Last update 9 September, 2025 by Alberto Llopis

Who are the best players in history? Whenever I publish a ranking they ask me "objectivity". It does not exist to 100%, but yes a method. I speak like coach, Content creator and football fan since he was a child at the end of the 80. That gives some perspective to compare peaks, longevity and how they changed (or not) The big games.

1. How I compare, positions and styles (My method in 5 criteria)

Orientative weighting

• Titles and influence on large matches (25%): World Cups, Continental, Champions/European Cup and strong glasses; No high trophies "in gross", value real weight on decisive nights.

• Tactical impact and mastery of the game (25%): How his presence altered rival plans; and They created archetypes (free modern, false 9, Control interior ...).

• Performance peak (20%): that stage in which they were unstoppable.

• Longevity and consistency (20%): years in the elite keeping standard.

• Legacy and Inspiración (10%): Cultural footprint, leadership, School of players that generated.

I compare for positions (goalkeepers and defenses are not measured only by goals) y Therefore (rules, footballs, fields, Physical preparation). My first World Cup was Italia 90, The first that I really enjoyed was USA 94; Since then I try not to mix churras with merina: and 9 of the 60 Another football lived than one end of 2010.

2. The historical top (40→1) With mini-fists (pico, Achievements, legacy)

#40–31: Great soccer players

40. Kylian Mbappé — Pico: speed and definition in transitions. Achievements: national titles, International endings. Legacy: candidate to mark there next decade; still writing.
39. Neymar — Pico: 1V1 imbalance and creativity. Achievements: diseases, Champions, SUCCESSES WITH THE SELECTION. Legacy: Technical icon of your generation, irregularity lowers positions.
38. Pavel Nedvěd — Pico: motor box-to-box con gol. Achievements: Top Ligas, Europa. Legacy: Total competitive midfielder at the highest level. Pavel Nedved He is the best Czech player in history.
37. Andrea Pirlo — Pico: Metronome and long surgical pass. Achievements: Club and Selection Titles. Legacy: redefined the modern regist.
36. Michael Laudrup — Pico: supernatural vision; Yeah, The passes looking at the stands. Achievements: diseases, Europa. Legacy: one of the ones that fell in love most for its reading of space; It does not always appear on lists, but its intelligence He puts it here. He Best player in Denmark.
35. Sergio Ramos — Pico: Decisive central in areas. Achievements: Title collections. Legacy: leadership, Gol in the end, Competitive aggressiveness.
34. Francesco Totti — Pico: 10/9, last club emperor. Achievements: diseases, International tournaments. Legacy: Symbol of loyalty and pure technique. One of the One Club Man more famous in history.
33. Bobby Moore — Pico: legendary defensive timing. Achievements: glory with your selection. Legacy: class and placement, Central School.
32. Didi — Pico: Temple in the crescent. Achievements: world successes. Legacy: Pass teacher and pause.
31. Lev Yashin — Pico: The goalkeeper who made the goal a stage. Achievements: Titles and Top Awards. Legacy: Modern goalkeeper paradigm. The ‘Black Spider’.

#30–21: The elite that touched the Olympus

30. Lothar Matthäus — Pico: SUVs with Zancada and Arrival. Achievements: Club and Selection Titles. Legacy: fierce longevity.
29. Ruud Gullit — Pico: power + technique. Achievements: Europe and selection. Legacy: period versatility.
28. Marco van Basten — Pico: One of the finest definitions; If it weren't for injuries .... Achievements: Leagues and Europe. Legacy: lethal elegance in the area.
27. Luka Modric — Pico: Rhythms and solutions control under pressure. Achievements: Champions, successes with your selection. Legacy: Control interior that dominates qualifiers.
26. Franco Baresi — Pico: Online reading and leadership. Achievements: Europe with historical teams. Legacy: Tactical Central Manual.
25. George Best — Pico: Gambeta and charisma. Achievements: Leagues and Europe. Legacy: Football Pop Myth.
24. Thierry Henry — Pico: amplitude, Diagonal unchecking and definition. Achievements: diseases, Europa, selection. Legacy: modern winger-winger.
23. Kaka — Pico: Impossible start by central lane. Achievements: Europe and Leagues. Legacy: 10/Transitional medium.
22. Robert Carlos — Pico: Side-Extermo with comic firing. Achievements: Europe and selection. Legacy: raised the offensive bar of the left side.
21. Cafu — Pico: I inexhaustible right highway. Achievements: Europe and selection. Legacy: Reference right side for years.

