Top ten best soccer players of all time năm 2024

Lionel Messi is a football player from Argentina who plays for Inter Miami. He has won the Ballon D'Or, the annual award given to the best player in the world, 8 times, 2022 FIFA World Cup winner and an Olympic gold medal winner in 2008. He was born in 1987 in Rosario, Argentina's third-biggest city. He showed an enormous aptitude for football and was in the youth teams for Newell's Old Boys, his local team. Faced with mounting medical expenses to treat a growth hormone condition, Messi's family accepted an offer to move the 13-year-old prodigy to FC Barcelona, who would pay for his treatment. Messi has gone on to become one of the most decorated players in football history and has broken countless records for his club and his country.

• Diego Armando Maradona is an Argentine football manager and retired professional footballer. Maradona was the coach of Argentine Primera División club Gimnasia de La Plata. He is regarded as one of the greatest football players of all time. He was one of the two joint winners of the FIFA Player of the 20th Century award. His presence and leadership on the field had a great effect on his team's general performance, while he would often be singled out by the opposition. He played for Argentinos Juniors, Boca Juniors, FC Barcelona, S.S.C. Napoli, Sevilla F.C. and Newell's Old Boys during his club career, and is most famous for his time at Napoli and Barcelona where he won numerous accolades. In his international career with Argentina National Football Team, he earned 91 caps and scored 34 goals. Maradona played in four FIFA World Cups, including the 1986 FIFA World Cup (1986) where he captained Argentina and led them to victory over West Germany National Football Team in the final, and won the Golden Ball as the tournament's best player. In the 1986 FIFA World Cup (1986) quarterfinal, he scored both goals in a 2-1 victory over England National Football Team that entered football history for two different reasons. The first goal was an unpenalized handling foul known as the 'Hand of God', while the second goal followed a 60 m (66 yd) dribble past five England players, voted 'Goal of the Century' by FIFA.com voters in 2002. Maradona became coach of Argentina National Football Team in November 2008. He was in charge of the team at the 2010 FIFA World Cup: South Africa (2010) in South Africa before leaving at the end of the tournament.
• Cristiano Ronaldo dos Santos Aveiro was born on February 5, 1985, in Madeira, Portugal to Maria Dolores dos Santos Aveiro and José Diniz Aveiro. Cristiano has an elder brother, Hugo and two elder sisters, Elma and Liliana Cátia. His name was inspired by the former US-president, Ronald Reagan, whom his father was influenced by. The island of Madeira was also the place where Cristiano first learned to master his skills as a footballer. He spent his early years playing for his local team, Nacional, and by the time he turned 12 years old, he already made his name for himself as one of Madeira's top footballers . It wasn't long before he started to catch the attention of other big Portuguese clubs. Among Sporting was Benfica, a team Cristiano and his father followed as a young boy. However he eventually chose to play for Sporting which was a team his mother loved and followed as she was growing up, to play with the likes of Figo was the dream for her son. He was then spotted by former Liverpool manager, Gerard Houllier at the age of sixteen but Liverpool had no intentions to sign him at that time because they thought he was too young and he needed more time to develop his skills. However, in the summer of 2003, when Sporting played against Manchester United and defeated them, Cristiano caught the attention of Manchester United manager, Sir Alex Ferguson. Ronaldo became Manchester United's first-ever Portuguese player. Initially, he requested for the number 28 as his jersey number because he didn't feel that he could live up to the pressure of previous players such as George Best and David Beckham who wore the number 7 jersey. The year 2006 to 2008 proved to be a rather controversial year for the star. In the 2006 World Cup, Cristiano faced accusations regarding his sportsmanship. In a quarter-final match against England, he was heavily criticized for sending of his club team mate, Wayne Rooney who was playing for the England team. It wasn't too long until fans started accepting Cristiano again. In 2007, he won PFA Young Player of the Year, PFA Player of the Year, PFA Fans' Player of the Year, Portuguese Footballer of the Year, FWA Footballer of the Year, Sir Matt Busby Player of the Year and Manchester United's Players' Player of the Year. The year 2008 also saw him taking back the PFA Player Of The Year Award for the second time running. That same year, Ronaldo also had to deal with controversies regarding his club transfer to Spanish giants, Real Madrid. He eventually chose to stay with Manchester United and stressed to the public that he had no intentions of leaving the club. Cristiano now lives with his cousin, Nuno and his brother in law Ze. When he is not on the field, he is a very family oriented person. Growing up, when he was about to choose football as his career, he said that it was very difficult for him as that would mean lesser time with his family, especially his mother, whom he says play a major role in his life. During his free time, Cristiano enjoys cooking. He mentioned in an interview that he usually cooks before he leaves for his soccer practice. Because he is constantly training, Cristiano rarely has time to watch TV. If he does get the time to watch, he says he loves watching one of the local Portuguese game show which is mostly about trivia questions. Cristiano is an avid learner and he takes interest in learning new things everyday. Among Cristiano's biggest pet peeves are smoking, people who don't make an effort and dishonesty. When the tsunami hit South East Asia, Cristiano flew to Indonesia to help those in need. He auctioned off a few stuff to help raise funds for charity. He hopes to get involved in more charity projects in the future because he believes his star status will help him reach out to others for help.
