The 5 Greatest Footballers (Soccer Players) of All Time
The 5 Best Players in Football (Soccer) History: The Immortal Football debate
A debate that may never be settled. Who is the greatest footballer of all time?
Is it based on career statistics? Is it based on trophies won? Or is it purely just a personal opinion?
Some will say that you can’t judge players from different generations due to different playing styles and wildly differing levels of opposition.
Recency bias is also a very real thing, if Zidane had won 3 World Cups would he be involved in the debate? Should he be? What about players like Zlatan with their enduring careers in multiple leagues? Or is it all about the number of goals or clean sheets?
Still, the debate continues and everyone should offer their own opinion.
Well, we’re going to do just that by ranking our top five footballers of all time.
5. George Best
When you’re discussing the top five, the four top players pick themselves. The most controversial place is number five.
Our number five goes to the ultimate football maverick, George Best. The Northern Irishman made a name for himself at Manchester United but played for an array of teams after his sad decline.
“I think I’ve found you a genius…” Bob Bishop’s Scouting Report
One of the greatest British players to grace the hallowed turf. Best’s stardom was spotted early in his career. Brought over from Northern Ireland by Man United, Best struggled with life away from Belfast.
It looked at one point like he wouldn’t be able to hack life away from home but managed to get over his fears and become a legend for the Red Devils.
His finest moment arguably came against Benfica in the European Cup against a team led by Eusébio.
In 1968, Best scored the second goal in the final against Benfica to claim the European Cup for Man United. In the same season, they managed to pip rivals Man City to the league title.
Best’s Downwards Spiral
As the world entered the 70s, Best, unfortunately, began to fall to other temptations away from the game. Issues with alcohol led to disappointing performances and poor behaviour.
Before outside factors took hold, Best showed why he was such a special talent. In a FA Cup game against Northampton Town, Best scored six in an 8-2 victory.
Best made his final appearance for United on the 1st of January 1974. He played 474 games for the club, scoring 179 goals. At just the age of 27, Best was reaching what for many would be their peak.
The wizard winger sadly died in 2005 aged just 59. His battle with alcoholism eventually caught up with him. Best is remembered as one of the best players to play the game.
4. Cristiano Ronaldo
The first of two players that are still playing in the game to make our top five.
CR7 has been at the top of the game for the past 20 years across various countries. Unlike the aforementioned Best, Ronaldo has also had success with his country.
“One of the most exciting young players” – Sir Alex Ferguson
After breaking into Sporting Lisbon’s first team aged 16, news spread around Europe about the Portuguese talent. The likes of Barcelona, Liverpool and Arsenal all looked closely at the young man.
In 2003, Ronaldo joined Manchester United after Ronaldo impressed during a pre-season friendly against the English side. It wasn’t just Ferguson that spotted his talent. The United players pleaded with Ferguson to sign the young man after the game.
Ronaldo’s debut caught the eyes of many around the game. Best claimed it was: "undoubtedly the most exciting debut" he had ever seen.
Ronaldo had to quickly adapt to the toughness of the Premier League. His stepovers and array of tricks came in for criticism from the media. But Ronaldo established himself as a real talent during his first few seasons at United.
It was the 2008-09 season that Ronaldo excelled. After being in scintillating form for his club, he scooped the Ballon d’Or for the first time and was named FIFA World Player of the Year.
Success On The Continent
Ahead of the 2009-10 season, Ronaldo joined Spanish giants Real Madrid. The move, at the time, was the most expensive in football history at £80 million. The move put him in direct competition with Lionel Messi. The battle between the two has defined this generation of football.
Ronaldo enjoyed great success with Madrid, both individually and with the club. With Madrid, he helped them secure La Décima which was their tenth UEFA Champions League trophy. Individually Ronaldo became Madrid’s all-time record top scorer in all competitions.
When Ronaldo scored his 324th goal for Madrid, he broke the record set by Raúl and became one of Los Blanco’s greatest players.
CR7 returned to Manchester United in 2021 after a spell in Italy with Juventus. His return to Old Trafford was mixed, and he recently signed for Al Nassr.
3. Pelé
The Brazilian legend is often regarded as one of the greatest players to ever grace the hallowed turf. Pelé is also regarded as one of the most influential sports stars of the 20th century.
Pele’s Early Career
At the age of 15, Pelé went to train with Santos after one of his youth coaches told Santos directors he’d be: "the greatest football player in the world."
Santos coach Lula evidently agreed as he signed Pelé. He handed the young man his debut shortly after. Pelé was still just 15 when he made his debut for Santos. Word spread in local newspapers about the new talent in Santos’ squad.
