Top 5 Football Players of All Time

Football is a game that has enjoyed passionate following and unrivalled fanfare for many decades in almost all countries of the world. Over the years, the world has seen certain players bring out the best in the game with their playing style, presence, and unforgettable performances.

What separates these great players from others who played alongside them is their consistency, tendency to excel in important matches and the rare ability to determine the course of a match with a single moment of brilliance.

Here are five of the bests who blessed the pitch:

Pele

Pele became famous at the age of 17 when he helped Brazil win the 1958 world cup and life was never the same again for him.

Pele could play very well with both feet, had a great header, and could control the match from the midfield as well as he could strike. He scored 77 goals for Brazil in 92 matches and at least 600 goals for the Brazilian club, Santos FC where he spent 18 years. He is the only footballer to win 3 World Cups.

Pele is widely regarded today as the greatest player ever to grace the pitch.

Diego Maradona

In the 1986 World Cup quarter-final against England, Maradona edged past four defenders and the goalkeeper to score what is still regarded as the “Goal of the Century‘.’ In the same tournament, he scored 4 more goals in and clinched the Golden Ball for the best player.

He played more than 500 matches in his club career and scored almost 300 goals. He scored 34 times for Argentina in 91 matches, and managed the national team in the 2010 World Cup. He scored almost 300 goals in his club career which spanned more than 500 matches for Boca Juniors, Barcelona and Napoli.

He is still regarded as the greatest dribbler ever and boasts of the best left foot in football.

Lionel Messi

Without any doubt, Lionel Messi is the greatest club footballer of all times. In more than 14 years with the Barcelona senior team, he has won 32 trophies including 4 UEFA Champions League and 9 La Liga titles. His 552 goals in 636 games and numerous assists for Barcelona have also seen him win the Ballon d’Or 5 times.

On the international side, He has led Argentina to 2 Copa America finals and the 2014 World Cup Final but couldn’t lift the trophy in all three.  While the little magician seems unable to hit glory with his national side, his position among the football immortals, however, is completely assured.

Christiano Ronaldo

Back by his fierce determination to be the best, Ronaldo has over the years sharpened his supreme talent to become the one most recognisable name in the football world today.

He scored an astonishing 411 goals in 400 appearances for Real Madrid and was at the forefront of the Spanish giants last three Champions League triumphs. Since moving to Juventus, he has found the net more than 20 times.

Ronaldo has always stepped up when it mattered the most, scoring crucial goals to secure important wins. Fans could do anything for him, including betting on fixed odds and online skill games which had him on their ad covers. Over the last two decades, he has shown the world what he is capable of, and the game blessed him with 5 Ballon d’Or titles.

Johan Cruyff

Johan Cruyff was one of the most influential personalities in world football during his time. He was the focus of the famous ‘total football’ system designed by Rinus Michels. Thanks to his philosophy, FC Barcelona and the world is still enjoying the fruits of the system.

Cruyff spent most of his club playing career with Ajax winning 7 Eredivisies and 3 European cups. Cruyff made his mark in Barcelona and the United States where he also played for a short while. In his time, he was the first person to win 3 Ballon d’Or trophies.

Cruyff played only 48 matches for the Dutch National side and scored 33 goals. He led the amazing Dutch side to the final of the 1974 world cup which they unfortunately lost to the hosts, West Germany.

He was the greatest European footballer of all time and made the game truly beautiful.

Wrapping Up

These five football players gave their best to the game and are revered by fans all over the world. Thanks to them, the game still thrives on, and we will always remember the wonderful memories they created for us.