Top 10 Greatest Footballers (Soccer Players) of All Time

Five Ballon d'Or awards, five Champions League titles, and over 900 career goals across four top European leagues plus Saudi Arabia make Ronaldo the most prolific scorer in football history. He is the all-time leading scorer in both the Champions League (140 goals) and for the Portugal national team (130 goals).

The only player to win three FIFA World Cups (1958, 1962, 1970), Pele scored an officially recognised 757 goals in 831 matches and over 1,000 by his own count. His tournament-defining performances at age 17 in 1958 remain the youngest player to score in a World Cup final.

The "Hand of God" and "Goal of the Century" in a single quarter-final match against England in 1986 encapsulate Maradona's genius and controversy. He single-handedly carried Argentina to the 1986 World Cup title and transformed Napoli into Italian champions twice, becoming a deity in Naples.

Three consecutive Ballon d'Or awards (1971-1973) and the inventor of Total Football, Cruyff revolutionised how the game is played and coached. He led Ajax to three consecutive European Cups and Barcelona to their first La Liga title in 14 years, then as coach built the Dream Team that won four consecutive La Liga titles.

Three FIFA World Player of the Year awards, a 1998 World Cup title, a 2000 European Championship, and a Champions League won with a stunning volley in 2002 define Zidane's legacy. His effortless elegance, vision, and technical mastery earned him the FIFA Player of the 20th Century award in a global fan vote.

Il Fenomeno won two World Cups (1994, 2002), two Ballons d'Or, and scored 62 goals at three World Cups — the record at the time. Despite catastrophic knee injuries that would have ended most careers, he returned to score twice in the 2002 World Cup final against Germany.

Two FIFA World Player of the Year awards and a Ballon d'Or in 2005 marked the peak of the most naturally gifted player of his generation. Ronaldinho led Brazil to the 2002 World Cup and transformed Barcelona with flair, joy, and skill that made even Real Madrid fans applaud him at the Bernabeu.

Der Kaiser won the World Cup as both player (1974) and manager (1990), the only person to achieve this feat. He won three consecutive European Cups with Bayern Munich and invented the modern attacking sweeper role, earning two Ballon d'Or awards across his playing career.

Led Real Madrid to five consecutive European Cups from 1956 to 1960 and won the Ballon d'Or twice. Di Stefano is widely credited with inventing the role of the modern total forward, operating across the entire pitch and scoring in all five European Cup finals he played.

Five Ballon d'Or awards, five Champions League titles, and over 900 career goals across four top European leagues plus Saudi Arabia make Ronaldo the most prolific scorer in football history. He is the all-time leading scorer in both the Champions League (140 goals) and for the Portugal national team (130 goals).

The only player to win three FIFA World Cups (1958, 1962, 1970), Pele scored an officially recognised 757 goals in 831 matches and over 1,000 by his own count. His tournament-defining performances at age 17 in 1958 remain the youngest player to score in a World Cup final.

The "Hand of God" and "Goal of the Century" in a single quarter-final match against England in 1986 encapsulate Maradona's genius and controversy. He single-handedly carried Argentina to the 1986 World Cup title and transformed Napoli into Italian champions twice, becoming a deity in Naples.

Three consecutive Ballon d'Or awards (1971-1973) and the inventor of Total Football, Cruyff revolutionised how the game is played and coached. He led Ajax to three consecutive European Cups and Barcelona to their first La Liga title in 14 years, then as coach built the Dream Team that won four consecutive La Liga titles.

Three FIFA World Player of the Year awards, a 1998 World Cup title, a 2000 European Championship, and a Champions League won with a stunning volley in 2002 define Zidane's legacy. His effortless elegance, vision, and technical mastery earned him the FIFA Player of the 20th Century award in a global fan vote.

Il Fenomeno won two World Cups (1994, 2002), two Ballons d'Or, and scored 62 goals at three World Cups — the record at the time. Despite catastrophic knee injuries that would have ended most careers, he returned to score twice in the 2002 World Cup final against Germany.

Two FIFA World Player of the Year awards and a Ballon d'Or in 2005 marked the peak of the most naturally gifted player of his generation. Ronaldinho led Brazil to the 2002 World Cup and transformed Barcelona with flair, joy, and skill that made even Real Madrid fans applaud him at the Bernabeu.

Der Kaiser won the World Cup as both player (1974) and manager (1990), the only person to achieve this feat. He won three consecutive European Cups with Bayern Munich and invented the modern attacking sweeper role, earning two Ballon d'Or awards across his playing career.

Led Real Madrid to five consecutive European Cups from 1956 to 1960 and won the Ballon d'Or twice. Di Stefano is widely credited with inventing the role of the modern total forward, operating across the entire pitch and scoring in all five European Cup finals he played.