• Simply he was, and for many people still is, the greatest football player of the world. Not a single thing was impossible for him: he won three World Cups with his National Team of Brazil (Sweden 1958, Chile 1962, Mexico 1970). He scored more than 1.200 goals during his long career (more than 1.300 official matches). He also won many national Leagues and Continental Cups ("Copa Libertadores"), with his team, the Santos Futebol Clube (of Brazilian 'São Paulo' State). In the '60s, he was nick-named "O Rei" (The King), and in the '70s, ninety-five people out of 100 knew his name. ("Wow, man, you're popular!" said Robert Redford, some years ago, after seeing Pelé give dozens of autographs in New York while he was not asked for one). In the late 1960s, when he and his team, Santos, went to Nigeria to play a few friendly matches, the ongoing civil war stopped for the duration of his visit. He finished his career in the New York Cosmos, in 1977. He later became a United Nations Ambassador and has been also Minister for Sports in his country, but, for the people who saw him make magics with his right foot, he is, now and forever, the biggest footballer in the world, and the one and only "King".
• Ronaldo Luís Nazário de Lima commonly known as Ronaldo, is a Brazilian business owner, president of La Liga club Real Valladolid, owner of Brazilian club Cruzeiro FC and a retired professional footballer who played as a striker. Popularly dubbed O Fenômeno ('The Phenomenon and also nicknamed R9, he is widely considered as one of the greatest players of all time. As a multi-functional striker who brought a new dimension to the position, Ronaldo has been the influence for a generation of strikers that have followed. His individual accolades include being named FIFA World Player of the Year three times and winning two Ballon d'Or awards. He won two FIFA World Cup.
• Johan Cruyff (or Cruijffie) is voted the best European soccer player of the twentieth century (and the second best worldplayer). He started his career with AJAX Amsterdam and led them to 4 European finals of which 3 were won (1971/1972/1973). In 1973 Cruyff joined Barcelona (for a the then record-fee of 6 million guilders), He became a very popular player
• also known as el salvador - and gave Barcelona (and Catalonia) their pride back. One fan of the club was so pleased with Johan he gave him a bungalow in the mountains outside Barcelona. With the dutch national team he became the inventor of Total Football in 1974. The world finals were lost against the Germans, leaving the Netherlands with a lifelong trauma. After leaving Barcelona Johan played soccer in the States (Washington Diplomats) and then retired. Due to bad investments het was forced back to the pitch. He joined his first team on a highly profitable contract. In his first game against Harlem he scored a fantastic goal and thus silenced his critics. After two years with Ajax he then joined their great rivals, Feyenoord. Although he lost a game against Ajax 8-2, he made Feyenoord champion of Holland. He then retired as an active player. After a few years he became involved again with his first love, Ajax. He coached them for a few years, winning the European cup winners cup, before he got fired after arguing with the president of the club. But he has not only a first love, but maybe he has an even greater second love, Barcelona. He coached them for a few years, winning the European Champions league for the first time and four times the Spanish league.
• Alfredo Stéfano Di Stéfano Laulhé (4 July 1926 - 7 July 2014) was an Argentine-born professional footballer and coach who played as a forward, regarded as one of the greatest footballers of all time. Nicknamed "Saeta Rubin" ("Blond Arrow"), he is best known for his achievements with Real Madrid, where he was instrumental in the club's domination of the European Cup and La Liga during the 1950s. Along with Francisco Gento and José María Zárraga, he was one of only three players to play a part in all five victories, scoring goals in each of the five finals. Di Stéfano played international football mostly for Spain after moving to Madrid, but he also played for Argentina and Colombia.
