Who is the greatest player of all-time?
It’s a question football fans have been asking quite a lot in the past 10 years and, nine times out of 10, the answer is either Lionel Messi or Cristiano Ronaldo.
The younger generation find it impossible to look past the two superstars who have dominated world football for the last decade.
For those a little older may remember watching the likes of Pele and Diego Maradona and think that Messi and Ronaldo simply cannot compare.
Of course, it is difficult to compare players of a different generation because the game has changed so much.
However, website ranker.com has allowed football fans to, well, rank the best footballers of all-time.
And after almost four million votes, we can reveal the top 100 footballers of all-time,
Ready?
Here goes:
100 | Clarence Seedorf
99 | Javier Zanetti
98 | David Silva
97 | Roger Milla
96 | Fabio Cannavaro
95 | Pavel Nedved
94 | Alan Shearer
93 | Sir Stanley Matthews
92 | Dani Alves
91 | Jurgen Klinsmann
100-91 summary
A nice mix of legendary and modern players. Two English legends make the top 100 with Shearer and Matthews getting the nod while one of the most successful players in football history, Dani Alves, makes the cut.
90 | Franck Ribery
89 | Cesare Maldini
88 | Michael Laudrup
87 | Socrates
86 | Xabi Alonso
85 | Edwin van der Sar
84 | Rui Costa
83 | Ruud van Nistelrooy
82 | Angel Di Maria
81 | Gheorghe Hagi
90-81 summary
Laudrup can perhaps consider himself unfortunate to only be considered the 88th greatest player of all-time having won league titles with Ajax, Barcelona, Real Madrid and Juventus. Meanwhile, current PSG star Angel di Maria could move up a few spaces by the end of his career.
80 | Petr Cech
79 | Paolo Rossi
78 | Miroslav Klose
77 | Filippo Inzaghi
76 | Hristo Stoichkov
75 | Hernan Crespo
74 | Sergio Aguero
73 | Gabriel Batistuta
72 | Robin van Persie
71 | Bobby Moore
80-71 summary
This section is all about legendary strikers, isn’t it? Stoichkov has probably been a victim of recency-bias because his best days came in the early 1990s. He surely deserves better. Good to see another Englishman in there.
70 | Bastian Schweinsteiger
69 | Eric Cantona
68 | Michel Platini
67 | Fernando Torres
66 | Marcelo Vieira
65 | David Villa
64 | Bobby Charlton
63 | Mario Kempes
62 | Paul Scholes
61 | Alessandro Nesta
70-61 summary
Manchester United fans will question the inclusion of Schweinsteiger but will love seeing the names of Cantona and Scholes. Meanwhile, Chelsea fans won’t agree with Torres being the 67th best player of all-time.
60 | Alessandro Del Piero
59 | Oliver Kahn
58 | Hugo Sanchez
57 | Isco
56 | Lothar Matthaus
55 | Thomas Muller
54 | Frank Lampard
53 | Eden Hazard
52 | Rivaldo
51 | Peter Schmeichel
60-51 summary
So, Lampard > Scholes then? It’s also interesting to see three current players just outside the top 50 in the form of Isco, Muller and Hazard.
50 | Arjen Robben
49 | Wayne Rooney
48 | Zico
47 | Thiago Silva
46 | Eusebio
45 | Dennis Bergkamp
44 | Luis Figo
43 | Robert Lewandowski
42 | Iker Casillas
41 | Phillip Lahm
50-41 summary
Eusebio only the 46th best player ever? Considering he’s a Ballon d’Or winner, that seems harsh. We’re not quite sure Silva deserves to be so high - especially when he’s above the likes of Nesta and Moore. Lewandowski is probably in the form of his life and is already 43rd in the list.
40 | Alfredo Di Stefano
39 | Toni Kroos
38 | Kaka
37 | Luis Suarez
36 | Romario
35 | Roberto Baggio
34 | Ferenc Puskas
33 | Samuel Eto’o
32| Lev Yashin
31 | Gerd Muller
40-31 summary
Some absolute legends here.
Di Stefano scored a crazy 308 goals in 396 matches for Real Madrid, while Puskas was even more impressive at the Bernabeu with 242 goals in 262 games. Then there’s Soviet goalkeeper Yashin, who FIFA named an award after.
30 | Francesco Totti
29 | Cafu
28 | Gareth Bale
27 | Manuel Neuer
26 | Sergio Ramos
25 | Steven Gerrard
24 | Didier Drogba
23 | Carles Puyol
22 | Raul
21 | David Beckham
30-21 summary
So the Scholes, Lampard and Gerrard debate has been settled. But what’s Bale doing up there in 28th? We don’t think so.
20 | Ryan Giggs
19 | Neymar
18 | Zlatan Ibrahimovic
17 | Thierry Henry
16 | Roberto Carlos
15 | Franz Beckenbauer
14 | Xavi
13 | George Best
12 | Luka Modric
11 | Gianluigi Buffon
20-11 summary
Now, we’re getting serious. Has Neymar done enough in his career to earn a top 20 spot? Probably not. Modric ahead of Xavi? We’re not having that either, despite a Ballon d’Or to the Croat’s name. Meanwhile, Buffon is the highest-rated goalkeeper.
10 | Andres Iniesta
9 | Johan Cruyff
8 | Zinedine Zidane
7 | Pele
6 | Cristiano Ronaldo
5 | Lionel Messi
4 | Ronaldinho
3 | Ronaldo
2 | Diego Maradona
1 | Andrea Pirlo
10-1 summary
There's a very controversial No.1 - Andrea Pirlo. A great player but c'mon...Putting him above Xavi (14th), Iniesta (10th) and Zidane (8th) is just wrong. Surely Messi and Ronaldo have got to be first and second?
There's plenty of talent in the top 10 but there's no way we're having Messi as the fifth best player of all-time.
Don’t blame us for this list. Blame the millions of football fans that voted for it!