Who are the all-time best footballers- do you want to know? Football has been a popular game for all people since its start. One of the most essential parts of our entertainment is this football game. They have known faces worldwide who have contributed to our enjoyment.
Often, everyone calls this game “the beautiful game.” Today, I will present some legends who are the all-time best footballers. Let’s discuss their careers, achievements, and lasting impact today.
The All-Time Best Footballers: Contents At A Glance
Before the described discussion, look at the 10 players’ names to get ideas.
1. Pele: The Icon Of Icons
2. Diego Maradona: The Hand of God
3. Lionel Messi: The Modern Maestro
4. Cristiano Ronaldo: A Force of Nature
5. Zinedine Zidane: The Artistic Midfielder
6. Johan Cruyff: Total Football Pioneer
7. George Best: The Northern Irish Maverick
8. Franz Beckenbauer: The Kaiser
9. Ronaldo Nazário: The Phenomenon
10. Thierry Henry: Arsenal’s Legend
The All-Time Best Footballers: The Detailed Info:
The contribution of these players to the popularity of football is very high. I will highlight the success and achievements of 10 famous players among them. This info article will assist you in knowing about them. I researched and found these 10 all-time best footballers.
1. Pele: The Icon Of Icon
The name Pele is very familiar to everyone. Brazil won 3 World Cups during his time (1958, 1962, and 1969). Pele was the highest paid at that time. But how did he become so familiar to everyone?
A small one in Bauru, State of Sao Paulo, he used to play in the club. At one point, major club teams rejected him in São Paulo. Later, he joined Santos Football Club in 1956. In 1962 and 63, Pele won the Libertadores Cup and the Intercontinental Club Cup.
His kicking power beat other footballers. Sometimes, everyone called her “Pérola Negra” (“Black Pearl”). He became a national leader to everyone. After the 1958 World Cup, he said he would stay in the Brazil team despite big offers from European clubs. On 19 November 1969, he scored his 1000th goal.
In 1978, he received the International Award. In 1980, the French sports publication L’Equipe named him Sportsman of the Century.
2. Diego Maradona: The Hand of God
Diego Armando Maradona is one of the greatest players of all time. He won the FIFA Player of the Century award of the 20th century. His vision during the game, dribbling skills, ball passing, and ball control are why he is well known to all.
Everyone called Maradona El Pibe de Oro (“The Golden Boy”). He was the first player to set the world history transfer fee doubled in 1982 and 1984. Everyone has described him in the media as a classic number 10. On 20 October 1976, Maradona started his first football game, 10 days before his 16th birthday. Diego Maradona scored his first goal on 14 November 1976 against San Lorenzo in the Primera Division.
Maradona played his first World Cup in 1982 and won it in 1986. He scored 34 goals in 91 appearances with the Argentina national team. His role as a football player and coach is memorable.
3. Lionel Messi: The Modern Maestro
Lionel Messi is a unique football legend in Argentina. Messi has won a record-setting eight Ballon d’Or awards as the world’s top male player. He helped win the 2022 FIFA World Cup.
In 1995, he joined Newell’s Old Boys juvenile team. His extraordinary skills caught the attention of prestigious clubs on both sides of the Atlantic. He scored 21 goals in 14 games for the Under-14 side. Messi became the youngest official player and goal scorer in Spanish La Liga in 2004–2005 at just 17 years of age.
Messi is a keen passer, left-foot player, and determined to control the ball. In 2006, he won the Champions League title with Barcelona. In this way, his popularity through the channel continued to grow. Moreover, by 2008, he had become one of the most influential players in the world.
2009–10, Messi scored 34 La Liga goals for Barcelona at home. In the same season, he won the Golden Shoe Award as Europe’s leading scorer. He scored 45 goals in 2017–18 as Barcelona again achieved the La Liga–Copa del Rey double. In 2019, the football club named him the Farr’s Male Player of the Year.
4. Cristiano Ronaldo: A Force of Nature
Ronaldo is one of the all-time best footballers in Portugal. His father, José Dinís Aveiro, was the equipment manager of the local club Andorra. Ronaldo started his football career with the Madeira club Desportivo Nacional. He then repositioned himself to Sporting Club de Portugal. He made his debut in Sporting in 2002.
After a successful spell at Sporting, he signed with English powerhouse Manchester United in 2003. In 2007–08, he achieved 42 league and cup goals. Also, he got the Golden Shoe award as Europe’s leading scorer with 31 league goals. Ronaldo helped United win the Champions League title in 2008. As a result, he won the FIFA World Player of the Year honor.
In the 2006 World Cup in Portugal, he finished 4th. Ronaldo became the full captain of the national team in 2008. Ronaldo became the 2nd winner in the World Cup of 2014. He achieved 4 goals in 4 games in the 2018 World Cup. In 2022, he became the first male player to score in five World Cups. In the 2022 World Cup, he was later defeated in the quarter-finals.
5. Zinedine Zidane: The Artistic Midfielder
French footballer Zinedine Zidane led the country to victory in the 1998 World Cup and 2000 European Championship. After playing for the junior team US Saint-Henri, he joined Cannes in 1989 and quickly succeeded.
He quickly caught everyone’s attention as a midfielder. In 1992, he moved to Bordeaux, where he scored most of 10 goals. In 1994, the Football Federation selected Zidane as the best young footballer in France.
