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Football, the most popular sport in the world, has produced some great heroes who have transcended the game and will live on in the memories of football fans forever. Is it even possible to select the greatest football players of all time?
The ability to step up under pressure and consistently perform when it matters most is a genuine measure of achievement in sports. As a result, they have given the latter two considerations significantly greater weight.
Without further ado, let us dig into the list and examine the following:
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Top 10 Greatest Football Players in the World of All Time
1. Edson Arantes do Nascimento (Pele)
Born: 23 October 1940, Três Corações, State of Minas Gerais, Brazil
Nationality: Brazil
Height: 1.73 m (5 ft 10 in)
Jersey Number: 10 (Santos, New York Cosmos / Forward)
We widely regarded Brazilian legend Pele as the greatest footballer of all time. No player has won more World Cups than him, and that alone should be enough to justify his inclusion at the top of this list.
The youngest ever player to score in a World Cup, Pele scored twice in the 1958 edition’s final against Sweden.
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2. Diego Armando Maradona
Born: 30 October 1960, Lanús, Argentina
Died: 25 November 2020, Dique Luján, Argentina
Nationality: Argentina
Height: 1.65 m
Jersey Number: 10 (S.S.C. Napoli, FC Barcelona, Argentine National Football Team / Midfielder)
Diego Maradona’s entire persona as a player and person was probably captured in that fateful match against England at the 1986 World Cup. A cunning genius, the Argentine maestro left the English defense in knots to score the greatest goals of all time.
The legendary playmaker won only a Copa del Rey and Supercopa Espana during his time at Barcelona but was is considered the greatest player in Europe.
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3. Lionel Andrés Messi
Born: 24 June 1987 (age 34 years), Rosario, Argentina
Nationality: Argentina
Height: 1.69 m
Jersey Number: 30 (Paris Saint-Germain F.C. / Forward), 10 (Argentina national football team / Forward)
Lionel Messi, along with Cristiano Ronaldo, is undoubtedly one of the greatest players of our generation. The only player to win the Ballon d’Or seven times, the Argentine international, left Barcelona last summer in a shocking free transfer to join PSG.
Messi has scored in many important club matches – Champions League finals, semi-finals, Copa del Rey Finals, and Clasicos against Real Madrid among others. Arsene Wenger: “Messi is the best player in the world by some distance”.
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4. Cristiano Ronaldo dos Santos Aveiro
Born: 5 February 1985 (age 37 years), Hospital Dr. Nélio Mendonça, Funchal, Portugal
Height: 1.87 m
Nationality: Portuguese
Jersey Number: 7 (Portugal National Football Team / Forward)
Sir Alex Ferguson discovered Cristiano Ronaldo at Sporting CP and it was at Manchester United that he first cemented his legacy as one of the greatest players of our generation.
The five-time Ballon d’Or winner has continued to rack up goals for Juventus after swapping Madrid for Turin in the summer of 2018. 37-year-old recently became the highest goalscorer in professional football (807) with his hat-trick against Tottenham.
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5. Zinedine Yazid Zidane
Born: 23 June 1972 (age 49 years), La Castellane, Marseille, France
Nationality: France
Height: 1.85 m
Jersey Number: 21 (Juventus F.C. / Midfielder), 5 (Real Madrid CF / Midfielder), 7 (FC Girondins de Bordeaux / Midfielder)
We know Zinedine Zidane as one of the greatest players of all time. He won the Ballon d’Or in 1998 and played for Juventus and Real Madrid.
His most famous moment came in the 2001-02 Champions League final against Bayer Leverkusen.
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6. Manuel Francisco dos Santos (Garrincha)
Born: 28 October 1933, Pau Grande, Magé, State of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
Nationality: Brazil
Died: 20 January 1983, Rio de Janeiro, State of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
Height: 1.69 m
Jersey Number: 7 (Botafogo de Futebol e Regatas)
Garrincha was an iconic number 7 for both Brazil and his club side Botafogo. Garrincha entertained the Brazilian public with his skills, tricks, and flicks, often bringing sheer joy to the people through the unique way in which he played football.
The legendary Brazilian’s finest moment was probably in the 1962 semi-finals against Chile when he scored two stunning goals.
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7. Alfredo Stéfano Di Stéfano Laulhé
Born: 4 July 1926, Barracas, Buenos Aires, Argentina
Died: 7 July 2014, Gregorio Marañón Hospital, Madrid, Spain
Nationality: Argentina
Height: 1.78 m (5 ft 10 in)
Jersey Number: 7 (Real Madrid)
Di Stefano scored 307 goals in 396 appearances and won 15 major honors with Los Blancos, including five straight European Championships. Holds the record for being the only player to score in five European Cup finals.
Many consider Di Stefano to be the best Argentine player ever, even better than Diego Maradona and Lionel Messi. The ‘Blonde Arrow’ unfortunately never got a chance to play in the World Cup, and if he did, he might have been much higher on this list.
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8. Ronaldo Luís Nazário de Lima
Born: 22 September 1976 (age 45 years), Rio de Janeiro, State of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
Nationality: Brazil
Height: 1.83 m
Jersey Number: 9 (FC Barcelona / Forward), 99 (A.C. Milan / Forward), 9 (Real Madrid)
Ronaldo Nazario, also known as ‘O Fenomeno’, is probably the greatest striker ever to play the game. The Brazilian played for Barcelona, PSV Eindhoven, Inter Milan, and AC Milan during a hugely successful career.
He won the Ballon d’Or award in 1997 and 2002 and is perhaps best remembered for his performances at the 1998 and 2002 World Cups for the Brazil national team.
Quinton Fortune said that Ronaldo was the greatest player he has ever seen. In 1998, Ronaldo was one of the best players in the tournament, scoring four and assisting three goals.
In 2002, Ronaldo took the world by storm and finished as the top scorer, scoring an incredible eight goals and winning the Golden Boot. He scored in all the big matches, including the final, leading Brazil to an astonishing fifth World Cup triumph.
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9. Hendrik Johannes Cruijff
Born: 25 April 1947, Amsterdam, Netherlands
Died: 24 March 2016, Barcelona, Spain
Nationality: Dutch
Height: 1.78 m
Jersey Number: 14 (Ajax, FC Barcelona, Los Angeles Aztecs, Washington Diplomats, Levante, Feyenoord / Forward, Midfielder)
Johan Cruyff brought the brilliant idea of ‘total football’ to Ajax, Barcelona, and the Netherlands national team. The Dutchman won three Ballon d’Or and was part of the greatest-ever Dutch football team to never win the World Cup when they finished runners-up in West Germany in 1974.
Gary Lineker: “Football has lost a man who did more to make the beautiful game beautiful than anyone in history”.
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10. Michel François Platini
Born: 21 June 1955 (age 66 years), Jœuf, France
Nationality: France
Height: 1.77 m
Jersey Number: 10 (Nancy, Saint-Étienne, and Juventus / Midfielder)
Credited with making France a global superpower in football, Platini enjoyed a long and fruitful career for club and country.
Winner of the Ballon d’Or award three years in a row (1983,84,85), Platini reached the peak of his game when he guided France to the European Championship title in 1984. Scored an incredible nine goals in just five games for his country.
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