It’s the question always guaranteed to spark contentious debate amongst soccer fans. Who is the greatest player of all time? Given the ever-changing nature of the game, it’s perhaps an unanswerable one. How do you compare someone from the era of the pigskin ball, half-time oranges and legal backpass with the highly-trained, physically advanced multi-millionaires of today? Nevertheless, we’ve attempted to tackle it anyway, basing the results on a highly scientific combination of statistics, talent and overall impact on the sport. Here’s our verdict.
- Alfredo Di Stéfano
“We are all footballers, and as such should be able to perform competently in all 11 positions.” With the exception of the goalkeeper role, Real Madrid legend Alfredo Di Stéfano walked the walk as well as he talked the talk to become the sport’s first Total Soccer player. Nicknamed the Blond Arrow due to his quickfire pace and golden locks, the Argentinian showcased his creative genius all over the pitch, but made his name as a prolific forward. Di Stéfano was an instrumental figure in the Real team that lifted five consecutive European Cups in the 1950s, scoring in each and every final, and eight La Liga titles. Despite winning caps for three different countries (his native Argentina, his adopted Spain and an unrecognised-by-FIFA spell with Colombia), a run of bad luck cost him the chance to display his versatility on the World Cup stage. But he remains one of the most gifted all-rounders ever to step foot on a pitch.
- Johan Cruyff
Fellow Total Soccer player Johan Cruyff did manage to make it to the World Cup, and indeed the actual final, in 1974 where he received the Golden Ball and first executed Cruyff Turn. As well as inspiring a whole generation of schoolkids to practise the brilliantly deceptive move in the playground, Cruyff also influenced everyone from Eric Cantona to Xavi with his unrivalled skill, fluid movements and quick thinking, and transformed Holland’s reputation as a soccer force. Indeed, before Cruyff came along, no Dutch club had ever won a European competition. By the time he left Ajax in 1973 they had won three in a row. Cruyff then guided Barcelona to their first La Liga in 14 years during a spell in which he added the ‘Phantom Goal’ to his box of tricks. It’s difficult to think of any other player who has left such a lasting legacy.
Lionel Messi
‘A miracle from God.’ ‘The Mozart of soccer.’ ‘Is he real or a Playstation character?’ Lionel Messi may be somewhat vertically-challenged but he certainly isn’t short of total admiration from his peers. Teammate Luis Figo even compared watching him play to having an orgasm. The Argentinian forward has earned such respect thanks to a breathtaking technical ability and a record-breaking list of achievements unlikely to be surpassed by anyone in the near future. With Barcelona he’s lifted eight league titles, four Champions League trophies and five Ballon d’Or awards (four consecutive), and become the highest La Liga scorer of all time with an astonishing 337 goals. And having previously been accused of bottling it on the international stage, Messi then silenced his few remaining critics when he picked up the Golden Ball at the 2014 World Cup.Diego Maradona
Like Zidane, Diego Maradona’s previously glittering career also ended in shame. Failed drug tests at Barcelona and the 1994 World Cup—the latter heavily foreshadowed by his famously wild-eyed celebration after scoring against Greece—ensured that there would always be a black mark against his name. But when the diminutive Argentinian was at his peak, he was literally untouchable. Just ask those England internationals he ran rings around during that astonishing ‘Hand of God’ game at the 1986 World Cup—a tournament which he dominated in a manner not seen since Pele in 1958. As well as lifting the sport’s most coveted trophy, Maradona also used his lightning pace, quick reflexes and astonishing precision to guide Napoli to two Serie A titles and a UEFA Cup. Controversial and complicated as he may have been, the 20th Century game wouldn’t have been quite as beautiful without him.Pelé
The man born Edson Arantes de Nascimento became a name that rolled off everyone’s tongues when he lit up the 1958 World Cup at the tender age of 17. Pelé scored six goals at the tournament, including one of the all-time final greats, to help Brazil lift the coveted Jules Rimet for the first time in their history. Of course, it wouldn’t be theirs, or their star No.10’s last. Pelé also contributed to Brazil’s 1962 successful defence of the trophy, although injury in only their second match robbed him the chance of playing a far more instrumental role. But ‘The King’ got to make amends eight years later when he guided the host nation’s Golden Generation to a third World Cup with a Golden Ball-winning display that remains the stuff of legend. By the end of his career, the Santos forward had netted an unfathomable 1281 goals, making him the most prolific goalscorer in soccer history.
So these are the top 5 players in football history.