The following season, aged just 16, Pele became a regular starter for Santos. In that season he was the league's top scorer. The name Pelé was quickly spreading around Brazil, and the entire world.
In 1958, two years after making his debut, Pelé won his first major title with Santos. The club claimed the Campeonato Paulista, with Pelé finishing top scorer with 58 goals in the season. That tally of 58 is a record that stands to this day. This title was the first of many Pelé picked up during his time at Santos.
Brazil’s National Treasure
The success Pelé experienced with Santos from a young age was replicated in Brazil. Ten months after signing a professional contract with Santos, Pelé made his debut for the national team.
Pelé’s World Cup debut came in the 1958 tournament held in Sweden. It was at this tournament Pelé’s name was introduced to the world. Brazil won the tournament and Pelé scored two in the final against the hosts, Sweden.
By scoring that goal he became the youngest player to score in a World Cup final.
His performances at the tournament led to Santos blocking a move to Valencia for Pelé. Then in 1961, Pelé was declared an “official national treasure” by then-Brazil president Jânio Quadros.
Four years later, Pelé returned to the world stage. This time he was a known entity. He was regarded as the greatest player on the planet. Unfortunately, Pelé got injured in the second game and missed the rest of the tournament. Brazil went on to win the tournament without Pelé.
Pelé featured again in the 1966 World Cup played in England but failed to claim the trophy. After some convincing to play again for Brazil, he played in the 1970 tournament that Brazil went on to win again.
Pelé final game for his country was in 1971 against Yugoslavia. When Pelé played, Brazil only lost 11 games - winning 67 and drawing 14.
The world sadly lost Pelé on December 29th, 2022. His legacy in the game will live on within the sport he loved.
2. Diego Maradona
"El Pibe de Oro" ("The Golden Boy") was a controversial yet amazing player. Maradona possessed exceptional dribbling and ball control skills but had his demons off the field.
Maradona’s Early Years
Maradona made his debut for Argentinos Juniors just ten days before his 16th birthday. This made him the youngest player to play in the Argentine Primera División. Maradona famously nutmegged an opposition player on his debut, a sign of things to come.
In five years at Argentinos Juniors, Maradona scored 115 goals in 167 appearances. His performances earned him a move to Boca Juniors. Maradona didn’t spend long at Boca Juniors, but he managed to win the league title with the club.
Maradona’s European Adventure
Maradona went on to sign for Barcelona in 1982. The fee of £ 5 million was at the time a world record.
Maradona had a mixed spell in Spanish Football. A high point came against Real Madrid when he became the first player to be applauded by the fans of their biggest rivals.
After dribbling around Madrid's keeper, Maradona sent a defender crashing into the post before slotting home. The goal was met by applause from the Real Madrid fans at the Bernabéu.
Unfortunately, Maradona suffered numerous injuries throughout his time at Barcelona. Andoni Goikoetxea, otherwise known as the “Butcher of Bilbao”, broke the superstar’s ankles.
Maradona recovered but when the two met again, a mass brawl broke out on the field.
Goikoetxea hit Maradona with another hard tackle, this, combined with racial taunts from the Athletic Bilbao fans was enough to enrage Maradona. The side's players began fighting on the field, with Maradona hitting anyone in Bilbao colours.
Maradona moves to Napoli
The brawl was the last time fans saw Maradona in the Barça colours. He was quickly moved on to Napoli for another record feed of £ 6.9 million.
His arrival in Naples lifted the entire region. Not many world-class players would have picked Napoli over the likes of Juventus, AC Milan or Inter. Maradona was seen as a saviour for not just the club, but for Naples in general.
Maradona was given the captain's armband and became a hero amongst the Napoli fans. Both the club and the player enjoyed great success during their pairing and Italian Football also increased in popularity.
Napoli went from nearly relegated to winning their first-ever Serie A in the 1986-87 season.
Winning the title also meant they were the first team to win the league from the South of Italy. An honour that came during a time of great tensions between the north and south due to economic differences.
Off the Field Adventures
Although he enjoyed great success with Napoli, his personal life began to spiral. Maradona has problems with cocaine during his time in Napoli.
This led to him missing games and training. The connections he made while in Napoli were also questioned. He was criticised for having connections to the Camorra crime group.
His time at Napoli ended badly after being handed a 15-month ban for failing a drug test for cocaine. He went on to play briefly for Sevilla, Newell’s Old Boys and Boca Juniors again before retiring.
