Football has a rich history and heritage with a lot of people across the globe following sports. There are rivalries all across the pitch. The game does not impact the players but also the fans around the globe. There is often turmoil between fans regarding certain players. Players who perform well are at times considered invincible and irreplaceable and they gain cult status over a period of time. It is very difficult to rank players as all are unique but here is a try on the players who have made people fall in love with the game and revolutionized it.

So here is a list of 20 such players

20. Marco Van Basten

He is known for his finish, mastery, physics and after all his creative shots. He had said goodbye to football early at the age of 28 because of injury. Van Basten, who was remembered within the years was active and called iarda the simplest scorer in history den, is within the 20th of our list. We’ll remember the player, who was the direct counterpart of the complete striker üyle, with the goal he scored within the USSR at Euro 88 the secret still has not been solved.

19. Fabio Cannavaro

Ballon D’or is one of the most prestigious awards and is the only defender in the 20th century to win it says about the volume of the player. An old generation stopper Cannavaro guided Italy to the 2006 World Cup and is one of the most highly-rated defenders of all-time. He turned up for clubs like Real Madrid, Juventus, and parma.

18. Eusebio

The Portuguese legend of Mozambique, who passed on to the great beyond in 2014, has scored over 700 goals during his career. Within the final of the  Champions Cup(now the Champions League) in 1962, Puskas, Di Stefano, resisted against Real Madrid alone and scored two goals within the match, which ended with a 5-3 win by Benfica. He was ruthless and deadly in front of goal and one of the greatest to ever grace the game.

17. Lev Yashin

The only goalkeeper to win the Ballon D’or in its history, It speaks of the volume of former Russia (the Soviet Union then) goalkeeper. His style of goalkeeping is still predominant in the modern era and most of the prestigious awards in goalkeeping go by his name.

16. Garrincha

If “Best Supporting Player Oscar” was given in football history, the prize would visit Garrincha. Garrincha, who is one among the foremost different figures within the football world together with his turmoil in private life, still makes many say yok he doesn’t have any dribbles on him “.

15. Giuseppe Meazza

Meazza proved to be an unprecedented scorer by scoring 38 goals the subsequent season. Scoring a goal despite his height of 1.69 was an easy thing for him. Although he didn’t lead an awfully career outside the sector, he continued to shake the networks. Legendary scorer, at the identical time Besiktas has the title of being the primary foreign coach.

14. Ronaldinho

A player who will make you fall in love with football, Ronaldinho is one of the few players who have won the World Cup, Champions League as well as the Ballon d’Or. His insane dribbling and free-kicks were a treat to watch as he single-handed ripped apart defenses with his skills.

13. Paolo Maldini

If defending is art then Maldini is the Picasso of it. Maldini was the son of Italian legend Cesare Maldini and he continued his legacy forward. A rock-solid defender who can play either as a full-back or a center back, Maldini played for 25 years at the highest level for A.C.Milan and Italy.

12. Zico

He was nicknamed the “White Pele” as his playstyle compared to one of the greatest footballers of all-time. Zico played during the 1980s and was part of a Brazil team that had all the players that conquer the world. A skillful player and an even better dribbler, he was one of the top talents of his generations.

11. Franz Beckenbauer

 A world Cup winner in 1974, Beckenbauer was the man who made the sweeper position his own. A goal-scoring defender, he was a pivotal part of the German team in the 1970s which dominated world football back then in both the domestic and the international stage.

10. George Best

In the footballing world, there is saying,” Maradona good, Pele better, George Best!”. As it says on his day he could rip apart defenses on his own. The Northern Ireland born player was significant in the treble-winning side of 1968 of Manchester United and one of the best players to have played for the club.

9. Ferenc Puskas

You have to a legend if one of the most prestigious awards is given by your name. Puskas Award is won by the player who scores an amazing goal in a calendar year and it shows the stature of the player. A true legend athlete who managed to attain 511 goals within the Spanish League, the scorer’s dictionary money. He was short in stature and seemed more overweight than a player. He is the best Hungarian to grace the game.

8. Zinedine Zidane

Sir Alex Ferguson once said he would win the league with 10 deadwood and Zidane. Zidane was a class dribbler and an excellent finisher with an eye for a pass. He took France to its first world cup and European Championship glory and is regarded as one of the best players to play the game.

7. Johan Cruyff

It is a dream for every player to pull the “Cruyff Turns” or popularly known as “Return of Cruyff”. Imagine the player who introduced it. Part of the Dutch Side of the 1970s who made the revolutionizing of the Total Football Theory, Johan Cruyff was at the peak of his powers in the 1974 World Cup.  He had amazing dribbling and finishing ability and could score from anywhere in the field.

6. Alfredo Di Stefano

He was the part of the Real Madrid team that won 5 consecutive Champions cup in the 1950s and made 6 finals in 6years. A goal scorer and a creator Di Stefano legacy can be found everywhere in Spain whom he represented in the later years of his career having made his switch from Argentina to Spain. The La’Real academy and the training ground is made on his name.

5. Ronaldo Di Nazario

Another Brazilian who was miles apart from his counterparts. If not for injuries he might have been the best player to grace the game. A deadly finisher, he would make top-defenders his bunny and would score goals for fun. He lit up the 2002 world cup where he scored 10 goals and won the cup. He also won the Ballon D’or twice.

4. Diego Maradona

Many would argue him as the best player of all time but Maradona was class apart. He took a weak Argentinian squad to back to back world cup finals and won the first one. He single-handedly took a Napoli squad to the Scudetto or a league victory. His “Hand of God” or “God Hand” ghost goal against England in the 1986 world cup or dribbling past the whole England Squad even the keeper is a memory no fans would forget.

3. Cristiano Ronaldo

There is always a debate as to who is the G.O.A.T (Greatest of all time) and there is a large proportion who thinks he is. A goal-scoring machine and a powerful dribbler he is the leading scoring of the Champions League and is the 2nd highest Ballon D’Or winner, winning it on 5 occasions. His exploits in club and country-level have made him one of the greatest finishers if not the greatest of all time.

2. Pele

He is the youngest scorer in the world cup final and won it at the age of 17. The only player to win the world cup on 3 separate occasions, myths say that he has scored over 1000 goals in his playing career though official records suggest it is 778. A short skillful Brazilian and an excellent dribbler and finisher, many would possibly put him in the number 1 spot.

1. Lionel Messi

It always comes down to this. Let me say all the top 5 players could have been here in their respective eras, but when it comes to all-time, he is the real G.O.A.T. A finisher a creator a dribbler he can play in the forward line as well as the midfield and be influential in all the positions. Many would say that a world cup is still not in his reach, but let us be honest, we are privileged to have seen him and Cristiano Ronaldo play together.  

Also Read: Famous Footballers of India