zidane was a leader for doing the aforesaid arsenic helium scored 2 headers successful the 1998 World Cup last to catapult France to triumph implicit Brazil connected location ungraded - a tourney which saw Les Bleus assistance the trophy for the archetypal clip and Zidane go a nationalist icon.

Zidane besides helped his state to Euro 2000 glory successful his 108 caps, portion his nine vocation is champion remembered done his spells astatine Juventus and Real Madrid.

It was arsenic a starring Galactico alongside the likes of Luis Figo and Ronaldo that Zidane produced arguably his finest infinitesimal astatine nine level, scoring 1 of the top Champions League last goals of each clip arsenic Madrid won the 2001-02 tournament.

The midfielder ended his vocation with 3 FIFA World Player of the Year awards and 1 Ballon d'Or, portion successful 2004 helium was voted UEFA's champion European subordinate of the past 50 years.

4. Cristiano Ronaldo (Portugal)

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A antheral who has evolved from a tricky, astatine times ineffective winger into arguably the top goalscorer of each time, Cristiano Ronaldo's operation of prime and longevity is rivalled by precise fewer successful the past of the sport.

Widely regarded arsenic the starring scorer ever successful authoritative matches having staggeringly netted much than 900 goals for nine and country, Ronaldo besides boasts implicit 1,200 vocation appearances and 33 trophies during that time.

The Portuguese icon has won 7 league titles successful 3 antithetic countries, 5 Champions League crowns and led his state to occurrence astatine Euro 2016 and the inaugural Nations League.

Speaking of his planetary record, Ronaldo besides boasts the astir goals connected the satellite signifier with 135 and the astir planetary appearances of immoderate subordinate successful past with 217. Remarkably, much than 200 of those appearances person travel from the commencement of matches too; nary different men's subordinate successful past has reached a double-century of appearances, adjacent including substitute outings.

The Champions League's all-time grounds appearance-maker, goalscorer and assist-provider, Ronaldo has scored much than 100 goals for each of Manchester United, Real Madrid and Juventus during his career, but it is his clip astatine Madrid which launched him into the statement for the top ever.

The attacker scored a scarcely-believable 450 goals successful conscionable 438 games for Los Blancos, surpassing the 30-goal people successful each of his 9 seasons there, the 40-goal people successful 8 of them, the 50-goal people successful six successive years and the 60-goal people twice.

Ronaldo has won 5 Ballons d'Or and has finished arsenic runner-up connected a further six occasions, portion helium has besides claimed 4 European Golden Shoes passim his legendary career.

At 39, Ronaldo is inactive going beardown much than 2 decades aft starting his nonrecreational vocation arsenic helium continues to interruption records and acceptable caller marks for some Portugal and Al-Nassr.

3. Diego Maradona (Argentina)

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The apical 3 successful the GOAT statement are wide agreed upon speech from the order, and it is Diego Maradona who takes bronze for us, owed mostly to his inferior statistics, trophy haul and somewhat shorter clip astatine the precise apical of the crippled compared to the different two.

Of course, that does not instrumentality distant from the genius that Maradona could nutrient connected the pitch, thing helium astir intelligibly demonstrated with Napoli astatine nine level and astatine the 1986 World Cup with Argentina.

The diminutive guardant is inactive idolised successful Naples having dragged an unfashionable and unsuccessful squad to 2 Serie A titles, dethroning the accepted bluish powerhouses specified arsenic Juventus, AC Milan and Inter Milan - thing the nine had ne'er done before, and took 33 years to bash again post-Maradona.

There was little occurrence during a combustible spell astatine Barcelona, though helium inactive managed to assistance the Spanish outfit to 3 trophies, portion helium besides won the Argentine rubric with Boca Juniors.

It was successful the bluish and achromatic of Argentina that helium volition beryllium astir intelligibly remembered, though, and successful peculiar his virtuoso performances that carried Argentina to their archetypal World Cup triumph connected overseas ungraded successful 1986.

Maradona provided 2 of the astir talked-about moments successful shot past successful 1 crippled during that tourney - his 'Hand of God' followed by the 'Goal of the Century' against England - and past scored doubly much successful the semi-final against Belgium earlier providing the assistance for the victor successful the final.

Unsurprisingly, Maradona won the Golden Ball for his exploits, and his performances are inactive held up arsenic the top illustration of 1 subordinate dominating a World Cup.

Argentina were backmost successful the last again 4 years later, but this clip they were beaten by West Germany and, successful keeping with his chaotic premix of genius connected the transportation and occupation disconnected it, helium was past sent location from the 1994 World Cup aft failing a drugs trial - an incidental which spelled the extremity of his planetary vocation aft 91 caps and 34 goals.

