Position
|
Player
|
National side(s) represented by year
|
Professional club(s) represented by year
|
Rank on the World Soccer magazine enumeration of the top players of the 20th century
|
Continental, FIFA World Cup, World Soccer, and FIFA awards
|
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Goalkeeper
|
Lev Yashin
|
Soviet Union (1954–1970)
|
FC Dynamo Moscow (1949–1971)
|
11
|
European Footballer of the Year (1963), UEFA Jubilee Award (Russia) World Cup All-Star Team[1] (1958) FIFA World Cup All-Time Team [2] |
Defender (fullback)
|
Carlos Alberto Torres
|
Brazil (1964–1977)
|
Fluminense (1963–1966, 1974–1977) Santos FC (1966–1974) Flamengo (1977) Botafogo (1971) New York Cosmos (1977–1980, 1982) California Surf (1981)
|
Unranked
|
FIFA 100 World Cup All-Star Team[1] (1970)
|
Defender (centre-back)
|
Franz Beckenbauer
|
West Germany (1965–1977)
|
Bayern Munich (1965–1977) New York Cosmos (1977–1980, 1983) Hamburger SV (1980–1982)
|
4
|
European Footballer of the Year (1972, 1976) World Cup All-Star Team[1] (1966, 1970, 1974) FIFA 100
|
Defender (centre-back)
|
Bobby Moore
|
England (1962–1973)
|
West Ham United (1958–1974) Fulham (1974–1977) San Antonio Thunder (1977) Seattle Sounders (1978)
|
14
|
UEFA Jubilee Award (England) World Cup All-Star Team[1] (1966) [2] |
Defender (fullback)
|
Nílton Santos
|
Brazil (1949–1963)
|
Botafogo (1949–1965)
|
Unranked
|
World Cup All-Star Team[1] (1958) FIFA 100
|
Midfielder
|
Johan Cruyff
|
Netherlands (1966–1978)
|
Ajax Amsterdam (1964–1973, 1981–1983) FC Barcelona (1973–1978) Los Angeles Aztecs (1979) Washington Diplomats (1980–1981) Levante UD (1981) Feyenoord (1983–1984)
|
3
|
European Footballer of the Year (1971, 1973, 1974), UEFA Jubilee Award (Netherlands) World Cup All-Star Team[1] (1974) FIFA 100
|
Midfielder
|
Alfredo Di Stéfano
|
Argentina (1947) Spain (1957–1961)
|
River Plate (1943–1945, 1947–1949) Huracán (1946–1947) Millonarios (1949–1953) Real Madrid (1953–1964) RCD Espanyol (1964–1966)
|
6
|
European Footballer of the Year (1957, 1959), UEFA Jubilee Award (Spain) FIFA 100,
|
Midfielder
|
Michel Platini
|
France (1976–1987)
|
AS Nancy (1972–1979) AS Saint-Étienne (1979–1982) Juventus (1982–1987)
|
5
|
European Footballer of the Year (1983, 1984, 1985), Onze d'Or (1983, 1984, 1985) World Cup All-Star Team[1] (1982, 1986) World Soccer Player of the Year (1984, 1985) FIFA 100
|
Forward
|
Garrincha
|
Brazil (1955–1966)
|
Botafogo (1953–1965) Corinthians (1966) Atlético Junior (1968) Flamengo (1968–1969) Olaria (1972)
|
20
|
World Cup Golden Shoe Award (1962), World Cup All-Star Team[1] (1958, 1962) [2] |
Forward
|
Diego Maradona
|
Argentina (1977–1994)
|
Argentinos Juniors (1976–1981) Boca Juniors (1981–1982, 1995–1997) FC Barcelona (1982–1984) SSC Napoli (1984–1991) Sevilla FC (1992–1993) Newell's Old Boys (1993)
|
2
|
Onze d'Or (1986, 1987), FIFA Player of the Century, South American Footballer of the Year (1979, 1980) World Cup Golden Ball Award (1986), World Cup Bronze Ball Award (1990), World Cup All-Star Team[1] (1986, 1990) World Soccer Player of the Year (1986) FIFA 100
|
Forward
|
Pelé
|
Brazil (1956–1971)
|
Santos FC (1956–1974) New York Cosmos (1975–1977)
|
1
|
South American Footballer of the Year (1973), World Cup Golden Ball Award (Best Player) (1970), World Cup Silver Ball (1958), World Cup Best Young Player (1958), World Cup All-Star Team[1] (1958, 1970), FIFA World Cup All-Time Team, FIFA Player of the Century, IFFHS Player of the Century, Player of the Century by France Football's Ballon d'Or Winners, FIFA Ballon d'Or Prix d'Honneur (2013), FIFA 100,
Athlete of the Century by International Olympic Committee
|