Generally speaking, Romario is credited with scoring 745 "official" goals in full competitive games -- some way short of his own count. Rounding out this list is Pel, who even FIFA has deemed the greatest of them all. As far as the folks over at Guinness World Records are concerned, Pele's tally stands at 1,279 goals in 1,363 games and they confirm that as the world record. Captaincy chaos and Waldrum ultimatums - Will Nigeria be ready for World Cup? The lion is not the strongest, nor the fastest, nor the biggest of animals and yet it is the greatest and king of the jungle. Science and thecnology have made football much more advanced. Articles like this one wouldnt exist without them. Disclaimer:-This site is primarily supported by ads. Lets come to the point and outline the top 10 greatest soccer players of all time. They should place 3rd and 4th, Pele Switching gears from attacking to defense, there wasnt a player who commanded a backline better than Paolo Maldini. Probably the reason that Garrincha is at the top or even in the list is because hewasa Brazilian who never played in Europe and was of an earlier time. Access to a system capable of propelling him to greater heights is just the icing on the cake. of soccer? Pels goals were counted in the official figures. He is also Santos' all-time top goalscorer with 643 goals from 659 games. Ben and Collin Johns. Yes, a goalkeeper on the greatest soccer players list, Buffon was and still considered one of the best players to ever play the game, and he was a goalkeeper. He won several individual awards and tournaments with the Brazilian football team, which include the FIFA World Cup, the FIFA Player of the Century, the FIFA World Cup Best Young Player award, and many more. Many Rated Ronaldinho as one of the best players of his generation and considered by many as one of the greatest of all time. The reason for the count being two goals fewer than FIFA's tally is that they refuse to acknowledge the two goals Pele scored in "special appearances" for Santos after officially ending his playing career at New York Cosmos in 1977. It is a game of skill, strategy, and athleticism, and has produced some of the greatest players in sports history. He scored 317 goals in 301 games in the league for Benfica and is widely considered the clubs best ever player. With the exception of the goalkeeper role, Real Madrid legend Alfredo . 10 who had no trouble finding the back of the net as if he were a full-time striker, Maradona made waves with clubs in Argentina before making big moves in Europe, most notably with Italian side Napoli. Theres more I could say about the guyand this is my view/opinion, you are free to see it your own wayif I were to reconsider he would only be second to Lionel Messi. That is the number of "official" goals he scored for Santos (643) and New York Cosmos (37) in domestic league and cup competitions as well as continental tournaments, plus the 77 scored for his national side, thus stripping away the disputed goals included by other sources at youth, amateur and noncompetitive levels. When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission. What are your thoughts about our ranking of the top-15 greatest soccer players of all-time? His contemporaries also recognized his incredible wits, as seen in the words of ex-UEFA president and french footballer Michel Platini, who hailed Stefano as the great among the greats. The start of 2022, i.e. Then there's the like's of the best soccer players in the world today, a few of whom also might have claim to the title, such as Lionel Messi, Cristiano Ronaldo, Neymar, Kylian Mbappe, Robert Lewandowski, and Karim Benzema. ps: Gerd Muller, Didi, Kopa, Eusebio, JM Moreno, Rivera, Ronaldinho, Rummenigge, Buffo, Rivellino, Sarosi, Moore, Rivaldo, Fritz Walter, Bozsik, Charles, Facchetti, Miramontes, Uwe Seeler, Piendibone should also be part of the lot. In fact, Brazil only has 2/5 WCs because of him. Aside from creating records that give insight into their fantastic prowess, these records help in recognizing talented players as not just virtuoso during their heydays, but competent contenders for the title of the greatest of all time. He is the third top goalscorer of all time. Therefore, my 'GOAT' debate was always between Cristiano Ronaldo . He was an elite shot stopper thanks to his positioning, handling and athleticism. As a manager with Barcelona, he won four La Liga titles and a European Cup in 1991-92. Considered the best left winger of all time, its not surprising that Cristiano Ronaldo has also popularized the CR7 phrase as the No. Italian soccer superstars began with Giuseppe Meazza. Tor! Just imagine how many more goals he'd have scored during his career if he'd been taking pot shots from 12 yards, too. We should not forget that before the rise of Pele, Di Stefano was considered the greatest ever and before him it was Meazza/Sindelaar and before them it was Andrade, Scarone, Zizinho and Friedrich. There were four times when the Englishman was selected for a World Cup squad. Its becoming a recurring theme on this article that Brazil produces world class players, and Ronaldinho is just another one of these, if not the best one of them all. He wouldnt even make it into the top ten. 22. Pel was is a Brazilian former professionalfootballerwho played as aforward. Speaking of team goals: In the . During his career, Zizou received three FIFA World Player of the Year awards. Cristiano Ronaldo is hated and despised by