Football stars. The most famous football players of all time James Rodriguez, Bayern

Famous British magazine FourFourTwo published his list of the hundred best football players of 2016. There are no Russian players on it, but this does not make the list any less interesting.

Top 10 players of 2016

1. (Real Madrid, Portugal team)

The intrigue of all football ratings in recent years actually comes down to which of the two names will be given first place and which will be given second place. And at the end of 2016 FourFourTwo gave gold to European champion and winner Cristiano Ronaldo. The publication emphasizes that despite the opinion of many fans that the Portuguese is gradually losing ground in world football, they are still quite strong.

2. (“Barcelona”, Argentina national team)

In the past year, Leo Messi took second place in the ranking. The Argentine was reminded of his failure in the Copa America final, but they still note the progress of the already star football player. The publication writes that his free kick technique has improved, but more importantly, Messi has finally turned into a real strategist, able to correctly determine when it is better to try to score himself and when to assist his partners.

3. (Barcelona, ​​Uruguay team)

Following Messi is his loyal partner Luis Suarez, another member of the famous attacking trident. And, as noted FourFourTwo, it is thanks to him that we can consider that Cristiano and Leo no longer have a monopoly in big football. In addition, Suarez is very hardworking and not greedy, which makes him even greater.

4. (“Atlético”, French national team)

It would seem that Neymar should follow Messi and Suarez, but European vice-champion Antoine Griezmann stepped in front of the Brazilian. FourFourTwo notes that the Frenchman became a world-class star, and even though in 2016 Cristiano and his both teams stole victory from Griezmann, first in the Champions League, and then in , the year for one of the leaders and top scorer of Euro 2016 still turned out to be - truly outstanding.

5. (Barcelona, ​​Brazil team)

Giving Neymar 5th place in his ranking, FourFourTwo writes that in Barcelona the player had two tasks: to find his place among other superstars, and also to prepare for the role of Messi’s heir, because sooner or later he will definitely be needed. The editors believe that the Brazilian has coped with the first task and is on the way to solving the second. It also highlights his progress over the past year and that Neymar has truly found and embraced his place in the team. If necessary, he is able to help in defense and at the same time will not be greedy in attack. Well, and on top of everything else, in 2016, Neymar, as you know, also became an Olympic champion.

6. (Real Madrid, Wales team)

There was a moment in Gareth Bale's career when it seemed that he was about to leave - it was a rather sad story of a serious conflict in the Madrid camp. But it seems that all the troubles are behind us, and the footballer continues to progress. The publication notes his outstanding physical characteristics and desire to control the game. And, of course, how much he did for, which became one of the brightest teams at Euro 2016. And if Neymar can replace Messi in the future, it is Bale who is called a potential successor to Ronaldo.

7. (“Bayern”, Polish national team)

The most difficult thing for Robert Lewandowski in 2016 was to improve his performance in 2015, which was an incredibly successful year for the Pole. As a result, the magazine gave the footballer 7th place, and at the same time recalled the words of , who believes that in the game Lewandowski should rely not so much on tactical literacy, but on his killer instinct.

8. (Manchester City, Belgium team)

The publication believes that Kevin de Bruyne has finally become a real star, and gives him 8th place in the ranking. It is noted that he once did not give him the opportunity to prove himself simply because the football player was in the wrong place at the wrong time. Now the Belgian has truly revealed himself, partly because he was finally in the right place at the right time.

9. (Manchester City, Argentina national team)

FourFourTwo believes that for Sergio Aguero, 2016 has become a year of professional growth. The magazine writes that the footballer has good statistics, and the combination of brilliant mental work and performance skills makes him increasingly dangerous for his opponents.

10. (“Bayern”, German national team)

Manuel Neuer became the only goalkeeper included in the top ten according to the publication. FourFourTwo reminds that the German’s game led to a great evolution of goalkeeping skills and forced all goalkeepers in the world to look up to him. Also noted is the crazy “superhuman” concentration that Neuer has, and, of course, his great contribution to the game, including at Euro 2016.

