Messi named football’s greatest player
Lionel Messi has been ranked the greatest footballer of all time, topping a list of 50 legends compiled by Daily Sabah based on individual brilliance, longevity, trophies and impact on the sport.
Messi’s 2022 World Cup triumph with Argentina, record eight Ballon d’Or awards and sustained excellence over nearly two decades put him ahead of Brazil legend Pelé, Diego Maradona and Cristiano Ronaldo.
Pelé ranks second, with his record three World Cup titles in 1958, 1962 and 1970 remaining unmatched. Maradona is third after his iconic 1986 World Cup campaign and transformative spell at Napoli.
Ronaldo, whose career has combined extraordinary goalscoring with remarkable longevity, takes fourth place. The Portuguese has won five Ballon d’Or awards and five Champions League titles while collecting major trophies in England, Spain and Italy.
Johan Cruyff is fifth, followed by Franz Beckenbauer, Ronaldo Nazário, Zinedine Zidane, Alfredo Di Stéfano and Michel Platini.
Legends fill top 50
The 11th-20th positions feature Garrincha, Gerd Müller, Paolo Maldini, Ferenc Puskás, Eusébio, George Best, Bobby Charlton, Lev Yashin, Ronaldinho and Marco van Basten.
Xavi, Andrés Iniesta, Zico, Lothar Matthäus, Thierry Henry, Ruud Gullit, Roberto Baggio, Romário, Kaká and Carlos Alberto Torres occupy places 21-30.
The next group includes Manuel Neuer, Franco Baresi, Luka Modrić, Cafu, Roberto Carlos, David Beckham, Sergio Ramos, Didier Drogba, Luis Suárez and Neymar.
The final 10 are Kenny Dalglish, Steven Gerrard, Frank Lampard, Rivaldo, Hristo Stoichkov, Iker Casillas, Zlatan Ibrahimović, Wayne Rooney, Samuel Eto’o and Jairzinho.
The ranking remains subjective, with differences between eras, playing positions and available historical records making definitive comparisons difficult.
The debate among Messi, Pelé, Maradona and Ronaldo is likely to continue, but Messi’s combination of individual awards, trophies, creativity and longevity has placed him at the top of the latest assessment.
Source:DailySabah
