Note: This is the same article I published on Soccerlens.com, which you can find here.
It’s that time of the year again. The time when a random (ok, let’s call it ‘well-respected’ if you prefer) football publication makes an “All Time Best” ranking that never fails to create controversy and offend a few people. FourFourTwo did one of those last month, this time it’s the turn of the ‘Association of Football Statisticians’ to make its Top 100, after studying every fact and figure from the beautiful game over the past 100 years. Points are given for goals scored by forwards and clean sheets for defenders. Players also get awarded marks for trophies won, captaincy and the level they played at throughout their career.
It should come as no big surprise to see Pelé at nº1 spot (the Brazilian legend totalling 16,799.44 points), but the names and rankings further down the list are bound to raise some eyebrows. The analysis of The Sun highlights the biggest problems in English Premiership terms:
- Manchester United legends George Best, Denis Law and Eric Cantona don’t make the top 100.
- Ali Daei’s 109 goals in 149 games for Iran puts him at 26th – ahead of players like Dennis Bergkamp, Thierry Henry and Ronaldinho.
- Diego Maradona is ranked only 6th.
The publishers explain to The Sun that Best misses out because he never participated in a World Cup tournament, and had a fairly short career, while Ali Daei won his place by scoring 109 goals in 149 international matches for… Iran.
The Daily Star takes a look the UK players, and finds out that England’s top star is Bobby Charlton in 23rd spot, two places above Scotland’s Kenny Dalglish. David Beckham is 44th, Kevin Keegan at 46th, Gary Lineker 56th, Welsh ace Ryan Giggs 62nd, and Michael Owen 68th. Alan Shearer misses out of the top 100.
Further analysis of the ‘Best 100′ reveals that the top 3 trio is 100% Brazilian (with Ronaldo 2nd and Romario 3rd… and Cafu closing down the Auriverde block at 10th). Figo is 4th, Zidane 5th, and other big names such as Platini (13th), Maldini (15th), Zico (16th), Gullit (18th) and Cruyff (21st) are excluded from the Top 10.
The most represented nation is France (with 16 players), followed by Brazil (11), Italy and Germany (10). England totals 7, Argentina 5 (Messi not included).
Also, in terms of overall football career, the most represented European league is the Serie A. Indeed, most of the Top 100 played at one point or another in Italy: Serie A totals at least 58 players in that ranking, closely followed by La Liga (44), and the EPL (36).
Other represented leagues include the Bundesliga (22), the French Ligue 1 (22), the Dutch Eredivisie (20), and the Portuguese Superliga (5). As for South America, the Campeonato Brasileiro counts 11 players while the Argentine Apertura/Clausura only 8 (most of the Brazilian/Argentine stars obviously beginning their career back home). An interesting note is the total of 13 players who played in the MLS/USL (mostly at the end of their careers), making North America the destination of choice for footballers close to retirement.
As for the Italians, aside from the aforementioned Paolo Maldini the remaining 9 players in the list are Paolo Rossi (43rd), Alessandro Costacurta (49th), Dino Zoff (51st), Alessandro Del Piero (60th), Demetrio Albertini (64th), Giacinto Facchetti (75th), Franco Baresi (77th), Gianni Rivera (78th) and Roberto Baggio (79th).
The Top 100 is revealed in the book Greatest Ever Footballers, on sale next week by Headline publishers for £14.99 (€21.50).
