Who are the greatest soccer players of all time?


The greatest soccer players of all time is a widely debated question and is subject to one's personal opinions and values. Here is a list of soccer players who are commonly thought of as some of the greatest of all time:

1. Pelé from Brazil, who played from 1956 to 1977, is widely considered as one of the greatest soccer players of all time due to his prolific goal-scoring, and 3 world cup titles. His 1279 goals including friendlies is recognized as a Guinness World Record. In 1999 he was named the Athlete of the Century by the International Olympic Committee. 
2. Johann Cruyff from the Netherlands, who played from 1964-1984, is considered by many to be of the greatest players of all time winning the Ballon'dOr 3 times and leading the Netherlands to the world cup final in 1974 where he received the Golden Ball as the player of the tournament. In 1999 he was voted European Player of the Century and came second behind Pelé as world player of the Century.
3. Diego Maradona from Argentina, who played from 1976 to 1997, is widely considered one of the greatest soccer players of all time due to his passing, vision, and ball control as well as his leadership on the field. Maradona scored the goal of the century in 1986 with an incredible solo goal as he dribbled 60 meters past 5 England defenders.
4. Cristiano Ronaldo, who played from 2002 to current, is widely considered by many one of the greatest soccer players of all time. Known for his prolific goal-scoring on a variety of different teams and in a variety of different ways Ronaldo is thought of by many as the 'Complete Player'. He has won the Ballon d'Or 5 times and currently holds the all-time record for most men's international goals (122), most goals in the champions league (140), and the most professional goals (834).
5. Lionel Messi, who played from 2003 to current, is widely considered by many as one of the greatest soccer players of all time. Known by many as the magician, Messi is known for his vision, passing, and tight ball control. Messi has won a record 7 Ballon d'Or awards, the most goals in La Liga (484), the most hat tricks in La Liga (34), and the most assists in La Liga (192). Messi also lead Argentian to win the 2022 World Cup in Qatar which many believe cemented his place as one of the all-time greats.