• Zinedine Yazid Zidane (born 23 June 1972), nicknamed "Zizou", is a French former professional football player and current manager of Real Madrid. Widely regarded as one of the greatest players of all time, Zidane was an elite play-maker, renowned for his elegance, vision, ball control and technique, and played as an attacking midfielder for Cannes, Bordeaux, Juventus and Real Madrid. At club level, Zidane won two Serie A league titles with Juventus, before he moved to Real Madrid for a world record fee of EUR77.5 million in 2001, which remained unmatched for the next eight years. In Spain, Zidane won the La Liga title and the UEFA Champions League, with his left-foot volleyed winner in the 2002 UEFA Champions League Final considered to be one of the greatest goals in the competition's history. Zidane also won an Intercontinental Cup and a UEFA Super Cup with both teams. Capped 108 times by France, Zidane won the 1998 FIFA World Cup, scoring twice in the final and being named to the All-Star Team, while also winning UEFA Euro 2000, being named Player of the Tournament. The World Cup triumph made him a national hero in France, and he received the Légion d'honneur in 1998. He also received the Golden Ball for player of the tournament at the 2006 World Cup, despite his infamous sending off in the final against Italy for headbutting Marco Materazzi in the chest. He retired as the fourth-most capped player in France history. Zidane received many individual accolades as a player, including being named the FIFA World Player of the Year in 1998, 2000 and 2003, and winning the 1998 Ballon d'Or. He was Ligue 1 Player of the Year in 1996, Serie A Footballer of the Year in 2001, and La Liga Best Foreign Player in 2002. In 2004, he was named in the FIFA 100, a list of the world's greatest living players compiled by Pelé, and in the same year was named the best European footballer of the past 50 years in the UEFA Golden Jubilee Poll. Zidane is one of eight players to have won the FIFA World Cup, the UEFA Champions League and the Ballon d'Or, and was the ambassador for Qatar's successful bid to stage the 2022 FIFA World Cup, the first Arab country to host the tournament. After retiring as a player, Zidane transitioned into coaching, and began as his head coaching career at Real Madrid Castilla. He remained in the position for two years before taking the helm of the first team in January 2016. In his two and a half seasons with Madrid, Zidane won the UEFA Champions League an unprecedented three times consecutively, a La Liga title, a Supercopa de Espana, and the UEFA Super Cup and FIFA Club World Cup twice each. His success saw him named Best FIFA Men's Coach in 2017, but he resigned in May 2018. Following poor results by Real Madrid in the subsequent months, Zidane returned to the club as manager in March 2019.
• Ferenc Puskás (1 April 1927 - 17 November 2006) was a Hungarian football player and manager, widely regarded as one of the greatest players of all time and the sport's first international superstar. A forward, he scored 84 goals in 85 international matches for Hungary and played four international matches for Spain. He became an Olympic champion in 1952 and led his nation to the final of the 1954 World Cup. He won three European Cups (1959, 1960, 1966), ten national championships (five Hungarian and five Spanish Primera División) and eight top individual scoring honors. In 1995, he was recognized as the greatest top division scorer of the 20th century by the IFFHS. With 806 goals in 793 official games scored during his career, he is the sixth top goalscorer of all time. He also has at least 362 assists, which is the second most in history behind Pelé.
• George Best is a Northern Irish professional footballer who played as a winger, spending most of his club career at Manchester United F.C.. Named European Footballer of the Year in 1968, he is regarded as one of the greatest players of all time. A highly skillful winger, considered by several pundits to be one of the greatest dribblers in the history of the sport, George Best received plaudits for his playing style, which combined pace, skill, balance, feints, two-footedness, goalscoring and the ability to get past defenders. In international football, George Best was capped 37 times for Northern Ireland National Football Team between 1964 and 1977, scoring nine goals. He is regarded as one of the greatest players never to have played at a World Cup.
• Franz Beckenbauer is probably Germany's most popular soccer player, coach and manager ever, known as the "Kaiser". Born and bred in Munich, he joined Bayern Munich at the age of 14. In 1965, he debuted in the German Bundesliga and became famous in the role of the team's sweeper. The following years, he won four league championships and four European cups (1966 Cup Winners' Cup, 1972-74 Champions' Cup). During that period, Beckenbauer also joined Germany's national side and had 103 caps in total. He led the team to the historic victories at the 1972 European Championships and the 1974 World Cup. After personal and professional problems, he accepted a contract to play in the North American Soccer Leauge with Cosmos New York. The team won the US championships on three occasions, but Beckenbauer returned to Germany and retired in 1984 after playing a season with Hamburger SV. Some months later, he was appointed manager of the German national team and coached the team until its final victory at the World Cup in 1990. He became one of two men, winning the cup as player and coach. In the 1990s, he returned to Bayern Munich and coached the team for one season, but finally became the club's president. More recently, Beckenbauer has headed Germany's bid to host the FIFA World Cup 2006 and is now chairman of the organization committee. Although the tabloids have always been interested in his turbulent private life, Franz Beckenbauer is considered "unassailable" in the public's eye.
