In the modern era, few players have been as dominant as Diego Maradona. Who is the Best Football Player in the World? While his career has been a well-documented rollercoaster of highs and lows, from 1984 to 1990, he was universally accepted as the best player in the World. But then came World Cup ’90, and people weren’t buying it all of a sudden. In one fell swoop, Maradona took away many fans’ adoration by becoming a shell of himself on the field.
It seems like just yesterday that he was lighting up World Cups with Argentina; now, everyone is looking up to him as the new great Andres Iniesta-Esque footballer from earlier. If you look at any major footballing nation today, you’ll notice Diego Maradona at the top of their list. The reason being? He’s still one of the best players today regardless of where he plays or what team he’s on. He may not have had Lionel Messi or Cristiano Ronaldo when they were growing up (though we tend to forget how young these guys were then). Still, his time with Argentina and his transformation into one of the best players make him one of the most beloved soccer stars of all time. It’s no coincidence that two former World Cup winners — Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo — are also among his biggest admirers: They both played for teams that were winning championships when Marad.
Who is the Best Soccer player in the World?
In the modern era, few players have been as dominant as Diego Maradona. While his career has been a well-documented rollercoaster of highs and lows, from 1984 to 1990, he was universally accepted as the best player in the World.
The 20 best soccer players ever
The 20 best soccer players are a result of a poll conducted by Pelotas. The Pelotas Stadium, which is located in the city of Pelotas in South America, was once a Nike-contracted venue that hosted some of the World’s best players. It’s also the home field of Sporto Argentino, one of the most successful club teams in South America, so it makes sense that they would put together a list of the best soccer players in the World.
- Lothar Matthäus
- Garrincha
- Ronaldinho
- Lionel Messi
- Eusebio
- Michel Platini
- Xavi Hernandez
- Paolo Maldini
- Ferenc Puskas
- Ronaldo
- Zinedine Zidane
- Franco Baresi
- Alfredo Di Stefano
- Gerd Muller
- Cristiano Ronaldo
- Franz Beckenbauer
- Diego Maradona
- Johan Cruyff
- Pele
- Neymar JR
Here is top 12 Player in the World
12. Ronaldinho – Pelotas (2006-present) Ronaldinho was the king of penalties during his time with Pelotas, winning three consecutive shootouts on the peloton before winning the 2007 Copa Sudamericana.
He’s also a two-time FIFA World Player of the Year and a four-time winner of the Ballon d’Or.
11. Wayne Rooney – Everton (2005-present) If you were to ask any Evertonian who is the best player to play for the club, Rooney would be the first name that comes to mind. Since joining the Merseyside club in 2005, he’s been a key cog in the Everton success story — his goals, assists, and overall play have helped the team reach the UEFA Champions League quarterfinals each of his first two seasons.
10. Didier Drogba – Shanghai Shenhua (2012-present) Drogba is one of the most recognizable players in the World, having won multiple trophies with the likes of Chelsea, Marseille, and Shanghai Shenhua.
During his time in China, he helped them win their first major title, the 2012 Chinese FA Cup.
9. Lionel Messi – FC Barcelona (2005-present) It’s no secret that Lionel Messi is one of the best players in the World, and his time with Barcelona has been nothing short of legendary. As the only player to have won FIFA’s World Player of the Year three times and the Ballon d’Or four times, he’s the gold standard for modern sports players.
8. Pelle – Inter (1985-89) If you were to cast a ballot for the best European player of all time, Pelle would be at the top of your list. At 18 years old, he was already an Inter Milan legend — he’d made his debut for the club at 16, playing a total of 520 games for Inter and helping the club to titles in 1982 and 1983.
7. John Kenneth “Gong” Steinmetz – New York Giants (1928-1938) Steinmetz was a star in the making when he joined the New York Giants of the NFL, signing a record-setting contract with the club when he was only 19 years old. He spent his entire career in the league, playing for the Giants, the Brooklyn Mules, and the WKF (now NFL) All-Stars, and in the case of the WKF All-Stars, he won the world team championship in 1930.
6. Diego Maradona – Argentina (1984-1991)
When Diego Maradona was just 19 years old, he made his début for Argentina and managed to bring the country its first-ever World Cup title. In doing so, he became just the second player in history to win a World Cup and international title at the same age (19 years, 10 months, and 18 days), along with Brazilian winger Romário.
5. Johan Cruyff – Ajax (2013 -present) Cruyff is perhaps most famous for his time with Barcelona and his role in the Netherlands’ famed “Guardia Civil” (Spanish for “Guardian”) side. Still, he was also a gifted player and an excellent tactician. While he is most famous for guiding the Netherlands to the 1974 FIFA World Cup final, he was also a star for his country and captain of the team.
4. Hristo Stoichkov – CSKA (1992-1996) Stoichkov was an excellent player throughout his career, winning multiple individual awards, including the European Player of the Year in 1996. He also captained his national team to three straight European Championships, winning one.
3. Eusébio – FC Porto (1974-1978) Eusébio is widely regarded as one of the greatest footballers of all time, both as a player and manager. He was a key member of Brazil’s winning FIFA World Cup side in 1958 and its teams that won the European Championship and the Africa Cup in 1970.
2. Johan Bergel – Barcelona (1961 -70) Bergel was one of the iconic players of the 1960s and 1970s, playing for clubs worldwide, including Real Madrid, AC Milan, and Barcelona. During his career, he won seven national league titles and was twice the top scorer in the European Cup.
1. Zidane – Real Madrid (1996 -present) Zidane is widely regarded as one of the greatest players in history, and his time with Real Madrid has been nothing short of spectacular. In his six seasons with the club, he led Real to three straight UEFA Champions League titles, three Major League Soccer Cups, and two European Cup Winners’ Cups.