The 100 greatest players of all time

Hristo Stoichkov

Hristo Stoichkov celebrating at USA 94 – a common sight

40. Lothar Matthaus

Career span 1979-2000
Country Germany: 150 caps, 23 goals
Clubs Borussia Monchengladbach, Bayern Munich, Inter, Bayern Munich, MetroStars
Position midfielder, sweeper
Medals 1 World Cup, 1 European Championship, 1 Uefa Cup, 8 domestic titles (7 German, 1 Italy), 2 German cups

Steffen Effenberg had a blank look on his face. Yes, the expression inferred, he was serious. The Bayern playmaker had just been brought in before the club’s hierarchy to discuss how they should discipline Bixente Lizerazu. The left-back had swung a punch at Lothar Matthaus in training.

“Give him a raise,” Effenberg responded.

Certainly, Matthaus has never been popular – either with fans or contemporaries. Known as “loud speaker”, the midfielder always had to give his “two cents” according to his weary former coach Erich Ribbeck. And so irritated did Rudi Voller get with those two cents that he once told Matthaus to “go and talk to the toilet”.

But, then, Matthaus never cared much for popularity. For the majority of his career, he was simply too professional.

When the West Germans faced a storm of criticism for the infamous match against Austria in 1982, the then 21-year-old said “what’s the problem? We won. That’s all that counts.”

And, eight years later, Matthaus gave up the chance for immortality. Although he was Germany’s nominal penalty-taker, he had changed his kicking boot during the final with Argentina and didn’t feel comfortable. So, he let Andreas Brehme step up to enter a group that included Geoff Hurst, Gerd Muller and Jose Burruchaga.

But, in any case, it was also Matthaus’s ultra-professionalism that afforded him a different kind of immortality: a World Cup-winning captain.

Up until the mid ’80s, according to Uli Hesse, Matthaus wasn’t actually that well regarded. He was primarily seen a limited if dogged defensive midfielder. With every season, he did – admittedly – mature. But it wasn’t until he linked up with Giovanni Trapattoni at Inter in 1988 that he made himself into the most complete midfield player in the world.

Manager Franz Beckenbauer saw – and celebrated – the fruits of that in 1990 as Matthaus drove West Germany to the final with four goals and some fearsome displays. It proved the peak of a magnificent period which saw Matthaus reach a European Cup final as well as lift Serie A and the Ballon D’Or. The ego had landed.

Ultimately, though, Matthaus’s professionalism arguably went too far. His dominant nature was eventually to the detriment of club and country. He fell out with Jurgen Klinsmann at Bayern and was dropped for Germany’s Euro 96 squad after an injury-enforced absence that saw Matthias Sammer – and the team – thrive.

But his most infamous moment came in the 1999 Champions League final as he sat stony-faced on the bench while Manchester United completed an unprecedented comeback. Matthaus’s old rival Effenberg claimed it was because he merely wanted to enjoy the applause.

“We were 1-0 up and only had to see the game through to full-time. If you’re the libero, how can you go off? I’d have needed a broken leg to do that.”

Ultimately, the European Cup was the only major trophy to elude Matthaus. But he had been truly influential in winning everything else.

Ability 80
International 80
Club 78
Total 79.3

 

39. Ronaldinho

Career span 1998-
Country Brazil: 90 caps, 32 goals
Clubs Gremio, Paris St Germain, Barcelona, Milan
Position attacking midfielder
Medals 1 World Cup, 1 Copa America, 1 Champions League, 2 Spanish titles, 1 Brazilian domestic title

Given that Ronaldinho was one of the most important players in a World Cup win, and the key influence in a Champions League victory, it may seem churlish to argue that he wasted his talent.

But not if you consider how good he was at his peak.

From the middle of 2003 to the middle of 2006, Ronaldinho was often unplayable and always spectacular. But he was also hugely productive. The sheer consistency of his quality at that time was remarkable.

A perfect example was the 2006 Champions League semi-final that eventually helped end Barca’s 14-year wait for a second title. With Milan’s famous defence restricting space and interrupting Frank Rijkaard’s usual passing game, Ronaldinho effortlessly beat two defenders and lofted a glorious pass for Ludovic Giuly to score.

If not quite as utterly astounding as some of his shots and runs in this time, it was every bit as exquisite and even more effective.

The problem, however, was that Ronaldinho was already sliding a month after that match. Having been at the peak of his powers and entering the usual prime of a career, the 2006 World Cup should – by right – have been Ronaldinho’s. Instead, it only saw the kind of lethargic, bloated displays that characterised the rest of his career.

Even his hugely impressive 2002 World Cup was out of synch with a period in which he was generally erratic and inconsistent for Paris St Germain. In effect, Ronaldinho only truly, properly applied his abilities between 2003 and 2006; his peak passing him by at the mere age of 26.

For a player of that much talent, it certainly seems a waste.

Ability 90
International 74
Club 74
Total 79.3

 

38. Jose Manuel Moreno

Career span 1935-61
Country Argentina: 34 caps, 19 goals
Clubs River Plate, Club Espana, River Plate, Universidad Catolica, Boca Juniors, Defensor, Ferrocarril Oeste, Independiente Medellin
Position forward
Medals 3 Copa America, 9 domestic titles (5 Argentine, 2 Colombian, 1 Mexico, 1 Chile)

Until the emergence of luminaries like Alfedo Di Stefano, Obdulio Varela and Pele, Jose Manuel Moreno seemed to stand apart as South America’s greatest ever player.

Sure, his River Plate team Adolfo Pedernera might have challenged him for that title, but the playmaker didn’t quite dominate either their teams’ forward line or South American football in general like the way the forceful Moreno did.

The bulkily-built attacker – whose presence was complemented by an admirable finesse – formed part of the famous ‘La Maquina’ River Plate forward line along with Pedernera, Angel Labruna, Juan Carlos Munoz and Felix Loustau. Together, they won three Argentine titles to add to Moreno’s existing two, before the striker took his abilities to the international stage. In every sense.

