The 54 Greatest Football Players of All Time

From pre-war pioneers and black-and-white legends to the superstars of the modern game, this ranking pits football's most celebrated talents against each other across the generations — attacking geniuses, dribbling magicians, midfield maestros and all-conquering winners. There's no neutral answer here, so cast your vote and settle the eternal argument.

1. 1
   Lionel Messi

   Argentine maestro, all-time top Ballon d'Or winner and 2022 World Cup champion.
   1000pts
2. 2
   Pelé

   Brazilian icon and three-time World Cup winner, football's first global superstar.
   979pts
3. 3
   Kylian Mbappé

   World champion at 19 in 2018, scorer of a hat-trick in the 2022 final and a two-time World Cup Golden Boot winner.
   723pts
4. 4
   George Weah

   Africa's only Ballon d'Or winner, crowned in 1995 at AC Milan, who later became President of Liberia.
   684pts
5. 5
   Rivaldo

   The 1999 Ballon d'Or winner whose left foot lit up Barcelona, and a 2002 World Cup champion with Brazil.
   663pts
6. 6
   Lev Yashin

   The Soviet 'Black Spider', the only goalkeeper ever to win the Ballon d'Or, in 1963, and the 1960 European champion.
   623pts
7. 7
   Romário

   The penalty-box genius who won the 1994 World Cup and its Golden Ball with Brazil after starring for PSV and Barcelona.
   579pts
8. 8
   Eusébio

   Benfica's 'Black Panther', 1965 Ballon d'Or winner and 1962 European Cup champion, who top-scored the 1966 World Cup with nine goals.
   579pts
9. 9
   Zico

   The 'White Pelé' who led Flamengo to the 1981 Copa Libertadores and Intercontinental Cup and starred in Brazil's beloved 1982 side.
   529pts
10. 10
    Ferenc Puskás

    Captain of Hungary's Golden Team with 84 goals in 85 internationals, then a three-time European Cup winner with Real Madrid; FIFA's goal award bears his name.
    529pts
11. 11
    Giuseppe Meazza

    Italy's double world champion of 1934 and 1938 and Inter's legendary forward, after whom the San Siro stadium is named.
    529pts
12. 12
    Paolo Maldini

    AC Milan's one-club defender across 25 seasons, winning five European Cups and seven Serie A titles with timeless elegance.
    529pts
13. 13
    Roberto Baggio

    Italy's 'Divine Ponytail', 1993 Ballon d'Or winner who carried his country to the 1994 World Cup final almost single-handedly.
    529pts
14. 14
    Franz Beckenbauer

    German libero who redefined defending and lifted the World Cup as player and manager.
    529pts
15. 15
    Xavi

    The passing metronome of Barcelona and Spain, winner of the 2010 World Cup, two European Championships and four Champions League titles.
    473pts
16. 16
    Ruud Gullit

    The 1987 Ballon d'Or winner who captained the Netherlands to Euro 1988 and won two European Cups with Milan.
    473pts
17. 17
    Kenny Dalglish

    Celtic and Liverpool legend who won three European Cups at Anfield and remains Scotland's most-capped player with 102 appearances.
    473pts
18. 18
    Thierry Henry

    Arsenal's record scorer with 228 goals, an Invincible, and a World Cup and European Championship winner with France.
    473pts
19. 19
    Diego Maradona

    Argentine genius who almost single-handedly won the 1986 World Cup.
    473pts
20. 20
    Kaká

    Milan's gliding playmaker who won the 2007 Champions League and Ballon d'Or, the last winner before the Messi-Ronaldo era.
    473pts
21. 21
    Raymond Kopa

    France's first great playmaker, 1958 Ballon d'Or winner and a three-time European Cup champion with Real Madrid.
    473pts
22. 22
    Ronaldo Nazário

    Brazil's 'O Fenômeno', a devastating striker and 2002 World Cup winner.
    473pts
23. 23
    Alfredo Di Stéfano

    Complete forward who powered Real Madrid's early European dominance.
    473pts
24. 24
    Karl-Heinz Rummenigge

    Bayern Munich's prolific forward who won back-to-back Ballon d'Or awards in 1980 and 1981 and two European Cups.
    473pts
25. 25
    Gianluigi Buffon

    Italy's 2006 World Cup-winning goalkeeper and Juventus icon, holder of the Serie A appearance record across a career of nearly three decades.
    410pts
26. 26
    Sócrates

    The elegant, bearded captain of Brazil's 1982 side, a qualified doctor and leader of the Corinthians Democracy movement.
    410pts
27. 27
    Luís Figo