Here’s the full list.
| 1 |  |
Pelé | (Brazil) |
| 2 |  |
Ronaldo | (Brazil) |
| 3 |  |
Romário | (Brazil) |
| 4 |  |
Luís Figo | (Portugal) |
| 5 |  |
Zinedine Zidane | (France) |
| 6 |  |
Diego Maradona | (Argentina) |
| 7 |  |
Lothar Matthäus | (Germany) |
| 8 |  |
Gerd Müller | (Germany) |
| 9 |  |
Franz Beckenbauer | (Germany) |
| 10 |  |
Cafu | (Brazil) |
.
| 11 | Roberto Carlos | (Brazil) |
| 12 | Marco van Basten | (Holland) |
| 13 | Michel Platini | (France) |
| 14 | Rivaldo | (Brazil) |
| 15 | Paolo Maldini | (Italy) |
| 16 | Zico | (Brazil) |
| 17 | Raúl | (Spain) |
| 18 | Ruud Gullit | (Holland) |
| 19 | Eusébio | (Portugal) |
| 20 | Ferenc Puskás | (Hungary) |
| 21 | Johan Cruyff | (Holland) |
| 22 | Alfredo di Stefano | (Argentina) |
| 23 | Bobby Charlton | (England) |
| 24 | Jürgen Klinsmann | (Germany) |
| 25 | Kenny Dalglish | (Scotland) |
| 26 | Ali Daei | (Iran) |
| 27 | Karl-Heinz Rummenigge | (Germany) |
| 28 | Gabriel Batistuta | (Argentina) |
| 29 | Michael Laudrup | (Denmark) |
| 30 | Hristo Stoichkov | (Bulgaria) |
| 31 | Dennis Bergkamp | (Holland) |
| 32 | Frank Rijkaard | (Holland) |
| 33 | Thierry Henry | (France) |
| 34 | Pavel Nedved | (Czech Rep) |
| 35 | Gheorghe Hagi | (Romania) |
| 36 | Peter Schmeichel | (Denmark) |
| 37 | Andriy Shevchenko | (Ukraine) |
| 38 | Sepp Maier | (Germany) |
| 39 | Didier Deschamps | (France) |
| 40 | Lilian Thuram | (France) |
| 41 | Enzo Francescoli | (Uruguay) |
| 42 | Hakan Şükür | (Turkey) |
| 43 | Paolo Rossi | (Italy) |
| 44 | David Beckham | (England) |
| 45 | Jean-Pierre Papin | (France) |
| 46 | Kevin Keegan | (England) |
| 47 | Marcel Desailly | (France) |
| 48 | Oliver Kahn | (Germany) |
| 49 | Alessandro Costacurta | (Italy) |
| 50 | Clarence Seedorf | (Holland) |
| 51 | Dino Zoff | (Italy) |
| 52 | Patrick Kluivert | (Holland) |
| 53 | Jari Litmanen | (Finland) |
| 54 | Daniel Passarella | (Argentina) |
| 55 | Bixente Lizarazu | (France) |
| 56 | Gary Lineker | (England) |
| 57 | Ronaldinho | (Brazil) |
| 58 | Sylvain Wiltord | (France) |
| 59 | Bebeto | (Brazil) |
| 60 | Alessandro Del Piero | (Italy) |
| 61 | Davor Šuker | (Croatia) |
| 62 | Ryan Giggs | (Wales) |
| 63 | David Trezeguet | (France) |
| 64 | Demetrio Albertini | (Italy) |
| 65 | Patrick Vieira | (France) |
| 66 | Jürgen Kohler | (Germany) |
| 67 | Laurent Blanc | (France) |
| 68 | Michael Owen | (England) |
| 69 | Youri Djorkaeff | (France) |
| 70 | Frank De Boer | (Holland) |
| 71 | Emilio Butragueño | (Spain) |
| 72 | Hugo Sánchez | (Mexico) |
| 73 | Rudi Völler | (Germany) |
| 74 | Djalma Santos | (Brazil) |
| 75 | Giacinto Facchetti | (Italy) |
| 76 | Kanu | (Nigeria) |
| 77 | Franco Baresi | (Italy) |
| 78 | Gianni Rivera | (Italy) |
| 79 | Roberto Baggio | (Italy) |
| 80 | Oscar Ruggeri | (Argentina) |
| 81 | Gheorghe Popescu | (Romania) |
| 82 | Jon Dahl Tomasson | (Denmark) |
| 83 | Raymond Kopa | (France) |
| 84 | Carlos Valderrama | (Colombia) |
| 85 | Rui Costa | (Portugal) |
| 86 | Gary Neville | (England) |
| 87 | Edgar Davids | (Holland) |
| 88 | Claudio Taffarel | (Brazil) |
| 89 | Paul Scholes | (England) |
| 90 | Diego Simeone | (Argentina) |
| 91 | Bryan Robson | (England) |
| 92 | Roy Keane | (Rep of Ireland) |
| 93 | Brian Laudrup | (Denmark) |
| 94 | Henrik Larsson | (Sweden) |
| 95 | Fabien Barthez | (France) |
| 96 | Michael Ballack | (Germany) |
| 97 | Jan Koller | (Czech Rep) |
| 98 | Edwin van der Sar | (Holland) |
| 99 | Robert Pirès | (France) |
| 100 | Johan Neeskens | (Holland) |
Posted in Soccerlens, World News |
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For Roger Miller is a Legend, He should definately be included.
