Who is the greatest player of all time? It’s a question that has been asked for many, many years. The answer tends to be eitherĀ Lionel MessiĀ orĀ Cristiano Ronaldo, with the two superstars winning 12 Ballons d’Or between them. They have dominated football for an entire generation. Before them, though, there was Pele and Diego Maradona. The two South Americans dominated the sport during their era and are still in the GOAT conversation despite the emergence of Messi and Ronaldo.
While everyone has an opinion on the best players in the world, the opinions of those who reached the pinnacle of football just hold a little bit more weight. That’s why it’s so interesting to hear fromĀ Ronaldo NazarioĀ – the Brazilian Ronaldo – whoĀ named eight playersĀ who he thinks are in a ‘very special’ group among the greatest players of all time during an interview with The Guardian in 2022. And he didn’t include Cristiano in that.
āI think there is a very, very special group where you have Diego, Messi, Cruyff, Beckenbauer, PelĆ©, Van Basten, Ronaldinho. I would include myself. Let the fans say, let them debate it in the bars. But you canāt rank them, canāt compare generations.”
It really is a ‘very special group’ with Diego Maradona, Lionel Messi, Johan Cruyff, Franz Beckenbauer, Pele, Marco van Basten, Ronaldinho and Ronaldo Nazario himself. While there can be no arguments over the players included, there are some notable absentees on Ronaldo’s list. How can he possibly exclude Cristiano Ronaldo?
The likes of Michel Platini, Alfredo Di Stefano, Zinedine Zidane, George Best and Ferenc Puskas will all feel hard done by not to be mentioned. But who are we to argue with the opinion of someone who has played at the very highest level – and one of the greatest strikers to have lived? So, let’s take a look at the seven players he did include – and why they deserve to be in the GOAT debate
Diego Maradona
Argentina – Attacking midfielder
Diego MaradonaĀ is widely regarded as one of the greatest to have played the game. The Argentine played in four World Cups – and led his nation to victory in 1986. His greatest achievement at club level was at Napoli, who he inspired to their first-ever Serie A title in 1986/87.
They won their second a few years later. If you’re to walk around Naples, you will see Maradona merchandise and graffiti down almost every street. He’s remembered as a god in the city and for every reason. He was a larger-than-life character who was capable of producing magic with the ball at his feet. Remember that goal against England? Incredible.
| Diego Maradona’s career statistics | |
|---|---|
| Appearances | 435 |
| Goals | 194 |
| Assists | 134 |
| Statistics perĀ Transfermarkt. | |
Lionel Messi
Argentina – Forward
From one Argentine legend to another. While Maradona may be consideredĀ oneĀ of the best, Messi might just beĀ theĀ best. The Inter Miami man has won everything he could possibly get his hands on and his 2022 World Cup triumph may well have secured his GOAT status. There are too many records and accolades to speak about but 672 goals in 778 appearances forĀ BarcelonaĀ goes some way to explaining his brilliance.
But Messi simply isn’t about goals. Yes, he may go down as the greatest goalscorer of all time, but he’ll also go down as the greatest playmaker, the greatest dribbler and surely the greatest player of all time. No one has won the Ballon d’Or more than his incredible tally of eight.
| Lionel Messi’s career statistics | |
|---|---|
| Appearances | 1069 |
| Goals | 827 |
| Assists | 400 |
| Statistics per Transfermarkt. | |
Johan Cruyff
Netherlands – Attacking midfielder
He may not be considered the very best but Johan Cruyff is surely the most influential and revolutionary footballer ever. The Dutchman won three Ballons d’Or in 1971, 1973, and 1974 establishing himself as an Ajax and Barcelona legend. He’s also responsible for inventing the ‘Cruyff’ turn – a skill that is still widely used in modern football as a way to skillfully beat defenders.
Creating your own move is enough to earn a legacyĀ as one of the greatest footballers of all time, and it wasn’t just on the pitch where he happened to thrive. His managing career wasn’t bad either for both of those clubs, becoming one of the best managers of all time too.
| Johan Cruyff’s career statistics | |
|---|---|
| Appearances | 599 |
| Goals | 335 |
| Assists | 221 |
| Statistics per Transfermarkt. | |
Franz Beckenbauer
Germany – Defender
The greatest defender of all time? Well, Ronaldo appears to think so, with Beckenbauer being the only defensive-minded player to feature in his list of seven. But the German is fully deserving of his place. Beckenbauer is credited for inventing the ‘modern sweeper’ role and is one of just nine players to have won the FIFA World Cup, the European Champions Cup and the Ballon d’Or.
He played almost 600 times forĀ Bayern Munich, winning everything there was to win. Never before had there been a force at the back quite as dominant as Beckenbauer, and he truly was the peak version of what a defender could be.