    Portugal's dazzling winger, 2000 Ballon d'Or winner, whose transfer from Barcelona to Real Madrid remains football's most controversial.
    410pts
28. 28
    Hristo Stoichkov

    Bulgaria's fiery forward who won the 1994 Ballon d'Or and the World Cup Golden Boot and the 1992 European Cup with Barcelona.
    410pts
29. 29
    Franco Baresi

    Milan's one-club sweeper and captain for two decades, winning three European Cups and six Serie A titles at the heart of a legendary defence.
    410pts
30. 30
    Garrincha

    Brazilian dribbling wizard and joy of the 1962 World Cup.
    410pts
31. 31
    Ronaldinho

    Brazilian magician whose joyful skill defined an era at Barcelona.
    410pts
32. 32
    Bobby Moore

    England's captain and the 1966 World Cup-winning defender whom Pelé called the finest defender he ever faced.
    338pts
33. 33
    George Best

    Mercurial Northern Irish winger and Manchester United great.
    338pts
34. 34
    Marco van Basten

    Three-time Ballon d'Or winner whose Euro 1988 volley is legendary, a two-time European champion with Milan before injury ended his career early.
    338pts
35. 35
    Roberto Carlos

    Brazil's explosive left-back, 2002 World Cup winner and three-time Champions League champion with Real Madrid, famous for his banana free kick.
    338pts
36. 36
    Gerd Müller

    'Der Bomber' scored a record 365 Bundesliga goals, won the 1970 Ballon d'Or and hit the winner in the 1974 World Cup final.
    338pts
37. 37
    Michel Platini

    French playmaker and three-time Ballon d'Or winner, Euro 1984's star.
    338pts
38. 38
    Cafu

    The only player to appear in three World Cup finals, winning two and lifting the trophy as Brazil's captain in 2002.
    338pts
39. 39
    Sir Stanley Matthews

    The 'Wizard of the Dribble', first Ballon d'Or winner in 1956, who played top-flight football until he was 50.
    255pts
40. 40
    Andrés Iniesta

    Barcelona's graceful playmaker who scored Spain's winning goal in the 2010 World Cup final and won four Champions League titles.
    255pts
41. 41
    Luka Modrić

    The 2018 Ballon d'Or winner who led Croatia to a World Cup final and won six Champions League titles with Real Madrid.
    158pts
42. 42
    Robert Lewandowski

    Poland's goal machine who scored a record 41 Bundesliga goals in 2020-21 and won the Champions League with Bayern Munich.
    158pts
43. 43
    Cristiano Ronaldo

    Portuguese goal machine and record international scorer across four leagues.
    158pts
44. 44
    Lothar Matthäus

    Captained West Germany to the 1990 World Cup, won that year's Ballon d'Or and played at a record five World Cups.
    158pts
45. 45
    Johan Cruyff

    Dutch visionary of Total Football and a three-time Ballon d'Or winner.
    158pts
46. 46
    Zinedine Zidane

    Elegant French playmaker, 1998 World Cup winner and Champions League hero.
    0pts
47. 47
    Sir Bobby Charlton

    Munich survivor who won the 1966 World Cup and Ballon d'Or with England and the 1968 European Cup with Manchester United.
    0pts
48. 48
    Zlatan Ibrahimović

    Swedish striker who won league titles in four countries, scored a record 62 goals for Sweden and won the 2013 Puskas Award for an overhead kick against England.
49. 49
    Andrea Pirlo

    Italian deep-lying playmaker who won the 2006 World Cup, taking the Bronze Ball, and two Champions Leagues with AC Milan.
50. 50
    Sergio Ramos

    Spanish centre-back who won the 2010 World Cup, Euro 2008 and Euro 2012 with Spain, plus four Champions Leagues and five La Liga titles with Real Madrid.
51. 51
    Manuel Neuer

    German sweeper-keeper who won the 2014 World Cup and its Golden Glove, plus two Champions Leagues with Bayern Munich in 2013 and 2020.
52. 52
    Gordon Banks

    England's goalkeeper in every match of the 1966 World Cup win, six times FIFA Goalkeeper of the Year, remembered for his save from Pele at the 1970 World Cup.
53. 53
    Dino Zoff

    Italian goalkeeper who lifted the 1982 World Cup as captain at age 40, the oldest winner in the tournament's history, after winning Euro 1968.
54. 54
    Iker Casillas

    Spanish goalkeeper who captained his country to the 2010 World Cup and Euro 2008 and 2012, and won three Champions Leagues with Real Madrid.

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