RealGM

So I rated 15 footballers after a draft on the Off Topic board. Any thoughts & suggestions?

1. Pele

The greatest footballer ever and regarded as the "King of Football".
Won the world cup at the age of 17 and ended up as the only player with 3 world cup medals.
Declared athlete of the century by the Internal Olympics Committee.
Declared a national treasure by Brazil.
Featured in Time magazine's 100 most important people of the century.

2. Diego Maradona

FIFA player of the century.
Led Argentina to a world cup victory in 1986.
Scored the goal of the century.
Very successful club career in Europe with Napoli and Barcelona.

3. Johan Cryuff

3 time European footballer of the year.
Was considered the leader of Netherlands' "Total Football" generation.
3 time European cup winner.
Successful managerial careers at Ajax and Barcelona.
Elected European player of the century by IFFHS.
2nd only to Pele for World player of the century

4. Franz Beckenbauer

Greatest defender in history of football.
Lead Bayern Munich to 3 European cup victories in a row (1974- 76).
Only player to captain 3 European cup winning sides.
2nd behind Cryuff for European player of the century.
3rd behind Pele & Cryuff for World player of the century.

5. Alfredo Di Stefano

4 time Spanish athlete of the year.
2 time Ballon d Or winner.
2 time European cup top scorer.
4th in Football player of the century rankings behind Pele, Maradona and Cryuff.
Stellar club career in Spain, especially for Real Madrid.


6. Zinnedine Zidane

1998 world cup and 200 Euro cup winner.
3 time FIFA world player of the year winner
Golden ball winner at 1998 & 2006 football world cups

7. Ronaldo (Brazil)

Highest goal scorer in the history of FIFA world cup.
2 time world cup winner
2 time Ballon d Or winner
3 time FIFA player of the year
Stellar club career in Europe

8. George Best

Greatest British player ever.
One of the most talented and exciting footballers ever to play the game.
Won European footballer of the year in 1968.
Stellar club career with Manchester United.

9. Gerd Muller

2nd all time leading scorer at the FIFA world cups
68 goals in 61 national team appearances
1 time world cup 1 time Euro cup winner
Stellar club career with Bayern Munich

10. Ferenc Puskas

Legendary goal tallies of 84 goals in 85 international appearances.
514 goals in 529 games in Hungarian and Spanish leagues.
Europe's top goal scorer in 1948.
Recognized as the greatest goal scorer of the century.
World and European player of the year in 1953.
Stellar club career with Real Madrid

11. Michael Platini

One of the greatest passers and free kick specialists in the history of the game.
Featured in 1979 FIFA X1 to play Argentina
1976 French footballer of the year
1984 world player of the year winner
Ballon d Or winner

12. Lev Yashin

Greatest goalkeeper in football
World player of Russia
World keeper of the century
European footballer of the year 1963
Euro Cup winner
Olympic gold winner

13. Eusebio

1965 European footballer of the year
World player of the year 1965
1966 world cup top scorer

14. Paolo Maldini

Greatest defender since Beckenbauer
Won everything that is to be won at European club level
FiFA team of the year
FIFA pro world X1 player
Champions league best defender

15. Mia Hamm

158 international goals more than any player
World champion & Olympic gold winner
FIFA player of the year winner

Get the lady out of there and it's fine Call me a sexist, but I just can't take women's football seriously. Also, I'd put Puskás ahead of Müller and Best at least. He was the best player on what was by far the best team the world had seen until then. As far as I know, (which is not very far because I'm too young,) Müller was a great poacher but not an all-round genius like the guys ahead of him and Best may have been overrated due to his superstar image and being British.

Anyway, I think it's impossible to subjectively compare players of different eras, but it's a good list.

yea Puskas being that low would be my only gripe, otherwise good list. i have Maradona at número uno but Pele works too.

ElTurco wrote:yea Puskas being that low would be my only gripe, otherwise good list. i have Maradona at número uno but Pele works too.

then go ahead and give me my likely only category win

anyway when I put up my rankings my major issue with someone like Puskas was that in his biggest game he ever played he couldn't get his team to win. yes I'm talking about WC final back in 1954. Hungary WAS unarguably THE favorite team but got upset by West Germany. I didn't see the game (how?) but even the fact Hungary couldn't win makes Puskas drop on my list. even if it probably wasn't his fault though.

@ j-far: I'm surprised you have Maldini that low. he was an absolute winner throughout his career.

Maldini's low because of his lack of individual honors and a world cup win but like I mentioned, he won everything there was to win at the club level, which is why he's on that list. I'm surprised no one picked Ronaldinho because he could have been ranked right after Fat Ronaldo and Zidane on that list.