Who else was in the top 100 football players of the year

11. Thomas Müller (Bayern, Germany)

12. Luka Modric (Real Madrid, Croatian national team)

13. Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang (Borussia, Gabon national team)

14. Paul Pogba (Juventus/Manchester United, French national team)

15. Gonzalo Higuain (Napoli/Juventus, Argentina)

16. Jerome Boateng (Bayern, Germany)

17. Alexis Sanchez (Arsenal, Chile)

18. Zlatan Ibrahimovic (Paris Saint-Germain/Manchester United, Sweden)

19. Andres Iniesta (Barcelona, ​​Spain national team)

20. Mesut Ozil (Arsenal, Germany)

21. Diego Godin (Atlético Madrid, Uruguay national team)

22. Sergio Busquets (Barcelona, ​​Spain national team)

23. Toni Kroos (Real Madrid, Germany)

24. Philipp Lahm (Bayern)

25. Leonardo Bonucci (Juventus, Italy)

26. Ivan Rakitic (Barcelona, ​​Croatian national team)

27. Eden Hazard (Chelsea, Belgium national team)

28. David Alaba (Bayern, Austrian national team)

29. Gerard Pique (Barcelona, ​​Spain national team)

30. N'Golo Kante (Leicester/Chelsea, France)

31. David de Gea (Manchester United, Spain national team)

32. David Silva (Manchester City, Spain national team)

33. Toby Alderweireld (Tottenham, Belgium)

34. Gianluigi Buffon (Juventus, Italy)

35. Sergio Ramos (Real Madrid, Spain national team)

36. Arturo Vidal (Bayern, Chile)

37. Riyad Mahrez (Leicester, Algeria)

38. Jan Oblak (Atlético Madrid, Slovenian national team)

39. Giorgio Chiellini (Juventus, Italy)

40. Dimitri Payet (West Ham, France)

41. Diego Costa (Chelsea, Spain national team)

42. Karim Benzema (Real Madrid, France)

43. Edinson Cavani (Paris Saint-Germain, Uruguay)

44. Douglas Costa (Bayern, Brazil)

45. Pepe (Real Madrid, Portugal national team)

46. ​​Thiago Alcantara (Bayern, Spain)