• Arthur Antunes Coimbra, better known as Zico, is a Brazilian football coach and former player who played as an attacking midfielder. Often called the "White Pelé", he was a creative play maker, with excellent technical skills, vision and an eye for goal, who is considered one of the most clinical finishers and best passers ever, as well as one of the greatest players of all time. He is also widely regarded as the greatest Brazilian to never win the World Cup. One of the world's best players of the late 1970s and early 1980s, he is regarded as one of the best play-makers and free kick specialists in history, able to bend the ball in all directions. As stated on goal.com, Zico is the player that scored the most goals from direct free kicks, with 101 goals.
• Ronaldo de Assis Moreira, commonly known as Ronaldinho or Ronaldinho Gaúcho, is a Brazilian former professional footballer and ambassador for Spanish club Barcelona. He played mostly as an attacking midfielder, but was also deployed as a forward or a winger. He played the bulk of his career at European clubs Paris Saint-Germain, FC Barcelona and Milan as well as playing for the Brazilian national team. Often considered one of the best players of his generation and regarded by many as one of the greatest of all time, Ronaldinho won two FIFA World Player of the Year awards and a Ballon d'Or. He was renowned for his technical skills and creativity; due to his agility, pace and dribbling ability, as well as his use of tricks, overhead kicks, no-look passes and accuracy from free-kicks. Ronaldinho made his senior debut for Grêmio, in 1998. At age 20, he moved to Paris Saint-Germain in France before signing for FC Barcelona in 2003. In his second season with Barcelona, he won his first FIFA World Player of the Year Award, as FC Barcelona won La Liga. The season that followed is considered one of the best in his career as he was instrumental in Barcelona winning the UEFA Champions League, their first in fourteen years, as well as another La Liga title, giving Ronaldinho his first career double. After scoring two spectacular solo goals in El Clásico, Ronaldinho became the second FC Barcelona player, after Diego Maradona in 1983, to receive a standing ovation from Real Madrid fans at the Santiago Bernabéu. Ronaldinho also received his second FIFA World Player of the Year award, as well as the Ballon d'Or. Following a second-place La Liga finish to rivals Real Madrid in the 2006-07 season and an injury plagued 2007-08 season, Ronaldinho departed FC Barcelona to join Milan. He then returned to Brazil to play for Flamengo in 2011 and Atlético Mineiro a year later, before moving to Mexico to play for Querétaro and then back to Brazil to play for Fluminense in 2015. Throughout his playing career, Ronaldinho accumulated numerous other individual honours. He was named in the UEFA Team of the Year and the FIFA World XI three times, honoured as the UEFA Club Footballer of the Year in 2006 and was named in the FIFA 100, a list of the world's greatest living players compiled by Pelé. At international level, Ronaldinho played 97 matches for the Brazil national team, scoring 33 goals and representing his country in two FIFA World Cups. He was an integral part of the 2002 FIFA World Cup (2002)-winning team in Korea and Japan, starring alongside Ronaldo and Rivaldo in an attacking trio, scoring two goals, including a free-kick from 40 yards out against England, registering two assists and being named in the FIFA World Cup All-Star Team. As captain, he led Brazil to their second Confederations Cup title in 2005 and was named Man of the Match in a 4-1 victory over archrivals Argentina in the final. Ronaldinho scored three goals in the tournament, taking his total to nine, making him the competition's joint all-time leading goalscorer.