#20–11: Absolute legends

20. Eusebius — Pico: Shorter with a dock. Achievements: Europe and selection. Legacy: Panther who took his club to the top.
19. Gerd Müller — Pico: instinct within the area like nobody. Achievements: Europe and selection. Legacy: redefined the "9" auctioneer.
18. Garrincha — Pico: Hypnotic dribble, one against one eternal. Achievements: world successes. Legacy: Soccer as popular art.
17. Michael Platini — Pico: reading, Goal and command. Achievements: ownership Continental. Legacy: school brain medium.
16. Paolo Maldini — Pico: Excellence without stridency. Achievements: Europa, elite longevity. Legacy: Defensive class standard.
15. Xavi — Pico: pass, Pause and geometry. Achievements: Europe and selection. Legacy: The "Control Interior" by Antonomasia.
14. Andres Iniesta — Pico: giro, Short driving and appearance in the party that defines races. Achievements: Europe and selection. Legacy: Useful poetry; I have seen its live reading and TV does not do justice.
13. Roberto Baggio — Pico: delicacy and last pass. Achievements: Leagues and prominence in large tournaments. Legacy: aesthetics and efficacy.
12. Romário — Pico: First control = goal. Achievements: continental and world successes. Legacy: he 9 small and unstoppable.
11. Zico — Pico: gol, pass and hit excellent. Achievements: Domain in clubs and selection. Legacy: "Pelé Blanco" by influence and technique.

#10–1: The untouchables (With Goat comparisons)

10. Ronaldinho — Pico: The highest magic peak I remember: unpredictable, Happy and devastating. Achievements: Europe and selection. Legacy: inspired an entire generation.
9. Ferenc Puskás — Pico: left -handed cannon and leadership. Achievements: Europa, successes with your selection. Legacy: His name is a goal synonymous.
8. Franz Beckenbauer — Pico: invented the modern figure of Lebero. Achievements: Europe and selection. Legacy: put order from behind; Colossal tactical influence.
7. Ronaldo Nazario — Pico: Front more indefensible What I saw; torn, Waist and definition. Achievements: Titles in Clubs and Selection. Legacy: molded to 9 total.
6. Alfredo Di Stefano — Pico: omnipresence; I played all over the field. Achievements: European domain of your club. Legacy: Modern Club Soccer Base.
5. Cristiano Ronaldo — Pico: Inacabable productivity; Air game, uncheck, decisive foot. Achievements: Collection of titles and records. Legacy: professional obsession that raised the competitive standard.
4. Johan Cruyff — Pico: brain total football. Achievements: Europe and Leadership in Selection/Club. Legacy: ideologist; coach-player as a historical figure.
3. Diego Maradona — Pico: emotional leadership and lightning legs. Achievements: Titles with Club and Selection, Eternal nights. Legacy: Cultural Football Myth.
2. Skin — Pico: Athlete-artist with area reading. Achievements: world successes and with your club. Legacy: The Supercrack Mold.
1. Lionel Messi — Pico: Resolution in minimal spaces, lethal pass, Huge regularity. Achievements: He won practically everything. Legacy: redefined what a 10/false 9 For more than a decade. Confession: live I have seen rivals plan entire matches to not let him receive from his back.

Personal note: Laudrup It does not usually enter all top-10, but its Vision changed me The way of understanding the game: The pass that invite to the race. That idea appears in several of these cracks, But few embodied her with so elegance.

Gold balls added to the historical top (40→1)

Format: Player - Golden Balls (years). And “0 (Not eligible)”, It is for the regulations of your time.

40. Kylian Mbappé - 0
39. Neymar — 0
38. Pavel Nedvěd - 1 (2003)
37. Andrea Pirlo - 0
36. Michael Laudrup - 0
35. Sergio Ramos - 0
34. Francesco Totti - 0
33. Bobby Moore — 0
32. Didi — 0 (Not eligible)
31. Lev Yashin - 1 (1963)

30. Lothar Matthäus - 1 (1990)
29. Ruud Listing — 1 (1987)
28. Marco van Basten - 3 (1988, 1989, 1992)
27. Luka Modric - 1 (2018)
26. Franco Baresi - 0
25. George Best — 1 (1968)
24. Thierry Henry — 0
23. Kaka - 1 (2007)
22. Roberto Carlos - 0
21. Cafu - 0

20. EUSÉBIO - 1 (1965)
19. Gerd Müller - 1 (1970)
18. Garrincha - 0 (Not eligible)
17. Michel Platini - 3 (1983, 1984, 1985)
16. Paolo Maldini - 0
15. Xavi — 0
14. Andrés Iniesta - 0
13. Roberto Baggio - 1 (1993)
12. Romário - 0 (Not eligible in 1994)
11. Zico — 0 (Not eligible)

