Easily the most watched and played sport the world has ever seen, football has seen some incredibly talented athletes over the many years it has been delivering unmatched thrills to our fields and our screens.
With so many gifted players going down in history, we thought we’d try narrow it down a little. We’re taking a look at the best of the best, and we’re doing it according to 5 different factors:
- Ability/Skill
- Success/Trophies
- Longevity
- Individual Brilliance
- The Fear Factor (Whether they make a lasting impact on competitors)
5. Franz Beckenbauer
Considered to be one of the most graceful players in professional football, Beckenbauer wasn’t necessarily known for being exceptionally talented, but rather for revolutionising football at the time.
Bechenbauer was known for his ability to control the ball and bring it out of a defence and into an attack, despite being a centre back. His career was extremely successful, with both Bayern Munich and his national team. When playing for Bayern he invented what we all know as the sweeper, proving his ability to be innovative in the world of international football.
4. Zinedine Zidane
In 1996 Zidane joined Juventus and triggered the real start of his football career before scoring 2 world-famous header goals in the 1998 World Cup final against Brazil, securing France their very first title.
Zidane also managed to win Juventus 2 back to back Italian League titles, before making waves in the biggest transfer in the history of football when he moved to Real Madrid in 2001.
3. Diego Maradona
This incredibly talented footballer was known for his exceptionally good dribbling skills, as well his ability to guide a then average Argentina to a World Cup victory in 1986. An extremely talented footballer, he also managed to score 2 of the best goals that international football has ever seen.
Maradona also set a world record with his transfer from to Barcelona, and also impressed the world when he guided Napoli to gain the Italian Serie A title in 1987. With some incredible achievements, this player is certainly one to go down in history.
2. Lionel Messi
Many football enthusiasts now consider Messi to be the greatest footballer that the sport has ever seen, which is also great for the fans of sports betting sites too, because he is still very much in the game at the tender age of 28.
With statistics that stand at as many as 452 goals in 575 competitions, 77 Champions League strikes and dubbed as Barcelona’s greatest goal scorer of all time, he would definitely be worth betting on.
1. Pele
If you’ve never seen the movie Pele, then we suggest you add it to your list of films to watch, as it tells the tale of this incredibly gifted footballer, who is widely considered to be the greatest of all time.
FIFA named him the greatest footballer of the 20th century, scoring an impressive number of goals during his career with Santos and, while the number is not official, it is said that that number was as many as 1281 strikes, essentially securing his reputation as the most popular footballer in history. Best bets on top games around the work right here