First, he was the star performer as the widely celebrated Argentine team of the ’40s won three out of four Copa Americas under Guillermo Stabile. In 1943 Moreno was top scorer – hitting five goals in one match – and in 1947 he was player of the tournament.

Then, he became the first player in history to win domestic titles in four different countries: with Mexico’s Club Espana, Chile’s Universidad Catolica and Colombia’s Independiente Medellin.

Had he got to participate at a World Cup, then his legend might be even greater. But, either way, Moreno dominated every competition he could in his time.

Ability 81
International 80
Club 77
Total 79.3

 

37. Romario

Career span 1985-2009
Country Brazil: 70 caps, 55 goals
Clubs Vasco da Gama, PSV Eindhoven, Barcelona, Flamengo, Valencia, Flamengo, Valencia, Flamengo, Vasco da Gama, Fluminense, Al-Sadd, Fluminense, Vasco da Gama, Miami, Adelaide United, Vasco da Gama, America
Position striker
Medals 1 World Cup, 2 Copa America, 1 Copa Mercosur, 5 domestic titles (3 Holland, 1 Spain, 1 Brazil), 2 Brazilian state championships, 2 Dutch cups

When in the right mood and in the right formation, there’s arguably never been a forward as reliable, ruthless or simply riveting as Romario.

A case in point was the 1994 World Cup. Despite playing in one of the most functional Brazilian teams in history, it was Romario’s finesse and exhilarating partnership with Bebeto that still made them fascinating to watch. The Rio-born striker scored five goals in seven games, with two of them game-changers in the quarter-final and semi-final.

At 28 years of age and the very peak of his career, Romario was enjoying a fearsome spell. Having devastated the Dutch league with an average of a goal a game, he was then top scorer for Barcelona during a season in which they retained the Spanish title and reached the final of the Champions League.

Michael Laudrup said “no-one else could utilise my passes the way he did”. While Johan Cruyff went further.

“Romario was a footballer who could do everything, a real quality player. His passing and scoring were very good, he was skilled in one-on-ones… a genius of the goal area”.

The only issue was that Romario was apparently part of a generation of hugely gifted Brazilian forwards who were a little too willing to enjoy the fruits of those gifts.

As Cruyff also argued, “he lacked discipline and that was one of the problems we had to deal with”. His second – and last – season at Camp Nou only saw four goals in 13 games – a worrying dip that was in stark contrast to the excellence that had gone before.

In all of that, there were more than a few parallels with Ronaldinho. For all their ability and achievements, the feeling remains they didn’t quite get the balance between the two right in the long run.

Ability 88
International 77
Club 73
Total 79.67

 

36. Mario Coluna

Career span 1954-72
Country Portugal: 57 caps, 8 goals
Clubs Benfica, Lyon
Position attacking midfielder
Medals 2 European Cups, 10 Portuguese titles, 6 Portuguese cups

Because of the nature of his game and the number of goals he scored, it has always been Eusebio that has been most identified with the great Benfica team of the ’60s. But, in truth, it was Coluna that completely underpinned it.

For a start, Eusebio wasn’t even at the club for the first European Cup victory in 1961. Second, he had scored game-changing goals in both that and the 1962 showpiece. To finish, Benfica probably would have won three in a row had it not been for the cynical manner that Milan specifically took Coluna out of the game in the 1963 final when there were no subs.

Had that not been the case, then Coluna might enjoy an even greater reputation now. Certainly, he deserves to. A contemporary of Nandor Hidegkuti, Raymond Kopa and Didi, manager Bela Guttmann realised that Coluna’s abilities were perfectly suited to the new playmaker role that recently proven so devastating.

And, more importantly, Coluna was fully willing to assume the responsibility. In a truly dynamic team, it was Coluna that directed the play, Coluna that drove in so many crucial long-range shots and Coluna that set up Eusebio so frequently.

They eventually took that relationship to the international stage, bringing Portugal to the 1966 World Cup semi-final and their best ever performance in the competition. As Brian Glanville wrote, Coluna was “an inspired and inspirational captain”.

Ability 85
International 75
Club 80
Total 80

 

35. Gerson

Career span 1959-74
Country Brazil: 70 caps, 14 goals
Clubs Flamengo, Botafogo, Sao Paulo, Fluminense
Position midfield
Medals 1 World Cup, 1 Brazilian title, 6 Brazilian state championships

In the team that reached a higher level of play than any other in history, it was Gerson that set the pace and the tone. Indeed, he was so influential in 1970 that playmakers of the calibre of Roberto Rivelino and Tostao had to be accommodated around him.

Gerson himself, however, seemed to find sufficient space against any opposition – most notably the final itself. By spraying so many of his specific passes around and then scoring the game’s key goal with a fulminating drive to make it 2-1 on 66 minutes, the midfielder was named man of the match against Italy.

And he was already one of the players of the decade in Brazil, having fitted in seamlessly to a star-studded and successful Botafogo side.

Although blighted by injuries, Gerson was one of the finest passers the game has seen. And, as such, very few players ever passed him by.

Ability 84
International 80
Club 76
Total 80

 

34. Hristo Stoichkov

Career span 1981-2003
Country Bulgaria: 83 caps, 37 goals
Clubs Zavod, Hebros, CSKA Sofia, Barcelona, Parma, Barcelona, CSKA Sofia, All-Nassry, Kashiwa Reysol, Chicago Fire, DC United
Position striker, winger
Medals 1 Champions League, 1 Cup Winners Cup, 8 domestic titles (5 Spanish, 3 Bulgarian), 5 domestic cups (4 Bulgarian, 1 Spanish), 1 Asian Cup Winners Cup

It’s saying something when you’re described as a “key player” in Barcelona’s history and the “missing piece of the jigsaw” in their most historic moment. That, however, is what Jimmy Burns writes of Hristo Stoichkov in his landmark history of the club.

Certainly, there’s no arguing with his sense of timing. And not just in terms of his forceful runs and crucial strikes. When Stoichkov arrived at Camp Nou in 1990, he may have won the European Golden Boot with 38 goals in 30 games for a dominant CSKA Sofia side, but Barcelona hadn’t won a title in five years and still hadn’t lifted the European Cup.

