30 Greatest Football Players of All Time

Ranking the greatest football players of all time is a daunting task, but here’s a list that takes into account three key factors:

1. Importance to the Team: The player’s impact on their team’s success.
2. Club and International Trophies: The number of titles won at the club and international level.
3. Individual Awards: The number of individual accolades received, such as the Ballon d’Or and Golden Boot.

The Top 30:

1. Lionel Messi: Regarded by many as the greatest footballer of all time, with a record-breaking eight Ballon d’Or awards & a World Cup.
2. Pele: A three-time World Cup winner and iconic Brazilian forward.
3. Diego Maradona: A legendary Argentine attacking midfielder and leader of the 1986 World Cup-winning team.
4. Cristiano Ronaldo: A five-time Ballon d’Or winner and one of the most successful players in the modern era.
5. Johan Cruyff: A Dutch football legend and pioneer of the “Total Football” style.
6. Ferenc Puskas: A Hungarian forward and one of the greatest goal-scorers in history.
7. Franz Beckenbauer: A German legend and one of the most decorated players of all time.
8. Zinedine Zidane: A French midfielder and leader of the 1998 World Cup-winning team.
9. Ronaldo: A Brazilian forward and two-time World Cup winner.
10. Alfredo Di Stefano: An Argentine-Spanish forward and one of the greatest players of the 20th century.
11. Michel Platini
12. Gerd Muller
13. Paolo Maldini
14. Garrincha
15. Franco Baresi
16. Eusebio
17. Kaka
18. Marco van Basten
19. Sir Bobby Charlton
20. Lev Yashin
21. Ronaldinho
22. Andres Iniesta
23. Xavi
24. Ruud Gullit
25. George Best
26. Luka Modric
27. Zlatan Ibrahimovic
28. Roberto Baggio
29. Romario
30. Lothar Matthaus