Online sporting debates over the most significant players and teams could continue forever and ever, and they likely will.
One such debate rages over the most outstanding association football (soccer) player ever. For this list, we've looked at various lists around the internet and come to a consensus on how people rank the world's great footballers.
Every player has been considered a product of their time, so we're not comparing how they would be one-on-one as the game has changed so much, as some of the earlier greats took to the pitch!
Instead, enjoy that these players were each incredible for their time and made the most of their time playing football.
15. Andrés Iniesta (1984- )
The Spanish midfielder Andrés Iniesta is considered one of the greatest midfielders ever.
His inclusion on this list shows how special he is, given that most lists of greatest footballers are focused towards the goal-scoring end of the pitch, with midfielders, defenders, and goalkeepers rarely getting a mention.
14. George Best (1946-2005)
George Best, born in Belfast, Northern Ireland, left an indelible mark on the football world. His most notable stint was with Manchester United, where he showcased his exceptional skills and became a legend of the game.
He spent his international career playing for Northern Ireland and is regularly considered one of the greatest wingers ever.
Sadly, many people know him for his antics off the pitch and his problems with alcoholism. He died in 2005.
Check out some of the best players to play for the Republic of Ireland national side.
13. Roberto Baggio (1967- )
Roberto Baggio, the Italian forward and attacking midfielder, was a force to be reckoned with in the 1980s and 1990s. His performances on the field were nothing short of spectacular, earning him a place among the greatest players of all time.
In 1990, when he joined Juventus from Fiorentina, he broke the world transfer fee record.
Between 1988 and 2004, Roberto Baggio represented the Italian national side 56 times, scoring 27 goals. His goal record places him joint-fourth with Alessandro Del Piero, another legend of the game, a testament to his incredible skill and dedication.
He was also included in the FIFA 100 list of greatest living footballers, chosen by Pele in 2004. Not all those players are alive today, but Roberto Baggio is.
12. Zico (1953- )
Arthur Antunes Coimbra, known as Zico, is a Brazilian attacking midfielder who played for Flamengo, Udinese, and the Kashima Antlers. For Brazil, he appeared 71 times and scored 48 goals.
After retiring as a player, Zico has managed domestic and international football teams, including Japan, Fenerbahçe, CSKA Moscow, Olympiacos, and Iraq.
He was seventh in the 2004 FIFA Player of the Century and is the fifth-highest goalscorer for Brazil.
11. Michel Platini (1955- )
The French footballer Michel Platini was an attacking midfielder who played his domestic career at Nancy, Saint-Étienne, and Juventus.
With the French national side, he won the 1984 European Football Championship (UEFA EURO 1984), which was also held in France, finishing as the tournament's top scorer.
He managed the French national side between 1988 and 1992 before moving into football politics. He was president of UEFA but was banned from involvement in football for corruption and other scandals from 2015 until 2023.
10. Garrincha (1933-1983)
Manuel Francisco dos Santos, or Garrincha, was a Brazilian winger who played for Botafogo most of his career.
He also played for Brazil for over a decade, appearing 50 times and scoring 12 goals. In 1958 and 1962, Brazil won the FIFA World Cup twice.
Garrincha, much like George Best, suffered from alcoholism and died from cirrhosis of the liver in 1983. Despite being away from the spotlight in his later years, millions of fans paid their respects at his funeral procession.
9. Ronaldo Nazário (1976- )
Known as Ronaldo during his playing years, the Brazilian phenomenon is considered one of the greatest strikers of all time.
He famously played for both Barcelona and Real Madrid. However, he played over three times as many matches for the latter.
Between his time at Barça and Madrid, he played for Inter Milan in Italy. He even went to Inter's rivals AC Milan after leaving Real Madrid.
For Brazil, he played 98 matches, scoring 62 goals.
He won domestic cups, the UEFA Cup, the Copa América, and the FIFA World Cup twice. He's one of the greatest players in recent years to have never won the UEFA Champions League.
8. Alfredo Di Stefano (1926-2014)
Alfredo Di Stefano was an Argentine forward and attacking midfielder who was most famous for a prolific career at Real Madrid. For Real Madrid, he made 282 appearances and scored 216 goals!
With Real Madrid, he won the Spanish La Liga eight times, the Copa del Generalísimo (the replacement of the Copa del Rey under Franco's dictatorship in Spain), and the European Cup five times.
He holds the records for scoring in most European Cup finals (five), scoring in the most consecutive European Cup finals (five), and most goals scored in European Cup finals (seven).
