The Best Players In Soccer History

Just like in any other sport, determining the "best" players in soccer is a highly subjective task. With so many great players having been a part of the sport's rich history, it can be pretty difficult to say which players are "the best". Nevertheless, there are a few soccer players that have undoubtedly impacted on the game in significant ways. Here then are a few of the undeniably best players in soccer history.

Pele

Pele is known all over the world as the greatest player of all time. With a career spanning more than twenty years, Pele captured the world's imagination to such a degree that even people who weren't into the sport recognized him readily. Born Edson Arantes do Nascimento, Pele managed to take his teams to the victory in the 1958, 1962, and 1970 World Cups. With 760 goals under his belt, Pele was a flashy and entertaining player that nevertheless possessed solid striking and dribbling skills, and who was not above working as a team player.

Maradona

Like Pele, Diego Armando Maradona racked up a more than two decade long career as one of the sport's undeniable greats. Maradona was a recognized master at dribbling, and his spectacularly fiery performances on the field–most notably his contributions to the victory against England in the 1986 World Cup–earned him a reputation as a flashy yet solid player who could deliver the goods on command. Not that Maradona was any good at taking orders, mind you. Like many of the world's greats, Maradona earned an unsavory reputation on and off the playing field, culminating in his expulsion from the 1994 World Cup, after it was found that he had used ephedrine. Nevertheless, Maradona's undeniable ball handling prowess resulted in many victories that cemented his role as one of the best players the soccer world has ever known.

Europe has no shortage of great soccer players, and Johan Cruyff is perhaps one of the best known. With a remarkable 20-year career, the fiery Dutchman helped bring the Ajax and Barcelona teams to victory in the 1960s and 1970s. Cruyff was largely responsible for the renown of the innovative "Total Football" method developed by Rinus Michels, which is characterized by interchangeable playing positions. Cruyff was in fact a remarkably versatile player who was equally effective in wide and center positions, and who had an uncanny knack for turning opponents.

Also hailing from Europe was Franz Beckenbauer who was instrumental in bringing the German team victory in the World Cup during the early part of the 1970s. Early on in his career, Beckenbauer achieved considerable attention for his innovative approach to offense, which typically began with a series of quick dribbles from the defensive line, culminating in a blistering offense that many times caught opponents off-guard. Although many of his best performances were with Bayern Munich–helping the team win five Bundesliga awards as well as three European Cups–he also made headlines in his tenure with the New York Cosmos, where he played alongside soccer legend Pele.