What is known as soccer in the United States, and Football around most of the world, is the most popular sport the world over, with over 3 billion fans globally. Due to this, footballers from all over the world, train day after day, to become the best there is, and rise to the top of their field. In this article, we are going to explore five of the greatest players the world has ever seen, and look at their accomplishments.
Lionel Messi
Starting out the list, we have Argentine’s own Lionel Messi, who currently serves as Ligue 1’s Paris Saint-Germain’s forward, and the captain of the Argentinian national men’s football team. He is the record holder for most goals scored in La Liga, with over 470 goals, and has won a record of seven Ballon d’Or awards. The majority of his career, Messi spent playing for Barcelona, and only in the last season did he switch over to Paris Saint-Germain.
Cristiano Ronaldo
Possibly the most popular footballer in the world today, Cristiano Ronaldo plays as forward in the most popular football club in the world today, Manchester United. Ronaldo is a darling of the football betting world, and a favorite on betting sites such as www.betstation.com. Ronaldo has played with some of Europe’s greatest teams. He started out playing for Manchester United, and moved on to Real Madrid, Juventus, before returning to Man Utd. in 2021. He has won five Ballon d’Or awards, 32 trophies, and holds the record for most appearances, goals and assists in the Champions League.
Pele
Edson Arantes do Nascimento is regarded by many football fans as the greatest player to have ever run on the field. Whether this is true or not, one thing is for certain. Pele is certainly worthy of his reputation. He played forward for the Brazilian national team, Santos, and the New York Cosmos. His professional career began when he was only 15, and all throughout it, he has proven himself as one of the greatest players of all time, holding the record for all-time greatest leading goalscorer. More than just a scorer, however, Pele’s legendary skills in dribbling and playmaking have made him a mythical figure among football fans.
Ronaldinho
Brazil is one of the most successful countries in the international football scene, so it won’t surprise many to see two Brazilian players on this list of greatest footballers. Ronaldinho spent most of his career playing as an attacking midfielder, and he spent time playing for a number of the best clubs in the world, including Barceona, AC Milan, and others.
Johan Cruyff
Hailing from the Netherlands, Johan Cruyff is one of the most popular European footballers of all time. Throughout his career, he won three Ballon d’Or awards, and in 1974 received the Golden Ball, after taking the Dutch team to the 1974 FIFA World Cup final. Famous for pushing the “total football” philosophy, Johan Cruyff could switch comfortably between any position on the field, and do admirably in any of them. Today, Cruyff is best known for his, so-called, Cruyff Turn, a feint which he pulled off and subsequently popularized.