47. Paulo Dybala (Juventus, Argentina national team)

48. Raphael Guerreiro (Lorient/Borussia, Portugal national team)

49. Koke (Atlético Madrid, Spain team)

50. Mats Hummels (Borussia/Bayern, Germany)

51. Philippe Coutinho (Liverpool, Brazil)

52. Angel Di Maria (Paris Saint-Germain, Argentina national team)

53. Javier Mascherano (Barcelona, ​​Argentina national team)

54. James Rodriguez (Real Madrid, Colombia national team)

55. Miralem Pjanic (Roma/Juventus, Bosnia and Herzegovina national team)

56. Alexandre Lacazette (Lyon, France)

57. Raheem Sterling (Manchester City, England)

58. Joshua Kimmich (Bayern, Germany)

59. Raphael Varane (Real Madrid, France)

60. Henrikh Mkhitaryan (Borussia/Manchester United, Armenian national team)

61. Xabi Alonso (Bayern)

62. Thiago Silva (Paris Saint-Germain, Brazil team)

63. Thibaut Courtois (Chelsea, Belgium national team)

64. Marek Hamsik (Napoli, Slovakia national team)

65. Julian Weigl (Borussia, German national team)

66. Arjen Robben (Bayern, Netherlands)

67. Franck Ribery (Bayern)

68. Radja Nainggolan (Roma, Belgium national team)

69. Renato Sanches (Benfica/Bayern, Portugal national team)

70. Marco Reus (Borussia, Germany)

71. Mauro Icardi (Inter, Argentina national team)

72. Harry Kane (Tottenham, England)

73. Claudio Marchisio (Juventus, Italy)

74. Roberto Firmino (Liverpool, Brazil national team)

75. Bamidele Alli (Tottenham, England)

76. Marcelo (Real Madrid, Brazil national team)

77. Samuel Umtiti (Lyon/Barcelona, ​​France)

78. Kevin Gameiro (Sevilla/Atlético Madrid, France)

79. Ilkay Gundogan (Borussia/Manchester City, Germany)

80. Carlos Bacca (Milan, Colombia national team)

81. Hugo Lloris (Tottenham, France)

82. Jamie Vardy (Leicester City, England)

83. Keylor Navas (Real Madrid, Costa Rica)

84. Javier Hernandez (Leverkusen, Mexico)

85. Andrea Barzagli (Juventus, Italy)

86. Santi Cazorla (Arsenal, Spain)

87. Filipe Luiz (Atlético Madrid, Brazil national team)

88. Adrien Rabiot (Paris Saint-Germain, French team)

89. Kalido Koulibaly (Napoli, Senegal national team)

90. Romelu Lukaku (Everton, Belgium)

91. Julian Brandt (Bayer Leverkusen, German youth team)

92. Juan Mata (Manchester United, Spain national team)

93. Jonas (Benfica, Brazil national team)

94. Ever Banega (Sevilla/Inter, Argentina)

95. Mohamed Salah (Roma, Egypt)

96. Joao Mario (Sporting/Inter, Portugal national team)

97. Hakim Ziyech (Twente/Ajax, Moroccan national team)

98. Blaise Matuidi (Paris Saint-Germain, French team)

99. Petr Cech (Arsenal, Czech national team)

100. Ousmane Dembele (Rennes/Borussia, France)

There are a lot of ratings of the best football players. Even the Guardian newspaper has its own. They also highlight lists of the best goalkeepers, the 100 best football players according to FIFA, the top 100 football players of the World Cup, Europe, or simply the top 100 of the year. The absolute list can be considered the list of “Best Football Players of the Century” from the International Federation of Football History and Statistics (IFHIS).

In English this list is called Football player of the Century and over the last century only 66 people got there. This is probably where we should start.

Best players of the century (Football player of the Century)

It is unlikely that even people well versed in football will remember who Abdullah Majed or even Ferenc Puskan (66th and 6th place in the ranking, respectively) are. But the names of Pele, Maradona, Oleg Blokhin, Roger Milla, Garrincha are still heard. So, here is the absolute football TOP for today:
1. Pele (Brazil) - 1705
2. Johan Cruyff (Netherlands) - 1303
3. Franz Beckenbauer (Germany) - 1228
4. Alfredo Di Stefano (Argentina, Spain) - 1215
5. Diego Maradona (Argentina) - 1214
6. Ferenc Puskas (Hungary) - 810
7. Michel Platini (France) - 722
8. Garrincha (Brazil) - 624
9. Eusebio (Portugal) - 544
10. Bobby Charlton (England) - 508
11. Stanley Matthews (England) - 368
12. Marco Van Basten (Netherlands) - 315
13. Gerd Müller (Germany) - 265
14. Zico (Brazil) - 207
15. Lothar Matthäus (Germany) – 202
16. George Best (Northern Ireland) - 187
17. Juan Alberto Schiaffino (Uruguay) - 158
18. Ruud Gullit (Netherlands) - 119
19. Valdir Pereira Didi (Brazil) - 116
20. Gianni Rivera (Italy) - 116
21. Giuseppe Meazza (Italy) – 108
22. Matthias Sindelar (Austria) - 106
23. Fritz Walter (Germany) - 103
24. Robert Moore (England) - 98
25. Jose Manuel Moreno (Argentina) - 96
26. Hugo Sanchez (Mexico) - 85
27. George Weah (Liberia) - 79
28. Roger Milla (Cameroon) - 78
29. Jose Leandro Andrade (Uruguay) - 74
30. Juste Fontaine (France) – 73
31. Francisco Gento (Spain) - 73
32. Ladislao Kubala (Hungary, Spain) - 71
33. Franco Baresi (Italy) - 70
34. Josef Bican (Czechoslovakia) - 63
35. Karl-Heinz Rummenigge (Germany) - 59
36. Omar Sivori (Argentina) - 56
37. Elias Figueroa (Chile) - 55
38. Kevin Keegan (England) - 53
39. Sandor Kocsis (Hungary) - 52
40. Hector Scarone (Uruguay) - 51
41. Josef Masopust (Czechoslovakia) - 46
42. Giacinto Facchetti (Italy) – 44
43. Raymond Kopa (France) - 41
44. Alessandro Mazzola (Italy) – 41
45. Uwe Seeler (Germany) – 40
46. ​​Gunnar Nordahl (Sweden) - 36
47. Zizinho (Brazil) - 35
48. Teofilo Cubillas (Peru) - 34

49. Arsenio Erico (Paraguay) - 30
50. Denis Law (Scotland) - 29
51. Silvio Piola (Italy) - 28
52. Adolfo Pedernera (Argentina) - 27
53. Obdulio Jacinto Varela (Uruguay) - 24
54. Arthur Friedenreich (Brazil) - 23
55. Mikael Laudrup (Denmark) - 22
56. Alberto Spencer (Ecuador) - 21
57. Jozsef Bozsik (Hungary) - 21
58. Tostao (Brazil) - 19
59. Ernst Otzvirk (Austria) - 18
60. Paul Van Himst (Belgium) – 11
61. Cha Beom Geun (South Korea) – 11
62. Rabah Majer (Algeria) - 10
63. Lakhdar Bellamy (Algeria) - 10
64. Oleg Blokhin (USSR) - 9
65. Luis Cubilla (Uruguay) - 9
66. Abdullah Majed (Saudi Arabia) - 9

Since the best goalkeepers are counted separately, their list includes 40 people. Soviet goalkeeper Lev Yashin (Dynamo Moscow) was recognized as the best goalkeeper of all time. Also on the list is Rinat Dasaev (17th place), who played for Spartak Moscow from 1978 to 1988.

