15 Greatest Footballers of The 20th Century
The game that is most loved by all the sports fans was once pioneered by people who gave everything to uplift football to its most high. The world will never forget the contributions made by these legends and that’s why even today they are celebrated.
Here are the 15 Greatest Footballers of The 20th Century –
15. Bobby Moore
The greatest defender ever to come out of the isles in the Atlantic. The only captain to lift the world cup for the three lions, Bobby Moore remains an epitome of loyalty, playing for West Ham, almost the entirety of his career before moving to Cosmos near the end. A nightmare for any attacker any given day, he was described as the greatest opponent by none other than the great Pele, which speaks volumes about his legacy.
14. Zico
The greatest Brazilian footballer in the 80s. White Pele, as they called him, was the prime cog in Tele Santana’s Selecao machine, which remains one of the greatest teams to never win the World Cup, in 1982. Possibly the greatest Brazilian attacking midfielder of all time, he remains one of the best passers of the ball ever, and one of the first Brazilians to successfully play in Japan. According to Pele, “throughout the years, the one player that came closest to me was Zico”.
13. Lev Yashin
No list could ever be complete without the greatest player with the gloves. Black Spider remains the greatest Soviet player of all time. He had an enviable accolade list. From being the only keeper till date to win a Ballon D’or to winning the European Championship in 1960 to domestically winning almost everything with Dynamo Moscow, the Russian was selected in the FIFA World Cup All-Time Team.
12. Sir Bobby Charlton
Undoubtedly the greatest Manchester United player of all time. The main machine upfront for England in 1966, this attacking midfielder has seen it all. From seeing his teammates perish in the Munich disaster to leading his Red Devils to European Cup glory, a decade later, this man remains the greatest ever to come out of Britain to date. Having been a lifelong servant at the Theatre Of Dreams, he is currently an honorary president at the club.
11. Ferenc Puskas
Captain of the Mighty Magyars from the 1950s, he is the greatest Hungarian footballer ever. Period. One of the greatest strikers of all time, he remains one of the few players to represent two nations in world cups, namely Hungary and Spain. A vital component of the first Galacticos side of Real Madrid from the second half of the 50s, the Hungarian remains one of the all-time top scorers of the Spanish giants, winning titles on the trot year after year, cementing his legacy at the Santiago Bernabeu.
Great piece
Great piece but some dreadful selections … how can any defender be placed ahead of Moore? … How can Eusebio not be on the list? … Platini? Mattheus? Nah, sorry – not good enough … and where are Stanley Matthews & Jinky Johnstone? … and worst of all .. Maradonna should not be on that list – a proven drugs cheat as well as the handball … how do we know most of his great games weren’t done on PED’s?