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Top Ten Best Soccer Players

Lionel Messi​
Lionel Messi​

Professional football players come and go as frequently as the days change, and only a select few truly leave a legacy worth remembering in the years to come. The Pele's, Maradona's, Cruyff's and Zidane's of the footballing world are rightly lauded as being amongst the finest footballers to have ever played the game, but selecting 'the greatest' is always a choice that falls solely on personal opinion.

Ronaldo​
Ronaldo​

For comparison’s sake, Messi and Ronaldo are the only players to win the FIFA Ballon d’Or since 2008. The award, given to the world’s best soccer player, has been dolled out to Messi five times and Ronaldo has won three.

Neymar​
Neymar​

Neymar has been playing pro soccer since he was 17, and he quickly established his bona fides in the sport. Neymar has scored more goals than Messi and Ronaldo at the same stage of their careers and has the capacity to be the very best once Messi's career begins to wind down.

source: thoughtco.com
Andrés Iniesta​
Andrés Iniesta​

Andrés Iniesta Luján (Spanish pronunciation: [anˈdɾes iˈnjesta luˈxan]; born 11 May 1984) is a Spanish professional footballer who plays as a central midfielder for Barcelona, the Spain national team and has a contract signed with Japanese Club Vissel Kobe to commence 1 July 2018.

Luis Suárez​
Luis Suárez​

Luis Alberto Suárez Díaz (American Spanish: [ˈlwis ˈswaɾes]; born 24 January 1987), commonly known as Luis Suárez, is a Uruguayan professional footballer who plays as a striker for Spanish club Barcelona and the Uruguay national team.

Gareth Bale​
Gareth Bale​

Every fan has an opinion about the world's best soccer players, but nearly everyone agrees on a few players. Many of these stars play for the elite soccer teams — Real Madrid, Barcelona, and Manchester figure prominently in this list — and a few of them are already considered legends, like Lionel Messi or Cristiano Ronaldo.

source: thoughtco.com
Zlatan ​Ibrahimović​
Zlatan ​Ibrahimović​

View all comments about Zlatan Ibrahimović in our top ten list of Best Soccer Players of 2012-2013 or add a new comment about Zlatan Ibrahimović

Pelé​
Pelé​

A World Cup winner in 1958, 1962, and 1970, Edson Arantes do Nascimento, to give him his full name, is generally regarded as the greatest soccer player of all time. Pele won multiple titles with Santos, with whom he played out the best years of his career, before joining the New York Cosmos for a brief spell.

source: thoughtco.com
Diego ​Maradona​
Diego ​Maradona​

Diego Maradona CAN NOT be compared to Pele or other players with all due respect, he is completely in a different category, BEST OF TH BEST, Maradona is an acronym to beautiful football, you enjoy seeing him playing, giving perfect passes, dribbling, scoring, I'm sure if he play goal keeper, would be the best as well.

Zinedine ​Zidane​
Zinedine ​Zidane​

Soccer legend Zinedine Zidane is known for his World Cup triumphs and his infamous headbutt. Learn more at Biography.com. Learn more at Biography.com. One of soccer's all-time greats, Zinedine Zidane led France to victory at the 1998 World Cup, but was thrown out of the '06 Cup final for striking an opponent.

source: biography.com
Sergio ​Agüero​
Sergio ​Agüero​

Sergio Agüero, on his last-minute ... and the Golden Ball as the best player of the tournament. ... World Soccer Young Player of the Year: 2009

Ronaldinho​
Ronaldinho​

He's the best and most amazing player the world have ever seen since the creation of the football. He changed the way to play the football and he is the inspiration of others players like C. Ronaldo, leo Messi and... Ronaldinho is the most talented and the best player the world has ever seen.

Manuel Neuer​
Manuel Neuer​

Hands down the best goalkeeper in the world, Manuel Neuer exudes confidence in everything he does. Bayern fans were not initially convinced when the club signed him from Schalke in 2011, but few doubters inhabit the Allianz Arena these days. Neuer is superb in one-on-one situations and capable of stunning reflex saves.

source: thoughtco.com
Gianluigi ​Buffon​
Gianluigi ​Buffon​

As Gianluigi Buffon passes yet another milestone, it begs the question: is he the best we’ve ever seen?

source: the18.com
Arjen Robben​
Arjen Robben​

Robben has appeared at the 2004, 2008 and 2012 UEFA European Championships, and the 2006, 2010 and 2014 FIFA World Cups, in the latter he was named the Bronze Ball and to the All-Star Team. In 2014, Robben was ranked as the fourth-best footballer in the world by The Guardian.

Paul Pogba​
Paul Pogba​

Before he rejoined Manchester United ahead of the 2016-2017 season, Paul Pogba honed his game in the Italian Serie A and cracked more his fair share of wonder goals while in midfield of league-winning Juventus.

source: complex.com
Johan Cruyff​
Johan Cruyff​

Cruyff is at the worst top 5 players of all time, potentially the very best, due to his influence on the sport. The only people who make sense to be ahead of him are: Messi, Maradona, Pele, and Zidane.