Video

FIFA TOP 100

Since 2004, FIFA decided to establish its own list of the 100 best football players. The fact is that the organization itself turned 100 that year, so the occasion was more than suitable. This is how the FIFA 100 rating was born.

Footballer No. 1 Pele chose the candidates. 50 candidates were selected from active players, 50 from those who have already completed their careers. With the latter, Pele was unable to keep within fifty, and “” proposed 75 candidates. The total came out to 125.

Franz Beckenbauer was nicknamed Kaiser for his excellent acting

The list is divided by parts of the world, and Europe is divided into Eastern (with Turkey and the former USSR) and Western.

The best FIFA players in Eastern Europe:

• Belezoglu, Emre - Türkiye
• Boniek, Zbigniew – Poland
• Dasaev, Rinat - USSR
• Masopust, Josef – Czech Republic
• Nedved, Pavel - Czech Republic
• Puskas, Ferenc - Hungary
• Recber, Rüştu – Türkiye
• Stoichkov, Hristo – Bulgaria
• Hadji, Gheorghe - Romania
• Shevchenko, Andrey – Ukraine
• Suker, Davor – Croatia

Please note, Rinat Dasaev is already “the best” twice!

Rinat Dasaev

Difference between Soviet and Russian football:

• Rinat Dasaev is included in all lists of the best football players and goalkeepers;
• Igor Akinfeev could only become the worst goalkeeper of the 2014 World Cup.

Best Footballer in Europe (West):
1. Thierry Henry, turned sports journalist, number 1 in Europe!
2. Baggio, Roberto - Italy
3. Ballack, Michael - Germany
4. Baresi, Franco - Italy
5. Beckenbauer, Franz - Germany
6. David Beckham, whose face was smashed by Sir Old Ferguson with his boot.
7. Bergkamp, ​​Dennis - Netherlands
8. Bergomi, Giuseppe - Italy
9. Best, George - Northern Ireland
10. Boniperti, Giampiero - Italy
11. Breitner, Paul - Germany
12. Butragueno, Emilio - Spain
13. Buffon, Gianluigi - Italy
14. Banks, Gordon - England
15. Van Basten, Marco - Netherlands
16. Van de Kerkhof, Willy - Netherlands
17. Van de Kerkhof, René - Netherlands
18. Van der Elst, Franks - Belgium
19. Van Nistelrooy, Rood - Netherlands
20. Vieira, Patrick - France
21. Vieri, Christian - Italy

Jurgen Klinsmann (left) and Joachim Löw at a training session with the German national team

This list is perhaps the most “famous”. Beckham, Platini, Thierry, Figo, Raul, Klinsmann, van Basten, Zidane - everyone knows them and remembers them even after retiring from their careers or becoming coaches.

FIFA Americas Footballer of the Year (South and North):
1. Batistuta, Gabriel - Argentina
2. Valderrama, Carlos - Colombia
3. Veron, Juan Sebastian - Argentina
4. Zanetti, Javier - Argentina
5. Di Stefano, Alfredo - Argentina
6. Zico - Brazil
7. Junior - Brazil
8. Carlos Alberto - Brazil
9. Roberto Carlos - Brazil
10. Cafu - Brazil
11. Kempes, Mario - Argentina
12. Crespo, Hernan - Argentina
13. Cubillas, Teofilo - Peru
14. Maradona, Diego - Argentina
15. Passarella, Daniel - Argentina
16. Pele - Brazil
17. Rivaldo - Brazil
18. Rivelino - Brazil
19. Romerito - Paraguay
20. Romario - Brazil
21. Ronaldinho - Brazil
22. - Brazil
23. Saviola, Javier - Argentina
24. Zamorano, Ivan - Chile
25. Santos, Djalma - Brazil
26. Santos, Nilton - Brazil
27. Sanchez, Hugo - Mexico
28. Sivori, Omar - Argentina
29. Socrates - Brazil
30. Falcao - Brazil
31. Figueroa, Elias - Chile
32. Francescoli, Enzo - Uruguay
33. Hamm, Mia - USA
34. Akers, Michelle - USA