• Lev Yashin is a Soviet football player (goalkeeper), who played for Dynamo Moscow and Soviet Union National Football Team. Olympic champion in 1956 and European champion in 1960, 5-time champion of the USSR, Honored Master of Sports of the USSR (1957). Hero of Socialist Labor (1990), colonel. Lev Yashin was born in Moscow, in the Bogorodskoye area. In the courtyard of the house, local children, including Yashin, constantly played football, games continued in the spring, summer and autumn, in any weather, in the dark. In these yard games, Yashin received the first goalkeeper experience. The beginning of the Great Patriotic War found the 11-year-old Lyova near Podolsk - with relatives, to whom his parents sent their son for a summer vacation. Yashin celebrated his twelfth birthday by unloading a train with factory machines. He went to work at this plant, becoming the apprentice locksmith in the spring of 1943. At the age of 16, Lev Yashin received the first award - the medal 'For Valiant Labor in the Great Patriotic War of 1941-1945'. Lev, while continuing to work at the factory, devoted all his free time to his favorite game, playing as a goalkeeper for the Tushin national team. At 18, he was drafted into the army. He served in Moscow, and there he was noticed by the coach of Dynamo Moscow Arkadiy Chernyshyov, who invited him to the club's youth team. Since then, Yashin played only for this club, until the end of his football career in 1971. Together with his club, Yashin five times (1954, 1955, 1957, 1959 and 1963) became the champion of the USSR and three times won the USSR Cup in football. Since 1954, Lev Yashin is the goalkeeper of the Soviet Union National Football Team, for which he played 74 matches. Together with the national team in 1956, Yashin won the Melbourne 1956: Games of the XVI Olympiad (1956), the 1960 European Cup. As part of the national team, he played three times in the final stage of the World Cup: in 1958 in Sweden, in 1962 in Chile and in 1966 in England. The highest achievement in the world championships was fourth place in the 1966. After the completion of his football career, Yashin graduated from the school of trainers. He worked as a coach of the second national team of the USSR and, for some time, of children's teams.
• Giuseppe Meazza was born on 23 August 1910 in Milan, Lombardy, Italy. He was an actor, known for Milano miliardaria (1951). He died on 21 August 1979 in Rapallo, Liguria, Italy.
• Zlatan was born in 1981 in Malmö, Sweden. He received his first pair of football boots at the age of five and it was obvious even at this early age that he had the potential to become an extraordinary footballer. He grew up in the infamous neighbourhood Rosengård known for being one of Sweden's roughest areas, but this did not hinder him. After playing for a local Swedish Club for a couple of years he transferred to Malmö FF in his teens, and it was here he started to pursue a career as a professional footballer. Zlatan progressed through Malmö FF's youth academy and his breakthrough at senior level came during the 1999-2000 season when he played for Malmö FF's first team under coach Roland Andersson. Zlatan surprised Sweden with his superb technique and great goal scoring ability. As a determined 18 year-old he had already at this point decided that he was going to play for Sweden in the World Cup 2002 in Japan and Korea. After being perused by top Clubs all over the world, Zlatan finally decided to transfer to Ajax and he joined the Amsterdam club in July 2001. He received the number 9 shirt, which was previously worn by Nwankwo Kanu, Patrick Kluivert and the legendary Marco van Basten. After playing for Sweden's Under-21s, the Swedish National Team managers Tommy Söderberg and Lars Lagerbäck chose Zlatan to play his International debut against the Faroe Islands in Sweden in January 2001, and since then Zlatan has been a part of the Swedish National Team. Zlatan ended his first season at Ajax, just like he started it, on top. He scored the golden goal in the Dutch Cup Final against Utrecht and Ajax won both the League and the Cup. His success continued when he was selected as one of 23 players for the Swedish squad in the World Cup 2002, where he played against Argentina and Senegal.
• Gianluigi Buffon is an Italian professional footballer who captains and plays as a goalkeeper for the Serie B club Parma. He is widely regarded as one of the greatest goalkeepers of all time. He is one of the few recorded players to have made over 1,100 professional career appearances. At club level, Buffon's professional career began with Parma in 1995, where he made his Serie A debut. He soon broke into the starting line-up and earned a reputation as one of the most promising young goalkeepers in Italy, helping Parma to win the Coppa Italia, the UEFA Cup and the Supercoppa Italiana in 1999. After joining Juventus in 2001, for the world record fee for a goalkeeper of EUR52 million at the time, Buffon won Serie A titles in both of his first two seasons at the club, and established himself as one of the best players in the world in his position. In his first spell at Juventus, he won a record nine Serie A titles, four Coppa Italias, and five Supercoppa Italianas. He was the first goalkeeper to win the Serie A Footballer of the Year award, and was named Serie A Goalkeeper of the Year a record twelve times. After reaching the 2015 and 2017 UEFA Champions League finals, he was named to the Champions League Squad of the Season on both occasions, and won the inaugural The Best FIFA Goalkeeper award in the latter year.
