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12.2k voters

The Greatest South American Footballers of All Time

Originally by Ranker Community

Updated January 17, 2021 62.9k votes 12.2k voters 78.4k views138 items

The Greatest South American Footballers as voted on by footy fans across the world. These are the best South American soccer players who have ever played the game.

Who do you think are the top South American soccer players ever are?

Take a look at this list of famous Latin American soccer players.

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1
4,722
2,292
Diego Maradona
Forward, Midfielder
Birthplace: Lanús, Argentina
Nationality: Argentina
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#1 of 77 The Best Athletes Who Have Used Performance Enhancing Drugs#9 of 116 The Greatest Left-Handed Athletes of All Time
2
2,190
1,472
Ronaldinho
Forward, Midfielder
Birthplace: Porto Alegre, Brazil
Nationality: Brazil, Spain
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#4 of 114 The Best FC Barcelona Players Of All Time, Ranked#11 of 152 The Most Influential Athletes Of All Time
3
1,463
940
Garrincha
Right Wing, Midfielder
Birthplace: Magé, Brazil
Nationality: Brazil
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#14 of 21 The Best Short Male Athletes#12 of 33 Pro Athletes with the Most Kids
4
1,934
1,284
Ronaldo
Forward
Birthplace: Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
Nationality: Brazil
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#383 of 403 Famous Role Models We'd Like to Meet In Person#1353 of 1,355 The Greatest Minds of All Time
5
4,175
2,819
Lionel Messi
Forward
Birthplace: Rosario, Argentina
Nationality: Spain, Argentina
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#646 of 2,443 The Most Influential People of All Time#358 of 583 The Greatest Entertainers of All Time
6
1,072
672
Alfredo Di Stefano
Forward
Birthplace: Barracas, Buenos Aires, Buenos Aires, Argentina
Nationality: Spain,Argentina,Colombia
7
688
472
Romário
Forward
Birthplace: Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
Nationality: Brazil
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#47 of 1,310 The Best Soccer Players of All Time#9 of 164 The Best Soccer Players of the '90s
8
899
610
Zico
Playmaker, Midfielder
Birthplace: Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
Nationality: Brazil
9
477
330
Sócrates
Forward, Midfielder
Nationality: Brazil
10
825
598
Roberto Carlos
Defender, Midfielder
Birthplace: Garça, Brazil
Nationality: Brazil
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#3 of 32 The Best Real Madrid Defenders Of All Time#2 of 108 The Best Real Madrid Players Of All Time, Ranked
11
395
257
Mario Kempes
Forward
Birthplace: Bell Ville, Argentina
Nationality: Argentina
12
475
317
Gabriel Batistuta
Forward
Birthplace: Reconquista, Argentina
Nationality: Argentina
13
434
275
Javier Zanetti
Defender, Midfielder
Birthplace: Buenos Aires, Argentina
Nationality: Argentina

14
483
366
Rivaldo
Forward, Midfielder
Birthplace: Paulista, Brazil
Nationality: Brazil
15
853
601
Luis Suárez
Winger, Forward
Birthplace: Salto, Uruguay
Nationality: Uruguay
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#31 of 66 The Most Controversial Athletes in Sports History#46 of 71 Athletes Who Spark the Most Fan Arguments
16
407
317
Carlos Valderrama
Midfielder
Birthplace: Santa Marta, Colombia
Nationality: Colombia, Romania
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#8 of 76 The Best MLS Players Of All Time#1 of 83 The Best Soccer Players from Colombia of All Time
17
285
153
Diego Forlán
Forward, Midfielder
Birthplace: Montevideo, Uruguay
Nationality: Uruguay
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#53 of 102 Best Manchester United Players of All Time, Ranked#301 of 311 Unicef Goodwill Ambassadors
18
505
335
Sergio Agüero
Forward
Birthplace: Quilmes, Argentina
Nationality: Argentina
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#22 of 356 The Best Current Soccer Players#41 of 103 Coolest Soccer Players
19
547
440
Cafu
Defender
Birthplace: São Paulo, Brazil
Nationality: Brazil
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#4 of 452 The Best Soccer Defenders of All Time#11 of 266 The Best Soccer Players from Brazil
20
3,017
2,604
Pelé
Forward, Midfielder
Birthplace: Três Corações, Brazil
Nationality: Brazil
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#273 of 309 Famous People Most Likely to Live to 100#7 of 19 19 Things People Accomplished When They Were Teenagers
21
180
86
Juan Román Riquelme
Midfielder
Birthplace: San Fernando, Buenos Aires, Argentina
Nationality: Argentina
22
175
115
Paulo Roberto Falcão
Midfielder
Birthplace: Abelardo Luz, Brazil
Nationality: Brazil
23
877
763
Kaká
Midfielder
Birthplace: Gama, Federal District, Brazil
Nationality: Italy, Brazil
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#84 of 143 Athletes Whose Careers Ended Too Soon#3 of 49 The Best Real Madrid Midfielders Of All Time

24
1,220
1,077
Neymar
Forward
Birthplace: Mogi das Cruzes, Brazil
Nationality: Brazil
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#58 of 96 The All-Around Best Athletes of 2019#20 of 199 The All-Around Best Athletes of 2018
25
250
165
Thiago Silva
Defender, Midfielder
Birthplace: Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
Nationality: Brazil