Football has been around for centuries, and throughout its history, there have been some truly remarkable players. From the legendary Pelé to the modern-day Lionel Messi, there have been many greats who have left their mark on the game. But who is the greatest football player of all time? Lionel Messi is often considered to be the best player in the world and one of the top 10 footballers of all time. The Argentinian has won a record five Golden Ball Awards and five European Golden Shoes.
He has also won 35 important trophies for Barcelona, including four UEFA Champions Leagues, seven Copas del Rey and 10 La Ligas. The Portuguese-Mozambican footballer Eusebio is also considered one of the best players of all time. He played 745 games and scored 733 goals, which is an incredible feat in itself. He was famous for his speed, technique and athleticism, and he led Benfica to many awards such as the Primeira Liga, Taca de Portugal and the European Cup.
He has also won 32 major awards in his entire career, including five FIFA Golden Balls, two PFA Players of the Year and the three-time Pichichi Trophy. CR7, or Cristiano Ronaldo, has also made a name for himself as one of the greatest footballers ever. He has participated in 1100 matches and scored 780 goals for clubs and countries. He has won five Ballon d'Or awards and four European Golden Shoes. Diego Maradona was an Argentine professional football player and coach who was widely famous as the best of all time in football. His presence in the field made colleagues feel energetic, and he is one of the best football strikers the world has ever seen.
He won the FIFA World Cup Golden Ball, the Golden Ball Honor Award and the South American Football Player of the Year. Former Brazilian professional footballer Pelé began his career at Bauru in 1953 as a striker. He has been hailed as an icon, as the most versatile player in the world. In addition, he is also one of the all-time top scorers of the FIFA World Cup. Over the course of his 1279 matches, he scored 1363 goals.David Beckham is one of the most beloved players in the history of English football.
Although he was never able to bring a FIFA World Cup back to the UK, he was the poster boy of British football for more than a decade. What made him a unique figure in football history was his decision to be the first big European star to bring his talents to the MLS and try to bring relevance to the fledgling US league. In addition, he has a film that bears his name in Bend it Like Beckham. Michel Platini was the best player in French football history for a long time until Zinedine Zidane appeared on the scene. He won three Ballon d'Or awards while clearing a path through the game and was honored with both French Player of the Century Award and a spot on TIME's list of 100 most important people of twentieth century. Johan Cruyff has achieved mythical levels not only in his native Holland but throughout sport.
The way he played game and his philosophies about sport were revolutionary in 1970s and influenced managers and coaches for decades after he finished playing. He is rare player who even has feint play named after him “Cruyff Turn” and won three Ballon d'Or awards. Alfredo Di Stéfano was first striker on list with 511 goals in 702 games for Real Madrid. He wasn't conventional striker but appeared all over pitch tackling, passing and dictating play. Ferenc Puskás was probably most accurate scorer in history with 700 sensational goals in 705 appearances during career (1943-1996).
Franz Beckenbauer was sweeper but that didn't stop him from scoring 111 goals in 776 appearances for Germany and Bayern Munich. In conclusion, it's impossible to definitively say who is greatest football player of all time as there have been so many greats throughout history who have left their mark on game. However, Lionel Messi is often considered to be best player in world today while Pelé is widely regarded as greatest ever.