All that was to change. And largely because of the different approach Stoichkov brought to the squad.

“Before Stoichkov,” Johan Cruyff argued, “we had a team of very nice people. You need someone like him who is aggressive in a positive way, and can pass this aggressiveness on to other players… He goes for the ball and when he gets the ball he shoots. There are other players who might wait and see… but he just went and hit it.”

Certainly, there was a dynamism to Stoichkov’s sheer directness. Dynamo Kyiv and Benfica bore the brunt of it, in particular, as Barcelona finally won the European Cup in 1992.

The Bulgarian wasn’t afraid to step on people’s toes. Literally. He was suspended during one Spanish season for stamping on a ref’s. More often, though – just as Cruyff predicted – Stoichkov’s aggression came out in positive ways.

And never more so than USA 94. Along with Roberto Baggio, Romario and Dunga, Stoichkov was one of the tournament’s dominant players. But, when placed in the context of their countries’ histories, Stoichkov’s performances were arguably the furthest reaching. Because while both Brazil and Italy were battling for their fourth titles, Bulgaria had never even won a match in the competition. Just like with Barcelona, that was all to change.

Stoichkov won the Golden Boot with six goals to send Bulgaria to the semi-finals. One of his finishes was a glorious breakaway against Mexico in the second round, another a high-pressure, high-quality free-kick to equalise against defending champions Germany in the quarters.

Because Stoichkov was so much more than a striker. Again, as Cruyff described, his attitude and ability simply infused the rest of the team with energy.

Ultimately, his own over-spilled. His personal performances in Euro 96 marked a rare high on a career that was on the way down. But then Stoichkov had reached – and stayed – at the very top.

Ability 80
International 80
Club 80
Total 80

 

33. Paul Breitner

Career span 1970-83
Country West Germany: 48 caps, 10 goals
Clubs Bayern Munich, Real Madrid, Bayern Munich
Position left-back, midfielder
Medals 1 World Cup, 1 European Championship, 1 European Cup, 7 domestic titles (5 Germany, 2 Spain), 3 domestic cups (2 Germany, 1 Spain)

Paul Breitner sat on his bed, bag packed, fully prepared to take a remarkable step.

As the 1974 West German squad threatened to rip itself apart over team authority and bonus payments, the disgusted manager Helmut Schoen had specifically named Breitner as a ringleader. And all of Gunter Netzer, Wolfgang Overath, Gerd Muller and Uli Hoeness were now trying to talk the tempestuous young left-back around.

In the end, a kind of peace of restored. And, for the Germans, it was just as well.

Because, in the 25th minute of the final, Breitner was prepared to take another remarkable step that no-one else would. Although Bernd Holzenbein had gone over in the box to give the Germans a lifeline against the dominant Dutch, they had no set penalty-taker. Gerd Muller had missed a few in the Bundesliga while many other key figures were reluctant.

So Breitner, then just 22, assumed the responsibility. He scored and the equaliser, as the left-back has put it himself, “activated a turbo in our team”.

The contrasting vignettes are typical of Breitner: a notoriously liberal free spirit who was still blessed with the individualist will and determination of a born winner. Not to mention an awful lot of technical quality. Strong, fluid and with a fulminating strike, Breitner later adapted his game to become an influential central midfielder.

All of that character and quality ensured that, for all his contradictions, Breitner was a cornerstone of a series of overachieving sides: Real Madrid of the late ’70s, Bayern of the mid ’70s, West Germany 1972-74 and 1982. And, in each team, he always stepped up.

Ability 81
International 81
Club 78
Total 80

 

32. Luis Suarez

Career span 1953-73
Country Spain: 32 caps, 14 goals
Clubs Deportivo, CD Espana Industrial, Barcelona, Inter, Sampdoria
Position attacking midfielder, forward
Medals 1 European Championship, 2 European Cups, 1 Fairs Cup, 5 domestic titles (3 Italy, 2 Spain), 2 Spanish cups

One of the curiosities of Spanish football is that, despite producing so many elite club sides, they never quite did the same with players. Between the pre-war era of Pepe Samitier and the all-conquering current generation, they’ve barely had a superstar worthy of the title.

Sure, all of Emilio Butragueno, Raul, Miguel Munoz and Francisco Gento were world-class players. But they mostly decorated teams rather than defined them.

And, certainly, they never quite commanded attention like the one exception to all of that: Luis Suarez.
A “creative inside forward and superb organiser” in the words of Jimmy Burns, Helenio Herrera considered Suarez the “legitimate heir” to Alfredo Di Stefano. Indeed, he saw fit to build two teams around him and spend a world-record fee on the playmaker.

Before Suarez went to the San Siro in 1961, he had been the director of a brilliant Barca team that broke all manner of scoring records, won two successive titles and reached a European Cup final. Suarez himself hit an average of two a game.

He wasn’t quite so prolific at Inter. But that’s because he played an altered role in an even more successful side. As Herrera perfected Catenaccio, he relied on Suarez’s passing range to release so many cutting counter-attacks.

In between, too, Suarez was influential in Spain’s sole international success for three decades: the Euro 64 victory. He couldn’t go so far as to improve their World Cup record. But then that was out of step with a genuinely stellar career.

Ability 82
International 73
Club 85
Total 80

 

31. Gaetano Scirea

Career span 1972-88
Country Italy: 78 caps, 2 goals
Clubs Atalanta, Juventus
Position sweeper
Medals 1 World Cup, 1 European Cup, 1 Uefa Cup, 1 Cup Winners Cup, 7 Italian titles, 2 Italian cups

In a country renowned for producing robust, uncompromising defenders, it is somewhat ironic that one of their finest was the opposite of that. Gaetano Scirea possessed neither particular strength nor stealth. But what he did have was a smart mind and smooth touch that allowed him to snuff out danger easily and create it just as quickly.

A perfect example was the 1982 World Cup final. In the 69th minute, Scirea intercepted a West German attack and strode forward at speed. With the Germans caught, Scirea exchanged a few passes before setting up Marco Tardelli for one of the most famous moments in Italian football history.