• David Beckham is one of Britain's most iconic athletes whose name is also an elite global advertising brand. He was captain of the English national team from 2000 to 2009, scored in three different FIFA World Cups, and played midfield for clubs in Manchester, England, Madrid, Spain, and Milan, Italy; he also won the MLS Cup playing for Los Angeles Galaxy in 2011 and 2012. He was born David Robert Joseph Beckham on May 2, 1975, in Leytonstone, East London, England, to Sandra Georgina (West), a hairdresser, and David Edward Alan "Ted" Beckham, a kitchen fitter. Beckham's maternal grandfather was Jewish, and David has mentioned the religion as an influence; he wears a tattoo written in Hebrew from the 'Song of Songs' in the Hebrew Bible (Old Testament), albeit he is not known to practice Judaism or any other faith. Beckham has always played in long sleeve shirts to cover up his tattoos in consideration of others who may feel uncomfortable due to their beliefs. He was brought up by his parents, supporters of Manchester United, attended Bobby Charlton's football school in Manchester, and won a spot in a training session at FC Barcelona as a child. In 1986 he was a Manchester United's mascot for a match against West Ham United. From 1992 - 2003 Beckham made almost 400 appearances for Manchester United and scored 85 goals, although his official record counts only 62 goals in 265 official senior team's matches. In the 1998 FIFA World Cup he played all of England's qualifying matches and scored in several important victories. He received a red card for violent conduct in England's match against Argentina, albeit his opponent later admitted to trying to send Beckham off by over-reacting to their contact during the game and by urging the referee to send Beckham off. After losing the game England was eliminated, Beckham was made a scapegoat and became the target of criticism and abuse in media. He had a good season in 1999 - 2000 and helped Manchester United to win the Premier League. At that time, he married singer Victoria Beckham (nee' Adams) from the popular musical group The Spice Girls, and the couple had their first son, Brooklyn, born in 1999. That same year, Beckham was given a permission to miss training routine, in order to look after his son Brooklyn, who suffered from a stomach infection. Meanwhile, the Manchester United's manager, Alex Ferguson, fined Beckham £50,000 (about $80,000 then) the maximum amount that was permitted, for babysitting with his sick child, while his wife was spotted at a London fashion Week event on the same night. Ferguson's claim that Beckham should be able to train if his wife stayed home that day, caused a serious personal tension between two men. In February 2003, following the defeat to Arsenal, the Manchester United's manager Alex Ferguson entered the changing room and kicked a football boot that struck Beckham over the eye, causing a cut that required stitches. David Beckham has been a good scorer and a major attraction for public. On the field he has been demonstrating his consistent ability to see a big picture even under severe pressure during the most rapidly changing and unpredictable games. His field vision has been remarkable, allowing him to create many assists in a number of important matches. Beckham's forte has been his delivery from the right-hand side as well as his efficient free kicks. His superior performances in the midfield position has required a higher physical endurance through the entire game. "David Beckham's right foot" was mentioned, although humorously, as one of British national treasures in the movie Love Actually (2003). He signed a four-year contract with Real Madrid, beginning on July 1, 2003, and worth a potential 40 million dollars. In Madrid, Beckham was not allowed to wear his favorite number seven, because another player had the right to wear it written into his contract. Beckham decided to wear the number 23 instead, being a big fan of Michael Jordan. He immediately became popular with the Real Madrid fans, but the team did not perform well enough to win either the Spanish League or the Champions League. However, Beckham remained a reliable scorer and his performances attracted more public. His shirts sales and other merchandising deals remained lucrative for the club, which continued to under-perform, regardless of the Real's management's higher expectations. In 2005 Beckham became a UNICEF Goodwill Ambassador. He was also involved in promoting London's successful bid for the 2012 Olympic Games. His third season in Madrid was unremarkable, and he was criticized a lot, mainly because the team finished second to Barcelona in Spanish "La Liga" and lost to Arsenal in the European