c.ronaldo is the best and his name is not there
MY NAME SHOULD BE ON THE LIST!!
WTF! IS THAT CRAP MARADONA 6TH???
WERES CUBILLAS AN CHUMPITAZ??AND NO CANTONA?????? ARE U FING STUPID………..
the criteria for this list is obviously not factoring in service to the game or commitment and appearences or ryan giggs and alan shearer would be top 15 where they belong.if not on that basis then perhaps because shearer scored 260 goals and noones even remotely close to equalling it and giggs is at the worlds biggest club in the first team for nearly 20 years and is the most decorated brit of all time. beckham top 50 over those 2? take that list back to the drawing board and save yourself some embarrassment…
if you look at the list you will see that brazil has lots of players up there and pele is the brazilian god
My top 105 players ever including some underrated defenders
105 Alfredo Foni (Italy)
104 Uwe Seeler (FRG)
103 Domingos Da Guia(Brazil)
102 William Henry “Billy” Meredith(Wales)
101 William Ambrose “Billy” Wright(England)
100 Jean Tigana(France)
99. Elias Figueroa(Chile)
98. Thomas “Tom” Finney
97. Ubaldo Fillol(Argentina)
96. Ademir Marques de Menezes(Brazil)
95. Silvio Marzolini(Argentina)
94. Ricardo Ferri(Italy)
93. Josef Bican(Austria)
92. Severino Minelli(Switzerland)
91. Raimundo Bibian Orsi(Argentina)
90. Jose Antonio Camacho(Spain)
89. Peter Schimeichel(Denmark)
88. Hector Chumpitaz(Peru)
87. Ronald Koeman (Holland)
86. Fernando Ruiz Hierro(SPain)
85. Teofilo Cubillas Arizaga(Peru)
84. Erik Gerets(Belgium)
83. Josef Masopust(Czechoslovakia)
82. Albert Shesternyov(USSR)
81. Hristo Stoichkov(Bulgaria)
80. Carlos Alberto Torres(Brazil)
79. Thomaz Soares da Silva “Zizinho”(Brazil)
78. Nils Liedholm(Sweden)
77. Ernst Ocwirk(Austria)
76. Gilmar dos Santos Neves(Brazil)
75. Marcos Evangelista de Moraes “Cafu”(Brazl)
74. Giacinto Fanchetti(Italy)
73. Luigi Riva(Italy)
72. Didler Deschamps(France)
71. Fritz Walter(FRG)
70. Franklin Edmundo Rijkarrd(Holland)
69. Socrates Brasileiro Sampaio de Souza Vieira de Oliveira(Brazil)
68. Gheorghe Hagi(Romania)
67. Djalma Santos(Brazil)
66. Valentino Mazzola(Italy)
65. Nandor Hugikuti(Hungary)
64. Arthur Antunes Coimbra “Zico”(Brazil)
63. Jose Manuel Moreno (Argentina)
62. Frantisek Planicka(Czechoslovakia)
61. Hector Pedro Scarone(Uraguay)
60. Zoltan Czibor(Hungary)
59. Jose Leadro Andrade(Uraguay)
58. Luis Filipe Madeira Caeiro Figo(Portugual)
57. Roberto Rivelino(Brazil)
56. Kazimierz Deyna(Poland)
55. Osvaldo Cesar “Ossie” Ardiles(Argentina)
54. Francisco Gento Lopez(Spain)
53. Antonio Carlos “Toninho” Cerezo(Brazil)
52. Micheal Laudrup(Denmark)
51. Marco van Basten(Holland)