Eden Hazard​
Eden Hazard​

Eden Michael Hazard (French pronunciation: ​; born 7 January 1991) is a Belgian professional footballer who plays for English club Chelsea and the Belgium national team. He primarily plays as an attacking midfielder and as a wide midfielder.

Xavi​
Xavi​

Xavi was voted "UEFA Champions League best midfielder" for his contribution during Barcelona's victorious 2008–09 Champions League campaign. Xavi was La Liga's highest assisting player with 20 assists. He was also the highest assisting player in the Champions League with seven assists. Xavi earned 29 assists overall that season.

Robert ​Lewandowski​
Robert ​Lewandowski​

Lewandowski's father, Krzysztof (died in 1995), was a Polish judo champion, and also played football for Hutnik Warszawa in the second division. His mother, Iwona, is a former volleyball player for AZS Warszawa and later vice-president of Partyzant Leszno.

Wayne ​Rooney​
Wayne ​Rooney​

Wayne Rooney is one of the world's best-known soccer players and a top scorer for the Manchester United club. Synopsis Wayne Rooney was born on October 24, 1985, in Croxteth, Liverpool, England.

source: biography.com
image: 180dfo.com
Franz ​Beckenbauer​
Franz ​Beckenbauer​

Beckenbauer was more than just an emperor, he was a god on a soccer field. One of the greatest players of all time. He was a very good defender, unmatched in his role as a libero/sweeper with a remarkable ability to dominate and control the game.

Sergio Ramos​
Sergio Ramos​

Top 10 Sexiest Soccer Players 2018 Kiran Bisht 0 Comment It is no secret that soccer, or European football as Americans call it, is the most watched sporting genre in the world. Recent studies indicate that The FIFA World Cup 2014 was the most widely viewed sporting event with over half a billion people tuning in to watch the world cup finals ...

Alfredo Di ​StéFano​
Alfredo Di ​StéFano​

Alfredo Stéfano Di Stéfano Laulhé (Spanish pronunciation: [alˈfɾeðo ði esˈtefano]; 4 July 1926 – 7 July 2014) was an Argentinian footballer and coach. He is regarded as one of the best football players of all time, and is best known for his achievements with Real Madrid, where he was instrumental in the club's domination of the European Champions' Cup and La Liga during the 1950s.

Toni Kroos​
Toni Kroos​

On 11 July, Kroos was named on the ten-man shortlist for FIFA's Golden Ball award for the tournament's best player. The Castrol Performance Index, the official statistical analyser of the World Cup, rated Kroos as the best player at the 2014 World Cup, with a rating of 9.79 out of 10.

Marcelo ​Vieira​
Marcelo ​Vieira​

Marcelo Vieira, better known as Marcelo, is considered not only the best defensive back on Brazil’s 2014 World Cup squad, but in the entire world. Watch the video above to see some of his best highlights.

source: heavy.com
Antoine ​Griezmann​
Antoine ​Griezmann​

Europa League matchwinner Antoine Griezmann would not discuss his future after Atletico Madrid beat Marseille 3-0 to secure the trophy in Lyon.

source: espn.com
Alexis ​SáNchez​
Alexis ​SáNchez​

After successful seasons with FC Barcelona and Arsenal, Alexis Sanchez has made the blockbuster move to Manchester United. The speedy, crafty attacker will join the list of special players to have worn the #7 jersey at Old Trafford for the Red Devils.

source: soccer.com
David ​Beckham​
David ​Beckham​

Professional soccer player David Beckham was born May 2, 1975, in London, England. A phenom almost from the moment he could first kick a soccer ball, Beckham began playing for Manchester United, England's legendary soccer team, at 18, and was a starter by the time he was 20.

Harry Kane​
Harry Kane​

Tottenham's notoriously strict wage structure has been blown into oblivion with the news that Harry Kane ... Kane now ranks as the second-best paid player ... Soccer ...

Ferenc ​Puskás​
Ferenc ​Puskás​

Ferenc Puskás was a Hungarian footballer and manager, widely regarded as one of the greatest players of all time. Comments Top Popular Newest The Hungarians of the 50's changed the way football was played and he was the star for his great team.

Luka Modrić​
Luka Modrić​

Luka Modrić Age: 31 Nationality ... RANKED: The 25 Greatest Soccer Players in the World. ... Modrić has established himself as one of the best central midfielders ...

source: newarena.com
image: croatia.org
Garrincha​
Garrincha​

Brazilian soccer player Garrincha has been forgotten by time, but to some he was the equal of the legendary Pele. Learn more about his life at Biography.com. Brazilian soccer star Garrincha overcame birth defects to lead his country to victories in the 1958 and 1962 World Cups.

source: biography.com
Mesut Özil​
Mesut Özil​

Soccer player Mesut Özil was born on October 15, 1988, in Gelsenkirchen, Germany. The grandson of a Turkish immigrant, he developed his soccer skills alongside friends in the "Monkey Cage," a local pitch surrounded by fences. After playing for a series of smaller youth programs, he joined the pipeline of Gelsenkirchen's FC Schalke 04 in 2005.

source: biography.com
Eusébio​
Eusébio​

The top 10 most famous soccer players of all time, featuring greats such as Pele, Lionel Messi, and Diego Maradona. The top 10 most famous soccer players of all time, featuring greats such as Pele, Lionel Messi, and Diego Maradona.

source: thoughtco.com
Paolo Maldini​
Paolo Maldini​

AC Milan legend Paolo Maldini has revealed the three players he hated to come up against, but Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi are not among them. Click through the mini-gallery attached to the article to find out which three players were Maldini's worst nightmares.

