The 15 Best Short Footballers of All Time

None of them reached 175 centimetres, and between them they own most of football's biggest prizes. Who made small look unstoppable?

1

Lionel Messi

At 1.70 m, the low centre of gravity behind the most decorated career in football.

1000pts

2

Diego Maradona

1.65 m of gravity-defying balance who carried Argentina to the 1986 World Cup.

813pts

3

Sebastián Giovinco

1.64 m, the Atomic Ant who terrorised MLS defences with Toronto FC.

665pts

4

N'Golo Kanté

1.68 m covering more grass than any midfielder of his era, with a World Cup and two league titles.

665pts

5

Xavi

1.70 m and the metronome of Barcelona and Spain's tiki-taka dynasty.

596pts

6

Romário

1.67 m of penalty-box menace with over 700 career goals and a 1994 World Cup.

517pts

7

Andrés Iniesta

1.71 m, scorer of the 2010 World Cup final winner and master of the tight space.

517pts

8

Lorenzo Insigne

1.63 m, Napoli's darting winger and a Euro 2020 champion with Italy.

423pts

9

Pelé

Around 1.73 m and still the only three-time World Cup winner.

310pts

10

David Silva

1.70 m, Manchester City's quiet architect of four Premier League titles.

310pts

11

Luka Modrić

At 1.72 m he was rejected as too small by Hajduk Split — then won six Champions Leagues and a Ballon d'Or.

310pts

12

Garrincha

1.69 m with bent legs and the most feared dribble of the 1958 and 1962 World Cups.

310pts

13

Roberto Carlos

1.68 m with a thunderbolt left foot and three Champions Leagues at Real Madrid.

310pts

14

Wesley Sneijder

1.70 m, the playmaker of Inter's 2010 treble and a World Cup finalist that same year.

310pts

15

Marco Verratti

1.65 m of press-proof midfield craft for PSG and Euro-winning Italy.

172pts