The 16 Best Soccer Players of All Time

Johan Cruyff

Johan Cruyff was a Dutch soccer player and manager that has been called the best of both throughout his career. He helped the Netherlands national team win the FIFA World Cup in 1974 and received the Golden Ball for that year.

His career started with a position in the Ajax football club, during which time he scored the team 257 goals. After Ajax, he transferred to Barcelona and would later go on to manage both teams. He was awarded three Ballon d’Or awards in the early 1970s and was named the European Player of the Century in 1999 by the International Federation of Football History and Statistics. 

Diego Maradona

Diego Maradona was known for his ability to maneuver out on the field and his skills with free kicks. His career included several different clubs, but he’s most famous for his time at Napoli. He played in four FIFA World Cups and scored what was voted the “Goal of the Century” by FIFA fans in 2002. 

Maradona went on to coach the Argentina national team, several other global teams, and the Gimnasia de La Plata Argentina Primera División club team before his death in 2020.   

Garrincha

Garrincha’s real name is Manuel Francisco dos Santos, but he was widely referred to by his nickname throughout his career. He held the right winger position when he played for Brazil and helped to lead Brazil to World Cup victories in 1958 and 1962. Garrincha won the World Cup the same year he was awarded the Golden Ball and Golden Boot, making him the first player to simultaneously receive those honors. 

Ferenc Puskas

Ferenc Puskas is thought of as one of the biggest and first international soccer superstars. He held the roles of forward and midfielder and scored 84 goals for Hungary in just 85 games. He was an Olympic champion in 1952 and won three European Cups and 10 national championships. Put simply, he’s one of the ten top scorers of all time. 

Franz Beckenbauer

Franz Beckenbauer is a soccer player and manager that represented Germany as a midfielder and central defender. He played in three FIFA World Cups and two European Championships, and he’s one of the mighty few to win World Cups as both player and manager.

George Best

George Best was born in Northern Ireland in 1946 and went on to play for Manchester United in 1963, where he stayed until 1974. In 1968, he was named European Footballer of the Year, and he was inducted into the English Football Hall of Fame in 2002. 

Paolo Maldini

Paolo Maldini is considered one of the greatest defenders in soccer history, best known for his time with Italy’s national team and AC Milan. He holds the record number of appearances for AC Milan, with 902, and was listed on the FIFA list of 100 greatest living players in 2004. He was inducted into the Italian Football Hall of Fame in 2012.    

Gerd Muller

Gerd Muller was a German soccer player largely considered one of history’s greatest scorers — and a goalkeeper’s worst nightmare! Throughout his career at Bayern Munich, Fort Lauderdale, and beyond, he won the FIFA World Cup, the UEFA Champions League, and the Ballon d’Or, one of just nine players to do so. For over 30 years, he held the record for the highest number of goals scored in a World Cup with fourteen. 

Eusebio

Eusebio’s career started in the 1950s when he joined Sporting Lourenco Marques before joining Benfica in 1961. He’s considered one of the best players for the team, if not the best outright. He helped Portugal place third in the World Cup in 1966 and became the first player to win the European Golden Boot in 1968, then again in 1973. 

Michel Platini

Michel Platini was a French soccer player who won the Ballon d’Or three times in the 1980s. He held the goalscoring record for France until 2007 and coached the French national team for four years. He also served as the president of the Union of European Football Associations, the first former player to do so. 

Zinedine Zidane

Zinedine Zidane was a player and manager based out of France. He is best known for his role in the French Ligue 1, his 1998 FIFA World Cup win, and a three-time FIFA World Player of the Year. In addition to being renowned as one of the best players in history, he’s known as one of the best coaches in history, as well, and has coached at Real Madrid since 2013. He’s also played for Juventus, helping them maintain their status as a top club.

Pelé

Edson Arantes do Nascimento — better known as Pelé— is considered the greatest player of all time, and for good reason. This Brazilian powerhouse won three World Cups over the course of his career. At the age of 17, he was the youngest player to win a World Cup. 

Over time, Pelé became an icon of and ambassador for soccer and made the association between soccer and the phrase “the beautiful game.” He holds a Guinness Book of World Records record for goals and served as the Brazilian Minister for Sport. 

Lionel Messi

Lionel Messi is a player and captain for the Argentine national team who has won seven Ballon d’Or awards over the course of his career. He also holds six European Golden Shoes awards, ten La Liga titles, and a 2022 FIFA World Cup win. 

Cristiano Ronaldo

Cristiano Ronaldo is a Portuguese player who currently plays for the Saudi professional league but has given his talents to the Premier League, La Liga, and Serie A. He has a remarkable 32 trophy wins, including five Ballon d’Or awards, four European Golden Shoes, and a UEFA European Championship. He has also scored in five World Cup tournaments, the only player to do so. 

Neymar

Neymar is a Brazilian player who has played for Ligue 1 and the Brazilian national team. He debuted at 17 and was named the South American Footballer of the Year in both 2011 and 2012. His awards and wins include the FIFA FIFPro World11 twice and the FIFA Puskás Award.   

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