For centuries, Football, aka soccer has been one of the most prominent sports all over the world. In this meantime, hundreds of high-end football players, however, only limited players have made it into the history of Football. Their power over the football world is so high that even today, these legends’ names are written in gold in the global fields of soccer. Yes! Everyone has a favorite footballer. To begin with, today’s youth deeply follow the career of Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo. In this world of social media, we have forgotten the legends from the 90s including Diego Maradona, Pele, and Jimmy Johnstone. So, today in this reading, we are recognizing the top 10 greatest football player of all time.
Some of these players may be retired or dead, but these legends are worth remembering. Their careers had been in the spotlight for longer than you or former generations can remember. Social media or not, these greatest football player of all time deserve hashtag trendings and legendary mentioning of their best moments on the fields to treasure forever. So, here we go!
Lionel Messi: Top ranking greatest football player of all time
Table of Contents
If you are majorly focusing on the 2000s, the greatest football player of all time that the world has witnessed is – Lionel Messi, shortly known as Leo or Messina. Turned 33 years old in 2020, Lionel Messi’s current net worth is 400 million USD. He mainly belongs to Argentina. Noteworthy records of Messi in the history of football are:
- 444 goals in La Liga
- Holder of Six FIFA World Player of the Year/Best FIFA Men’s Player Awards
- Top Goalscorer in Guinness World Record.
- Simultaneous winner of FIFA Club WorldCup Golden Ball and Final Most Valuable Player Awards.
To be honest, the winnings and records of Lionel Messi are unending. Hence, let’s skip to the conclusion – Messi is the greatest football player of all time – that today’s generation recognizes.
Alfredo Di Stefano – Greatest Football Player of 1980s
Today’s readers may not remember Alfredo Di Stefano – the mind-blowing football player from Argentina in the early 1900s. He was shortly known as Saeta Rubia. Within 20 years of Alfredo’s high-end career in football, he won several noteworthy awards and championships including – Ballon d’Or.
The world often recognizes Stefano as beyond the greatest football player of all time but for us, he drops 2nd on this list because in his own times – his name was bigger than today’s players – Cristiano and Messi.
Diego Maradona
To begin with, in the history of football, Diego Maradona has proved that height is not always a significant factor when it comes to playing Soccer. Deigo who is only 5’5’’ started his career in football at the international level in 1982. Not only this but in 1979, he won FIFA World Youth Champion Golden Ball and Silver Shoe. Later, in 1993, Diego also accomplished the Artemio Franchi Trophy.
Here’s an amazing fact – Diego Maradona was announced as the captain of his football team for 16 consecutive years at the national level. In his entire career, he has scored goals over 250 times making him the 3rd ranking greatest football player of all time.
Cristiano Ronaldo – Greatest Football Player of all time in 2020
Born in 1985, Cristiano Ronaldo has developed in the field of Soccer like a legend. Recently in 2017, he has won the Best FIFA Men’s Player as well as FIFA FIFPro World XI from 2017 to 2019. To begin with, Ronaldo comes from a very poverty-loaded background, and thus, today he is an inspiration for hundreds of youth who face some kind of trouble, yet manage to get their studies in line and hope for it to compensate in the future.
Cristiano Ronaldo’s football record – up until now, Ronaldo has scored 447 goals. And of course, there are more to come.
Pelé
Edson Arantes do Nascimento is a world-class football player of all time. He is shortly known as Pelé – a retired Brazilian footballer that made it into the golden mentioning as – best-paid athlete all over the world. Well! If that is not enough to describe Pele as the top-ranking greatest football player of all time, here are his noteworthy achievements:
- 11 times top scorers of Campeonato Paulista Série A1
- FIFA World Cup Best Young Player, Golden Ball, and Silver Ball winner
- FWA Tribute Award
- In the history of Football, Pelé scored over 750 goals throughout his career.
Zinedine Yazid Zidane
Popularly known as Zizou, Zinedine Yazid Zidane is a high-end football player from France who played as the major midfielder of all time. In the year 1989, Zizu’s international football career started as a part of the Cannes football team. Recently in 2019, this player retired as a team member of Real Madrid. From winning the UEFA Intertoto Cup in 1995 and the best french football player of all time in 2018, in the meantime, his achievements are unending.
