The Greatest Soccer Players of All-Time

The Overflow

* Does not include active players

FlorianAlbertFHungary
OsvaldoArdilesM/DArgentina
MichaelBallackMGermany
GabrielBatistutaFArgentina
GiuseppieBergomiDItaly
CarlosBianchiFArgentina
JosefBicanFAustria/Czechoslovakia
ZbigniewBoniekMPoland
GiampieroBonipertiFItaly
EmilioButraguenoFSpain
EricCantonaFFrance
JanCeulemansMBelgium
JohnCharlesDWales
Jose LuisChilavertGParaguay
RuiCostaMPortugal
HernanCrespoFArgentina
AliDaeiFIran
KennyDalgishFScotland
RinatDasayevGRussia
EdgarDavidsFNetherlands
DecoMPortugal
DidierDeschampsMFrance
DidiMBrazil
DraganDzajicFYugoslavia
PrebenElkjaerFDenmark
LuisEnriqueM/FSpain
FalcaoMBrazil
EliasFigueroaDChile
JustFontaineFFrance
EnzoFrancescoliFUruguay
PacoGentoF/MSpain
RyanGiggsMWales
JairzinhoFBrazil
PatJenningsGN. Ireland
JuniorMBrazil
RobbieKeaneFIreland
Rene van deKerkhofMNetherlands
Willy van deKerkhofMNetherlands
JurgenKlinsmanFGermany
PatrickKluivertFNetherlands
SandorKocsisFHungary
RonaldKoemanDNetherlands
BrianLaudrupF/MDenmark
MichaelLaudrupMDenmark
DenisLawFScotland
SeppMaierGGermany
JosefMasopustMChechia
StanleyMatthewsFEngland
PaulMcGrathDIreland
RogerMillaFCameroon
HongMyong-boDS. Korea
JohanNeeskensMNetherlands
GunnarNordahlFSweden
Jay-JayOkochaMNigeria
DelioOnnisFArgentina
MesutOzilMGermany
AbediPeleFGhana
PepeDPortugal
RobertoPerfumoDArgentina
Jean-MariePfaffGBelgium
RobertPiresMFrance
RustuRecberGTurkey
MarcoReusMGermany
ArjenRobbenFNetherlands
RomeritoMParaguay
IanRushFWales
MatthiasSammerDGermany
NiltonSantosDBrazil
DjalmaSantosDBrazil
Edwin van derSarGNetherlands
Juan AlbertoSchiaffinoFUruguay
ImreSchlosserFHungary
PaulScholesMEngland
BerndSchusterMGermany
GaetanoScireaDItaly
ClarenceSeedorfMNetherlands
UweSeelerFGermany
BernardoSilvaMPortugal
AllanSimonsenFDenmark
OmarSivoriFArgentina
SocratesMBrazil
UliStielkeMGermany
DavorSukerFCroatia
FernandoTorresFSpain
TostoaFBrazil
YayaToureMIvory Coast
MariusTresorDFrance
DavidTrezeguetFFrance
CarlosValderramaFColombia
FrankyVan der ElstMBelgium
Juan SebastianVeronMArgentina
GianlucaVialliFItaly
PatrickVieiraMFrance
ChristianVieriFItaly
BertiVogtsDGermany
RicardoZamoraGSpain
IvanZamoranoFChile
JavierZanettiM/DArgentina
WalterZengaGItaly
DinoZoffGItaly

Leave a Reply

Hi (hopefully) awesome reader! I welcome your comments. However, please be aware that I make all of my arguments using facts, statistics, and logic. Unfortunately, the average comment on a top-100 list goes something like this:

"UR StooPid. (Insert player) is trash. I've watched (pick a sport) for (pick a number of years) and (pick a player) is better than everyone. UR DUMB. HAHA6969."

–Some Jabroni

As cognitively stimulating as this species of comment is, it ends up being a missed opportunity to share a nuanced perspective. I reply to all comments that show even the most basic levels of thought and humility. The people who make the comments like the example above are under the assumption that the three seconds of thought that popped into their brains after reading the list is more than the 1000s of hours that I put into creating and maintaining the lists. I would be happy to defend any placement, or make an adjustment if one is warranted. If you are a jabroni, like the one above, then your comment will die in the lonely void of the unpublished comments section.

For everyone else, I look forward to your comments!

P.S. The theme of this site and the top-100 lists is that athletes from previous generations have historically been grossly overrated by sports publications in a way that is statistically improbable. Click on the "About" dropdown menu to see just how badly the average top-100 list disproportionately favors athletes from older generations when leagues were smaller, race quotas existed, and globalization wasn't a thing. Also, please consider reading "The History" section of the sport you are commenting on.

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