The best players stand out for the number of titles achieved and the awards achieved, but also for their different characteristics within the field of play. We share who is the best soccer players of all time.
Continually rankings and lists are made in which the best soccer players in history appear and there are certain controversies regarding the chosen ones or the reasons why they are in said list. In this article, we will tell you about those soccer players who have stood out for something in particular during their career.
Who are the best soccer players of all time?
Although we have not seen them play, or even if we are not very fanatics of the most popular sport in the world, we will surely know who they talk to us if we refer to the best footballers of all time. The following classification highlights the players who have been – or are – different from the rest during the time in which they performed:
1. Pelé
His name is Edson Arantes do Nascimento, but everyone knows him as Pele. This former Brazilian soccer player born in 1940 has been recognized – not without detractors – as the best ever. He debuted as a player in 1956 for Santos FC and retired in 1977 at the New York Cosmos; These are the only teams he played on. He is one of the best soccer players of all time.
With the Brazilian national team, he won three world cups (1958, 1962 and 1970) and was also present in the 1966 edition; He scored a total of 12 goals. In his career, he played 1366 games and scored 1282 goals, almost one per game. However, this statistic takes into account unofficial parties that many specialists in the field refuse to recognize.
2. Diego Maradona
Born in Argentina in 1960, he competes for the title of the best soccer player in the world with Pelé. Within the field, nobody can deny that Maradona was a great gifted and with an incredible ‘Gambetta’.
‘El Diego’ debuted as a player in 1976 at Argentinos Juniors, then went through Boca Juniors, FC Barcelona, Naples, Sevilla, Newell’s Old Boys and returned to Boca, where he finished his professional career in 1997. As a coach, He worked in several clubs of little importance and in the selection of Argentina, with which he reached the quarterfinals in South Africa 2010.
The many that marked England in the 1986 World Cup are remembered by all fans: ‘the goal of the century’ and ‘the hand of God’ remained in history forever. In addition to being champion in Mexico, he was second in Italy 1990.
3. Lionel Messi
Another Argentine who is part of this ‘hall of fame’ as one of the best footballers in history. Born in 1987, he is considered one of the most important in the history of this sport. Among other distinctions, he has received the Golden Ball five times and six the Golden Boot. He is one of the best soccer players of all time.
Although Messi (cover image) made the lowest at the Newell’s Old Boys club, his professional debut was at FC Barcelona in 2004, a team he is still part of and with which he won 34 titles. He is one of the players with the most goals in the Spanish league and with more assists.
With the Argentine national team, he made his debut in 2005. Won a gold at the 2008 Olympic Games and participated in 2006, 2010, 2014 (runner-up) and 2018 World Cups.
4. Johan Cruyff
Born in Holland in 1947, he is considered the best soccer player in Europe and one of the best soccer players in the world. Cruyff debuted at Ajax in Amsterdam in 1964 and retired 20 years later at Feyenoord Rotterdam; He also went through FC Barcelona.
With the Dutch national team, he played his first game in 1966 and was part of what became known as ‘the Orange Mechanic’, one of the greatest teams in football history. Cruyff only participated in the 1974 World Cup, in which he was runner-up (lost the final with West Germany). After his retirement, the Dutch worked as a coach. He died in 2016, at 68.
5. Zinedine Zidane
Born in Marseille in 1972 and of Algerian descent, Zizou is a former player who began his career in 1989 at AS Cannes. Later, after going through the Girondins de Bordeaux. He became famous for his merits in both Juventus and Real Madrid, a club in which he retired in 2006 and is currently a coach.
In addition, we all remember his time in the French national team, with which he played no less than 108 games and scored 31 goals. He was champion in the World Cup in France 98 and runner-up in the 2006 edition. Zidane is the first player in history to be chosen as ‘player of the year’ in three of the five best leagues in the world (France, Spain, and Italy).
6. Cristiano Ronaldo
Born on the island of Madeira in 1985, this Portuguese player is the second on the list still active (along with Messi). Identified as CR7 by his shirt, he is the top scorer of Real Madrid, with 450 goals in nine seasons.
He began his career at Sporting CP in 2002, went through Manchester United, Real Madrid. And is currently a Juventus player. In the selection of Portugal, he made his debut in 2003, participated in 2006, 2010, 2014 and 2018 World Cups; in the latter, he marked a hat-trick against Spain.
Finally, other of the best players that we can not fail to mention are- Michel Platini, Alfredo DiStefano, Franz Beckenbauer, Ronaldo, Ferenc Puskas, Paolo Maldini, Ronaldinho, Marco Van Basten, Jurgen Klinsmann, and Gareth Bale. Which of these is your favorite?