Gabriel Batistuta

Gabriel Batistuta is the best here. Pele stands modestly in 16th place, and Maradona is not even included. Perhaps because of the famous Argentine football player’s addiction to drugs, or maybe because of something else. Garrincha, who had big problems with alcohol at the end of his career, is also not among the best football players in America. FIFA stands for a healthy lifestyle, even at the expense of football history.

Brazilians dominate the list, but maybe that will change. After the last World Cup in the homeland of Pele, Zico and Cafu, many started talking about a serious crisis in Brazilian football.

Asia and Africa in FIFA 100

There are only two Asian players on the list: Hidetoshi Nakata from Japan and Hong Myung Bo from South Korea. The first one left football back in 2006 and preferred to do business; Hong Myung Bo also ended his playing career, but did not leave the sport. He has been coaching the South Korean national team since 2005. At the 2014 World Cup, the Koreans did not leave Group H, like the Russian team.

There are more Africans on the list, as many as five. In first place is Pele, but another one, Abedi from Ghana. He was accompanied by George Weah (Liberia), El-Hadji Diouf (Sinegal), Jay Jay Okocha (Nigeria) and Cameroonian Roger Milla, who, like Rinat Dasaev, is among the TOP 66 best players of the century.

Cameroon national team forward Roger Milla

The appearance of FIFA 100 (actually 125) was met with hostility and is still criticized to this day. FIFA was accused of bias, and also of the fact that it was not Pele who actually chose, but the organization’s president, Sepp Blatter. And someone saw a political order in this whole matter. Brazil midfielder Geston even tore up the first FIFA 100 list, and Marco van Basten and Uwe Seeler refused to be photographed for the booklet.

And this is the symbolic world team of the wives and girlfriends of football players.

That’s why Russia is not represented here, it’s completely unclear!

Football TOP 100 Guardian

On May 30, 2014, the British Guardian newspaper conducted a large-scale study and survey of fans and experts from different countries to compile its list of the 100 best football players on the planet.

For the sake of fairness, it should be noted that Akinfeev was included in the symbolic European team

Experts, including Lothar Matthäus, John Barnes, Zico, named the 40 best players each. For first place, the candidate was given 40 points, for last place - 1. The points were summed up, multiplied by group coefficients, and as a result the following table was obtained:

Lev Yashin and Rinat Dasaev, together with Igor Belanov, represent Soviet football. Russia has nothing to boast about yet. The top three football players of all time will hardly come as a surprise: the great Pele, the legendary Maradona, the first. We will find out in 2114 whether any of the football players of the 21st century will be able to displace the titans on the podium!

They can be called real football idols who have earned the respect of fans from all over the world. And all thanks to a great game. Players who were truly in the right place and found themselves. The best football players in the world. Their list is strictly subjective. However, many will consider almost all names worthy of the honorary title.

Bobby Charlton - 10th place in the ranking

Bobby Charlton was the long-time record holder for the number of goals scored for his national team - only Wayne Rooney managed to beat his achievement in 2015. Moreover, Rooney is a forward, and Charlton was an attacking midfielder. In 1994, Bobby Charlton received a knighthood and the title of Sir from Queen Elizabeth II.

Eusebio - 9th place in the ranking

He was called the “Black Panther” (long before Naomi Campbell, who received this nickname not at all for her athletic qualities) and the “Black Pearl.” Eusebio became the champion of Portugal 11 times as part of the Benfica club.

Garrincha - 8th place in the ranking

Garrincha twice became world champion with the Brazilian national team. In addition, he was recognized as the best player and top scorer (in 1962). But success did not make him happy: like many athletes, Garrincha had problems with the law (due to drunk driving and domestic violence). In addition, he heavily abused alcohol. The brilliant football player lived only 49 years and died of cirrhosis of the liver after another binge.

Michelle Platini - 7th place in the ranking

Since 2007, Michel Platini has been the head of UEFA and, it seemed, would remain in this position for many years to come. However, in 2015, a huge scandal broke out: the ethics commission considered the money transfers that Platini received to be a bribe (it was about two million francs). Later, the corruption charges were dropped, but it became clear that Platini would not see the post of FIFA president, which Platini had claimed.