The International Stage - Maradona’s Finest moments
Maradona shined on the international stage for his country. He made his debut for Argentina at the age of 16 in 1977.
In 1982, Maradona played in his first World Cup, hosted in Spain. His first appearance in a World Cup was a mixed one. After scraping through their first group, they failed to make it out of the second group. Their group was topped by the eventual winners, Italy.
This tournament ended poorly for Maradona as he was sent off in a heated game against bitter rivals, Brazil.
Maradona made amends for his first World Cup in the 1986 tournament. Argentina won the trophy, with Diego as captain.
This tournament is remembered for the two goals he scored against England. One was a moment of pure brilliance and is one of the greatest goals ever scored. The other is a moment of evil genius, or as it’s now known the “Hand of God”.
Despite the controversy of that match, Maradona went on to carry his Argentine team to the World Cup trophy.
Maradona went on to feature at another two World Cups. He was pipped to a second title in the 1990 World Cup and was far from his best at the 1994 World Cup.
We sadly lost Maradona in November 2020.
1. Lionel Messi
It’s the modern-day Argentine legend that tops our list of greatest footballers. Lionel Messi has won everything there is for him to win as a player. And thanks to his recent World Cup triumph he’s become many people’s ultimate GOAT.
Barca’s Risk Paid Off
After scoring nearly 500 goals from Newell’s Old Boys youth clubs, there was a lot of attention of Messi. However, it was always easy sailing for the talented young man. Aged ten it was decided he needed growth hormone deficiency.
Newell’s wasn’t able to help cover the cost. River Plate, who had scouted Messi, declined to pay for the treatment. Luckily, Barcelona were more than happy to help pay for the treatment.
Fans of Barca = Fans of Messi
This decision by Barça ultimately paid off as Messi made great, and quick, progress through the youth ranks. Messi made his first team debut aged 17 in October 2004.
The decision to promote Messi to the first team came after several requests from senior players in the team. From this moment he never looked back and established himself as Barcelona’s greatest-ever player.
Unrivalled Success
In the 2006-07 season, Messi established himself as one of the best players in the world aged just 19. He scored 17 goals in 36 games across all competitions.
It was in this season he scored a goal against Getafe that is often compared to the goal by Maradona in the 1986 World Cup. Messi picked the ball up at the halfway line, beat several men and finished from a tight angle.
At just 20 years old, Messi was Barça’s star player. It was in 2007 that he gained recognition globally. Messi finished third in the Ballon d’Or, behind Kaka and Ronaldo. He would be voted runner-up behind Ronaldo in the following year.
The 2008-09 and 2009-10 seasons brought great success for both Messi and Barça. The 08-09 season saw Messi help Barça claim a treble. This success led to Messi winning the Ballon d’Or for the first time in his career.
In his career, Messi has won a record-breaking seven Ballon d’Ors.
However, the most remarkable record set by Messi is the goal-scoring record he set in the 2012 calendar year.
The Argentine scored a remarkable 91 goals in that calendar year. He broke the longstanding record set by Gerd Müller in 1972 of 85 goals. It was also in this year he became the top scorer for Barça. Aged just 24, he overtook the then 57-year record of 232 goals for the famous club.
Getting ‘The One’
For many Messi needed to win the World Cup to become the greatest player of all time. It looked like he wouldn’t be able to claim that honour until the most recent World Cup.
Looking back at his tournaments with Argentina, Messi always seemed to fall short. He made his debut for the national team in 2005 but was sent off in this game.
In 2006, Messi made his World Cup debut. It was a tournament that was hampered by an existing hamstring injury, but he still managed to put his mark on his first tournament. Unfortunately, they were knocked out in the quarter-finals.
Four years later Messi returned to the world stage, but this time as a real superstar. Despite being early tournament favourites, they were again knocked out in the quarter-finals.
In 2014 Messi was given the captain armband and captained his team through to the final of the World Cup. He saw his team lose 1-0 in extra time against Germany.
Again he experienced disappointment in the 2018 World Cup. Many feared his chance was gone.
However, in Qatar 2022 Messi showed why he is the greatest player we’ve ever seen. With a recent Copa América win under his belt, Messi led his Argentina team to yet another World Cup final.
This time he was able to claim the ultimate prize of the World Cup after beating France on penalties. He also claimed another Golden Ball trophy, becoming the first to win two of these awards and taking himself yet further into the pantheons of sporting legend.
He sits alongside such greats as Michael Jordan, Serena Williams and Wayne Gretzky as one of the greatest sporting athletes of all time.
Don’t agree with our top five? Let us know in the comments.
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