The true value of Scirea’s abilities, however, was that he added a different level to Italy’s staid defensive systems. By bringing a touch more fluidity and movement to rigid defensive lines, it was far easier for teams to break. And that provided the platform for Giovanni Trapattoni’s Juventus to conquer all between the late ’70s and mid ’80s. By the end of his career, Scirea had won every available club medal. And that was because he had usually won every possible battle before they had even begun.

Ability 80
International 80
Club 80
Total 80

 

Contents

Share your opinion

791 comments
Jejdjjd
Jejdjjd

Maldini 52?! Are you on crack? Greatest about this list is that CRonaldo isnt there. Finally someone who understands football.

The best 10 are Messi Ronaldinho Zidane Maldini Pele Maradona Baresi Xavi Iniesta Rivaldo

SKull
SKull

I'm so tired of the Pele nagging. He counts goals he scored in the Brazilian army and is a greedy sellout. More than enough reason to put Maradona above him. A true rebel and creative genius.


PS: Van Basten, Bergkamp, Ibrahimovic, Giggs, Voller, Socrates, Zico, Eder, Junior, Batistuta, Montero, Totti, CR7, Nesta, Roberto Carlos. I can list people who probably need to be on this list for quite some time here.

tk753
tk753

pele should be number 1 by far,the most complete player ever,this guy jumps like Michael Jordan,amazing speed,use both lengs, dribbling,passing shoot acurancy,the guy has it all.3 wc.,over 1000 goals the best by far.maradona dribble past 5 English players who are very slow and not so great,he maradona dint play with best players???hahaha, he had careca who score 91 goals in year,what special is maradona,because he play with week teams and win championships? big deal, messi and Ronaldo they can take the worst team or club of any country and they can win championships like maradona

andyzidane
andyzidane

@tk753 Did Pele really score over 1000 goals? Really?? 


"messi and Ronaldo they can take the worst team or club of any country and they can win championships" Again, really?? When did this happen?


It's debatable to name at least 2 Brazilians being 'better' than Pele. I don't think anyone could name 2 Argentinians being 'better' than Maradona.

tk753
tk753

@andyzidane @tk753  messi takes the argentina to the final in wc 2014,just like maradona in 1990,ronaldo take portogal to the final in euro 2016 and win the title,so how you say that this not happen?Ronaldo and messi prove that they can take the worst teams and win world titles,maradona dribbling past these England players so easy because they are not top class defenders and you can say that goal is the goal of the centrury?messi and pele dribbling past 5 or 6 players every time and far better dribblers tha maradona.also in Napoli maradona have players like careca di Napoli who are world class at the time,so how maradona wins everything of his own?

andyzidane
andyzidane

@tk753 @andyzidane

Messi didn't win though, did he? Maradona did.

C. Ronaldo won the Euros (and he wasn't on the pitch!), not a World Cup. The South American equivalent is the Copa America. Pele never won that.


"you can say that goal is the goal of the centrury?"

When did I say this?


I never said Napoli didn't have world class players? I'd probably put Ferrara and Zola ahead of Careca and Di Napoli, but never mind. Look at it in the context of the competition. Napoli had AC Milan, Juventus, Roma, and Inter to contend with. Messi and Ronaldo just have to worry about each other's teams (Barca / Madrid).

tk753
tk753

@andyzidane @tk753  ok,messi dint win the wc,but don't forget,he has a last chances to win the wc 2018,at the age of 31 like pele in  the 1970 wc.maybe I was wrong about the goal of the centrury,you dint say that,sorry.



maradona won some titles with Napoli, but he never won a champions league with Napoli,that say you something?


did maradona win the copa America? no



did maradona win the wc 1990? his performance was great like wc 86? no



maradonoa has played the same position like pele, did he scores more goals than pele? no



maradona is one of the best players ever, no doubt but because he take Napoli and argetina to the top, dosent mean that pele cant do that.its insane,pele was the most complete number 10

of all time.far more complete player than maradona and a better person than maradona

.

andyzidane
andyzidane

@tk753 @andyzidane hey Harry, thanks for the reply.


First things first, I think it's pointless comparing honours at international level.

Neither Pele nor Maradona won the Copa America. So what?

Messi does have more chances to win the World Cup, I hope he does. But even if he doesn't, he's still one of the greatest. I could accept people calling him the greatest when he retires.

Maradona didn't win the WC in 1990. So? I didn't say he did? The fact is, he dragged Argentina to the finals of '86 and '90. He won it when he was the best player in the world, and 4 years later, he was unfit, and didn't deserve to win it anyway.

Pele is credited with 3 World Cup victories, but let's not forget that he barely played in 1962.


Secondly, Maradona and Pele DID NOT play in the same position. Pele is a forward. A goalscorer. Maradona is a playmaker. He makes goals.


Everybody is entitled to their opinion, and that's what makes the game of football we all love. Pele was a great footballer and you believe he's the most complete player that ever lived. I respect that. I can agree that he has an abundance of physical attributes which make him more effective than Maradona. But technical ability? He's no better than Garrincha in his day, and he's certainly not got the technique of Diego Maradona or modern day Leo Messi.


Good night.

tk753
tk753

@andyzidane @tk753 ho is harry??? maybe you must be thinking about someone else, i see someone in the site with the name harry ho was a ''love'' with pele but dosent mean that i am that guy,i share you.



You are right, pele and maradona is a contest with no winner, everyone has there own opinion, some people say that Ronaldo, messi, zidane, Brazilian Ronaldo, cruyff are the greatest  and many more. But we can agree that all these players give us the  beauty of football and so many good moments.

rishiagrawal55
rishiagrawal55

top 10 should be 


1. ronaldhinio

2. messi

3. cruyff

4. maradona

5. pele

6. zidane

7. brasilian ronaldo

8. berkamp

9. maldini

10.peter schmicel                    

Aceace1133
Aceace1133

Ronaldinho first are you stupid? Given he was a fantastic player of course but people forget one important thing about ronaldinho he only was truly great for 3-4 seasons. How good was he at AC Milan. Truth is he wasn't great at Milan he was a shadow of his former self and failed at Milan while he not even 30. Someone like zidane won was great throughout his whole years for example he comes out of retirement at the age of 34 to guide his team o the world cup final the biggest stage of them all and even after headbutting someone he was still named the best player of the fifa world cup 2006. Ronaldinho was brilliant but only for a few years that's all.