Here’s a fun fact- from 2001 to 2009, Zizu was known as the most expensive footballer in history. Not only this but Zinedine is the only footballer who has won the FIFA Club World Cup 4 times, both as a player and as a manager. Without a doubt, this legend is worth every memo when it comes to Soccer.
Neymar da Silva Santos Júnior
Once again, a Brazilian footballer has made it into our list of top footballers of all time. That’s right! Neymar da Silva Santos Júnior born in 1992 started his career in football in 2003 by joining Santos FC in the first place. Passionate Neymar moved on to the greater heights of success from then and there. Not long after succeeding at Santos FC, Neymar got football further training as a member of the Real Madrid Youth Team.
Following accomplishments of Neymar are rememberable:
- 2010 top scorer at Copa Do Brasil football competition
- 2011 South American Youth Championship top scorer
- UEFA Champions League Top Scorer (Lionel Messi and Ronaldo tie-up)
- Over 169 goals at global level up until now
Neymar da Silva Santos Júnior is counted as the youngest greatest football player of all time.
Roberto Baggio
Moving on to our next best football player of all time, you shall take your inspiration from Roberto Baggio from Italy, born in 1967, Roberto started playing Football at a countable level only at the age of 7. His career as Senior started with high-end teams like L.R. Vicenza, Florentina, Bologna, and Inter Milan. As a national player, in 1984, Roberto became a standing part of the Italy National U-16 Football team. He played 3 FIFA World Cup throughout his career – 1990, 1994, and 1998. The accomplishment that keeps his career worth mentioning are:
- Overall 291 goals.
- Recently won Juventus Greatest XI of All Time
- Listed as International Federation of Football History & Statistics Legends.
- 2015 Walk of Fame
- 2011 Italy Football Hall of Fame
Eden Michael Hazard – Greatest Football Player of all time at Global level
In case you think we have forgotten the contribution of Belgium in international Football, well! We have not because who can forget Eden Michael Hazard when it comes to the greatest football player of all time. Born in 1991, Eden is the second youngest football player to achieve such a high-end title and is mentioned as a legend. Currently a part of the Real Madrid Football team, Eden started his career as a footballer at the age of 4 only. Yes! He was the first part of Royal Stade Brainois in 1995. Now, he holds the following achievements:
- Overall 161 goals in 20 years of major career in Football
- 2018 FIFA World Cup Silver Ball
- Belgium Player of the Year 2017-2019
- FWA Footballer of the Year
- 2011 Bravo Award
Luis Alberto Suárez Díaz
Shortly known as Luis Suarez is a 33-year-old football player from FC Barcelona is now highly in competition with Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi. However, there are several achievements that depict Luis as quite a legend in the history of football. He has achieved the following and still counting his achievements for the times to come:
- Overall 416 goals
- Winner of La Liga Player of the Month 2016-2019
- FIFA FIFPro World11 team (2013-2019)
- La Liga World Player of the Year 2015-16
- European Sports Media Team of the Year
- 2015 FIFA World Cup Golden Ball and Golden Boots
- Dutch Footballer of the year 2009-10
- Currently, Luis Alberto Suarez Diaz is the top-notch striker known to the 2020s the audience, and football lovers.
Epilogue…
So, these were the top 10 greatest football player of all time. However, some golden mentions are Mohammed Saleh, Xavi, Johan Cruyff, and Marcelo Vieira. Do you know? In the past few decades, football viewership has increased from thousands to 16 million and over per game. Every school in the United States highly prefers Football training for the students who keep a passion for it. To be honest, there’s something about Football that no one can get over.
Hence, if you are one of the passionate football players still in development and training, work hard and smart! No goal is beyond your league. Therefore, stay tuned with us to know more about the scope of sports and top players of all time in order to attain long-lasting inspiration.
For more information about these players, you can connect with us online in the comment section. It’s 2020 already and the world of football is waiting for the commencement of youth football players and how their grace and skill will change it for the better!
