Ninety-three years have passed since the first FIFA World Cup in 1930. The world has seen 22 World Cups with Brazil being the most successful country with 5 titles. The latest 22nd edition of the FIFA World Cup was completed in 2022 with Argentina winning its third title. The next World Cup is scheduled for 2026 with 48 participants.
Football has produced many players but some of them are called legends. They are the greatest players of all time because of their skills visible in their goal-scoring abilities and winning titles.
Here we’ll list the top 10 greatest footballers of all time
1. Lionel Messi (Argentina)
✨❤️💙 #MerciMessi
— Paris Saint-Germain (@PSG_inside) June 6, 2023
La version intégrale est disponible sur notre chaîne YouTube !
📺 https://t.co/GStsm9Q6yY pic.twitter.com/fgq9vbp1hP
Born: 24 June 1987, Rosario, Santa Fe, Argentina
Position: Forward, Attacking Midfielder
Current Team: Paris Saint-Germain
Active: 2002-Present
Number: 30
Captain of the Argentina national team and forward for Liga 1 club Paris Saint-Germain, Lionel Messi made his country proud by winning the FIFA World Cup 2022 in Qatar. Also, he holds the records for most goals and hat-tricks in La Liga. He has scored 474 goals including 36 hat-tricks in La Liga. But his total goals are 806 including league and international.
2. Cristiano Ronaldo (Portugal)
⚽⚽⚽#OTD at the 2019 #NationsLeague finals pic.twitter.com/Bxy73Lj83b
— UEFA EURO 2024 (@EURO2024) June 5, 2023
Born: 5 February 1985, Funchal, Madeira, Portugal
Position: Forward
Current Team: Al Nasar
Active: 2004-Present
Number: 7
Cristiano Ronaldo is a proud captain of the Portuguese national team and Al Nasar club. He has scored 837 goals in over 1000 appearances and won most Ballon d’Or awards (5) and European Golden Shoes (4) by a European player. He has made records in the Champions League for most appearances (183), goals (140), and assists (42); international appearances (198), international goals (122), and most goals (14) in European Championship.
3. Pelé (Brazil)
A Pelé Foundation convida você a testar os seus conhecimentos sobre a história do futebol brasileiro. E então, você sabe quem está com o Rei nessa foto?
— Pelé (@Pele) May 19, 2023
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The Pelé Foundation invites you to test your knowledge of the history of Brazilian football. So, do you know who is with the… pic.twitter.com/LOJiKokL6E
Born: 23 October 1940, Três Corações, Brazil
Died: 29 December 2022, São Paulo, Brazil
Position: Forward, Attacking Midfielder
Active: 1957-1977
Pelé needs little introduction as he is the most successful footballer of all time. He played 1,363 matches and scored 1,279 goals but his greatest feat is winning three World Cups (1958, 1962, and 1970) for Brazil. Today Brazil is the most successful team in the world winning 5 World Cup titles. Even Time recognized his contribution to football by including him in the list of 100 most important people of the 20th century.
4. Diego Maradona (Argentina)
Diego was a true legend, his legacy will live on for generations to come.
— Diego Maradona Movie (@MaradonaMovie) November 25, 2020
Descansa en paz, Diego.#diegomaradona pic.twitter.com/LILHY8X0Qp
Born: 30 October 1960, Lanús, Argentina
Died: 25 November 2020, Dique Luján, Argentina
Position: Attacking Midfielder, Second Striker
Active: 1977-1994
Number: 10
Diego Maradona is rightly called “The Golden Boy” because of his exceptional ball control, dribbling skills, passing, and vision. Also, FIFA recognized his contribution to the game by making him a joint winner of the FIFA Player of the 20th Century award with Pelé. His classic number 10 position is still a hot favorite of football fans and players.
5. Zinedine Zidane (France)
Gran enfrente victoria de la Bernebau. Gracias por la apoyo. ZZ pic.twitter.com/zkmLwx4HVr
— Zinedine Zidane (@OfficialZZidane) January 9, 2016
Born: 23 June 1972, Marseille, France
Position: Attacking Midfielder
Active: 1988-2006
Zinedine Zidane has an illustrious football career. He has been named FIFA World Player of the Year thrice in 1998, 2000, and 2003. Also, he won the World Cup for his country in 1998. He displayed an amazing game in the final match of the World Cup 1998 and became a national hero. France also capped him 108 times to recognize his contribution to the game.