SKull
SKull

@Aceace1133 He's a Barcelona fan. What do you expect from a pig but an oink? He's probably never watched another football team play.

AlexChulkin
AlexChulkin

Good list as of 2011. Today I'd like to replace the last 8 with Xabi Alonso, Busquets, Ramos, Robben, Cristiano Ronaldo, Luis Suarez (the second one in this 100, lol), Lahm and Klose. But anyway this rating is adorable.

AlexChulkin
AlexChulkin

And Gerard Pique instead of Desailly of course. 

DaveScamper
DaveScamper

So If Messi wins 2 or 3 world cups he's gonna be the best ever. I'm sure about that.

AlexChulkin
AlexChulkin

@DaveScamper @AlexChulkin in Russia he'll be 31, in Qatar - 35. Are you sure that he'll still be the imperious figure in the Argentina team? Are you sure that the Albiceleste will be able to win 2 WCs in a row regarding the actual level of competition? 

xPhrime
xPhrime

Where THE FUCK is Hans Krankl?! He should at least be 50-30.... Also Papin should be in the list.

RizwanNazirAhmed
RizwanNazirAhmed

Are you serious???? Ronaldinho should be ATLEAST in the top 10! I can not believe that you put the most gifted player in history at 39, you put luis suarez ahead of him? You should be ashamed!!!

adamrhbrown
adamrhbrown

@RizwanNazirAhmed The Luis Suarez on this list is the Spanish one from the 1960s. And if Ronaldinho was 'the most gifted player in history', shouldn't his era as the best player in the world been a lot longer than 2 years?


In any case, the list is nearly 4 years old and needs updating, but it looks as though Miguel has abandoned the project, which is a shame.

baggio1994
baggio1994

Bobby Moore so far down and Platini? Really now...Laudrup(as good as he was) and Sandro Mazzola better than Baggio. Which wino picks these?


baggio1994
baggio1994

A flawed list....firstly: baggio can't be 60 odd and below some of those people ahead of him(trophies aren't skills) and Maradona can't be above Pele(how can Pele's international rating be 84.  to Maradona's 89 even if you do give him a 1% nod over Pele in ability). Plus remember ability is not just dribbling and control(areas I do rate Maradona above Pele in). Ability should mean total: Pele was two-footed and better in the area, equal or almost in passing and free-kicks etc. Pele first. Messi not in top ten(most over-rated ever). Baggio in top ten.

Davidoss08
Davidoss08

Can this list be updated? I'm curious to see if CR7 has made it and where he fits in.

RodrigoBasques
RodrigoBasques

guys pele has done everythinng right in his carreer you seem to forget the hand of god goal him smelling cocaine and giving it to children and maradona vs romario romario completely mugged him off he says he could get past anybody wouldnt even be able to get past my 3 year old cousin

andyzidane
andyzidane

@RodrigoBasques Pele was a great ambassador for the sport. A superb footballer. But why highlight factors about Maradona which have nothing to do with his ability? At least Diego had the balls / cojones to play in (and win) European football.


Interesting that you mention Romario, though. I would prefer him in my team ahead of Pele. And Ronaldo. And Garrincha.

Tanvir 86
Tanvir 86

Well if you are an Englishmen then you cannot possibly understand why people love a rebel and hate an establishment.. Someone from a third world country can understand that very easily.. Someone from Latin America can precisely define it... but Europeans and Yankees cannot even imagine it... i will save the history lesson for another time..

 

Apart from having a very close relationship with Military dictators and FIFA's crooked bastards,, Pele did one thing for which many brazilians despise him-- HE FORGOT HIS ROOTS... he forgot where he came from,, he forgot the slum where he was brought up,, he forgot the shanties and hoodlums of Rio.. you say he is not evil.. Millions and Millions of people attended Garrincha's funeral in 1983...where was Pele??? Where was garrincha's great teammate??? Pele wasn't playing in 1983 oh no,, he retired in 1977..  Instead of attending his teammate's funeral,, Pele was busy in cuddling with his new buddies in FIFA..he was busy shaking hands with Reagan and the Queen ,Pele felt that it was more important to meet with these famous people rather than attending the funeral of his beloved teammate.. and you still DARE to say that Pele is not evil??????

 

Yes Pele did dedicate a goal to the poor childrens of brazil.. Hypocrites say very bright things at the beginning but in the end they give nothing... Pele did ABSOLUTELY NOTHING for the poverty of Brazil.. Pele was a lover of luxurious things.. he ran away to USA in 1974,, he starred a film with Stallione and launched his own video game in 1980.. he simply CHOSE to forgot about these poor childrens.. Once Pele climbed the ladder of fame,, he never even looked back at his native Brazil...

 

You can even see it today.. Millions of brazilians are in the streets protesting the corruption of this current government.. Millions of dollars are being invested for the World Cup but none in Healthcare.. Romario and Rivaldo understood the pulse of the people and they are already preparing to start a historic revolution in brazil to overthrow this crooked bastards.. but is PELE saying?? he is saying that People "should leave the streets and go back home and not create any chaos.The government is doing the right thing".. It INFURIATED the brazilians masses like wildfire.. Pele has become so distanced from his own people that he cannot even understand their pulse..

 

Di Stefano wasn't born in a slum like Garrincha,Pele,Maradona,Rivaldo,Romario.. Di Stefano had european descent and ultimately,, he fled to Europe to serve his forefathers.. He was born rich and he never cared for the poor.. In his playing days,, Di stefano didn't like Didi at all because he was from a very poor background.. that was reason why Real Madrid always kept Didi at bench while Stefano was running the show.. i never liked Di stefano but also i cannot disagree that he is one of the greatest in history..