7. Cristiano Ronaldo
Yet another ex-Real Madrid player, the Portuguese forward, is regularly mentioned in debates online as one of the greatest football players ever. However, from our sources, most occasionally ranked him in the top five while his average ranking was seventh.
When it comes to the best-paid players, it's a different story.
He's one of the most decorated football players ever, winning the Premier League three times with Manchester United, La Liga twice with Real Madrid, and Serie A twice with Juventus.
He also won the Champions League once with Manchester United and four times with Real Madrid.
With the Portuguese national side, he won the UEFA European Championships (EURO 2016) and the UEFA Nations League in 2018-19.
He's also won domestic cups with Sporting CP, Manchester United, Real Madrid, Juventus, and Al Nassr.
6. Franz Beckenbauer (1945-2024)
Franz Beckenbauer was a German defender, one of the greatest footballers of all time, and one of the few defensive players regularly mentioned in the discussion.
He spent most of his career at Bayern Munich, but he also spent time at New York Cosmos and Hamburger SV.
He won the Bundesliga four times with Bayern Munich and once with Hamburger SV. He won the FIFA World Cup with Germany in 1974 and the UEFA European Championship in 1972.
He was West Germany's manager when they won the FIFA World Cup 1990. As a manager, he also won Ligue 1 with Marseille and the Bundesliga and UEFA Cup with Bayern Munich.
5. Zinedine Zidane (1972- )
Zinedine Zidane is a French attacking midfielder who has enjoyed a successful football career as a player and a manager.
He played for Cannes, Bordeaux, Juventus, and Real Madrid, with most of his club success coming with Juventus and Real Madrid.
He won Serie A twice with Juventus and La Liga once with Real Madrid. With Madrid, he also won the 2001-02 UEFA Champions League.
Most famously, he won the FIFA World Cup with France in 1998 and the UEFA European Championship (EURO 2000). He was runner-up in the 2006 World Cup, famously being sent off for headbutting an opposition player.
After football, he managed Real Madrid, winning La Liga twice and the Champions League four times (once as the club's assistant manager).
4. Johan Cruyff (1947-2016)
Johan Cruyff was a Dutch forward and attacking midfielder widely considered the greatest Dutch player ever.
He won the Dutch Eredivisie eight times with Ajax and once with Feyenoord. He won La Liga once with Barcelona. He was runner-up at the FIFA World Cup in 1974 with the Netherlands national side.
After an illustrious playing career, he managed Ajax and Barcelona, winning La Liga four times with the latter and the European Cup, the European Cup Winners' Cup, and the Spanish Copa del Rey.
3. Pele (1940-2022)
For many, Pele is the greatest footballer of all time. The forward and attacking midfielder from São Paulo, Brazil, only played for two club sides: Santos in his native Brazil and the New York Cosmos in the NASL.
He won the Campeonato Brasileiro Série A six times with Santos and several other domestic and international club cup competitions.
Worldwide, he was famous for his prowess and success with the Brazilian national side, winning the FIFA World Cup on three separate occasions in 1958, 1962, and 1970.
2. Diego Maradona (1960-2020)
Diego Maradona was among the greatest footballers and, for many, the greatest footballer of all time.
He played his club football in his native Argentina for Argentinos Juniors, Boca Juniors, and Newell's Old Boys after over a decade of playing in Europe.
In Europe, he was beloved at Napoli, where he remains a club legend. However, he also played in Spain for Barcelona and Sevilla.
With Argentina, he won the FIFA World Cup in 1986, controversially scoring a goal with his hand, which he dubbed "The Hand of God." However, his second goal in the same match was one of the greatest ever scored and was voted the "Goal of the Century" in 2002 on the FIFA website.
1. Lionel Messi (1987- )
Last but certainly not least, we have another Argentine player. Lionel Messi is regularly hailed as the greatest football talent ever, though he mightn't be considered the best player right now.
Other than a couple of seasons at Paris Saint-Germain and then Inter Miami, he's spent almost all of his career at Barcelona, where he was a product of their youth system.
With Barcelona, he won La Liga ten times, the Copa del Rey seven times, and the UEFA Champions League four times.
Though international success eluded him for most of his career while seemingly collecting trophies for fun at Barcelona, he eventually won the Copa América with Argentina in 2021. He led the side to the FIFA World Cup in 2022.
With eight Ballon d'Or trophies, he's won the award more than anybody else.
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