The game has been blessed with some phenomenal talents and it does much scant justice when it comes to choosing the 10 greatest soccer players of all time. But, for what it is worth, here are our picks for the greatest soccer players of all time.
PELE (1956-1977)
A World Cup winner in 1958, 1962, and 1970, Edson Arantes do Nascimento, to give him his full name, is generally regarded as the greatest soccer player of all time. Pele won multiple titles with Santos, with whom he played out the best years of his career, before joining the New York Cosmos for a brief spell. Scorer of 760 official goals, Pele was a superb striker and dribbler of the ball, but could also combine well with his teammates and feature prominently in the build-up to goals.
LIONEL MESSI
If you're looking for the best soccer player in the world, there are few finer sights than Lionel Messi using a mixture of pace and trickery to beat multiple defenders from his position in the center of the Barcelona attack.
Pele and Maradona are considered by many to be the best players ever to have kicked a ball, but it is no exaggeration to say that Messi has now claimed a position alongside these players in soccer's pantheon of greats.
The Argentinean joined Barcelona at the age of 13, with the club paying for treatment on a growth hormone deficiency that threatened to stunt his progress. What a shrewd investment that now looks, with Messi already the club's record goalscorer.
QUICK FACTS:
- Name: Lionel Andrés Messi
- Nationality: Argentinean
- Date and Place of Birth: June 24, 1987 in Rosario, Argentina
- Position: Playmaker
- Current Club: Barcelona (La Liga)
- Previous Club: Newell's Old Boys (1995-2000)
- International Career: 2005 to present
MARADONA (1976-1997)
One of the age-old debates in soccer centers on who is the best player of all time: Peleor Maradona?
The argument is multifaceted, but if one of the deciding factors were controversy, Diego Armando Maradona would win hands down.
From his infamous 'Hand of God' goal to the firing of a compressed air rifle at reporters outside his house, Maradona's past is checkered, but his genius never questioned.
Maradona's technique was sublime and left-foot magical.
His strength, dribbling skills and close control combined to take him past defenders, the end result often a goal or an assist for a teammate.
In his autobiography, Maradona appears to harbor resentment against many in the game, those he believes have wronged him over the years. He is nothing if not honest about his feelings, and his outspoken views continue to cause a stir in in the game, long after retiring as a player in 1997.
QUICK FACTS:
- Name: Diego Armando Maradona
- Nationality: Argentinean
- Date and Place of Birth: October 30, 1960 in Lanus, Argentina
- Position: Attacking Midfielder/Second Striker
- Clubs: Argentinos Juniors (1976-1981), Boca Juniors (1981-1982), Barcelona (1982-1984), Napoli (1984-1991), Sevilla (1992-93), Newell's Old Boys (1993), Boca Juniors (1995-1997)
- International Career: 1977-1994 (91 caps, 34 goals)
JOHAN CRUYFF (1964-1984)
The outspoken Dutchman excelled for Ajax and Barcelona in the 1960s and 1970s and is considered by many to be Europe’s best ever player. His name was synonymous with Rinus Michels’ "Total Football" movement whereby players interchanged positions. Cruyff was effective in both wide and central positions and was famous for his ability to turn players. Winner of three Ballon D'Ors (European Player of the Year awards), Cruyff won eight Dutch titles and three European Cups with Ajax and also made a controversial move to bitter rivals Feyenoord.
FRANZ BECKENBAUER (1964-1984)
CRISTIANO RONALDO
The Portuguese wing wizard deserves his place among the pantheon of greats. His goalscoring record since joining Real Madrid from Manchester United is out of this world, and in January 2014 he notched his 400th career goal at the age of just 28. Ronaldo’s performances in recent years have meant that alongside Messi, he is considered by some distance the best soccer player in the world. Pace, strength, control and finishing – Ronaldo has the complete repertoire.
MICHEL PLATINI (1973-1987)
A star with Nancy, St-Etienne, and Juventus, Platini was a European champion for club and country after winning the 1984 European Championship with France and the European Cup the following year with Juventus. One of the best passers in soccer history and an expert free-kick taker, the attacking midfielder scored nine goals in that 1984 triumph.
ALFREDO DI STÉFANO (1943-1966)
Di Stéfano's achievement of scoring in five consecutive European Cup finals is unlikely to ever be matched. Born in Argentina to Italian immigrants, but playing internationally for three different teams, Di Stéfano's career was nothing if not cosmopolitan. A player of exceptional fitness levels, the Saeta rubia (blond arrow) was instrumental in Real Madrid's dominance in the 1950s, although the history books could tell a very different story if he had joined Barcelona instead of the Merengues in 1943.
FERENC PUSKÁS (1944-1966)
One of the best strikers ever, Puskas averaged nearly a goal a game at club and international level. He was a prominent member of the great Hungary team of the 1950s, known as the Mighty Magyars. Puskas was top league scorer with Real Madrid on four occasions and scored seven goals in two European Cup finals. He won five league titles with Budapest Honvéd before moving to Real in 1958 and winning another five. The inside-left also boasts three European Cups.
EUSÉBIO (1958-1978)
"The Black Panther" was considered Portugal’s greatest ever soccer player until Ronaldo came along. Scorer of nine goals at the 1966 World Cup finals, Eusébio possessed explosive pace and deceptive ability. The forward turned out for a host of teams, but his best years were spent with Benfica where he averaged more than a goal a game. Eusébio told World Soccer magazine in 2010 that he signs photographs of himself every night to give to children the following day.
https://www.thoughtco.com/all-time-greatest-soccer-players-3557621
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