# Who is the greatest soccer player of all time?

> Legends from multiple continents and eras battle it out — World Cup heroes, Ballon d'Or winners, reinventors of the game, and underrated giants. Who truly stands alone at the top of the beautiful game?

*By YPB Team · Published April 11, 2026 · https://youpick.best/ranking/who-is-the-greatest-soccer-player-of-all-time*

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## Current results (1 vote)

1. **Lionel Messi** — score 1000/1000
   Argentine maestro who won a record 8 Ballon d'Or awards and the 2022 FIFA World Cup.
2. **Diego Maradona** — score 777/1000
   Argentine genius who won the 1986 World Cup with the Hand of God and the Goal of the Century.
3. **Marco van Basten** — score 678/1000
   Dutch striker who scored one of the greatest goals in history in the Euro 1988 final against the USSR.
4. **Paolo Maldini** — score 678/1000
   AC Milan's legendary defender who played for 25 years and won five Champions League titles.
5. **Cristiano Ronaldo** — score 555/1000
   Portuguese goal machine who holds the all-time record for international goals scored.
6. **Johan Cruyff** — score 555/1000
   Dutch pioneer of Total Football who won three Ballon d'Or awards and revolutionized the game in the 1970s.
7. **Ronaldo Nazário (R9)** — score 555/1000
   Brazilian phenomenon who scored crucial goals in the 1994 and 2002 World Cups with extraordinary dribbling.
8. **Andrés Iniesta** — score 555/1000
   Spanish midfielder who scored the 2010 World Cup winning goal in extra time against the Netherlands.
9. **Pelé** — score 396/1000
   Brazilian legend who won three FIFA World Cups and scored over 1,000 career goals.
10. **Zinedine Zidane** — score 396/1000
   French maestro who won the 1998 World Cup, Euro 2000, and three Champions League titles as manager.
11. **Ronaldinho** — score 396/1000
   Brazilian showman who won the 2002 World Cup and 2005 Ballon d'Or with mesmerizing skill.
12. **Franz Beckenbauer** — score 396/1000
   German libero who invented the attacking sweeper role and won the World Cup as both player and manager.
13. **Thierry Henry** — score 396/1000
   French striker who became Arsenal's all-time top scorer and won the 1998 World Cup and Euro 2000.
14. **Xavi Hernández** — score 396/1000
   Spanish midfield maestro who anchored Spain's domination winning Euro 2008, World Cup 2010, and Euro 2012.
15. **Lev Yashin** — score 396/1000
   Soviet goalkeeper known as the 'Black Spider' and the only goalkeeper to ever win the Ballon d'Or.
16. **Gerd Müller** — score 396/1000
   West German goal machine who scored 68 goals in 62 international appearances.

Tags: sports, celebrities, soccer, players