In the past and even now, world football has produced many great players. World football history has witnessed immortal names. Who are they? Langley Rams will show you the TOP 10 best soccer players of all time in the following article!
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Top 10 Best Soccer Players of All Time | Langley Rams’ Rank
Here are the top 10 soccer players of all time:
Who is the best soccer player of all time
1. Diego Maradona
Diego Maradona is 1st name on the top soccer player of all time.
Maradona was born on October 30, 1960 in Lanus, Buenos Aires, Argentina. He started playing professional football for the Argentinos Juniors team at the age of 16. After that, he quickly became one of the best players world football has ever seen.
As an attacking midfielder, Maradona started building a name for Argentina’s top team – the Boca Juniors team.
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The global audience saw Maradona’s outstanding talent in Europe when he moved to Barcelona in 1982. He scored 22 goals in 36 games for the Spanish club.
But Maradona’s name reached new heights with Italian side Napoli, where he scored 88 goals in 188 appearances. The period with Napoli (1984 – 1991) was also when Maradona flourished with the Argentina team. The culmination was the World Cup championship in Mexico in 1986.
For the Argentine people, Diego Maradona is the most significant symbol in football history. The feat of leading La Albiceleste to the throne at the 1986 World Cup has partly made up that title.
Diego Maradona is the greatest soccer player of all time.
Diego Maradona
2. Pele
Pele was born in 1940 in Brazil. He is famous as the king of football in the world. The achievements he achieved in his football career are challenging for others to surpass.
Pele plays mainly for the Brazilian national team. He won the World Cup with Brazil 3 times in 1958, 1962, and 1970 respectively.
Pele is famous by fans as the king of football. FIFA also voted as the best player of all time. Pele is a very influential soccer player in the world football village.
Pele
3. Lionel Messi
Lionel Messi is one of the greatest footballers of all time.
Lionel Messi was born in 1987. He is an Argentine. Lionel Messi officially left Barcelona after 21 years with this club. Lionel Messi is one of the best players of all time. He is also one of the best players in the world at the moment.
Lionel Messi has won the Ballon d’Or six times in 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2015, and 2019. He also won the European Golden Shoe 6 times.
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In the 2005 FIFA U20 World Cup, Lionel Messi received the title of Top Scorer when he scored six goals in this tournament. Lionel Messi and the Argentina Olympic team won the gold medal at the Beijing Olympics in 2005.
Lionel Messi win 9 La Liga titles in his career.
4. Franz Beckenbauer
Franz Beckenbauer is a former German football player and coach. People often call him “der Kaiser.” In German, it means emperor.
Franz Beckenbauer is well known for his leadership and has an elegant style. He became the greatest footballer in Germany and one of the greatest in the world.
He won the Ballon d’Or twice in 1972 and 1976. He is the one who created the famous libero (sweeping defender) position when playing in this position.
It is true to say that Franz Beckenbauer has contributed a lot to the German football team, including as a player and as a coach and manager.
Franz Beckenbauer
5. Johan Cruyff
Johan Cruyff full name is Hendrik Johannes Cruijff. He is Dutch.
Johan Cruijff won the Ballon d’Or three times in 1971, 1973, and 1974. People even called him “Saint Johan.” Whether as a player or a coach, he has made outstanding contributions to the success of the Dutch team.
The Dutch hero is the best football player of all time. Johan Cruijff is also one of the best footballers in the history of world football. He passed away in 2016 because of lung cancer.
Johan Cruyff
6. Ronaldo Nazario
People call Ronaldo Luís Nazário de Lima “Alien”. He has won the FIFA World Player of the Year award three times. Besides, he also won the Golden Ball award twice in 1997 and 2002.
In 2007, Ronaldo Nazário was “honored” by France Football magazine. He is one of the top 11 greatest young players in history. In 2004 he was “named” in FIFA’s 100 greatest players alive compiled by Pelé.
He played for the Brazilian national team in 98 matches. In which he scored 62 goals and became the second-highest scorer for the national team.
At the 1998 World Cup final, he received the Golden Ball for the tournament’s best player. Ronaldo won his second World Cup final in 2002. He scored twice in the final and received the Golden Boot as top scorer.
During the 2006 FIFA World Cup, Ronaldo scored his 15th World Cup goal, a World Cup record.