Ferenc Puskás - 6th place in the ranking

Ferenc Puskás became an Olympic champion with the Hungarian team in 1952, in addition, in Hungary he was a five-time champion of the national championship, and after accepting Spanish citizenship - a five-time champion of Spain. He won the UEFA Champions League Cup three times.

The editors of the site note that in Puskás’ career there was, perhaps, only one truly offensive loss. In the 1954 World Cup, the Hungarian team was the undisputed favorite, and in their homeland, according to rumors, they were going to erect lifetime monuments to the players. In the final, Hungary faced Germany, which it had previously beaten with a crushing score of 8:3. However, luck turned against the team, and in the final match the Hungarians lost 2:3. It was truly a national grief.

Diego Maradona - 5th place in the ranking

In the same match, Diego Maradona “rehabilitated himself” and scored a goal that was called the “goal of the century” (the strike was recognized as the best in the history of the World Cup). In his native Argentina (and in Italy, where he played for Napoli for many years), Diego Maradona is more than a football player - he is a national hero, an idol. The list of his achievements, both personal and team, is endless.

Alfredo di Stefano - 4th place in the ranking

In addition, Di Stefano consistently played for the national teams of three different countries - Argentina, Colombia and Spain. He became the owner of a unique trophy called the “Super Golden Ball”. After finishing his football and then coaching career, Alfredo di Stefano, as a sign of his past achievements, became the honorary president of the Real Madrid club. He died of a heart attack in 2014 at the age of 88.

Franz Beckenbauer - 3rd place in the ranking

In his homeland, Beckenbauer is called “Kaiser Franz”. He gave almost his entire life to Bayern Munich, and in the 70s he was the main star of the club. In addition, according to the authoritative Spanish publication Marca, he was officially recognized as a football legend - and that’s worth something.

Johan Cruyff - 2nd place rating

His coaching career was also brilliant: in Catalonia, Cruyff is recognized as the man who breathed new life into Barcelona - with him the club became the champion of Spain four times, and also won the UEFA Champions League Cup, the UEFA Super Cup and other important football awards.

As part of the Santos club, Pelé became the champion of Brazil six times, won the Brazilian Cup five times, and throughout his football career he scored 1289 goals in 1363 games. After retiring, he was the Minister of Sports in Brazil from 1995-1998. At home and far beyond its borders, Pele is not just a legend. He's kind of the personification of football. Largely thanks to him, football has become something of a religion in Brazil.

The best football goalkeeper in history - Lev Yashin

As a member of the Soviet national team, Lev Yashin was the 1956 Olympic champion, the 1960 European champion, and also a five-time champion of the Soviet Union, playing for the Dynamo club. Due to his black uniform, as well as his ability to get the ball from anywhere in the goal, Yashin earned the nickname “Black Spider”.

The best football players of the 21st century: top 3

Gianluigi Buffon - 3rd place in the ranking

Lionel Messi - 2nd place in the ranking

Cristiano Ronaldo - 1st place in the ranking

The footballer doesn’t seem to be bothered by this at all: “let them be jealous.” In 2017, Cristiano Ronaldo won La Liga and the Champions League with Real Madrid, and has 4 Golden Boots and 5 FIFA Ballons d'Or to his name.

The editors of uznayvsyo.rf note that Cristiano Ronaldo is considered not only one of the best, but also one of the most expensive football players in the world. We invite you to read about the most expensive football transfers: how much are clubs willing to pay for the desired player?
Subscribe to our channel in Yandex.Zen

Football can be confidently called the most popular game in the world. Millions of fans watch the ongoing championships with bated breath and debate about which team is the best. At the same time, the names of the strongest players are known even to those people who are not fond of football. Who can be proud of the title “the most famous football player in the world”? You will learn about this by reading this article.

Over the past few years, the most famous football player in the world has been Cristiano Ronaldo. The captain of the Portuguese national team was born in Funchal in 1985. Interestingly, the parents named the future star in honor of American President Ronald Reagan. Ronnie, as his fans call him, began playing at the age of eight, and during the 2004 European Championship he was recognized as the most promising young player. In 2008, Ronaldo became the best football player of the year, and in 2012 he received the status of the most famous athlete in the world.

Many are amazed by Ronaldo's style of play: he behaves quite unpredictably for his opponents, forcing them to make fatal mistakes. And there are real legends about Ronaldo's free kicks: they are considered truly brilliant, because the ball, as if enchanted, flies at great speed along a rather intricate trajectory.

