By Solomon Wise
November, 2024
The debate of who is the Greatest of all time (G.O.A.T) in football is a major topic that fans discuss around the world, the most discussed players are mainly Cristiano Rolando and Lionel Messi. It is not an easy task ranking these players as there are about 720 million football players around the world and each player considers himself as the G.O.A.T. There are certain factors that are considered when ranking players which are:
- The player’s importance to the team.
- The trophies won by the players both club and international.
- The player’s awards.
- Sometimes the total number of goals the player has scored.
Here is a list of the top ten best players of all time as per the 21st century:
- ANDRES INIESTA (SPAIN)
Iniesta made over 1,000 appearances in his football career, scored several goals and assists, and helped Spain lift the World Cup in 2010, scoring the only goal of the match against Netherlands in the finals. With the aid of his teammate Xavi, the duo were incredible in the field of play while in Barcelona. Iniesta won the La Liga title nine times, was a four-time Champions League winner, and was a runner-up in the Ballon d’Or.
- KYLIAN MBAPPE (FRANCE)
Some of his youngster achievements include being a World Cup winner, seven-time Ligue 1 winner, and four-time French Cup winner. Mbappe scored his first goal in his professional football career at the age of 17 and was the second teenager in history to score in a World Cup final at the age of 19.
He joined Real Madrid from PSG this summer.
- NEYMAR JUNIOR (BRAZIL)
The World Player of the Year award winner has yet to win a major title trophy with his country. Neymar has already made great achievements in his career so far, considering his age. He has won the UEFA Champions League, been a two-time La Liga winner, and been a five-time Ligue 1 winner. He is the current top scorer for the Brazil national team.
- ZLATAN IBRAHIMOVIC (SWEDEN)
Zlatan has scored at least a goal in the Champions League tournament with six different teams, he has lifted twelve league titles with five European clubs and he is also the top leading career goal scorer for Sweden.
Zlatan has been named to the UEFA’s Team of the Year four times.
- LUKA MODRIC (CROATIA)
The Ballon d’Or winner helped Croatia reach the 2018 World Cup finals, and he has also archived more with his club, Real Madrid, including six-time Champions League winner and four-time La Liga winner. During the 2012/13 season, in his debut at Real Madrid, he was voted the worst signing of the season, but with time, he led the team to victories of silverware and widespread acclaim.
- KEVIN DE BRUYNE (BELGIUM)
De Bruyne has a total of 102 goals and 161 assists for Manchester City in all competitions for the nine seasons he has been there, he is one of the most consistent attackers in English Premier League history. De Bruyne has won the Premier League six times, a seven-time FA Cup winner and a Champions League winner. He has won three-time League Player of the Season twice with Man City and one one with Wolfsburg.
- KARIM BENZIMA (FRANCE)
Benzema started his career at the age of 17 years with Lyon before joining Real Madrid in 2002 at the age of 21 years and won the Ballon d’Or award almost twenty years later, he was still producing the best football while over the age of 30 years. Benzema is a four-time La Liga winner, five-time Champions League winner, four-time Ligue1 winner, five-time Club World Cup winner, three-time Copa del Rey winner and one UEFA Nations League winner.
- ROBERT LEWANDOWSKI (POLAND)
During the 2015/16 season, Lewandowski came off the bench and scored five goals in a span of ten minutes helping Bayern Munich win a match which they were trailing 1-0 against Wolfsburg. Some of his accomplishments are UEFA Champions League winner, ten-time Bundesliga winner, two-time Ballon d’Or winner, two-time World Soccer Player of the Year, UEFA Player of the Year, LaLiga winner and seven-time Bundesliga Golden Boots.
- CRISTIANO RONALDO (PORTUGAL)
CR7 still plays professional football for Al Nassr in Saudi Arabia, with a record of over 800 career goals he has won league titles in three different countries that is England, Spain and Italy. He has lifted the Ballon d’Or five times, five-time Champions League winner, three-time Premier League winner, two-time LaLiga winner, two-time Serie A winner and a record for the men’s international goals.
- LIONEL MESSI (ARGENTINA)
After failing to lift the World Cup in the 2014 finals it was the end for Messi since he had won almost everything else in football for club and country, but in the 2022 World Cup Argentina won the World Cup and Messi even scored twice as they defeated France on penalties. Messi has won the LaLiga ten times, seven-time Copa del Rey winner,four-time Champions League winner, eight-time Ballon d’ Or winner, six-time Champions League top scorer, 17-time FIFA FIFPro World XI, two-time Copa America winner and two-time FIFA World Cup Golden Ball winner.
Messi is the record goal scorer for Barcelona with 672 goals.
Some legends have archived more in their football career and at one time being recognized as the greatest of all time, players like:
- PELE (BRAZIL)
- DIEGO MARADONA (BRAZIL)
- ZINEDINE ZIDANE (FRANCE)
- PAOLO MALDINI (ITALY)
- KAKA (BRAZIL)
- BOBBY CHARLTON (ENGLAND)
- RONALDINHO (BRAZIL)
- GEORGE BEST (NORTHERN IRISH)
- XAVI (SPAIN)
- JOHAN CRUYFF (NETHERLANDS)
Who is your all-time greatest football player?
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Solomon Wise is a videographer with over 7 years of experience. When not writing on Respbet he works for various projects in graphics design and videography