 

Then you may ask that why do I Hate Pele So much???   I hate him so much because I LOVED him so much.. Before i knew about Pele's cuddling with FIFA and other bastards,, I loved Pele just like Garrincha, just like Maradona, just like Rivaldo, just Ronaldinho.. After all,, they all grew up in the dirtiest of slums.. i was six years old when Maradona was tearing apart the English in 1986 and from then on i started to dig the history to find players having a similar background to maradona.. i found Garrincha and Pele and while Pele was with FIFA,, i was not aware of that at that time.. Many years later when i did found out about Pele's real Face,, i was very shocked indeed.. Just like when Figo betrayed barca and went to Madrid,, Barca fans wrote in a banner-- "We Hate you so much because We loved you so much".. it was exactly my feeling with Pele..and while i continued to agree that he was one of the greatest in history along with Maradona and Garrincha,, i lost all the love for him..

 

Garrincha's tale is a sad one but he came to this planet to give joy to his people through the means of football and his people received the joy with open arms.. he only understood the language of football and he didn't even know the format of the 1958 and 62 World Cups.. the chilean newspaper rightfully said: "Which planet is Garrincha from??" We may not know that ever again but Brazil's love for him refuses to die........................................................................

snakehips
snakehips

Good time to remember Tom Finney.Very few would have seen him play.But not only brilliant - dazzling speed + goals + loyal to one club.But a gentleman off the pitch as well.

Tanvir 86
Tanvir 86

30 years has passed since Garrincha died..  Yet the brazilians always says "We always label the rising stars as the Next Pele because we know there will always be ONE garrincha".. Many Latin American Poets were absolutely fascinated by the miracles feats that Garrincha conjured everyday.. the great Eduardo Galeano said these words:

"In the entire history of football no one made more people happy. When he was out there, the pitch was a circus ring, the ball a tamed animal, the match a party invitation. Garrincha nurtured his pet, the ball, and together they created such mischief that people almost died laughing. He jumped over it, it gambolled around him, hid itself away, skipped off and made him run after it. And on the way, his opponents ran into each other."

 

Manuel Francisco dos Santos aka GARRINCHA--the most beloved brazilian player of all time......

 

 

adamrhbrown
adamrhbrown

 @Tanvir 86 Pele and Garrincha provide an interesting personality contrast, but I still don't get why you feel people should automatically love the rebel and hate the establishment figure. Why wouldn't the vast majority of Brazilians love both of them? (Those who remember them at least.) It would be like Argentine fans loving Maradona and hating Messi or English fans loving Paul Gascoigne and hating Bobby Charlton.

adamrhbrown
adamrhbrown

 @snakehips  @Tanvir 86 Thanks. It's also worth mentioning that even if Pele could be said to have cuddled up to the military dictatorship, why does di Stefano never come in for the same vitriol from Mr. T? He was used by Franco's regime in much the same way, and he wasn't even Spanish!

 

As it happens, I watched the documentary Pele and Garrincha - Gods of Brazil a couple of days ago. It made the point that Garrincha wasn't always popular while he was actually alive, certainly in the latter part of his career.

 

Plus, there was the footage of Pele scoring his '1,000th goal'. Media myth or not, he took that moment to speak out - passionately - on behalf of starving children. Hardly the words of someone who had sold his soul entirely.

 

Don't get me wrong, Pele is a bit of a corporate whore (there's even a joke in The Simpsons about it), but he's not evil.

 

By the way, 'Menotti didn't pick Maradona because he was a Pele-lover'. What a bizarre statement. Clearly, he was very much a Didi man.

andyzidane
andyzidane

@adamrhbrown @snakehips the boy @Tanvir 86 's posts have been littered with bizarre comments for many many months now. I personally believe that Maradona is the greatest footballer of all time and prefer other Brazilians (such as Ronaldo) to Pele; but everyone is entitled to their own opinion without facing Tubby's abuse.

snakehips
snakehips

This is about the greatest 100 players of all time.

So why has the Pele v Maradona debate dominated virtually all comments so far?

It has become tedious + looks like the writers of these posts don't know any other players.

 

Sansho
Sansho

Pelé easily the greatest ever, ahead of the master of total football Cruyff. Maradona has benefited from myths and ignoring his faults and failures.

 

Before Pelé, Brazil had never won a world cup nor did they for 24 years without him. He was outstanding aged 17 in 58 world cup as well as in 1970. He made Santos the best club in the world, dominating Brazilian clubs with other great players and destroying the top European clubs, Benfica (hat-trick in Benfica), and Milan. He was top scorer in the Intercontinental Cup. In his time, South American clubs were easily a match for European. He had a magnificent scoring record in cup finals as well as overall, including against European clubs and countries. He was declared a national treasure by the Brazilian government, not allowed to play for as foreign club till the 70s

 

Maradona was sent off in one world cup, cheated in another and was disgraced in another, He had a poor scoring record in cup finals and for Napoli in Europe. He never won the top continental cup. Without him during his career Argentina won a world cup and the Copa America twice, but he never won the Copa America. He improved Argentina's win-loss record by only 0.8% compared with his absence during his career, whereas Pelé improved Brazil by 11.25%.

 

Pelé was a more complete player; great header, athletic, 2-footed, passer, shot, dribbler, vision; Maradona was mainly one-footed- so much for so-called technique. Pelé had a better temperament and Maradona was a cheat not only with infamous handball "goal" but also drugs.

Tanvir 86
Tanvir 86

 @Sansho DID PELE EVER WIN COPA AMERICA???????? PELE WASN'T SENT OFF IN ANY GAME?????????? WAS MARADONA A STIRIKER LIKE PELE???????????

 

i don't have the patience to argue with another maradona-hater like you... i will only say that you have never watched GARRINCHA... Pele doesn't come even close..

Tanvir 86
Tanvir 86

 @Sansho do you even know the full of history of maradona??????????????

 

you talk like you are a great analyst but instead have a relentless grudge against maradona..