Kevin De ​Bruyne​
Kevin De ​Bruyne​

Kevin De Bruyne (Dutch pronunciation:; born 28 June 1991) is a Belgian professional footballer who plays for English club Manchester City and the Belgium national team. De Bruyne plays mainly as an attacking midfielder but can also play as a winger or second striker.

image: mirror.co.uk
Gerard Piqué​
Gerard Piqué​

Gerard Piqué Bernabéu (Catalan: [ʒəˈɾar piˈke βərnəˈβeu], Spanish: [ɟʝeˈɾar piˈke βernaˈβeu]; born 2 February 1987) is a Spanish professional footballer who plays as a centre-back for Barcelona and the Spain national team.

Thomas ​MüLler​
Thomas ​MüLler​

In a generation of flashy, quick players like Neymar, Müller’s style of play is certainly different from the rest of the forwards in the highest caliber of the game. Compared to speed demons like Gareth Bale and pure tricksters like Neymar, Thomas Müller often looks ungainly and his build is rather lanky.

Michel Platini​
Michel Platini​

Platini is one of only three players to win the original ... Is Michel Platini one of the greatest footballers of all time? ... Which is the best football team and ...

source: quora.com
David Silva​
David Silva​

On 1 October, Silva was awarded the Premier League Player of the Month for his outstanding performances, making it the first time ever that two Manchester City players have won the award in back-to-back months with Edin Džeko winning it the month before.

Andrea Pirlo​
Andrea Pirlo​

Pirlo captained Italy to an Under-21 European Championship in 2000, wearing the number 10 jersey, and winning the awards for best player and top scorer of the tournament with three goals; he scored both goals – one from a penalty and the other from a free kick – in Italy's 2–1 victory over Czech Republic in the final.

Zico​
Zico​

Best Soccer (Football) Players of All Time The Top Ten 1 Lionel Messi Lionel Andrés "Leo" Messi is an Argentine professional footballer who plays as a forward for Spanish club Barcelona. He is also known as one of the greatest football players of all time. He was born in Rosario, Argentina on June 24th, 1987.

David de Gea​
David de Gea​

David de Gea Quintana (Spanish pronunciation: [daˈβið ðe ˈxea kinˈtana]; born 7 November 1990) is a Spanish professional footballer who plays as a goalkeeper for Premier League club Manchester United and the Spain national team. He is regarded by many as the best goalkeeper in the world.

Pierre-​Emerick Aubameyang​
Pierre-​Emerick Aubameyang​

Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang. Pierre-Emerick Emiliano François Aubameyang (French pronunciation: [pjɛʁ ɛməʁik obaməjɑ̃ɡ]; born 18 June 1989) is a French-born Gabonese professional footballer who plays for German Bundesliga club Borussia Dortmund and the Gabon national team.

Karim ​Benzema​
Karim ​Benzema​

Despite scoring 131 goals in 192 starts for Real Madrid, Karim Benzema is often overlooked whenever anyone discusses the top strikers in modern football. Either Robert Lewandowski, Luis Suarez or Sergio Aguero are the go-to choice for modern football's best striker, with Benzema barely getting a mention.

Dani Alves​
Dani Alves​

Alves was born in Juazeiro, a city in the Brazilian state of Bahia, to father Domingos Alves da Silva, a farmer. He played football with the neighboring kids. Alves' father had a passion for football as well, and eventually managed to organize his own football team.

image: buzzfeed.com
George Best​
George Best​

George Best (22 May 1946 – 25 November 2005) was a Northern Irish professional footballer who played as a winger for Manchester United and the Northern Ireland national team. In 1968, he won the European Cup with Manchester United, and was named the European Footballer of the Year and FWA Footballer of the Year.

Thiago Silva​
Thiago Silva​

Thiago Emiliano da Silva (Brazilian Portuguese: [tʃiˈaɡu ẽmiliˈɐ̃nu dɐ ˈsiwvɐ]; born 22 September 1982,, commonly known as Thiago Silva, is a Brazilian professional footballer who plays as a central defender for and captains both Ligue 1 club Paris Saint-Germain and the Brazil national team.

Franck Ribéry​
Franck Ribéry​

7. Franck Ribéry. International Goals: 49. Position: Forward, Midfielder. We are continuing our list of top 15 best French soccer players of all time with Franck Ribery who is a French professional footballer and plays for the is German club, Bayern Munich. He is also a former player of the France national team. He primarily plays as a winger.