best players in history
football history best players pele
Pelé is considered by FIFA as the best player of the 20th century.
According to the International Federation of Football History and Statistics (IFFHS), recognized by FIFA, the list of the 5 best football players in the world in the 20th century is as follows:
Pele (Edson Arantes do Nascimento). Born in Brazil in 1940, the best player of the century according to FIFA’s vote and the best athlete of the 20th century according to the International Olympic Committee, he won the world cup with the Brazilian team in 1958, 1962 and 1970, being the player who more times and youngest has obtained it in history.
Johan Cruyff. Dutch player born in 1947 and died in 2016, he is considered the best player in Europe, he received the Golden Ball three times (1971, 1973 and 1974), and he is considered the best exponent of the so-called “total football” of Rinus Michels .
Franz Beckenbauer. Born in 1945 in Germany, this footballer nicknamed “The Kaiser” was captain of his country’s team when it won the World Cup in 1974 and 1976, as well as the European Championship in 1972, and was the coach of the team when it won the Cup. 1990. In addition, he won the Ballon d’Or in Europe in 1972 and 1976, being remembered as the best player in the history of his country.
Alfredo DiStefano. Argentine soccer player and nationalized Spanish coach, born in 1926, he was an honorary player of the River Plate, Millonarios and Real Madrid clubs, being honorary president of the latter from 2000 until his death in 2014. He is considered one of the best players of all time. times, Real Madrid’s top scorer at the time of his retirement, after having played eleven seasons.
Diego Armando Maradona. Born in Buenos Aires in 1960, “el Diego” is one of the best known, admired and controversial soccer players in history. A midfielder or striker, he was world champion in 1986, runner-up in 1990 and world junior champion in 1979, before being suspended for doping. He was the top scorer in the Argentine league five times, and was later a television host, coach of various national teams and the star of fiction films and documentaries.
Obviously in this list, drawn up in 2004, there are no current soccer stars of the 21st century such as the Argentine Lionel Messi or the Portuguese Cristiano Ronaldo.
