The great sport of soccer, or football as it’s known in most of the world, has been played by thousands of incredible athletes over the years. With so many people playing from locations scattered all over the planet, it can be hard to pin down who the best players are. If you’re a soccer fan, there are probably a few names that come to mind when you think of the greatest soccer players. So who are they? Let’s discuss a few of the greatest soccer players of all time.
Gianluigi Buffon
Gianluigi Buffon is considered one of the greatest goalies to ever live. For over 17 years, he played for one of the most prominent clubs in Italy, Juventus. During this time, he broke various league records and became the only goalkeeper to have 500 clean sheets in the history of professional soccer. Despite playing in a game that’s typically dominated by goal-scorers, he was still able to finish second in the 2006 Ballon d’Or award, an award given to the sport’s most valuable players.
Ronaldo Nazario
One of the best players to ever play the game was Ronaldo Nazario, from Brazil. He was able to win multiple awards and honors, such as the Ballon d’Or and the FIFA World Player of the Year. He made a lot of people realize that Brazil was a dominant force in the world of professional soccer. Unfortunately, his career was cut short due to knee injuries.
Zinedine Zidan
After helping France win the 1998 FIFA World Cup, which was the country’s first championship in football, Zinedine Zidane became a popular figure in France. He was able to win multiple honors and awards, such as the FIFA Player of the Year. He was also able to come up huge in the FIFA World Cup final games, placing as the all-time scorer for the entire tournament.
Cristiano Ronaldo
One of the most dominant athletes in the world of professional soccer is Cristiano Ronaldo. He is considered to be one of the best players ever to play the game. He has won multiple awards and honors, such as the Ballon d’Or, which he’s won 5 times, and the FIFA World Player of the Year. He is also known to perform at an incredible level and has shown no signs of slowing down, even while being 36 years old.
Pele
Pele is a Brazilian professional soccer player who is considered to be one of the most popular athletes in the world. Aside from scoring the most goals in the history of Brazil’s soccer league, Pele also holds the record for most goals scored on the planet, of which he’s scored 1279. He was named the FIFA player of the century, and he was recently included in the list of the most important individuals of the 20th century by Time magazine.