The 10 Best Players of All Time to Embrace the Sport…

Making a list of the best football players of all time is near impossible. Whether you pick someone out of AC Milan’s “Mind Room”, the Premier League, from the Bundesliga, or even further abroad, the task is near impossible. 

These are the players that have forever changed the game and have made us not only reanalyse what makes a great player, but they have also set a new standard for others to follow. 

Lionel Messi 

Lionel Messi, along with Cristiano Ronaldo, is one of the best players ever. His time at Barcelona saw him become a living legend, scoring 474 goals in 520 games. He has won the Champions League four times and the La Liga 10 times; he is also a seven-time Ballon d’Or winner. 

While his career may be slowing down, he is still putting in world-class performances at PSG and wants to end his career back where it all began, Barcelona. 

Cristiano Ronaldo 

If you don’t think Messi is the greatest ever, you probably think Cristiano Ronaldo is. Making a name for himself at Manchester United, the Portuguese magician has won league titles in England, Spain and Italy. He is also a five-time Ballon d’Or winner, with the potential, even at 37 years old, to add another one to his cabinet. 

It is remarkable to think that even at his age, Ronaldo still plays like the teenager that first stepped onto the field at Old Trafford all those years ago. 

Pele 

Pele is widely regarded as the best Brazilian player to step onto the pitch. He scored over 600 goals for Santos and led Brazil to 3 World Cup wins. He also holds dozens of goal-scoring and Best Player records spanning two decades. 

Maradona 

While the “Hand of God” is one of the most infamous goals in football, Maradona was so much more than that. The late, great Argentinian was renowned for his skill, and scoring over 250 goals as an attacking midfielder was the cherry on top. He also led Argentina to their most recent World Cup win, a stunning victory in 1986. 

Ronaldo 

Before CR7, there was R9. Ronaldo may not have had the longest career, but to call it successful would be an understatement. He was a Galactico at Madrid but had incredible seasons at AC Milan and Inter. He was a two-time World Cup winner, scoring both goals against Germany in the 2002 final. 

Paolo Maldini 

Defenders don’t often get the praise they deserve, but it was impossible to ignore Paolo Maldini. The life-long AC Milan player won seven Serie A titles with the Rossoneri, as well as finishing 3rd in the Ballon d’Or race in 1994, unheard of for a defender at the time.  

Zinedine Zidane 

Zizou has long been named the best French player ever. He is a legend at Juventus and was a Galactico at Madrid. He scored 95 goals in his career and won the Serie A, the La Liga and the World Cup. He has since gone on to win the La Liga two more times as a manager and won numerous awards for his work as the leader of Madrid. 

Thierry Henry

One of the greatest strikers to play in the Premier League and La Liga, Thierry Henry scored 174 goals for Arsenal and left a lasting imprint at Barcelona. He won the Premier League twice with the Gunners and, along with a young Lionel Messi and Ronaldinho, led Barcelona to two La Liga trophies. 

George Best

George Best was often called a “complete footballer.” He was a talisman for United after the devastating Munich Air Disaster, scoring 137 goals for the club and leading them to two titles. His individual achievements are endless, and he is easily one of, if not the best English player of all time. 

Wayne Rooney

Wayne Rooney is another player that often gets forgotten about. He played nearly 400 games for Manchester United, scoring 183 goals in the process. He could score from a distance, poach, and wasn’t too bad off his feet, either. He won a staggering five Premier League trophies with the Red Devils and is the team’s All-Time top goal scorer, ahead of Bobby Charlton and Dennis Law.