Whether you call it soccer or football, this extensive list of the greatest soccer players of all time is ranked by fans worldwide. Who are the best soccer players ever? The goal is to determine the greatest footballers to ever play the game. The list establishes individual rankings of specific soccer players and helps answer the question, "Who is the best soccer player in the world?" This list includes some of the most famous soccer players in the world, but fame doesn't necessarily determine talent.
Though many more people are exposed to top soccer players during major international events like the Olympics or the World Cup (or even UEFA's European tournaments), there are numerous soccer/football leagues around the world made up of thousands of professional athletes. Any of these good soccer players are eligible for the list, even if they are mainly well known in certain regions or nations. In America, other than that nation's own Major League Soccer league, the English Premier League and its athletes are most likely to be popular, recognizable, and familiar.
Vote up the world's best soccer players in the world who deserve to be in the top 10 in football history.
1
118,23464,106Diego Maradona
Forward, MidfielderBirthplace: Lanús, Argentina
Diego Armando Maradona (30 October 1960 – 25 November 2020) was an Argentine retired... more on Wikipedia2
192,782108,862Lionel Messi
ForwardBirthplace: Rosario, Argentina
Lionel Andrés Messi Cuccittini (Spanish pronunciation: [ljoˈnel anˈdɾez ˈmesi] (listen); born... more on Wikipedia3
166,92394,328Cristiano Ronaldo
Forward, MidfielderBirthplace: Santo António, Portugal
Cristiano Ronaldo dos Santos Aveiro GOIH ComM (born 5 February 1985) is a Portuguese... more on Wikipedia4
93,82557,542Ronaldo
ForwardBirthplace: Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
Ronaldo is a Portuguese and Spanish equivalent of the name Ronald. Notable people known as... more on Wikipedia5
87,84856,716Zinedine Zidane
MidfielderBirthplace: Marseille, France
Zinedine Yazid Zidane (French pronunciation: [zinedin jazid zidan]; born 23 June 1972),... more on Wikipedia6
121,87069,342Ronaldinho
Forward, MidfielderBirthplace: Porto Alegre, Brazil
Ronaldo de Assis Moreira (born 21 March 1980), commonly known as Ronaldinho Gaúcho (Brazilian... more on Wikipedia7
23,12311,280Luka Modrić
MidfielderBirthplace: Zadar, Croatia
Luka Modrić (Croatian pronunciation: [lûːka mǒːdritɕ]; born 9 September 1985) is a Croatian... more on Wikipedia8
33,10821,691Gianluigi Buffon
GoalkeeperBirthplace: Carrara, Italy
Gianluigi Buffon, (Italian pronunciation: [dʒanluˈiːdʒi bufˈfɔn, -ˈfon]; born 28 January... more on Wikipedia9
43,19729,173Andrés Iniesta
MidfielderBirthplace: Fuentealbilla, Spain
Andrés Iniesta Luján (Spanish pronunciation: [anˈdɾes iˈnjesta luˈxan]; born 11 May 1984) is a... more on Wikipedia10
47,44829,607Neymar
ForwardBirthplace: Mogi das Cruzes, Brazil
Neymar da Silva Santos Júnior (Brazilian Portuguese: [nejˈmaʁ dɐ ˈsiwvɐ ˈsɐ̃tus ˈʒũɲoʁ]; born... more on Wikipedia11
33,99022,862David Beckham
MidfielderBirthplace: Leytonstone, London, United Kingdom
David Robert Joseph Beckham (UK: ; born 2 May 1975) is an English former professional... more on Wikipedia12
24,54316,707Thierry Henry
Forward, MidfielderBirthplace: Les Ulis, France
Thierry Daniel Henry (French pronunciation: [tjɛʁi ɑ̃ʁi]; born 17 August 1977) is a French... more on Wikipedia13
47,06436,319Johan Cruyff
Forward, MidfielderBirthplace: Amsterdam, Netherlands
Hendrik Johannes Cruijff OON (Dutch: [ˈjoːɦɑn ˈkrœyf] (listen), internationally spelled... more on Wikipedia14
131,670113,999Pelé
Forward, MidfielderBirthplace: Três Corações, Brazil
Edson Arantes do Nascimento, KBE (Brazilian Portuguese: [ˈɛtsõ (w)ɐˈɾɐ̃tʃiz du nɐsiˈmẽtu];... more on Wikipedia15
14,97710,072Carles Puyol
DefenderBirthplace: La Pobla de Segur, Spain
Carles Puyol Saforcada (Catalan pronunciation: [ˈkaɾles puˈjɔl i safoɾˈkaða]; born 13 April... more on Wikipedia16
9,9916,965Gerd Müller
ForwardBirthplace: Nördlingen, Germany
Gerhard "Gerd" Müller (German pronunciation: [ˈɡɛɐ̯t ˈmʏlɐ]; born 3 November 1945) is a German... more on Wikipedia17
11,8257,885Luis Suárez
Winger, ForwardBirthplace: Salto, Uruguay
Luis Alberto Suárez Díaz (American Spanish: [ˈlwis ˈswaɾes]; born 24 January 1987) is a... more on Wikipedia18
6,1024,312Lev Jašin
GoalkeeperBirthplace: Moscow, Russia
Lev Ivanovich Yashin (Russian: Лев Ива́нович Я́шин, 22 October 1929 – 20 March 1990),... more on Wikipedia19
6,0724,058Peter Schmeichel
GoalkeeperBirthplace: Gladsaxe Municipality, Denmark
Peter Bolesław Schmeichel, MBE (Danish pronunciation: [pʰetɐ ˈsmaɪ̯ˀkl̩]; born 18 November... more on Wikipedia20
12,3378,294Steven Gerrard
MidfielderBirthplace: Whiston, United Kingdom
Steven George Gerrard (born 30 May 1980) is an English professional football manager and... more on Wikipedia21
28,76219,766Xavi
MidfielderBirthplace: Terrassa, Spain
Xavier Hernández Creus (Catalan: [ˈʃaβi əɾˈnandəs ˈkɾɛws], Spanish: [ˈtʃaβj eɾˈnandeθ ˈkɾeus];... more on Wikipedia22
9,7106,470Robert Lewandowski
ForwardBirthplace: Warsaw, Poland
Robert Lewandowski (born 21 August 1988) is a Polish professional footballer who plays as a... more on Wikipedia23
9,1676,265Dennis Bergkamp
ForwardBirthplace: Amsterdam, Netherlands
Dennis Nicolaas Maria Bergkamp (Dutch pronunciation: [ˈdɛnəs ˈbɛrxkɑmp] (listen); born 10 May... more on Wikipedia24
7,4065,522Roberto Baggio
Forward, MidfielderBirthplace: Caldogno, Italy
Roberto Baggio (Italian pronunciation: [roˈbɛrto ˈbaddʒo]; born 18 February 1967) is an... more on Wikipedia25
34,86623,958Zlatan Ibrahimović
ForwardBirthplace: Malmö Municipality, Sweden
Zlatan Ibrahimović (Swedish pronunciation: [ˈslaːtan ɪbraˈhiːmʊvɪtɕ], Bosnian: [zlǎtan... more on Wikipedia
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
14
15
16
17
18
19
20
21
22
23
24
25