Pelé

The man born Edson Arantes de Nascimento became a name that rolled off everyone’s tongues when he lit up the 1958 World Cup at the tender age of 17. Pelé scored six goals at the tournament, including one of the all-time final greats, to help Brazil lift the coveted Jules Rimet for the first time in their history. Of course, it wouldn’t be theirs, or their star No.10’s last. Pelé also contributed to Brazil’s 1962 successful defence of the trophy, although injury in only their second match robbed him the chance of playing a far more instrumental role. But ‘The King’ got to make amends eight years later when he guided the host nation’s Golden Generation to a third World Cup with a Golden Ball-winning display that remains the stuff of legend. By the end of his career, the Santos forward had netted an unfathomable 1281 goals, making him the most prolific goalscorer in soccer history.

Diego Maradona

Like Zidane, Diego Maradona’s previously glittering career also ended in shame. Failed drug tests at Barcelona and the 1994 World Cup—the latter heavily foreshadowed by his famously wild-eyed celebration after scoring against Greece—ensured that there would always be a black mark against his name. But when the diminutive Argentinian was at his peak, he was literally untouchable. Just ask those England internationals he ran rings around during that astonishing ‘Hand of God’ game at the 1986 World Cup—a tournament which he dominated in a manner not seen since Pele in 1958. As well as lifting the sport’s most coveted trophy, Maradona also used his lightning pace, quick reflexes and astonishing precision to guide Napoli to two Serie A titles and a UEFA Cup. Controversial and complicated as he may have been, the 20th Century game wouldn’t have been quite as beautiful without him.

Alfredo Di Stéfano

Ferenc Puskás

Goal machine Ferenc Puskás also had an imposing nickname, the Galloping Major, although as a member of the army team that later became Budapest Honvéd his was given to him by none other than the Hungarian Ministry of Defence. Puskás took his military rank seriously, marshalling his club teammates to five league titles and the national Mighty Magyars to Olympic gold and the 1954 World Cup final, averaging a goal a game in the process. Puskás’ career was deemed to be over when he was handed a two-year ban by UEFA for failing to return to Honvéd in the wake of the Hungarian Revolution. But despite such a lengthy absence from the game, not to mention his ballooning weight and advancing years, the 31-year-old was handed a lifeline by Real Madrid in 1958. He repaid their faith in him with another remarkable goal tally (242 in 262 games) which helped them win five La Liga titles and three European Cups. The fact he could only use his left foot, and famously enjoyed the odd drink or ten, makes his prolific strike rate all the more remarkable.

Johan Cruyff

Fellow Total Soccer player Johan Cruyff did manage to make it to the World Cup, and indeed the actual final, in 1974 where he received the Golden Ball and first executed Cruyff Turn. As well as inspiring a whole generation of schoolkids to practise the brilliantly deceptive move in the playground, Cruyff also influenced everyone from Eric Cantona to Xavi with his unrivalled skill, fluid movements and quick thinking, and transformed Holland’s reputation as a soccer force. Indeed, before Cruyff came along, no Dutch club had ever won a European competition. By the time he left Ajax in 1973 they had won three in a row. Cruyff then guided Barcelona to their first La Liga in 14 years during a spell in which he added the ‘Phantom Goal’ to his box of tricks. It’s difficult to think of any other player who has left such a lasting legacy.

Lionel Messi

‘A miracle from God.’ ‘The Mozart of soccer.’ ‘Is he real or a Playstation character?’ Lionel Messi may be somewhat vertically-challenged but he certainly isn’t short of total admiration from his peers. Teammate Luis Figo even compared watching him play to having an orgasm. The Argentinian forward has earned such respect thanks to a breathtaking technical ability and a record-breaking list of achievements unlikely to be surpassed by anyone in the near future. With Barcelona he’s lifted eight league titles, four Champions League trophies and five Ballon d’Or awards (four consecutive), and become the highest La Liga scorer of all time with an astonishing 337 goals. And having previously been accused of bottling it on the international stage, Messi then silenced his few remaining critics when he picked up the Golden Ball at the 2014 World Cup.