1995, Zidane secured the Union of European Football Association final for the Bordeaux club. After Zidane joined Real Madrid in 2001, the team won the Champions League title and the European Super Cup. He was famous as a FIFA Player of the Year three times (1998, 2000, and 2003).
Zidane also contributed a lot to international competitions. Zidane scored 2 goals against Brazil in 1998, and France won the World Cup 3-0. In 2000, the Football Federation named Zidane the best player of the tournament after he led them to the European Championship.
6. Johan Cruyff: Total Football Pioneer
Johan Cruyff became world-famous as a Dutch footballer. He became more famous for his imaginative playmaking. He has won many honors, including European Footballer of the Year (1971, 1973, and 1974). At just 10, Cruyff joined the youth development squad of Ajax soccer club in Amsterdam.
He moved to FC Barcelona in 1973 after winning 6 league titles, 4 national cups, and 3 European champions with the club. In 1979–1980, he played with several American teams, including the Los Angeles Aztecs and the Washington Diplomats. 1979, the Football Federation selected the greatest North American Soccer League player.
He retired as a player in 1984. After retirement, Cruyff coached Ajax (1987) and Barcelona (1989) to the European Cup Winners’ Cup. In 2009, he returned as a guide to manage the Catalan national team. He was also concerned with diverse philanthropic activities. He founded the non-profit organization and the Johan Cruyff Institute for children’s sports.
7. George Best: The Northern Irish Maverick
One of history’s most excellent forwards and a fashionable playboy off the field, George Best earned a reputation as one of the greatest footballers ever. His football career started from school. A Belfast football scout recommended Best to Manchester United while he was still at school. United called him a “genius” after watching his game.
He joined the club at just 15 and made his national team debut two years later in 1963. In 1968, he was famous for European Footballer of the Year. Also, he helped United become the first English club to win the European Cup in the same year. Best scored a total of 178 goals in 466 games while with United.
Everyone called Best the “Fifth Beatle” because of his long hair. Although he was a world-famous footballer, the football club forced him to leave United in 1974 due to alcoholism. Later, he played for very few teams in Britain, Spain, Australia, and the USA till 1983. However, he continued to deteriorate due to alcoholism. At one point, even after a liver transplant, his condition did not improve, and he later died.
8. Franz Beckenbauer: The Kaiser
German footballer Franz Beckenbauer, born September 11, 1945, became a world-famous soccer player. He is the only person to have led and managed both World Cup-winning teams. His nickname is “Der Kaiser”. He dominated football in the 1960s and 70s.
Beckenbauer developed the modern role of the attacking footballer. He is an outstanding player who initiates offense from central defense with intelligent passes and long runs. Franz Beckenbauer joined Bayern Munich in 1958, making his first team debut in 1963. In 1971, he became captain of Bayern.
With his help, Bayern won three European Champions Club titles (1973–74, 1974–75, and 1975–76). In addition, Beckenbauer also helped win 4 national championships. In 1971, he captained the West German national team. He was voted European Footballer of the Year by the Football Federation in 1972 and 1976.
This great player retired in 1984. After retirement, the football federation appointed Beckenbauer as the West German team manager in 1984. Under his leadership, the party won in 1990. In 1998, he became the club vice president of the German Football Federation.
9. Ronaldo Nazário: The Phenomenon
Brazilian footballer Ronaldo is one of the players who helped Brazil win the World Cup in 2002. He received three Player of the Year awards from the Fédération Internationale de Football (1996–97 and 2002). Growing up in a low-income family, Ronaldo started playing football at 12 as a junior at the nearby Social Ramos club.
Then, 2 years later, he joined São Cristóvão in the Carioca League. He was a member of Brazil’s under-17 South American Championship group in 1991. Ronaldo Nazário moved to PSV Eindhoven in the Netherlands in 1994, where he scored an unforgettable 55 goals in 56 games. Together, they won the League Championship in 1995 and the Dutch Cup in 1996.
He has achieved many goals in his sporting career. In 1997, he received a record of $27 million to play for the Italian club. In the 2002 World Cup, he won the Golden Shoe award for scoring the highest score in the tournament. He scored 8 goals in that World Cup. With his help, Brazil won the 5th World Cup. This great player retired in 2011.
10. Thierry Henry: Arsenal’s Legend
French footballer Thierry Henry has scored more goals than any other player in French history (51). So, everyone considered him the best goalscorer of his time. He spent his childhood in low-income housing. He later joined FC Versailles in 1992.
Thierry Henry signed for AS Monaco in 1994 after attracting the attention of other club scouts. Until the age of 17, Henry played as a striker. He almost arrived at Real Madrid in mid-1998-99 in a deal mix-up. He moved to Juventus in Turin, Italy, for £9 million. In mid-2004, Thierry won the 2003–04 Golden Shoe as the top scorer in Europe’s leading association.
In 2002 and 2003, the Football Club honored him as European Footballer of the Year. He moved to Barcelona for £16 million in 2007. Henry retired from football in 2014.
Final Recommendation About The All-Time Best Footballers:
Above are 10 famous footballers who will always be famous in history and memorable to people. Apart from these 10, there are many other favorite players whose contribution is undeniable. It is because of their contribution that the game of football is so well known to the people of the world today. Generation after generation will see this history, its achievements, and its successes.
Also, more new players are coming, and will happen later. They will also make a unique history. Football is a game that everyone likes. Audiences are still waiting to watch the World Cup after 4 years. You will enjoy this article to learn about the all-time best footballers.