10. Ronaldinho — 1 (2005)
9. Francis Puskás - 0
8. Franz Beckenbauer - 2 (1972, 1976)
7. Ronaldo Nazario - 2 (1997, 2002)
6. Alfredo di Stéfano - 2 (1957, 1959)
5. Cristiano Ronaldo - 5 (2008, 2013, 2014, 2016, 2017)
4. Johan Cruyff - 3 (1971, 1973, 1974)
3. Diego Maradona - 0 (honorific 1995)
2. Skin - 0 (honorific 2013)
1. Lionel Messi - 8 (2009, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2015, 2019, 2021, 2023)

Top of more golden balls inside this ranking

• Lionel Messi - 8

• Cristiano Ronaldo - 5

• Cruyff / Platinum / Van Basten - 3

• Beckenbauer / Ronaldo Nazario / Say Stefano — 2

• Lightning / Best / Eusebius / Gerd Müller / Baggio / Gullit / Matthew / Nedvěd / Kaka / Ronaldinho — 1

3. Key comparisons: Messi vs Maradona vs Pelé vs Cristiano (What weighs more and why)

• Pico vs longevity: Maradona had a unique emotional-technical peak; Messi maintains a high level for many years; Cristiano, Competitive longevity with finishing elite; Pelé dominated his era with forcefulness and versatility.

• Tactical impact: Cruyff and Di Stéfano change game ideas; Messi and Cristiano change as It is competed every weekend.

• Great matches: I evaluate leadership, Previous influence and "hinge moments" (goals/Aseis in final phases).

• Context of era: Pelé and Di Stéfano played with rules, different balls and rhythms; That is why I normalize with the relative weight In his time.

In my coach notebook, If weigh Titles and Impact + pico + longevity, Messi is first for global balance, Maradona and Pelé tied in "epic and peak", And Cristiano is the productivity standard that forces others to persecute him.

4. The context matters: eras, rules and tactics that molded each star

• Rules and arbitration: more allowed contact in past decades; Today there is VAR and tactical surveillance.

• Physical preparation: Today is played faster; Before there were more spaces, But less substitutions and less protection.

• Positional evolution: of the libero (Beckenbauer) al Control interior (Xavi/Modric), of the classic end (Garrincha) al scorer extreme (Cristiano/Henry).

• Calendar: Now the density punishes longevity; That is why I even value the consistency of those who endure up.

Myself, Seeing Live Leagues of Maximum Level, I have learned to look at Details without ball: How Iniesta is emerging to receive, How Maldini deactivates al 9 Only with the position, or how a laudrup pass accelerate A play without physically touching the ball (Yeah, It happens).

5. Honorary mentions (And why Laudrup deserves to be in conversation)

They stay one step away from 40: Dino Zoff, Rivaldo, Rivelino, Matthias Sammer, Socrates, Zlatan Ibrahimovic, Luis Suarez (Uruguay), Ask, Rich, Sergio Busquets. If you wonder why Laudrup Yes enter: There are lists that underestimate the Creation of invisible advantages; In my ranking the Reading and Timing They tell.

6. Frequent questions to close the debate without dogmas

What weighs the most: World, Champions The Oro Balón?
It depends on as: I prefer a player who dominates the Champions League and Selections Tournaments with real influence to whom Trophies as a passenger.

How do I value goalkeepers and defenses?
More for Errors avoided and control of areas that by highlights. That is why Yashin and Maldini appear above without goals.

Ronaldo Nazario O Ronaldinho?
Ronaldo was the 9 impossible; Ronaldinho, The magician. Pico for Dinho, 9 total for R9. In total, I get R9 by impact on area.

Why Xavi and Iniesta so high?
Why changed how they win: control, break, Third man. It is not aesthetics, es Functional dominance.

¿Messi, Maradona O Pelé?
If you prioritize pico + epic, Maybe Diego; If you go to era + World(es), Skin; If you are looking for Total balance (pico, longevity, titles, Numbers and game), I put a Messi.

So who are the best players in history?

A good ranking is not a sum of chromos; is a History of the game counted through its archetypes. That's why they live di Stéfano (Modern Club Architect), Cruyff (ideologist), Beckenbauer (Defensive syntax), Ronaldo (unstoppable peak) y Messi (Total balance). Y, Yeah, There is room to defend Laudrup: Rarely I saw someone invite to football like him, With a pass that seemed to look at the future.