many for a reason I do not know but allow me to say as far as I am concerned he is the greatest and most outstanding player of all time in many ways, breaking so many outstanding records. These best soccer players not only compete to be the greatest among their contemporaries but struggle to create as well as break records for which they will be remembered long after they retire. His pace, feints, and goalscoring ability would scare the most talented defenders in the world. Maradona Pele is overrated as hell. All the best Cristiano we all love you here in Nigeria. At 1974 finals he performed afeintthat finally was named after him, the Cruyff Turn. He travels back to a time in his past where opportunity abounds. and he deserves a place on this list. Follow Zachary Bemba on his journey to become the G.O.A.T (Greatest Of All Time) in the soccer world. The Top 50 Greatest Soccer Goals of All Time and the 50 Best Goals . Having played for one of the best Brazilian teams, he always had the best support around him, providing the assists to be considered the greatest football player of all time. In Spain, Zidane won several trophies, including a La Liga title and theUEFA Champions League. Follow Zachary Bemba on his journey to become the G.O.A.T (Greatest Of All Time) in the soccer world. Follow Zachary Bemba on his journey to become the G.O.A.T (Greatest Of All Time) in the soccer world. El Fenomeno, as Ronaldo Lus Nazrio de Lima is nicknamed, ruled the world of football at the peak of his career. The level of detail in RSSSF's research means that these totals can change over time as evidence of more appearances and goals scored may come to light in the future. Since joining Paris Saint-Germain in 2021, he has won the Ligue 1 title in his debut season and the Ballon dOr award in the same season. 9? The Brazilian won two World Cups (1994, 2002), two Ballon dOrs (1997, 2002), three FIFA World Player of the Years (1996, 1997, 2002) and so much more. Possessing a small stature in football may work against you. EVERY list without GARRINCHA becomes pathetic. A geek, who just loves to update sports, gaming, and tech updates from around the world to the other geeks out there. He won the Ballon dOr in 1965 and helped Portugal finish third in the 1966 World Cup, the countrys best ever placement in the tournament. None of this should distract us from your incredible achievements.". by Disqus. He helped the club win 12 league titles in 15 years from 1960 to 1975 and, in total for his career, scored 733 times in 745 professional matches. Ronaldo's individual tally isn't in question as all of his goals are official and accounted for -- most of them have been televised or, at the very least, reliably catalogued. The 50 Greatest Soccer Goals of All Time with soccer highlights and football highlights. Aside from that, he is an excellent playmaker who provides beautiful passes for clinical finishes. Zidane is known for skills, ball control, passing, and top-notch goals. His nickname was Saeta Rubia, and in 1957 and 1959, he was awarded the Ballon dOr. He travels back to a time in his past where opportunity abounds. In modern soccer, the standard of play is much higher than in Pels day, but you can only judge a player by how much better they are than their opponents and teammates. Skip to main content. Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window), Click to share on Twitter (Opens in new window), Click to share on Pinterest (Opens in new window), Click to share on WhatsApp (Opens in new window), The Greatest Soccer Players of All-Time (G.O.A.T. THIS IS PROOF THAT HE IS THE BEST BECAUSE EVEN AFTER MANY YEARS HAVE GONE BY HIS TECHNIC AND STYLE OF PLAY IS AMAZING! Diego Maradona was an Argentine professionalfootballplayer. Some Brazilians still say he was even better than Pel. Who is the best and greatest soccer player of all-time? Like most others on this list, both brothers were led to the sport of pickleball through playing tennis. Pel was also an adept dribbler with great vision, skills that would later be employed to turn him into an attacking playmaker. He scored a breathtaking 808 goals in 794 official games during his career. He won the FIFA World Cup twice, the Copa America twice, the FIFA Confederation Cup once, and the Ballon dOr twice. On the pitch, Zidane played with a calm and balanced sense of style and elegance. He experienced tremendous success with both the club and the country. Can they score headers when the opportunity arrives? The Argentine footballer controlled the ball effortlessly; he made astounding dribbles, scored jaw-dropping and memorable goals. The History and Statistics committee of the Czech FA counted all the goals scored by the legendary Josef Bican and we can declare he scored 821 goals in official matches.Jaroslav Kol, the Head of the committee shares more details. RSSSF has a different tally entirely. Discussing "O Milesimo" ("The Thousandth") in an interview with ESPN last year, Pele described the goal as a "gift from God" -- though he also admitted he'd have preferred the milestone strike to have been more spectacular. , but the esteemed award was only given to European players until 1994. Zidane won the UEFA Champions League, the FIFA World Cup, the Ballon dOr and many other awards during his career. ACTIVATION SUCCESSFUL Messi only performed for Barcelona in a system tuned to his game. He helped the club win 12 league titles in 15 years from 1960 to 1975 and, in total for his career, scored.