Football is one of the most popular sports in the world. There are numerous fans and players all over the globe. The game also has a rich history with many famous legends playing the game or being connected with it in some way or another. It’s these legends that have helped make football what it is today. There are thousands of different players that have left an impact on the sport, but only a few can be considered the best at their position or as one of the top ten football players of all time. No matter how good they are, every player has their weakness, but even so, these individuals stand out from others for various reasons. Any sport needs people who love to play it and dedicate their lives to making themselves better at their craft, for example even hockey players, you can read more about them on this website . Footballers are no different; however, there is something about them that makes them special, and regard them as among the best ever to play this game.
Diego Maradona
The Argentinean legend is still regarded as one of the best ever to play the game after all these years. Maradona had a long, successful career; he was a part of the Napoli team that won two Serie A titles and the UEFA Cup in the late ‘80s. He also played for Barcelona and won the Spanish League in his first season there. Maradona is also known for single-handedly leading his country to a World Cup win in 1986. His skill as a midfielder and his vision on the field were his biggest strengths. Maradona was an excellent passer and had great control over the ball; he was also a skilled dribbler with good speed. The biggest criticism of him is that he was overweight and was often injured. Maradona was a notorious womanizer and has fathered nearly 20 children from different women. He is a recovering alcoholic and drug addict, and has been in and out of rehab many times throughout his life.
Pele
Pele was one of the first true football legends and is often compared to Maradona. The Brazilian is widely considered as the best footballer of all time. Even though he played his best football in the 60s and 70s, most people still think of him as the greatest. It’s not hard to see why. Pele was a technical footballer with great balance and exceptional passing. He was also a prolific scorer and was the first player to score over a thousand goals in his career. He was a part of the Santos team that won the Brazilian League five times and the Copa Libertadores twice. Pele also scored a goal in four World Cups. Pele had a long, successful career; however, he has been criticized for not being as successful as Maradona. He was not as skilled a dribbler and had a poor disciplinary record. Pele was fairly lazy on the pitch and was not that interested in training. He was also a heavy smoker and was known to drink alcohol. He was not as disciplined as Maradona and liked to party a lot more.
Ronaldo
The Brazilian striker was an integral part of the famous Barcelona team that won several trophies. He was a prolific goal scorer with excellent speed and ball control. Ronaldo was also a technical player and was a part of the Brazilian national team that won the World Cup in 2002. He played all eight games of the tournament and scored two goals. Ronaldo was a part of Real Madrid during the late 2000s and helped them win the La Liga title in 2007. The main criticism that Ronaldo faced during his career was the fact that he was injury-prone. Despite this, he remained a prolific goal scorer throughout his career. His main weakness was that he played better as a striker rather than as a winger. Ronaldo was also a very lazy player and did not like to train very much. He was an arrogant and cocky player, and his attitude towards his teammates and the manager often brought him trouble.
Ronaldinho
Ronaldinho is another Brazilian midfielder on this list. He was a part of the Barcelona team that won the Champions League in 2006 and 2010. He was also a member of the Brazilian national team between 2002 and 2014. In that time, he helped his side win the World Cup in 2002 and the Olympic Games in 2008. He scored several goals and made assists throughout his career. Ronaldinho was a technical player with great ball control and a good dribbler. He was also an excellent passer and had a great vision on the field. The biggest criticism of Ronaldinho is that he was overweight and out of shape during his last years at Barcelona. He was also a poor defender and did not help his teammates as much as he could have. Ronaldinho was also a very lazy player who did not like to train that much and did not care about his diet. He liked to party and go out with his teammates, and he was also frequently involved in car accidents.
Mario Gotze
The German midfielder played for the German national team at the World Cup in 2014 and 2018, and helped his side win the title in his second tournament. He was also a part of the Bayern Munich team that won the Bundesliga three times and the DFB-Pokal once. During his career, Gotze was renowned for his excellent shot accuracy, his vision on the field, and his ability to make pinpoint passes. Gotze was criticized for not being as prolific a goal scorer as some other midfielders on this list. He was also a poor defender when compared to other midfielders. His main weakness was that he could get too excited on the field at times and make careless mistakes. Gotze was also a fairly lazy player and did not like to train much.
Franck Ribéry
The French midfielder was a part of the Bayern Munich team that won the Bundesliga and DFB-Pokal three times. He is also a member of the French national team, and in that time, he made several team records at the time. He scored 26 goals in his 109 appearances for France. Ribéry was renowned for his excellent passing and dribbling skills. He also had great balance and speed on the field. Ribéry was criticized for being too aggressive on the field and making unnecessary fouls. His biggest weakness was his poor disciplinary record; he often got a red card and was sent off the pitch. Ribéry did not like to train too much and made too many mistakes on the field. He was also known to be a bit of a show-off and liked to pose for the cameras.
Lionel Messi
The Argentinean forward is considered as one of the best football players of all time. He is also the best player in the history of the Spanish La Liga. Messi played for both Barcelona and Argentina, and he was an integral part of both teams. He helped Barcelona win the La Liga six times and the Copa del Rey once. Messi also helped Argentina win the Copa America and the World Cup in the 2010 and 2014 World Cups respectively. He scored 30 goals in the World Cup and 16 in Copa America. Messi had a long and successful career but was criticized for not winning as many trophies as he could have. His biggest weakness was that he was often injured and missed a lot of games. Messi was also a very lazy player and did not like to train. He was also a poor defender and did not help his teammates too much.
Cristiano Ronaldo
The Portuguese forward played for the Portuguese national team in several tournaments and helped his side win the European Championships in 2016. He was a part of the Real Madrid team that won the La Liga four times and the UEFA Champions League once. Ronaldo is also the first and only player in the history of football to win four FIFA/Ballon d’Or awards. He was an excellent goal scorer, and he scored over 600 goals in his career. The biggest criticism that Ronaldo has faced about his career is that he has been accused of tax evasion. He was found guilty and fined millions of euros. He was also criticized for being too aggressive and diving too much. His biggest weakness is that he does not work as hard as Messi and trains too little.
Alessandro del Piero
The Italian forward played for several clubs, but he is most famous for his time with Juventus. Del Piero helped his team win the Serie A title nine times and the Coppa Italia five times. He was a part of the Italian national team, and he helped his side win the FIFA World Cup in 2006 and UEFA European Championship in 2000. Del Piero scored a total of 84 goals in his 124 appearances for Italy. Del Piero was
Conclusion
These are the best football players of all time. All of them have won almost everything there is to win in the sport and have been the best at their positions. These individuals are legends and are the top footballers to ever play in the game. Football is a very popular sport, and its fans are scattered across the globe. The game has a rich history and has seen several famous players make their mark in the sport.