I'm even more bemused that someone picked up Mia Hamm in that kind of competition too.

basti wrote:anyway when I put up my rankings my major issue with someone like Puskas was that in his biggest game he ever played he couldn't get his team to win. yes I'm talking about WC final back in 1954. Hungary WAS unarguably THE favorite team but got upset by West Germany. I didn't see the game (how?) but even the fact Hungary couldn't win makes Puskas drop on my list. even if it probably wasn't his fault though.

That was precisely my issue with Puskas too. He was on the best team at that time and couldn't win the important game.

A woman among men? Yeah she doesn't deserve to be with legends like that so please that's insulting to them, get her out of there. And I do agree with the list, just now the woman.

Basti wrote:


anyway when I put up my rankings my major issue with someone like Puskas was that in his biggest game he ever played he couldn't get his team to win. yes I'm talking about WC final back in 1954. Hungary WAS unarguably THE favorite team but got upset by West Germany. I didn't see the game (how?) but even the fact Hungary couldn't win makes Puskas drop on my list. even if it probably wasn't his fault though.

even if you ignore the fact he was playing through an injury, it is unfair to judge him by one game, imo. he was the main reason why Hungary was considered the best team of the era and it is not like he was known as a choker, he delivered in plenty of big games for Hungary and Real.

basti wrote:

ElTurco wrote:yea Puskas being that low would be my only gripe, otherwise good list. i have Maradona at número uno but Pele works too.

then go ahead and give me my likely only category win

anyway when I put up my rankings my major issue with someone like Puskas was that in his biggest game he ever played he couldn't get his team to win. yes I'm talking about WC final back in 1954. Hungary WAS unarguably THE favorite team but got upset by West Germany. I didn't see the game (how?) but even the fact Hungary couldn't win makes Puskas drop on my list. even if it probably wasn't his fault though.

@ j-far: I'm surprised you have Maldini that low. he was an absolute winner throughout his career.

He scored two goals, one of which was ruled out (incorrectly according to Hungarian folklore, but that might just be us being biased.) And as Turco said, he was playing injured.

kromoszoma wrote:

basti wrote:

ElTurco wrote:yea Puskas being that low would be my only gripe, otherwise good list. i have Maradona at número uno but Pele works too.

then go ahead and give me my likely only category win

anyway when I put up my rankings my major issue with someone like Puskas was that in his biggest game he ever played he couldn't get his team to win. yes I'm talking about WC final back in 1954. Hungary WAS unarguably THE favorite team but got upset by West Germany. I didn't see the game (how?) but even the fact Hungary couldn't win makes Puskas drop on my list. even if it probably wasn't his fault though.

@ j-far: I'm surprised you have Maldini that low. he was an absolute winner throughout his career.

He scored two goals, one of which was ruled out (incorrectly according to Hungarian folklore, but that might just be us being biased.) And as Turco said, he was playing injured.

thanks for that info but it's too late now. I posted my ratings yesterday and even if I considered this one he would only move up one or two spots. it's basically a wash IMO.

and while I can understand the reasoning behind picking Mia Hamm (it's either a collossal failure pick or a genius pick - too bad for him it was a failure pick) she definitely shouldn't be on that list. heck there are so many great footballers left. as j-far mentioned Ronaldinho is missing (even though I would have put him dead last tbh) as do Lothar Mattäus, Eric Cantona etc.

Replace Best with Puskas, and Pele can be number 2. Other than that, you have done a good job. And, who picked Mia Hamm, and in which pick?

Batu7 wrote:Replace Best with Puskas, and Pele can be number 2. Other than that, you have done a good job. And, who picked Mia Hamm, and in which pick?

quick, go to the OTB and ask to become a judge. I want Maradona to win this cat.

Mia Hamm was picked by Friend_Of_Haley who said he's either going to go down as a genius or a massive loser. I don't know when he picked her though but it wasn't the last soccer pick though.

She's the GOAT of women's soccer. I'd rather be an average male player in Scotland.

Maradona is better than Pele hands down.

I would switch Best with Platini. Also I think Ronaldo should be higher, but it's hard to argue.

Munchlaxatives wrote:She's the GOAT of women's soccer. I'd rather be an average male player in Scotland.

The only big trophy Maradona has won, he won by using his hand.
So Pele hands down over Maradona

Dutch wrote:The only big trophy Maradona has won, he won by using his hand.
So Pele hands down over Maradona

If Maradona played for Pele's Brazil, he would have won trophies too.
And Maradona's won trophies for his clubs

Still I am not a big fan of a guy who calls a goal which he obvioulsy made with his hand "the hand of God".

good list, despite i dont like the order. btw, i think i will put Silvio Piola, Ruud Gullit, Dino Zoff, Zenga, Oliver Kahn, etc over Mia Hamm. Yes, She was amazing in Woman Soccer, but,, ,,