Cristiano Ronaldo

Cristiano Ronaldo doesn’t make it easy to like him. Just ask the Iceland team he belittled after they had the gall to hold his team to a draw. Or the reporter whose microphone he tossed into a lake during an innocuous interview. Or the Portugal manager he tried to make redundant after hobbling off in the final. And all of this was at just one tournament. But you can’t fail to admire his achievements. Once the world’s costliest signing, the powerhouse forward is Real Madrid’s all-time leading goalscorer, the first ever player in a major league to score 50+ goals every season six consecutive times, and the only European to win four Ballon d’Or awards. Throw in three Premier League titles, a La Liga, a Champions League and a European Championship, not to mention a marketable quality second only to David Beckham, and you have the modern game’s most bankable star.

Zinedine Zidane

Paolo Maldini

They say that loyalty is an alien concept in the modern game. But tell that to Paolo Maldini, who spent 25 years at the heart of the A.C. Milan defence, winning just as many trophies in over 900 appearances. The versatile left back broke through to the Serie A giants’ first team aged just 17 and from then on remained a constant fixture until his retirement at 42, where his familiar No.3 shirt was permanently rested by the club. In fact, Maldini was so esteemed in the Italian game that even fans of Milan’s fiercest rivals, Inter, held up banners honoring his name during his final derby appearance. The man nicknamed Il Capitano was just as prevalent in the national side, appearing in three Euros and four World Cups including USA ’94 where, just like his defender father Cesare 32 years previously, he was named in the Team of the Tournament.

Garrincha

Something of a tortured genius, Garrincha’s turbulent private life—14 children by five different women, reports of domestic abuse and financial troubles, the alcoholism which eventually led to his death in 1983—inevitably overshadowed his talents on the pitch. But the right winger dubbed the Bent Legged Angel (he was born with a deformed spine and curved legs) was responsible for some of the most joyous moments in Brazilian soccer history. His phenomenal dribbling skills were just as instrumental as Pele’s goalscoring prowess to the nation’s World Cup success in 1958. And after Pele got injured during their 1962 defence of the trophy, it was Garrincha who almost single-handedly steered the team to a second successive victory. With a strike rate of 232 goals in 581 appearances for club side Botafogo, it’s little wonder that even with his obvious shortcomings he still managed to attain heroic status.

Michel Platini

His reputation in the boardroom may now lie in tatters, but that shouldn’t detract from Michel Platini’s genius on the field. The playmaker entered the pantheon of greats with one of the most dominant displays in international tournament history, scoring nine goals including two hattricks to guide France to their first ever major trophy, the 1984 European Championships. As a member of their famous carré magique (magic square) midfield, Platini also helped Les Bleus reach two successive World Cup semi-finals and remained their highest ever goalscorer for nearly two decades. His prowess in front of goal, intelligent passing technique and dead-ball skills were all routinely showcased at club level, too. He won league titles with Nancy, Saint-Étienne and Juventus, also lifting the European Cup, Cup Winners’ Cup and Coppa Italia with the latter, and scoring a remarkable 224 goals in the process. Even Zinedine Zidane admits that Platini was the man he chose to emulate in the playground.

Gerd Müller

Gerd Müller wasn’t the flashiest of strikers—the majority of his astonishing goal tally came from within the six-yard box—but he remains the deadliest. The Bayern Munich legend netted 556 times during his career including 365 in the Bundesliga and 68 for West Germany. He also did so when it mattered. He scored ten goals at the 1970 World Cup to win the Golden Boot, added another four at the 1974 tournament including the winner in the final, and also finished top scorer at the 1972 Euros that his homeland won convincingly. His unstoppable presence in front of goal was also instrumental in his club side’s trophy haul of four league titles and three European Cups in the 1970s, with teammate Franz Beckenbauer later acknowledging that ‘everything Bayern have become is due to Müller.’

Zico

Forget a certain Mr. Beckham, no other player has ever been able to bend it like Zico. The Brazilian free-kick specialist was able to curve the ball round or over the defensive wall in a banana-like manner which defied the laws of gravity. He was also a clinical finisher, an exceptional dribbler and one of the most exquisite passers in the game’s history. Sadly, despite competing in three World Cups—including the 1982 Brazil side widely regarded as the greatest ever—Zico never lifted a major trophy at international level. However, he did pick up a bunch of silverware during his 16-year spell with club side Flamengo, including three league titles and the Copa Libertadores. The man nicknamed the White Pele also received the most glowing recommendation from the actual Pele, who described him as ‘the one player that came closest to me.’