Champions League. However, during that season, he expanded his international presence by establishing football academies in Los Angeles and East London. During the FIFA World Cup 2006, he played for England, and became the first ever English player to score in three World Cups. In the quarter final game against Portugal, Beckham was replaced because of his injury in the middle of the game. Without him the English team lost and was knocked out of the World Cup. In June 2007 Beckham played his final game for Real Madrid, winning a medal and celebrating with his friends Tom and Katie Cruse, who attended the game. This was his fourth, and last season there, ending his contract with the club. He announced that he had signed a five-year contract to play for the Los Angeles Galaxy from July 1, 2007 through June 2012. The 5-year deal includes up to $10 million a year in direct salary, and with merchandising endorsements and profit-sharing could earn Beckham up to $50 million a year, and may end up worth about $250 million in five years, making him one of the highest earning athletes of all time. In 2009, in a unique time share agreement David played on loan at AC Milan to maintain his fitness after ending the season with the Galaxy. He ended up staying with Milan for five months, from January to May 2009. In 2010, he also arranged to embark on a second loan spell at AC Milan from the Galaxy, to play for Milan for another five months. He said that he "genuinely enjoyed playing for Milan." In 2011, after winning his first MLS Cup, his five-year deal with the Los Angeles Galaxy ended. At that time, Beckham was invited to play for Paris Saint-Germain. But the 36-year-old player said "My family and I are incredibly happy and settled in America and we look forward to spending many more years here... I am still passionate about playing in America and winning trophies with the Galaxy" he stated after signing another two-year contract with the Los Angeles club. In 2012, Beckham helped the Los Angeles Galaxy to retain their championship by defeating the Houston Dynamo 3-1 in the final game and winning the MLS Cup 2012. His last appearance for Los Angeles was on December 2, 2012. Beckham's jersey No 23 has been the best selling in the MLS and one of the best in the world, as he expands his image as one of sport's leading icons. Although he plays his best in the right of midfield, Beckham can be dangerous anywhere in the field and can make a difference in a big game with a pass, a cross, or a free kick. Arguably no one in the game can rival Beckham's accuracy in free kicks, as he can put that ball on a teammate's head with uncanny precision. He is still a decisive player, regardless of age. In January 2013, David Beckham signed a 5 month contract with Paris Saint-Germain. The Beckhams, who have become known as "Posh and Becks", have four children: three sons - Brooklyn Joseph Beckham (born 1999, in London), Romeo James Beckham (born 2002, in London), Cruz David Beckham (born 2005, in Madrid), and daughter Harper Seven (born in 2011, in Los Angeles).
• Born in Joeuf (Meurthe-et-Moselle, France) in 1955 from Italian immigrants, Michel Platini became one of the best French soccer players ever. He played for 4 different clubs: AS Joeuf (during his amateur youth, 1966-72), Nancy (1972-79), Saint-Etienne (1979-82) and Juventus Turin (1982-87). With Nancy he was first in the Group B of second division in 1975 and won the French Cup in 1978. With Saint-Etienne he won the French Championship in 1981 and was 2 times finalist in the French Cup. With Turin he won one Italian Cup, 2 Italian Championships and 4 different international titles (+ one lost finale), and he was 3 times the best scorer of the Italian Championship. He also played 72 matches with the French national team, with whom he was 50 times captain and scored 41 goals, was European champion in 1984 (and top scorer of the tournament with 9 goals), won the Intercontinental Cup in 1985, finished fourth in the 1982 World Cup and third in 1986. He also received 3 European Golden Balls (Footballer of the year) from 1983 to 1985. He retired in 1987 to concentrate on his vast business empire. In 1988, after France failed to qualify for the 1990 World Cup, Platini became the team manager (his first coaching job) until 1992. Under his coaching France had 16 victories, 8 draws and only 5 defeats and qualified for the 1992 European Nations Championship with 8 victories in 8 matches during the qualifications. Later he was co-president of the Organization Committee of the 1998 World Cup in France, and then became the Special Advisor of FIFA president Joseph Blatter and also vice-president of the French Federation since January 2001.