Ronaldo is loved not only as a gifted player, but also as an open, sociable person. Showing full concentration on the field, Ronaldo does not forget to greet the fans with a charming smile.

Many admirers of Ronaldo's talent closely monitor his personal life, because such a young man simply cannot help but have a huge number of dizzying novels. In 2010, Ronaldo began dating Russian model Irina Shayk, but the couple broke up five years later. Ronaldo has a son, who was born in 2010. True, the mother of the child is Irina Shayk, and there are two surrogate mothers at once, one of whom provided the egg, and the other carried the baby. During numerous interviews, the football player refuses to name the names of his child’s mothers, but admits that he sincerely rejoices in his fatherhood and dreams that in the future he will have many children: all that remains is to find a suitable spouse.

Pele (Edson Arantis do Nascimento)

Pelé is considered one of the most outstanding players in the history of football and is included in the 100 most influential people in the world according to Time magazine. The achievements of this athlete are amazing: he managed to score more than 1,200 goals in 1,363 matches. Pele has won 32 championships, more than thirty times he managed to score four goals against the opponent per game, and in four matches Pele scored five goals. In 1964, he managed to set an unprecedented record by putting eight goals into the opponent’s goal at once.

Pele's secret is that he is able to perform every technique of the game much better than any other football player. He could easily overtake an opponent or jump higher than other players, and Pele was also excellent at kicking with both feet. It is not surprising that he instilled real terror in his opponents, because it is simply impossible to surpass his technique.

It is surprising that a football player who has achieved such heights remains an open, friendly and very gentle person. Pele's fans could be sure that their idol would not refuse them a joint photo and autograph. However, the great football player seemed to be replaced when he found himself on the field: Pele turned into a silent, dangerous opponent who was simply impossible to resist.

Pele managed to try himself in many professions. He starred in the series and even worked as an actor in erotic films. More than once, the football player was invited to advertise various products: Pele’s fans literally swept off the shelves everything their idol touched. True, the athlete refuses to advertise tobacco and alcohol on principle. From 1995 to 1998, Pele even managed to serve as Brazil's Minister of Sports. By the way, Pele currently owns the company “Cafe Pele”.

When Pele said goodbye to football, he could not hide his tears. Thousands of his fans cried with him: when such famous people leave the sport, an entire era passes with them...

Lev Yashin received the status of the best goalkeeper in the world according to all existing ratings. Lev was born in 1929 into a simple Soviet family, quite far from sports. However, the abilities of the future champion manifested themselves at a fairly early age: all day long he played football with his yard friends. During Lev Yashin’s childhood, football was considered one of the most romantic sports, and Soviet boys dreamed that one day they would be able to defend the honor of their native country in the sports arena. Maybe this was the reason why Lev Yashin decided to devote himself to football. True, he had to work hard to achieve his goal.

After Lev Yashin graduated from college, he went to work at one of the factories near Moscow. The football player's youth occurred during the Second World War, so he had to spend many hours at a time at the machine. However, after a working day, Yashin went to training: coach Larionchikov worked with the factory guys, who recognized the talents of the young mechanic.

After the war, Yashin's career began to rapidly develop. During one of the matches, he was noticed by the coach of the Dynamo youth team: it was this team that the young football player dreamed of joining as a child. True, the first matches were rather unsuccessful, and from 1950 to 1952 he almost did not appear on the field, more often staying on the bench. Due to failures, Yashin even started playing hockey, achieving quite impressive results in this sport.

In 1954, Yashin finally returned to football. And this decision turned out to be correct: soon the whole world was talking about the new Soviet football player. Yashin’s abilities were amazing: the world nicknamed him “Black Panther” for the color of his goalie uniform, as well as his ability to make acrobatic, cat-like jumps. Yashin also had another nickname: “Black Spider.” That's what they called him because of his long arms, with which he could reach the ball flying into the goal. The player’s manner was also interesting: he was the first to start playing at exits throughout the penalty area. True, such a game was not understood by everyone. Many believed that Yashin was simply distracted from his direct responsibility - protecting the goal. And the Dynamo coach was scolded more than once for the fact that the goalkeeper creates a real “circus” on the field.

Unfortunately, in 1989, Yashin developed gangrene, and therefore the footballer’s leg was amputated. The football player failed to overcome the disease, and on March 20, 1990, he died from ongoing gangrene.

