15 Greatest Footballers of The 20th Century

2. Diego Maradona

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The greatest Argentine of the last century. The afro-haired dwarf, but for his hand was indeed a god. The prince of Naples might not have an enviable trophy cabinet barring the 1986 World Cup, but he has left behind a legacy unparalleled. The greatest player to don the shirts of Boca Juniors and Napoli, this man brought these clubs into the footballing scene almost single-handedly. A supremely gifted attacking midfielder, words can hardly describe the legend of Diego.

1. Pele

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The king of football. Most goals scored in the history of the game. The greatest striker to ever set foot on the ball, Edson Arantes du Nascimento remains an enigma in football history. Leading his country to victory in three World Cups, the Brazilian has won almost everything. A master of dribble, technique, shooting, there was nothing he couldn’t do. And finally the cherry on the top, he invented the bicycle kick.

Special Mention:-

1. Eusebio: The Black Panther remains the greatest Portuguese footballer of all time and one of the greatest strikers the world has ever seen. A fearsome leader of the legendary Benfica side of the 60s, he remains the immortal no. 9 of the Portuguese side.

2. Dixie Dean: One of the first great strikers England produced, Dean remains the greatest legend of Everton, with a statue of him unveiled outside Goodison Park, home to the Toffees. He is most fondly remembered for the 1927-28 season, in which he amassed a total of 60 goals in the English First Division, a record that still stands today.

3. Gerd Muller: The first German footballer to win the Ballon D’or, der Bomber remains one of the finest strikers of all time and one of the few players to have literally won everything. His exploits for Bayern Munich marks him as one of the greatest footballers to have played the game.

4. Jimmy Greaves: One of the finest English strikers during his day, Greaves was known for his time with Spurs, for whom he is the all-time top scorer and Chelsea. Greaves also remains the all-time top scorer in English First Division history and was a part of the victorious England side of 1966.

5. Franco Baresi: Paolo Maldini’s most able compatriot in Milan and Italy colours, Baresi remains the greatest sweeper ever, after Beckenbauer. A true one-club man, he spent his entire career with the Rossoneri.

Note:- Zinedine Zidane was not included in the list owing to the fact that his best years were after the turn of the millennium. Despite the majority of his career being in the 90s, the Frenchman’s best years were in the 2000s barring the ’98 World Cup win.