6. Johan Cruyff (Netherlands)
Congratulations to @FCBarcelona and Xavi for winning LaLiga! 💙❤️ #CruyffLegacy
— Johan Cruyff (@JohanCruyff) May 14, 2023
🎨 @tiptibba pic.twitter.com/kuLq8ODD2o
Born: 25 April 1947, Amsterdam, Netherlands
Died: 24 March 2016, Barcelona, Spain
Position: Forward, Attacking Midfielder
Active: 1966-1977
Johan Cruyff left his indelible mark both as a player and a manager. His skills both on the ground and in training were remarkable. His greatest contribution to football was the exploration of Total Football, a philosophy promoted by Rinus Michels. In football, he led the Netherlands team to the final of the 1974 World Cup. The Netherlands remained runners-up in the World Cup but Johan Cruyff won the Golden Ball award for three goals and three assists.
7. Alfredo Di Stéfano (Spain)
🤍 Iker Casillas and Sergio Ramos back together. pic.twitter.com/fdNeRClr49
— Madrid Xtra (@MadridXtra) June 6, 2023
Born: 4 July 1926, Buenos Aires, Argentina
Died: 7 July 2014, Madrid, Spain
Position: Forward, Attacking Midfielder
Active: 1947-1961
Alfredo Di Stéfano holds the record for playing multiple countries including Argentina and Columbia. He started his football career in Argentina but he played mostly for Spain. During the 1950s and 60s, he was associated with Real Madrid and it was due to his contribution that the club was able to dominate the European Cup and La Liga.
8. Franz Beckenbauer (Germany)
🤍 Iker Casillas and Sergio Ramos back together. pic.twitter.com/fdNeRClr49
— Madrid Xtra (@MadridXtra) June 6, 2023
Born: 11 September 1945, Munich, Germany
Position: Defender
Active: 1964-1977
German footballers still recognize Franz Beckenbauer as “The Emperor” of the game. He played 103 matches for West Germany and became European Footballer of the Year two times. Also, he was one of the few to win the World Cup both as a captain and as a manager. Considering his contribution to football and his skills, he was included in the World Team of the 20th Century (1988), the FIFA Cup Dream Team (2002), and the Ballon d’Or Dream Team (2020). FIFA even named him the FIFA 100 of the World’s greatest living players in 2004.
9. Ronaldo (Brazil)
Mais uma vez um episódio de racismo na @LaLiga. Mais uma vez com o @vinijr. Até quando? Enquanto houver impunidade e conivência, haverá racismo. É inadmissível que árbitros, Federação e autoridades também fiquem sem ação e que torcedores aplaudam tamanho absurdo. Basta. Vini,… pic.twitter.com/s92Xq8K4XV
— Ronaldo Nazário (@Ronaldo) May 21, 2023
Born: 18 September 1976, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
Position: Striker
Active: 1993-2011
Ronaldo deserves to be called one of the greatest footballers of all time due to his style of play. His style of play was unique and it is evident from the awards and accolades he won. He became FIFA World Player of the Year three times and won Ballon d’Or awards two times. Ronaldo is still popular as R9 or “The Phenomenon” among his friends and fans.
10. George Best (Northern Ireland)
If you loved watching George Best grace the beautiful game, then we'd love to hear from you. Please have a go at our questionnaire and, between us, let's create a wonderful, unique legacy to a truly great footballer and entertainer. #georgebest #MUFC pic.twitter.com/PuURyQynBa
— George Best Memories (@bestiememories) June 22, 2018
Born: 22 May 1946, Belfast, Northern Ireland
Died: 25 November 2005, South Kensington, London, England
Position: Winger, Attacking Midfielder
Active: 1964-1977
George Best is still remembered for his unique playing style, especially his two-footedness. Also, he had an exceptional ability to get past defenders and score goals. In club football, he appeared in 470 matches and scored 179 goals. In international football, he was capped 37 times by Ireland.
Conclusion
The list of greatest footballers of all time could change according to preference and scores. There is hardly a day without a football match in the world but legends are born once in a decade. Here we’ve tried to rank the 10 greatest footballers in the world.