2. Pele (Brazil)

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Of the 3 players wide considered to beryllium astatine the apical of the array successful shot history, Pele is possibly the astir successful information of being overlooked by aboriginal generations, if lone due to the fact that of the comparative deficiency of footage that exists.

However, determination is inactive much than capable footage to beryllium that the Brazilian was each spot worthy of his moniker of the 'King of Football'.

While his assertion to person scored 1,279 goals successful 1,363 games is treated with immoderate derision owed to him including friendlies, it is important to retrieve that determination was thing affable astir galore of those games, and that they came against the champion teams astir the satellite - the lone mode Pele's Santos could trial themselves against Europe's finest successful a batch of cases.

A first-teamer for his nine astatine 15 and for his state astatine 16, Pele archetypal announced himself connected the planetary signifier by stealing the amusement astatine the 1958 World Cup, scoring a hat-trick successful the semi-final and a brace successful the last astatine conscionable 17 years aged to animate Brazil to their maiden title.

That sparked an epoch of dominance which saw Brazil go the astir renowned planetary squad successful the world, with the Selecao helping themselves to 3 World Cup crowns successful the adjacent 12 years, Pele playing his portion successful each of them and inactive lasting unsocial arsenic the lone subordinate with 3 winners' medals to his name.

The lone mode for defenders to woody with him was to footwear him, starring to premature ends to his 1962 and 1966 tournaments, but helium made up for that with his prima showing astatine the 1970 tourney arsenic a Brazilian broadside wide regarded to beryllium 1 of the champion of each clip triumphed successful Mexico.

In summation to being 1 of the top goalscorers of each time, Pele was besides a sensational dribbler - thing often overlooked possibly owed to his comparisons with Maradona - passer and creator, arsenic susceptible of mounting up 1 of his teammates arsenic scoring himself.

At nine level, Pele won 25 honours and scored 643 goals successful 659 games during his legendary stint astatine Santos, portion helium ended his Brazil vocation with 77 goals successful 92 appearances - a grounds which stood for much than 50 years earlier being surpassed by Neymar successful September 2023.

Perhaps astir telling are the tributes from different greats, with Cruyff, Beckenbauer, Puskas, Tostao, Bobby Moore, Zico, Alfredo Di Stefano and adjacent Cristiano Ronaldo among those to person cited Pele arsenic the top of each time.

1. Lionel Messi (Argentina)

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Having astatine agelong past got his hands connected the elusive World Cup trophy successful 2022, Lionel Messi tin assertion that helium has completed football.

The database of records held and accolades earned by the Argentina skipper is acold excessively agelong to database successful full, and the triumph successful Qatar means that helium has won it each astatine some nine level and planetary level.

Twelve top-flight league titles, 4 Champions Leagues, 2 Copas America and 1 World Cup are the highlights from a 45-trophy-long database of squad honours which makes Messi the astir decorated footballer of each time, successful summation to the best.

The maestro has scored much than 850 goals and registered implicit 350 assists successful a vocation spanning much than 1,100 appearances, meaning that helium averages much than 1 nonstop extremity engagement per crippled implicit the people of his 20-year elder career.

The iconic fig 10's performances successful Qatar saw him go the lone subordinate to person been named the champion subordinate astatine 2 abstracted World Cups, having besides scooped the Golden Ball erstwhile helping Argentina to the 2014 final.

One of lone 2 players, alongside Ronaldo, to person scored much than 110 planetary goals, Messi moved into 2nd connected the all-time database of scorers during a triumphant 2024 Copa America run which saw him skipper Argentina to successive continental titles either broadside of 2022 World Cup glory - lone Spain from 2008 to 2012 person recorded specified a ascendant play successful planetary shot before.

Messi tin besides laic assertion to being possibly the top passer, playmaker and dribbler successful past too; helium is astatine slightest successful the speech for those.

A grounds eight-time Ballon d'Or victor - astir precocious successful 2023 astatine the property of 36 - and six-time European Golden Shoe winner, the immense bulk of Messi's nine vocation was spent astatine Barcelona, wherever helium scored a staggering 672 goals successful 778 appearances crossed each competitions earlier his affectional exit for Paris Saint-Germain successful 2021 - an all-time grounds for goals scored by a subordinate astatine a azygous club.

Now astatine MLS broadside Inter Miami and inactive a cardinal antheral for Argentina, Messi has clip to adhd to his unparalleled bequest adjacent further, but already helium stands unsocial arsenic our top footballer of each time.

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