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.
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116,43363,318Diego Maradona
Forward, MidfielderBirthplace: Lanús, Argentina
Diego Armando Maradona (30 October 1960 – 25 November 2020) was an Argentine retired... more2
164,85193,025Cristiano Ronaldo
Forward, MidfielderBirthplace: Santo António, Portugal
Cristiano Ronaldo dos Santos Aveiro GOIH ComM (born 5 February 1985) is a Portuguese... more3
189,557107,368Lionel Messi
ForwardBirthplace: Rosario, Argentina
Lionel Andrés Messi Cuccittini (Spanish pronunciation: [ljoˈnel anˈdɾez ˈmesi] (listen); born... more4
92,50656,861Ronaldo
ForwardBirthplace: Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
Ronaldo is a Portuguese and Spanish equivalent of the name Ronald. Notable people known as... more5
86,68357,625Zinedine Zidane
MidfielderBirthplace: Marseille, France
Zinedine Yazid Zidane (French pronunciation: [zinedin jazid zidan]; born 23 June 1972),... more6
120,27468,315Ronaldinho
Forward, MidfielderBirthplace: Porto Alegre, Brazil
Ronaldo de Assis Moreira (born 21 March 1980), commonly known as Ronaldinho Gaúcho (Brazilian... more7
23,01411,051Luka Modrić
MidfielderBirthplace: Zadar, Croatia
Luka Modrić (Croatian pronunciation: [lûːka mǒːdritɕ]; born 9 September 1985) is a Croatian... more8
32,38521,122Gianluigi Buffon
GoalkeeperBirthplace: Carrara, Italy
Gianluigi Buffon, (Italian pronunciation: [dʒanluˈiːdʒi bufˈfɔn, -ˈfon]; born 28 January... more9
42,56728,913Andrés Iniesta
MidfielderBirthplace: Fuentealbilla, Spain
Andrés Iniesta Luján (Spanish pronunciation: [anˈdɾes iˈnjesta luˈxan]; born 11 May 1984) is a... more10
47,03729,167Neymar
ForwardBirthplace: Mogi das Cruzes, Brazil
Neymar da Silva Santos Júnior (Brazilian Portuguese: [nejˈmaʁ dɐ ˈsiwvɐ ˈsɐ̃tus ˈʒũɲoʁ]; born... more11
14,7189,816Carles Puyol
DefenderBirthplace: La Pobla de Segur, Spain
Carles Puyol Saforcada (Catalan pronunciation: [ˈkaɾles puˈjɔl i safoɾˈkaða]; born 13 April... more12
46,26935,781Johan Cruyff
Forward, MidfielderBirthplace: Amsterdam, Netherlands
Hendrik Johannes Cruijff OON (Dutch: [ˈjoːɦɑn ˈkrœyf] (listen), internationally spelled... more13
33,55022,547David Beckham
MidfielderBirthplace: Leytonstone, London, United Kingdom
David Robert Joseph Beckham (UK: ; born 2 May 1975) is an English former professional... more14
12,6078,428Manuel Neuer
GoalkeeperBirthplace: Gelsenkirchen, Germany
Manuel Peter Neuer (German pronunciation: [ˈmaːnu̯eːl ˈnɔʏ.ɐ, -ɛl -]; born 27 March 1986) is a... more15
130,303111,938Pelé
Forward, MidfielderBirthplace: Três Corações, Brazil
Edson Arantes do Nascimento, KBE (Brazilian Portuguese: [ˈɛtsõ (w)ɐˈɾɐ̃tʃiz du nɐsiˈmẽtu];... more16
28,28319,355Xavi
MidfielderBirthplace: Terrassa, Spain
Xavier Hernández Creus (Catalan: [ˈʃaβi əɾˈnandəs ˈkɾɛws], Spanish: [ˈtʃaβj eɾˈnandeθ ˈkɾeus];... more17
20,67614,074Роберто Карлос
Defender, MidfielderBirthplace: Garça, Brazil
Roberto Carlos da Silva Rocha (born 10 April 1973), more commonly known simply as Roberto... more18
24,07616,466Thierry Henry
Forward, MidfielderBirthplace: Les Ulis, France
Thierry Daniel Henry (French pronunciation: [tjɛʁi ɑ̃ʁi]; born 17 August 1977) is a French... more19
7,2505,429Roberto Baggio
Forward, MidfielderBirthplace: Caldogno, Italy
Roberto Baggio (Italian pronunciation: [roˈbɛrto ˈbaddʒo]; born 18 February 1967) is an... more20
11,5847,661Luis Suárez
Winger, ForwardBirthplace: Salto, Uruguay
Luis Alberto Suárez Díaz (American Spanish: [ˈlwis ˈswaɾes]; born 24 January 1987) is a... more21
9,7756,831Gerd Müller
ForwardBirthplace: Nördlingen, Germany
Gerhard "Gerd" Müller (German pronunciation: [ˈɡɛɐ̯t ˈmʏlɐ]; born 3 November 1945) is a German... more22
34,30823,466Zlatan Ibrahimović
ForwardBirthplace: Malmö Municipality, Sweden
Zlatan Ibrahimović (Swedish pronunciation: [ˈslaːtan ɪbraˈhiːmʊvɪtɕ], Bosnian: [zlǎtan... more23
6,1694,101Arjen Robben
Winger, ForwardBirthplace: Bedum, Netherlands
Arjen Robben (Dutch pronunciation: [ˈɑrjən ˈrɔbə(n)] (listen); born 23 January 1984) is a... more24
6,7804,519Philipp Lahm
DefenderBirthplace: Munich, Germany
Philipp Lahm (German pronunciation: [ˈfɪlɪp ˈlaːm]; born 11 November 1983) is a German retired... more25
5,9223,992Peter Schmeichel
GoalkeeperBirthplace: Gladsaxe Municipality, Denmark
Peter Bolesław Schmeichel, MBE (Danish pronunciation: [pʰetɐ ˈsmaɪ̯ˀkl̩]; born 18 November... more
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