• Gerhard "Gerd" Müller was a German professional footballer. A striker renowned for his clinical finishing, especially in and around the six-yard box, he is widely regarded as one of the greatest goalscorers in the history of the sport. At international level with West Germany, he scored 68 goals in 62 appearances, and at club level, in 15 years with Bayern Munich in which he scored 365 goals in 427 Bundesliga matches, he became - and still is - record holder of that league. In 74 European club games he scored 65 goals. Averaging over a goal a game with West Germany, Müller was, as of 11 July 2021, 21st on the list of all time international goalscorers, despite playing fewer matches than every other player in the top 48. Among the top scorers, he has the third-highest goal-to-game ratio. He also had the highest ratio of 0.97 goals per game in the European Cup, scoring 34 goals in 35 matches. Nicknamed "Bomber der Nation" ("the nation's Bomber") or simply "Der Bomber", Müller was named European Footballer of the Year in 1970. After a successful season at Bayern Munich, he scored ten goals at the 1970 FIFA World Cup for West Germany where he received the Golden Boot as top goalscorer. In 1972, he won the UEFA European Championship and was the top goalscorer, scoring two goals in the final. Two years later, he scored four goals in the 1974 World Cup, including the winning goal in the final. Müller held the all-time goal-scoring record in the World Cup with 14 goals for 32 years. In 1999, Müller was ranked ninth in the European player of the Century election held by the International Federation of Football History & Statistics (IFFHS), and he was voted 13th in the IFFHS' World Player of the Century election. In 2004, Pelé named Müller in the FIFA 100 list of the world's greatest living players
• Marcel "Marco" van Basten is a Dutch football manager and retired professional player, who played for Ajax and AC Milan, as well as the Netherlands national team, as a striker. Widely regarded as one of the greatest players in the history of the sport, he scored 300 goals in a high-profile career, but played his last match in 1993, at the of age 28, due to an injury which forced his retirement two years later. He was later the head coach of Ajax and the Netherlands national team. Known for his close ball control, attacking intelligence, impeccable headers, and spectacular strikes and volleys, Van Basten was named FIFA World Player of the Year in 1992 and won the Ballon d'Or three times, in 1988, 1989 and 1992. At club level, he won three Eredivisie titles and the Cup Winners' Cup with Ajax, and four Serie A titles and three European Cups with Milan. With the Netherlands, Van Basten won UEFA Euro 1988 where he earned the Golden Boot, scoring five goals, including a memorable volley in the final against the Soviet Union.
• Manuel Francisco dos Santos, nicknamed Mané Garrincha, best known as simply Garrincha "little bird", was a Brazilian professional footballer who played as a right winger. He is widely regarded as one of the greatest players of all time, and by some, the greatest dribbler ever. Garrincha played a vital role in Brazil's 1958 and 1962 World Cup victories. In 1962, when Pelé got injured, Garrincha led Brazil to a World Cup victory with a dominating performance throughout the tournament. He also became the first player to win Golden Ball (Player of the tournament), Golden Boot (Leading Goalscorer) and the World Cup in the same tournament. He was also named in the World Cup All-Star Teams of both 1958 World Cup and 1962 World Cup. In 1994, he was named in the FIFA World Cup All-Time Team. Brazil never lost a match while fielding both Garrincha and Pelé. In 1999, he came seventh in the FIFA Player of the Century grand jury vote. He is a member of the World Team of the 20th Century, and was inducted into the Brazilian Football Hall of Fame. Due to his immense popularity in Brazil, he was also called Alegria do Povo (People's Joy) and Anjo DE Pernas Tortas (Bent-Legged Angel).
• Marcos Evangelista de Morais , known as Cafu is a Brazilian former professional footballer. With 142 appearances for the Brazil national team, he is the most internationally capped Brazilian player of all time. Known for his pace and energetic attacking runs along the right flank, he is regarded as one of the greatest full-backs of all time, one of the best defenders ever to play in the Italian Serie A, and as one of the greatest Brazilian and South American players of his generation. Honours: 2x FIFA World Cup, FIFA Club World Cup, CONMEBOL Libertadores, UEFA Champions League.
• Andrés Iniesta Luján is a Spanish professional footballer who plays as a midfielder and Considered one of the greatest midfielders of all time, Iniesta has spent most of his career at Barcelona, where he served as the captain for three seasons.Iniesta came through La Masia, the Barcelona youth academy, after an early migration from his birthplace, and impressed from an early age. He made his first-team debut aged 18 in 2002. He began playing regularly during the 2004-05 season and remained in the team until 2018. Iniesta was an integral part of the Barcelona sides that won two historic trebles in 2009 and 2015, and his 35 trophies, which includes nine La Ligas and four UEFA Champions League titles, make him the most decorated Spanish footballer of all time.

  Who is the best footballer in history?

  Ranking factors.

  Who is the very best soccer player?

  Lionel Messi and Bonmatí won the best player awards last year on the back of their recent World Cup wins. New awards for the 2023-24 season include best men's and women's coach.

  Who is best, Ronaldo or Messi?

  Who is better Messi Or Ronaldo? Ronaldo has scored a record number of international goals and appearances, but Messi has won more Ballon d'Or awards (8). Messi has spent most of his playing career in Spain and France, while Ronaldo has played in Portugal, England, Spain, and Italy.

  How much is Ronaldo worth?

  Ronaldo's contract has been estimated by media to be worth more than €200m ($219.98m). PSG forward Messi, 35, was next on the list after bringing home a combined $130m while club teammate and France captain Mbappe the youngest on the list at 24 earned $120m to sit third.