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. 1
   Lionel Messi

   At 1.70 m, the low centre of gravity behind the most decorated career in football.
   1000pts
2. 2
   Diego Maradona

   1.65 m of gravity-defying balance who carried Argentina to the 1986 World Cup.
   813pts
3. 3
   Sebastián Giovinco

   1.64 m, the Atomic Ant who terrorised MLS defences with Toronto FC.
   665pts
4. 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. 5
   Xavi

   1.70 m and the metronome of Barcelona and Spain's tiki-taka dynasty.
   596pts
6. 6
   Romário

   1.67 m of penalty-box menace with over 700 career goals and a 1994 World Cup.
   517pts
7. 7
   Andrés Iniesta

   1.71 m, scorer of the 2010 World Cup final winner and master of the tight space.
   517pts
8. 8
   Lorenzo Insigne

   1.63 m, Napoli's darting winger and a Euro 2020 champion with Italy.
   423pts
9. 9
   Pelé

   Around 1.73 m and still the only three-time World Cup winner.
   310pts
10. 10
    David Silva

    1.70 m, Manchester City's quiet architect of four Premier League titles.
    310pts
11. 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. 12
    Garrincha

    1.69 m with bent legs and the most feared dribble of the 1958 and 1962 World Cups.
    310pts
13. 13
    Roberto Carlos

    1.68 m with a thunderbolt left foot and three Champions Leagues at Real Madrid.
    310pts
14. 14
    Wesley Sneijder

    1.70 m, the playmaker of Inter's 2010 treble and a World Cup finalist that same year.
    310pts
15. 15
    Marco Verratti

    1.65 m of press-proof midfield craft for PSG and Euro-winning Italy.
    172pts