 

first, maradona was very unlucky to miss out on the 1978 WC.. he was the even younger than pele and he ripping everything in the argentine league.. but for some  reasons, menotti didn't chose him.. as menotti was an eternal Pele-lover, he feared that his darling's record of the youngest player to enter the WC will be broken if maradona is chosen.. at the final moment, menotti leaves out the blistering 16-year old maradona.... the whole argentina was shocked... but maradona didn't lose hope.. in came the 1979 youth WC, where maradona absolutely ripped everything by scoring 7 magnificent goals and winning it single-handedly.. just like pele in the late 50s, maradona was the greatest under-20 player in the late 70s..so to say maradona was a "ghost" in his youth is a pure indication of HATRED towards him..

 

maradona 82's appearance was bad because of that HAGGARD menotti's reluctance and egoistic passarella's ARROGANCE.. it was never maradona's fault.. he was a victim of those dirty "football" politics which was also why barca's president Nunez refused to play him in regular La liga matches..and let's not forget, maradona got injured by the WORST TACKLE OF ALL TIME by the butcher of bilbao which further increased doubts and rumors about maradona..

 

but maradona BURIED everything in 1986.. scored the GREATEST GOAL MANKIND HAS EVER WITNESSED on 22 June 1986, Azteca stadium.. not only did he dribble past half the english team, he controlled the ball superbly on the puddles of water on that pitch.. even more mind-boggling is that he accelerated at such a blistering pace on the right side of field, ordinary left-footers find it difficult to run in the right-side, but instead of slowing down, maradona accelerated with lightining pace and dribbled effortlessly past the english to score an absolutely legendary goal that took him to very pinnacle of football.. it was THE ULTIMATE EXPRESSION of how far an individual player's impact goes on his team.. and throughout the whole 86 WC, maradona emphatically proved what a ONE-MAN team can do...

 

pele protagonist??????????? i assume you have never heard of Vava,garrincha,amarildo,tostao,carlos alberto, gerson,rivelino... pele's golden teammates who helped him SO MUCH... who did maradona play with????? burruchaga,careca,giordino,valdano.. maradona's average-ish teammates who couldn't even dribble past a player properly let alone helping maradona...

 

The list of footballers who said maradona is the greatest and infinity:

 

Zidane: the greatest ever

 

2: Careca: admiteas was far better than pele

 

3: Bobby Charlton: the greatest footballer

 

4: Gullit: he was from another world

 

5: Marco van Basten: The Greatest footballer ever

 

6: Former manager of england bobby robson: hate him or love him he was the greatest player of all time.

 

7: Zola: he was the god of football

 

8: Ronaldhino: hes was my idol and greatest

 

9: won player of the century at fifa 2000 awards

 

11: Ze Roberto and R. Carlos: Maradona was without doubt the greatest

 

12: Bearzot: Maradona is football

 

13: Sacchi on sky: Maradona is the best player in the world

 

14: Baggio: Maradona all players dream

 

15: gentile: Maradona better than Pelè

 

16: Boscov: Maradona can not be compared

 

17: Sivori: maradona the best in the world

 

18: Cantona: Maradona is greatest art.The

 

19: Eusebio: Maradona was the greatest

 

20: Maldini: Maradona is Maradona

 

– "Ruud Gullit: Diego Maradona is the best ever in my opinion". goal.com, 29 July 2012 – "Lionel Messi: Diego Maradona is the greatest of all-time". SoccerAnchor, 7 September 2011 – "Rummenigge: Maradona better than Pele". The Times of India, 12 November 2008 – "Paolo Maldini: Maradona best ever, Ronaldo close second" Paolo Maldini fan page, 21 July 2008 – "Gary Lineker: Diego has been the best player without a doubt, better than Pele" SoccerBlog, 25 March 2006 – "Glenn Hoddle: Diego Maradona is the greatest player of all time". SoccerBible, 22 July 2010. – "Ryan Giggs: Maradona is the best of all time". tribalfootball, 11 October 2011. – "Rio Ferdinand: In my eyes Maradona is the best footballer ever". fifa.com, 7 November 2008 – "Mario Kempes: Maradona is absolutely the best". ESPN soccernet, 18 April 2005. – "Aguero: It is disrespectful to compare me to Maradona". Mirro Football, 20 November 2011. – "Frank McGarvey: Diego Maradona was world's best player". Daily Record, 30 October 2008. – "Gordon Smith: Maradona was the best player I ever saw play the game". Daily Record, 30 October 2008. – "Trevor Edwards: Maradona is best" Central Telegraph, 11 April 2012 – "Maradona’s still number one". The Sun, 29 April 2011. – "Considered by many as the greatest football player to have ever walked the face of the earth". FIFA.com

 

 

berdutzalin
berdutzalin

@Tanvir 86 @Sansho was about to wrote smthing similar after reading lots of these pro pele comments.

Yes,pele has the numbers besides him,but you can't compare carlos alberto''s brazil golden team with maradona's underdogs argentina.

Maradona undercome the odds everywhere he went,carrying his team mostly in crucial matches. He had not so easy career as pele,cause of injuries,drug addiction,and lower teammates.

What maradona did overall,pure genius.

Personally,i admire zidane's plays the most,cause he was my childhood idol so it's not about taking sides or smthing.

Also i believe Gherghe Hagi should be at least me

ntioned here.

Tanvir 86
Tanvir 86

Today is undoubtedly a sad day for football.. The greatest Portuguese player in history, the black Panther, a man who reinvented the art of scoring goals in the 1960s-- Eusebio has passed away from this world at the age of 71...

 

He stamped Portugal's name in the football map with his explosive goals in the 1966 WC... At that WC, much of the world was disappointed with Pele's epic failure but Eusebio exploded just at the right time to fill up the vacuum.. obviously, eusebio remained in Pele's shadows for the most of 60s,, but his domination in the European Cup was second to none.. and for that,, he remains an unfettering figure in the golden history of football..in my list of 100 greatest players,, he is no.12

 

May peace rest upon his Departed Soul............................................

ronaldofenomenon
ronaldofenomenon

with all the respect to maradona he is one of the greatest ever but  pele was better. if you look some old videos of pele was amazing,his dribbling,ball control and shoot was much better than maradona, who forgot the match against uruguay 1970 world cup pele performed the best skill ever.yes maradona win the biggest poll of fifa, but was voted by young fans who dont see pele play,in the other hand pele wins win the poll  by lengendery players who wins golden balls, if you dont believe watch here http://www.rsssf.com/miscellaneous/best-x-players-of-y.html. its funny some compare the poll of maradona and the poll of pele WHY??? because  these footballers who are legends of these sport knows far more tons than football fans.