50. Luisito Monti(Argentina)
49. Gunnar Nordahl(Sweden)
48. Ricardo Zamora Martinez (Spain)
47. Laurent Blanc(France)
46. Jose Emilio Santamaria(Uraguay)
45. Nilton dos Santos(Brazil)
44. Romario de Souza Faria(Brazil)
43. Enzo Francescoli Uriarte(Uraguay)
42. Karl-Heinz Rummenigge(FRG)
41. Valdir Pereira “Didi”(Brazil)
40. Paulo Roberto Falcao(Brazil)
39. Obdulio Varela(Uraguay)
38. Dino Zoff(Italy)
37. Jozsef Bozsik(Hungary)
36. Carlos Caetano Bledorn Verri “Dunga”(Brazil)
35. Juan Alberto Schiaffino(Uraguay)
34. Marcel Deseilly(France)
33. Ladislao Mazurkiewicz(Uraguay)
32. Johan Neeskens(Holland)
31. Jair Ventura Filho “Jairzinho”(Brazil)
30. Matthias Sindelar(Austria)
29. Jose Nasazzi(Uraguay)
28. Wolfgang Overath(FRG)
27. Marco Tardelli (Italy)
26. Rinat Dasaev (USSR)
25. Giuseppe Meazza(Italy)
24. Wim van Hanegem(Holland)
23. Lothar Matthaus(FRG)
22. Sandor Kocsis(Hungary)
21. Roberto Baggio(Italy)
20. Robert Frederick Chelsea “Bobby” Moore (England)
19. Gaetano Scirea(Italy)
18. Gabriel Omar Batistuta(Argentina)
17. Gordon Banks (England)
16. Paolo Maldini(Italy)
15. Michel Francois Platini (France)
14. Gerhard Muller (FRG)
13. Sir Stanley Matthews (England)
12. Eusebio Da Silva Ferreira (Portugual)
11. Lev Ivanovich Yashin (USSR)
10. Sir Robert “Bobby” Charlton (England)
9. Franceschino “Franco” Baresi (Italy)
8. Ferenc Puskas (Hungary)
7. Hendrik Johannes Cruijff (Holland)
6. Daniel Alberto Passarella (Argentina)
5. Franz Beckenbauer (FRG)
4. Edson Arantes do Nascimento “Pele” (Brazil)
(double)
2 Alfredo Di Stefano Laulhe (Argentina)
2. Manuel Francisco dos Santos “Garrincha”(Brazil)
1. Diego Armando Maradona (Argentina)
I am sorry to state that recent players started their national team in 1994 did not include this list (like Ronaldo, Zidane etc) because my list was only for 20th century players only although Maldini and Figo and Cafu played in 21st century extensively….
If I put them into the list, Ronaldo(no.30-40), Zidane(no.10-20),Thuram(no. 60-70).
where is hugo sanches
whoo ever did this list they dont kno nothing about futbol
.
fuking dumass..
ur stupid man
wheres hugo sanchez
ronaldinho is supposed to be first bitch
Have you read my last fuxking comment, I repeat, that was 20th century player, Moron!!!
Is Ronaldiho 2oth century player?
If I put him into the list, 50-60
Hugo Sanchez is one of the best Mexican player ever, but the strong competition from European player….
where is gerrard/cr7/ribery/torres……crap
U would be better off making list of 3rd division players……
This list is shitty, im a dane and i can say even though i love Jon Dahl, he does not belong in the top 100 all-time!
