It’s difficult to pick the 15 best soccer players of all time.
Some people would say that Pele is the best player of all time. Some would say that Maradona is the best player of all time. Some might even say that Ronaldo or Messi are the best players of all time.
It depends on who you ask and what criteria you use to determine which players are “best.” It is difficult to rank people by comparing their skills. It is even more challenging when you try to compare players from different eras. But it can be done. Here are the top 15 soccer players of all time:
Lionel Messi
“Messi is always the right person for Ballon d’Or”. He is the best soccer player in the world. If they choose the best player in the world, it is Messi. “There is no doubt that Messi is the best in the world, and whoever says otherwise is a relative of Ronaldo” ex-Barcelona midfielder Xavi said. And it’s really hard to disagree since Messi is the record holder for the number of Ballon d’Or (6). Leo also has six European Golden Shoe and more than 34 club trophies in Barcelona and nearly 50 records.
Cristiano Ronaldo
Cristiano Ronaldo is currently the biggest competitor to Messi’s position as the world’s best and current soccer player. Despite the fact that the Portuguese have less Ballon d’Or, he is convinced he is cooler than Messi. “I’m better than Messi. In my mind, I’m better than he is and always will be” Ronaldo said. However, Cristiano has reason to think so. In his career he scored more goals than Messi (767 vs. 730). And the Ronaldo performance at the national level is far more impressive. He won the Nations Cup and the European Championship.
Ronaldinho
“The Magician” Ronaldinho became famous for his brilliant feints and creative goals. When the Brazilian was on the field, he literally captivated his fans with his game. As a result, he was awarded the Ballon d’Or Award and the FIFA World Player of the Year Award (2004, 2005). In Barcelona, Ronaldinho won the Spanish League and the Super Cup and won Serie A at AC Milan in the early 2010s. The Brazilian probably could have kept on, but he left the top level too early.
Xavi
Barcelona’s legendary Xavi played in the club for a 17 year. During this time, from a promising teenager he has become the world’s best playmaker. Xavi has won 25 trophies in Barcelona and has become twice a European Champion and a World Champion in Spain national team. Xavi have been named to the emblematic world team several times, but never won the Ballon d’Or because of Ronaldo and Messi’s genius.
Ronaldo
Ronaldo is widely considered to be one of the greatest soccer players of all time. He was born in Brazil and played for Brazil national team. Ronaldo has won many awards, such as FIFA World Player of the Year and Ballon d’Or (twice). Ronaldo won two World Cups with Brazil national team (1998 World Cup and 2002 World Cup) and held the record for most of the world cup goals until 2014, when he was overtaken by Miroslav Klose. At the club level, Ronaldo has also won many trophies and 10 total titles at Real Madrid. Having scored 350 goals in official matches during his career.
Cafu
Brazilian Cafu has a unique track record. He is the only soccer player to play in the three World Cup finals. Furthermore, he won two of them (1994 and 2002 World Cups). He won a total of more than 15 club trophies in his career with São Paulo, Palmeiras, Roma and AC Milan, and in 1994 Cafu was named South American Footballer of the Year.
Paolo Maldini
Maldini is a legend of AC Milan. He spent his entire career in his home club, where he played in 902 games. With AC Milan, Paolo has won 26 trophies. The defender was named the best soccer player in the world in 1994, and World Soccer magazine listed Maldini on the list of the best soccer players of the 20th century. Not surprisingly, AC Milan took his number (3) from the round after Paolo completed his career.
Marco van Basten
The era of Marco van Basten began when former European King Platini was already playing. Marco scored a legendary goal in the final of the tournament with the Soviet Union, helped the team win the 1988 European Championship, and received the first of three Ballon d’Or in the same year. Playing for Ajax and AC Milan Van Basten has repeatedly been the top scorer in the Dutch and Italian championships. In total, he won 21 trophies in his club.
Lothar Matthäus
Defender Lothar Matthäus holds the record for most games for the national team with 150 appearances. He has participated in up to five World Cups. His career peaked in the early 1990s. He helped Germany win the World Cup in 1990 and was named the best player in Germany, and has become the best player of the year in the world in 1991.
Diego Maradona
Diego Armando Maradona is especially remembered by fans for Argentina national team victory at the World Cup in Mexico in 1986, when after a great pass, he scored a brilliant goal in England goals. This was recognized as the best goal in the history of the Argentine Cup. Then Diego Armando showed the world “the hand of God.” However, Maradona was shining not only on the national team, but also on the Boca Honia’s, Barcelona and Napoli. At club level, he collected up nine trophies. At club level he collected nine trophies, and at the end of his career Maradona received the honorary Ballon d’Or and was named the best football player of the century by FIFA.
Michel Platini
In the mid-1980s Michel Platini dominated European football. He was the first player to win three Ballon d’Or titles in a row (1983, 1984, 1985). He has been named the best player in the world and Europe several times, and has also won top scores in the Serie A and European Championships. Michelle won 13 trophies during his career, including the European Championship with France national team, and 11 club titles.
Johan Cruyff
Johan Cruyff was the first player to win three Ballon d’Or awards in history. He was named the best player in Europe in 1971, 1973 and 1974. He had great success in Ajax, Barcelona and the Netherlands national team, and after his career he became a coach as legendary as a player. Cruyff turned Barcelona into a formidable force in Europe and taught the team to love and pass the ball. Johann is believed to be the inventor of modern soccer.
Franz Beckenbauer
Legendary German soccer player Franz Beckenbauer has revolutionized defense. He became the first offensive “libero” and eventually the only defender in history to win the Ballon d’Or twice. Franz has also been named four times as Germany’s Footballer of the Year. Together with Bavaria, he has collected 13 trophies, including three European Cup titles. He also won the World Cup and European Championships with the German team. Beckenbauer is considered to be the best defender of the 20th century.
Pele
Pele is a real star in the soccer world. In his career, he scored 1,283 goals in 1,363 games, making him the highest scorer ever. In addition, he has won three world championships and many club trophies in the country. World Soccer magazine has named Pele the best soccer player of the 20th century, and the IOC called him the athlete of the century.
Lev Yashin
The legendary Soviet and Dynamo Moscow goalkeeper, nicknamed the “Black Spider”. He is the only goalkeeper in history to win the Ballon d’Or. In the middle of the last century, he started the soccer revolution. He began to play actively on the output and often even outside the penalty area. Yashin was initially criticized for his unusual playing style, but later it became clear that he was producing results. Not without reason, Lev Yashin was recognized as the best goalkeeper of the USSR 11 times, and even the best goalkeeper ever, according to France Football magazine.
