TOP TEN FOOTBALLERS OF THE LAST 100 YEARS
Top 10 Greatest Footballers
The ‘beautiful game’ has produced some great players within the last century although only a select few progress to be considered as true greats of the game. Had these players played today, they would certainly be deserving of your football bet and even those who were privileged enough to see such players wouldn’t have hesitated in betting on football once they saw this quality of play.
Pele
Edson Arantes do Nascimento was born on October 23rd 1940 in Três Corações in Brazil. He was later known by his nickname ‘Pele’ and is widely regarded as the greatest footballer ever to have played the game.
During his illustrious career he became known as the ‘King of Football’ and remains the all-time top scorer in the history of the Brazilian national team. He simply had no faults to his game – he was an immaculate dribbler, a visionary passer of the ball, a clinical finisher and was sublime in the air. Along with two World Cup winner’s medals, he was named Athlete of the Century by the International Olympic Committee.
Having seen the Brazilian light up the football field, few would place a football bet that there will ever be a footballer as majestical as Pele.
Maradona
Diego Armando Maradona was born in Villa Fiorito in Argentina in 1960. He went on to become a controversial but sensational footballer. In 1986 he scored what many perceive as the goal of the century against England. He picked up the ball some sixty yards from goal and weaved his way through six England players before slotting the ball home past Peter Shilton.
He went on to lead his team to victory in that World Cup and also collected the Golden Ball award for the best player of the tournament. Maradona always surrounded himself in controversy both on and off the field. He will long be remembered for his ‘hand of God’ when he punched the ball past Peter Shilton but will also for his cocaine and ephedrine addiction that led him to a 15 month suspension in 1991.
George Best
59 years after his birth in Belfast in 1946, over 100,000 people turned out for George Best’s funeral in the pouring rain. He was probably the best footballer never to have won a World Cup, but he did win a European Cup and was named European Footballer of the Year in 1968.
He was a sensational dribbler of the ball with the ability to turn and weave with both feet leaving other players standing. His enormous popularity was not just for his exploits on the pitch but for his activity off the pitch. He was the first celebrity footballer and battled an alcohol addiction for many years up until his death. He was the most appropriately named genius to have ever graced a football pitch.
Tom Finney
Born in Preston in 1922, Tom Finney’s only silverware was a second division championship medal yet, to many, he is seen as the greatest ever English footballer. The great Bill Shankly once said, ‘Tom Finney would have been great in any team, in any match and in any age…even if he had been wearing an overcoat’.
The Preston Plumber as he became known (due to his other job during the post war years) was an unbelievably versatile player. He played in all the orthodox five forward positions of the day for Preston and appeared for England at right-wing, left-wing and centre-forward. He had a combination of speed, balance, accuracy and all round ability and for a man with such a small stature had an unbelievable presence on the pitch.
Franz Beckenbauer
Born in Munich in 1945, Franz Beckenbauer is widely recognised as the greatest German footballer of all time. He was nicknamed ‘der Kaiser’ (‘the emperor’) due to his immense presence and leadership qualities on the pitch. He invented the role of the sweeper or libero and was twice voted European footballer of the Year. His exceptional talent saw him lift the World Cup as a player and captain in 1974 and as a manager in 1990. At domestic level he led Bayern Munich to three consecutive European Cups.
Alfredo di Stefano
Born in Buenos Aires in 1926, Alfredo di Stefano was nicknamed Saeta rubia (‘Blonde Arrow’). He was primarily associated with Real Madrid and was instrumental in them winning the European Cup in five consecutive seasons from 1956. He was a prolific goalscorer and is currently the third highest scorer in the history of top flight Spanish football.
He scored 216 goals in 282 matches for Real Madrid and was named the most outstanding player of the past 50 years by the Spanish Football Federation in 2003. Despite representing Argentina, Columbia and Spain at International level, he never played in the World Cup Finals.
Ferenc Puskas
Ferenc Puskas Biro was born in Budapest on April 2nd 1927. He became one of the most prolific goalscorers of all time scoring 84 goals in 85 internationals for Hungary and 511 goals in 533 matches in the Spanish and Hungarian leagues. He was captain of the famous Hungarian national team known as the ‘Mighty Magyars’. The Hungarians twice thrashed England in the 1950’s with an amazing 6-3 win at Wembley in 1953 and a staggering 7-1 victory in Budapest the following year. He played a massive part in the legendary Real Madrid team in the 1950s that won five consecutive European Cups.
Ruud Gullit
Born in Amsterdam in September 1962, Ruud Dil Gullit became a hero of Dutch football. He was twice named World Player of the Year and once European Player of the Year. He made his International debut at the age of 19 and was a key player when Holland won the European Championships in 1988. He also enjoyed great success at club level.
In 1987, AC Milan paid the record fee of around six million pounds to bring him to Italy. He repaid their investment by helping Milan secure three Seria A titles and two European cups. Gullit was just one of many players to come from the renowned Ajax academy. Who would place a football bet against the Amsterdam club finding yet another world star?
Johan Cruyff
Hendrik Johannes Cruijff was born in Amsterdam in April 1947. He was voted European Player of the Century in 1999 and became the European Footballer of the Year on three occasions. He had amazing technical ability on the pitch and was dubbed ‘pythagoras in boots’ by sports writer David Miller.
A product of the Ajax academy, he won eight Dutch league championships with Amsterdam giants and one Spanish league title with Barcelona. At International level he played 48 matches and scored 33 goals. He led Holland to the runners up medal in 1974 World Cup and famously became the first Dutchman to be sent off in an International.
Michel Platini
Michel Francois Platini was born in June 1955 in Joeuf in France. He was an outstanding midfielder and prolific goalscorer. He was one of the greatest playmakers in the history of the game and made the France number 10 shirt his own. He is the only player to ever be rewarded three European Footballer of the Year awards in consecutive years.
He was an influential part of the 1984 European Championship success and was voted the player of the tournament. He won the French championship with Saint Etienne and then went to Juventus and helped them lift two league championships, one European Cup, one Cup Winners Cup, one European Super Cup and one Intercontinental Cup. When he retired just before his 32nd birthday he had 680 career appearances under his belt with 368 goals to his name. Off the field, in 2007 he was elected President of UEFA.
The debate will rage amongst supporters for as long as the game exists as to who can genuinely be considered amongst the very elite that the game has offered. Throughout the years, football betting has offered its followers a host of names on which to focus, many of which will still be recognised as the masters in their field for years to come.
Football Spread Betting at Sporting Index