We (Denmark) have 2-3 players that are good enough. The Laudrup brothers (Brian is questionable but would rank 70th-130th all time)
Schmeichel and Michael are in the top 50 both off them!
How can you rank Bixente Lizarazu a bit higher than Ronaldinho, in my world the top 5 would be including: Pele, Maradona, Zidane, Ronaldinho and Messi
6th-10th would be: Ronaldo, Figo, Di Stefano, Beckenbauer and R. Carlos..11th: Van Basten…
Where is Xavi, Puyol…(at least alltime top 60-70)
diego 6th???
muller and cafu in the top10????
who’s the shithead who select???
also shitty palyers like tomasson, albertini or costacurta are in???
you’re crazy!!!
this is the right one:
1) diego armando
weah
2) cruijff
3) pelé
4) ronaldo
5) van basten
6) gullit
7) romario
9) zizou
10) messi
u know what ……all those are wrong rankings !
( TOP 10 EVER + CURRENT )
this is correct
1st Pele …….brazil / maradona ……. Argentina
2nd George Best ……Manchester United / David Beckham ..AC Milan
3rd Cristiano Ronaldo ………Manchester United
4th Ronaldinho ……………AC Milan
5th kaka………………AC Milan
6th Lionel Messi ……..Barcelona
7th Ibrahimobic………Inter Milan
8th Andreo Shevchenko ……..AC Milan
9th Waryne Rooney ………..Manchester United
10th Alexandro Pato ………..AC Milan
HAHA!
Ali Daei on 26th. Are you kidding me…
This list is a joke.
u know what ……all those are wrong rankings !
( top 30 soccer players ever ) intill Current and till now !
REAL + TRUTH
1: Pele ( Brazil )
2: Maradona ( Argentina )
3: George Best ( Manchester United )
4: David Beckham ( AC Milan )
5: Zinedine Zidane ( Real Madrid )
6: Cristiano Ronaldo ( Manchester United )
7: Ronaldinho ( AC Milan )
8: Kaka ( AC Milan )
9: Ronaldo ( Brazil )
10: Lionel Messi ( Barcelona )
11: Ibrahimovic ( Inter Milan )
12: Andreu Shevchenko ( AC Milan )
13: Waryne Rooney ( Manchester United )
14: Alexandro Pato ( AC Milan )
15: Theory Henry ( Barcelona )
16: Samuel Eto’O ( Barcelona )
17: Xavi ( Barcelona )
18: Fernendo Torres ( Liverpool )
19: Rio Ferdinand ( Manchester United )
20: Raul ( Real Madrid )
21: Michael Ballack ( Chelsea )
22: Sanchez ( Mexico )
23: Lampard ( Chelsea )
24: Steven Gerrard ( Liverpool )
25: Gigi Buffon ( Juventus )
26: Gary Neville ( Manchester United )
27: Oliver Khan ( Bayern Munich )
28: Gheorghe Hagi ( England )
29: Iker Casillas ( Real Madrid )
30: Alexandre Pato ( AC Milan )
number of comments say ‘yes’ = 23520
number of comments say ‘no’ = 1120
number of comments say ‘kind of proper’ = 14310
number of comments say ‘ it’s proper ranking’ = 1050
out of 40000 comments ……..around 83.7 % people said …..this ranking is perfect !
sorry ur dead wrong……….(keanue reeves)..
Stop shitting on each other. Is not possible to have a perfect list.
What we can do is to agree for top 20 ever! My opinion is, we don’t have to put players like C. Ronaldo, or Messi , they are very young. Maybe they can be better than Maradona….but we have to wait. What do you think men?? All the lists are very flexibles .Here is my list:
1—Pele
2—Maradona
3—Johan Cruiff
4—Becembauer
5—Platini
6—B. Chalton
7—Weah
8—R. Bagio
9—Eusebio
10–Puskash