The International Federation of Football History & Statistics (IFFHS) has released its list of the top 10 greatest footballers of all time. Standing at the pinnacle of this elite group is Argentine superstar Lionel Messi, who has been named the greatest footballer in history.
Brazilian legend Pelé takes the second spot, followed by another Argentine icon, Diego Maradona, in third place. Messi’s long-time rival, Portuguese star Cristiano Ronaldo, ranks fourth. Dutch football genius Johan Cruyff comes in at fifth.
The next two spots are occupied by Brazil’s Ronaldo Nazario and French maestro Zinedine Zidane, ranked sixth and seventh respectively.
Completing the top 10 are Germany’s defensive genius Franz Beckenbauer (eighth), Alfredo Di Stefano—who played for both Argentina and Spain—(ninth), and Brazilian magician Ronaldinho in the tenth position.
Founded in Leipzig, Germany, in 1984, IFFHS is a recognized organization dedicated to preserving the history and statistics of world football. According to the IFFHS, the list was compiled using a “hybrid voting” method: 25% of the weight came from votes cast by 100 offline football experts, while 75% came from a global online fan vote.
The organization stated that this approach ensured that both current popularity and past performances were given due importance in the ranking.
IFFHS All-Time Top 10 Footballers:
1.Lionel Messi (Argentina)
2.Pelé (Brazil)
3.Diego Maradona (Argentina)
4.Cristiano Ronaldo (Portugal)
5.Johan Cruyff (Netherlands)
6.Ronaldo Nazário (Brazil)
7.Zinedine Zidane (France)
8.Franz Beckenbauer (Germany)
9.Alfredo Di Stéfano (Argentina/Spain)
10.Ronaldinho (Brazil)
UA / TDS
