The Best Football Players of all Time

Warning: The following content will probably confuse you, or even drive you crazy. You're probably going to think I'm dead wrong, and yet everyone has their own opinion on this topic, but there are some things about football that everyone agrees with.

Andrés Iniesta

 Since : 2008-16

Main achievements : 2010 World Cup, 2 Euros, 2 Club World Cup, 2 European Super Cups, 4 C1, 9 La Liga, 5 Spanish Cups

In his early days, Andrés Iniesta occupied the place of defensive midfielder, but his control of the ball and his agility made him advance on the field, towards the position of attacking midfielder, see attacker. Recruited and trained at a very young age by  FC Barcelona , a club with which he has spent almost his entire career, he joined the first team at the age of 18. A complete, fast, intelligent player, he has even been positioned as a striker and left winger on several occasions.

Gianluigi Buffon

Since : 2011-15

Main achievements : 2006 World Cup, C3, Champions Trophy, Italian Supercup, Ligue 1, 8 Serie A, 2 Italian Cups, Euro

Gianluigi Buffon  is one of the best goalies of all time. He stands out for his exceptional talent, with an extremely low error rate and impressive reflexes. His irreproachable attitude and his thirst for victory allowed him to be named captain of the Italian selection from 2010 to 2018 and of the  Old Lady  from 2012 when he left in 2018 (he returned there in 2019 for a last freelance) . He marked the history of the Old Lady forever, playing there for 17 consecutive seasons.

Ronaldinho

Since : 1999-06

Main achievements : 2 times FIFA Player of the Year, Ballon d'Or 2005, World Cup 2002, Confederations Cup, Copa America, C1, Copa Libertadores, Scudetto, 2 La Liga

The left winger has participated in the greatest successes of the Brazilian national team and  FC Barcelona . He also played 2 seasons at  Paris Saint-Germain  and 3 at AC Milan, and the rest of his career in South America. He is like a free electron on the pitch since he knows how to adapt to the game. and can excel as a winger as well as an attacking midfielder or center forward. Particularly known for his dribbling, of which he masters a panoply of incredible different techniques, it is almost impossible to stop and create a real spectacle on the ground

Cristiano Ronaldo

Since : 2012-16

Main achievements : 5 Golden Balls, 4 European Golden Shoes, 5 Champions Leagues, 2 La Liga titles, 3 Premier League titles, 1 Scudetto, 2 Copa del Rey, 1 FA Cup, Top scorer in the Real Madrid history, Top scorer in the history of the Champions League

CR7's place in 15th position does not take away our admiration for his indescribable talent and the showman he is. Cristiano  seems to have won everything (except in the national team) and continues to give 1000% for his team to death. He maintains an impressive physique at 34 and shows no signs of near retirement. He will continue to blow us away and raise the level of play. He is the only player who has managed to make us believe that a season with only 40 goals is a little disappointing ...

Paolo Maldini

Since: 1994-03

Main achievements : Most capped Serie A player of all time, Most capped AC Milan player of all time, 5 Champions Leagues, 7 Scudetti, Coppa Italia, 2 Intercontinental Cups, World Cup finalist 1994 and the 2000 European Cup.

Paolo Maldini is definitely the most complete player of the last 30 years. He has the bluffing ability to be able to play very well in all positions on the pitch, but stands out even more as a very difficult defender to overcome. Paolo Maldini was everywhere on the pitch and made the work of his colleagues much easier, especially that of the goalkeeper.

Mane Garrincha

Since : 1958-62

Main achievements : 2 World Cups, 1962 World Cup Golden Boot, 1962 World Cup Golden Ball, 3 regional championships.

Garrincha is the biggest fan of professional footballers. He never trained. He never had an agent, and signed the contracts before he even read them. However, his talent for the ball was inexplicable. Despite his amateurish attitude, and his bow legs, he became one of the greatest figures in Brazilian football by winning the World Cup twice.

Michel Platini

Since : 1982-85

Main achievements : 3 Golden Balls, French player of the century, 3 Capocannoniere, C1, 2 Scudetti, Ligue 1, Coppa Italia, Intercontinental Cup.

Although Michel Platini has been embroiled in numerous UEFA presidential scandals in recent years, we must not forget the exceptional player he was in the 1980s. Author of 356 goals during his career, in the shirts of AS Nancy-Lorraine,  AS Saint-Etienne  and  Juventus,  Platini is considered one of the best players in history. A complete player, he was particularly distinguished by his free kicks. Involved in all the achievements of his team, as a goalscorer or decisive passer for France of which he was captain, or in a club, he is often attributed the number 9 and a half.

Lionel Messi

Since : 2009-12

Main achievements : 6 Ballons d'Or, FIFA Player of the Year, top scorer in FC Barcelona history, top scorer in La Liga history, 7 Pichichi, top scorer in Argentina history, 7 times La Liga player of the year, 2014 World Cup Golden Ball, 6 European Golden Shoes, 4 C1, 10 La Liga titles, 6 Copa del Rey

You've read it a million times on Twitter. Someone is probably tweeting right now: " Lionel Messi  is the GOAT !!! GOAT !!! If you don't agree, you don't know anything about football !! ! Nothing !!!" While these tweets are incredibly rewarding, they do make sense. Because, let's be honest, Messi is one of the greatest footballers of all time. At his peak, he scored 91 goals in a calendar year, won five Golden Balls and numerous club honors. In his relative decline, he remains the best footballer in the world. The reason he's only third on this list of the 50 best footballers of all time is because of the FIFA World Cup. It's a competition he's never won, and it's a competition he's never scored a goal in from the round of 16 of the competition.