The best ever players to ever kicked football aren’t just only the ones we know or have seen play, but the ones that reached an extraordinary feat in the game.
Who do you think are the greatest players of all time and why do you think so?
Well, fans, pundits and players have debated over a long period of time, arranging and rearranging the list with new feats and players.
Aside from personal sentiments, several factors further complicate the question of the list of players that can be termed best amongst their peers.
Football is the most popular sports in the world and has produced some great stars who have achieved unimaginable feats.
This feat will forever leave a lasting impression on football fans and lovers around the world, and the reason why picking the best players ever is quite tasking.
On our scale on Futballnews, three factors are considered, first – ability, Second – length of career, and third – achievements.
Stay with us while we talk about the Greatest XI Of All Time.
Best Ever Players: Greatest XI Of All Time
From our list, we are going to talk about the best of the best, starting from the attacking position:
- Pele – Brazil (CF)
- Cristiano Ronaldo – Portugal (LW)
- Lionel Messi – Argentina (RW)
- Maradona – Argentina (AM)
- Zinedine Zidane – France (MF)
- Cruyff – Netherlands (DM)
- Maldini – Italy (LB)
- Carlos Alberto – Brazil (RB)
- Sergio Ramos – Spain (CB)
- Beckenbauer – Germany (CB)
- Gianluigi Buffon – Italy (GK)
Pele – Brazil (CF)
Edson Arantes do Nascimento, also known as Pele was born on 23rd October 1940 and died on 29th December 2022 after battling cancer.
Pele was a Brazilian professional football player who played as a center forward or as a striker.
Pele is widely regarded as one the greatest players of all time and the most successful and popular sports figure in the 20th century.
Pele scored 1,279 goals in 1,363 games including friendly matches and bagged a Guinness World Record for that feat.
Cristiano Ronaldo – Portugal (LW)
Cristiano Ronaldo dos Santos Aveiro GOIH ComM is a Portuguese player who plays for Al Nassr and Portugal’s national team, Ronaldo was born on 5th February 1985.
Ronaldo is widely regarded as one of the Best ever players. He has won five Ballon d’Or awards and four European Golden Shoes, the most by a European player.
The former Real Madrid and Manchester United star as amassed a total of 32 trophies for club and country throughout his career.
Lionel Messi – Argentina (RW)
Lionel Andrés Messi was born on 24th June 1987. He is a professional footballer playing for PSG and Argentina national team.
Messi is globally regarded as one of the greatest players of all time. He has won the Ballon d’Or 7 times, and a record six European Golden Shoe.
With his country, Lionel Messi won the 2021 Copa América and the 2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar.
Diego Maradona – Argentina (AM)
Diego Armando Maradona lived from 30th October 1960 to November 25th 2020, he was an Argentine professional footballer and a manager.
Just like others, Maradona is regarded as one of the best-ever players in the history of football, he was the joint winner of the FIFA player of the 20th-century award.
Zinedine Zidane – France (MF)
Zinedine Yazid Zidane was a former football player and a manager who was born on 23rd June 1972, his primary role was attacking midfield.
Just like other, Zidane is widely regarded as the greatest footballer of all time as he is renowned for vision, elegance, passing and technique.
Zizou as he is informally called, received many individual accolades as a player, including being named FIFA World Player of the Year in 1998, 2000 and 2003, and winning the 1998 Ballon d’Or.
Johan Cruyff – Netherlands (DM)
Hendrik Johannes Cruijff also known as Johan Cruyff lived between 25 April 1947 to 24th March 2016, he was a professional footballer and a manager.
As a player, Cruyff won the prestigious Ballon d’Or three times, in 1971, 1973 and 1974.
Cruyff supported the football philosophy Total Football which was explored by Rinus Michels.
He was generally regarded as the most influential figures in modern football. He is considered as Best Ever player and greatest manager in football.
Paolo Maldini – Italy (LB)
Paolo Cesare Maldini Ufficiale OMRI was born on 26th June 1968 and he was a former Italy player who played for Italy’s national team and AC Milan as a left-back.
Regarded as one of the greatest defenders of all time, he was nicknamed “Il Capitano” (“The Captain”) as Italy and AC Milan captain for decades.
Maldini held the record for most appearances in Serie A, with 647, until 2020, when he was overtaken by Gianluigi Buffon.
Carlos Alberto – Brazil (RB)
Carlos Alberto “Capita” Torres lived from 17 July 1944 – 25 October 2016. He was also known as “O Capitão do Tri,” he was a former player and a manager.
He played as a right-handed full-back and was technically gifted with good balls skills and defensive prowess.
He is widely regarded as one of the Best Ever Players in football with his leadership and accuracy in taking penalty kicks.
Alberto captained the Brazil national team to victory in the 1970 World Cup, scoring the fourth goal in the final, considered one of the greatest goals in the history of the tournament.
Sergio Ramos – Spain (CB)
Sergio Ramos García was born on 30th March 1986, he is a professional football player who plays for the French side PSG.
Ramos is known for aggressive play but he’s also regarded as one of the best ever players and defender of all time.
He spent 16 seasons at Real Madrid winning four UEFA Champions League titles along with two UEFA European Championships.
He was also a key player in Spain’s 2010 FIFA World Cup winning campaign.
Franz Beckenbauer – Germany (CB)
Franz Anton Beckenbauer is a former German footballer and football manager who was born on the 11th of September 1945.
In his playing days, he was nicknamed Der Kaiser (“The Emperor”) because of his elegant style, dominance and leadership on the field, and also as his first name “Franz” is reminiscent of the Austrian emperors.
Beckenbauer is globally regarded as one of the Best Ever Players to grace the game due to his versatility and elegance.
Gianluigi Buffon – Italy (GK)
Gianluigi Buffon OMR, born 28th January 1978 is an Italian professional football player who captains and plays as a goalie for Serie B team Parma.
Widely regarded as one of the greatest goalkeeper of all time, he is one of the few players to have made over 1100 professional career appearances.
Honarable Mentions: Greatest XI Of All Time
- Ronaldo De Mila (CF)
- Ronaldinho (LW)
- Di Stefano (RW)
- Platini (AM)
- Iniesta (MF)
- Modric (DM)
- Roberto Carlos (LB)
- Cafu (RB)
- Baresi (CB)
- Puyol (CB)
- Casillas (GK)