Diego Maradona

The future football star was born in Buenos Aires in October 1960. Maradona, like many Argentine boys, began kicking the ball as soon as he learned to walk. True, it’s quite difficult to call this game football: at first Diego simply ran and kicked the ball. However, after some time, he learned the rules of this game and moved to a new level.

On his seventh birthday, Maradona's cousin gave the boy the first soccer ball in his life. Diego was so happy that he even slept with the ball in his arms for a while. After long training sessions, during which Maradona simply kicked the ball around the room with his sisters, the boy began to play full-fledged football with the older guys. True, players significantly older than Maradona in age easily outflanked and overtook little Diego. But gradually Maradona learned to play on par with stronger opponents: perhaps this is the reason for his success. At the first tryout for the team, in which boys under the age of 14 played, Diego impressed the coach so much that he decided that the dwarf was trying to deceive him: a child simply cannot handle the ball so skillfully!

Maradona himself considers his first match for the Argentinos Juniors club to be his debut. Maradona's team failed to win, but the young football player was praised by sports journalists. From that moment on, the career of the great Argentine began to rapidly develop. He soon became captain of the Argentina national team and was able to win first the Italian Cup and then the UEFA Cup. But soon after achieving these dizzying successes, the irreparable happened: cocaine was found in Maradona’s blood... It turned out that the football player relieves stress in this way after intense games. Indeed, sometimes it seemed that Diego had great difficulty controlling himself on the field. He even received his nickname - “The Hand of God” - because in the heat of the match he scored a goal with his hand, which is strictly prohibited by the rules of football.

Due to the scandal that broke out, Diego was disqualified for a year and a half, after which he returned to football, vowing never to touch drugs again. But on the eve of one of the championships, a doping test showed that Maradna was taking ephedrine. The football player was disgraced from the game, and he had to watch the matches from the spectator stands.

Unfortunately, Diego Maradona never managed to return to big-time sports. Thus ended the career of one of the most brilliant football players of the 20th century: now only numerous articles in the yellow press remind us of Maradona.

David Beckham was born in 1975 in London. Like many British boys, David was passionate about football from childhood. In addition, Beckham's parents supported Manchester United and did not miss a single home match of their favorite team. It is not surprising that little David entered football school, and at the age of 14 he began playing for Manchester United.

In 1992, the young football player won the English Football Youth Cup. It was then that Beckham was noticed by the head coach of Manchester United, who invited the future star to the main team. Beckham scored his first goal against an opponent in 1994 in a match with the Turkish Galatasaray. In 1996, the footballer played for the English national team for the first time, and already in 1997 he became footballer of the year in his native country. In the same year, Beckham met one of the vocalists of the Spice Girls, which was at the peak of its popularity, Victoria, who soon became his wife.

Beckham's main strength is long-range shots: the footballer scored most of his goals from the penalty line.

It is noteworthy that Beckham is considered not only one of the most successful football players in the UK, but is also included in the lists of the sexiest and most stylish men on the planet. Many people call Beckham a “man-brand”: the football player has earned more than $200 million from his image. Finally, together with his wife, Beckham introduced the fashion for family values: the couple has been together for more than 15 years, four children were born in the marriage, and in every interview David and Victoria emphasize how important it is for spouses to respect and appreciate each other.

The English publication The Guardian, with the help of experts, including SE, conducted a large-scale survey and identified the hundred best players of the world championships.

The top 100 included three representatives of Soviet football - Lev Yashin (No. 30), Igor Belanov (No. 82) and Rinat Dasaev (No. 94). The Brazilian Pele is recognized as the brightest football player in the history of world championships.

The list is compiled based on the opinions of 40 experts from three categories: leading authors of The Guardian, foreign journalists from around the world (including the editor-in-chief of the Internet portal "Sport Express" Arthur Petrosyan) and legends of the world championships, including Lothar Matthäus, Zico , Sunday Olise and John Barnes.

Each expert had to name the top 40 best players. First place brought 40 points, second - 39, and 40th, respectively, one. Then the total number of points for each of the three groups was displayed and multiplied by the coefficient assigned to each group. The opinion of the World Cup legends was the most significant.

PELE

Diego MARADONA

Franz BECKENBAUER

RONALDO

Zinedine ZIDANE

Johan Cruyff

Lothar MATTHEUS

Gerd MÜLLER

GARRINCHA

Michel Platini

Lev YASHIN

Igor BELANOV