Tanvir 86
Tanvir 86

 @ronaldofenomenon i do remember the MISS OF THE CENTURY when the "Almighty Pele" did everything right against uruguay but then failed to score an OPEN goal.. When maradona dribbled against england,, nothing was open yet he still scored and that also against a 6'3 Shilton covering the goal..if pele scored on that night in 1970 then he MIGHT have reached the level of maradona but unfortunately that never happened..

 

why don't you see the even older videos of garrincha??? that will make pele look like a ball boy..

 

obviously,, "Legendary" players like Beckenbeur,Platini shared the same bed with pele in FIFA so it no surprise that FIFA would honour their favorite poster boy with that hilarious award.. Legendary players like Di Stefano,Bearzot,Baresi,Maldini who stayed far away from FIFA's A$$ said that Maradona was greater than pele.. so you decide which group of Legend's comments are you going to approve??? the fans already gave their verdict quite emphatically in three Worldwide polls.......

 

 

ronaldofenomenon
ronaldofenomenon

 @Tanvir 86 Alfredo Di Stefano: "The best player ever? Pele. Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo are both great players with specific qualities, but Pele was better."  your propaganda agaist pele is amazing,first off all you dont have proves that pele kiss  the ass of fifa. in a tv show, maradona and pele show there skills who has better heeding, pele beats maradona, if you dont bealave watch here http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sSRz3IZKhUg.all the legends like cruyff,Beckenbeur,di stefano voted pele and maradona voted by the fans.end of story

ronaldofenomenon
ronaldofenomenon

 @andyzidane  @Tanvir 86 maybe you dont understand my worlds, the video shows that pele has better ball control and proves his better that maradona,yes maradona is one of the best ever but pele is better, just  symple if you watch the video

Tanvir 86
Tanvir 86

 @ronaldofenomenon HAHAHAHA.... what a pathetic video.. oh wow, a 73-year old pele has better ball control than a 53-year old Maradona,, so that makes him a greater player????????????!!!!!!!

 

Pele himself said DiStefano is the greatest player of all time... Messi?? Cristiano Ronaldo??? even a 10-year old boy having an average knowledge about football history will say that Pele is greater than these two.. But when it was asked to Distefano about Pele AND maradona,, He picked Maradona... Beckenbeur shares the bed with pele in FIFA and they also ran Viagra campaigns together.. so it is a no-brainer that beckenbeur would vote for his lifetime partner.. the legends who were not slaves to FIFA ,,they all said that maradona is the greatest..

 

You can now masturbate by watching that hilarious video.. Trolls like you have no place in this great site...

ronaldofenomenon
ronaldofenomenon

 @Tanvir 86 this show was the year 2000 maradona was 40 and pele was 60, you  blame maradona every time,the video show that maradona lose the ball and again you said that maradona is greater than pele,you said that pele kiss the ass off fifa and all the biggest football organizations but you dont prove it,if you watch the brazilian ronaldo dribbble skills and technique is far more better than maradona,i think the only part that maradona is better than pele is the free kicks.

Tanvir 86
Tanvir 86

 @ronaldofenomenon  you are that same troll by the name of Harry1996,,, changing names won't hide your retarded character..

 

as i've said many times before,, if you love pele so much then give him a call.. Make love with him using the cheapest viagras and then post the videos on youtube.. this site is for those people who can debate both subjectively and objectively using their vast knowledge about the rich history of football and not by posting pathetic rubbish youtube videos.. thus, you are not eligible to comment on this site by default..So stop wasting time and make that call to Pele before he runs to FIFA to sleep with Beckenbeur....

 

Tanvir 86
Tanvir 86

 @ronaldofenomenon  you are that same troll by the name of Harry1996,,, changing names won't hide your retarded character..

 

as i've said many times before,, if you love pele so much then give him a call.. Make love with him using the cheapest viagras and then post the videos on youtube.. this site is for those people who can debate both subjectively and objectively using their vast knowledge about the rich history of football and not by posting pathetic rubbish youtube videos.. thus, you are not eligible to comment on this site by default..So stop wasting time and make that call to Pele before he runs to FIFA to sleep with Beckenbeur....

ronaldofenomenon
ronaldofenomenon

 @Tanvir 86  again and again you dont aswer in my question about pele kiss the ass of fifa and you fall to see in this symple video that maradona lose,you can talk trash every time but you dont proove nothing,1970 pele do the greatest skill ever, maranona never do something like that,in the era off pele, the ball was more harder to control than maradona era,who is harry1996, maybe someone who support pele?i dont give a shit.i just say my option,but there are more important thinks in life about pele and maradona

ronaldofenomenon
ronaldofenomenon

 @Tanvir 86 maybe my english is not so good  but  you cant avoid the truth,cruyff,beckebauer,platini,di stefano,zico said pele, all this players kiss the ass of fifa?hahahaha.you can say anything you want but you dont proove a thing.

nismoz
nismoz

 @ronaldofenomenon  @Tanvir 86 @ Ronaldofenomenon, instead of judging a players true strength based on other retired footballers comments, why dont u use ur brain and watch the standard of football in Pele's era? did u ever ask urself the question if gk even used gloves back in the 60s? did 4-2-4 formation play a major factor in helping the attacking team? did man marking even exist back then? have u even watched a game of the champs league in the 60s? how many subs were allowed in each game when pele was playing? how many games did Pele really played in 1962 wc? when u find out all the answers for that question i suggest u watch the serie a matches that Maradona played in Napoli in the late 80s and do a serious comparison on the defence both players faced! Real Madrid could win 5 champs league in the late 50s but no team has even come close to it since. what does that tell u? Football standards has gone up 3 notch since Pele's days!