Ronaldo Nazario
7. Cristiano Ronaldo
Cristiano Ronaldo is a Portuguese football player. Previously, he played as a striker for the Juventus club in the Italian championship. He is also well known as the captain of the Portugal national football team.
Cristiano Ronaldo is one of the best players in the world. Ronaldo owns 5 European Golden Balls in 2008, 2013, 2014, 2016, 2017.
He is also the owner of 4 European Golden Shoes. Both are records of a European player along with many other noble titles.
He has won 32 titles in his career. That includes:
- Seven national championships.
- Five UEFA Champions Leagues.
- One UEFA European Championship.
- One UEFA Nations League.
These achievements show no sign of stopping.
Cristiano Ronaldo
8. Zinedine Zidane
Zinedine Zidane, nicknamed “Zizou,” is one of those players who has won many league titles. He became a national hero in France because of his performance with the national team.
France won the 1998 World Cup against Brazil thanks to two goals from Zidane in the final. It was in this year that Zinedine Zidane won the European Golden Ball.
Zizou is also famous for his performances at the club and international level. With Real Madrid and Juventus, he won the 2001-2002 UEFA Champions League.
Zidane’s achievements also include winning the UEFA Cup in 2000 and reaching the final of the 2006 World Cup. Along with Pelé, Vava, and Paul Breitner, he is one of the only players to score in two different World Cups.
Zinedine Zidane
9. Michel Platini
Michel François Platini, born in 1955 in France, is a former player of the Juventus club, former football coach. From 2007-2016, he was President of the European Football Federation (UEFA Cup).
He won the Ballon d’Or three times in 1983, 1984, and 1985. Michel Platini was with the French team that won the European Cup in 1984.
After retiring, Platini continued to lead the French team as a coach. After that, he became President of UEFA.
Michel Platini
10. Roberto Baggio
Roberto Baggio was “born” on February 18, 1967, in Caldogno, Veneto, Italy. He attends this list as one footballer of all time.
Baggio was with the Italian team to attend 3 World Cups. He is the only Italian player to score in all three seasons.
Roberto Baggio was the Italian team’s best player at the 1994 World Cup. Baggio won both world football’s highest honors while playing. These are the European Golden Ball (1993) and the FIFA Player (1993).
Roberto Baggio is a name with many imprints in the history of the game.
Roberto Baggio
Frequently Asked Questions
1. Who is the top scorer in World Cup history?
The World Cup is football’s biggest tournament. Every player dreams of representing their country in this tournament. The history of the competition has seen the best players in the world showcase their talents. Here are the top 3 scorers at the World Cup:
- Miroslav Klose (Germany) – 16 goals.
- Ronaldo Nazário (Brazil) – 15 goals.
- Gerd Muller (West Germany) – 14 goals.
View more: Best soccer player in the world
2. Who is the best Ballon d’Or player ever?
The European Golden Ball has another name as the Ballon d’Or. Since the European Golden Ball award started, Lionel Messi is the first player to receive the Ballon d’Or award. And until now, Lionel Messi is still the only player to win the European Golden Ball 6 times.
3. Are there any other names with a good record in football history?
So many! You can learn about the players below: Alfredo Di Stéfano, Mane Garrincha, Gerd Muller, Paolo Maldini, Ferenc Puskas, Franco Baresi, Zico, George Best, Marco van Basten, Eusebio, Lev Yashin, Bayern Munich, etc.
4. Is Alfredo Di Stéfano a prominent name on this list?
Yes, Alfredo Di Stefano is also on the list of the best players of all time. Alfredo Di Stefano was from Barracas, Buenos Aires, Argentina. He passed away on July 7, 2014, in Madrid, Spain.
Alfredo Di Stéfano is a Spanish-Colombian football player and of Argentine descent. His name comes from the Real Madrid club.
He gained a total of 12 championships in his South American career. He won the Ballon D’or twice in 1957, 1959.
Alfredo Di Stefano is one of the most outstanding players in football history.
5. Who is the best soccer player ever to lift five consecutive European Cups?
He is Alfredo Di Stéfano. It happened in the 1950s.
Final Thoughts
Langley Rams has provided you with helpful information about the top 10 football players of all time. Now you can answer “who is the greatest soccer player of all time,” right?
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