The best football player in the world - the concept is quite variable. In the history of world football there were not so many periods when this honorary title was attached to one player for a long time. The fight for the championship is waged today. However, this competition is a necessary component for truly dynamic and exciting games. It encourages athletes to continuously hone their skills and reach new heights.
World football legends
The ranking of the best football players in the world is deservedly headed by the Brazilian striker Pele (Edson Arantis do Nascimento), who scored more than one thousand two hundred goals on target during his playing career. And once in just one game, he scored eight goals.
Cruyff (Hendrick Johannes Cruyff), who played for the Netherlands, follows right behind him. Among his achievements, it is worth noting three times the awarding of the prestigious Golden Ball. In addition, eight more times he was nominated for this award.
In general, as a rule, the Golden Ball, which marks the best football players in the world, goes to the attackers, since their game is brighter, more noticeable and gives results in the form of points. However, only once in the history of football was this trophy awarded to goalkeeper Lev Ivanovich Yashin. According to FIFA, he is the best goalkeeper of the past century.
The best football players in the world
- Cristiano Ronaldo is an attacking right-back who plays for the Spanish team Real Madrid.
- Lionel Messi is the forward of the Spanish Barcelona.
- Frank Ribery is a midfielder of the German Bavaria.
- Radamel Falcao - striker of the French “Monaco”.
- Andreas Iniesta - the central attacking midfielder of Barcelona.
- Zlatan Ibrahimovic - forward of the French team Paris Saint-Germain.
- Philip Lahm - Defender of Bavaria.
- Gareth Bale - Real Madrid midfielder.
- Robin Van Persie - striker English Manchester United.
- Thiago Silva is the central defender of Paris Saint-Germain.
Such a list of the top 10 football players in the world gives the magazine Four Four Two.
Four-time Golden Ball winner
For four consecutive years, Lionel Messi became the owner of the coveted award, which seeks the best football players in the world - the Golden Ball. Lionel’s whole life is connected with football. At the age of five, the baby was already training in the team of the Argentinean club "Grandoli" under the guidance of his father.
When the young footballer was only eleven years old, the doctors issued a disappointing verdict - the growth hormone was pathologically lacking in the teenager’s body. A month of treatment cost the family $ 900.
Two years later, one of the shareholders of the Spanish football club Barcelona became interested in young talent. After much persuasion, Lionel’s father agreed to go to a meeting with the club’s sports director. The discerning Carles Reshaq discerned a remarkable talent in a fragile boy and agreed that the club would not only fully pay for Lionel’s treatment, but also compensate the family for all the costs of moving to Europe.
Thus, a thirteen-year-old teenager began playing for the Barcelona youth team. He did not disappoint the directors of the club. In the first match, the young Lionel Messi carefully sent four goals on target. Within a few years, the young talent already tried to rent the Italian Juventus. However, the head coach of Barcelona refused this deal.
The debut of Lionel Messi in the main part of “Barcelona” did not go unnoticed by the press. Even then, a bright future was prophesied to him and compared with such football legends as Maradona, Cruyff and Ronaldinho.
Since then, Messi's triumphant ascent to the heights of recognition has not been overshadowed by any failure. In the lists of his achievements are many awards and records. And to this day he remains the top scorer in the history of matches of Classico and, undoubtedly, the top scorer of Barcelona.
Versatile talent Ronaldo
Just two years before Lionel, another little boy was born on the picturesque island of Madeira - Cristiano Ronaldo dos Santos Aveiro. Their life paths are very similar in many ways. The father of little Cristiano was also directly involved in the world of big football - at that time he was the administrator of the Portuguese Andorinha team. Then Cristiano began his career.
Soon the legendary Alex Ferguson himself drew attention to the young football player. He invited Ronaldo to play for Manchester United. Even then, the transfer amount to Cristiano reached over twelve million pounds. Sir Alex Ferguson expressed his confidence in the new player by handing him the famous T-shirt with number seven.
A distinctive feature of Cristiano is the versatility of talent. This is claimed by the best football players in the world. He is fast, hardy and great at jumping. The ball's trajectory during penalties is almost impossible to predict. In addition, Ronaldo often scores a head. His dribbling confuses his opponents, and the technique of the game causes a storm of applause from the fans.
The confrontation of Messi and Ronaldo
Cristiano and Lionel are bright football stars who play in the same league, in the same historical time span. Photos of the best football players are decorated with posters illustrating their confrontation. The fact that their teams themselves are in a state of classical rivalry only fuels the interest of fans.
In this talent race, Cristiano deservedly stepped forward. The indefatigable Portuguese is not going to rest on his laurels, but is training hard, honing his skills. And although Messi is undoubtedly worthy of all praise, at this stage even the ardent fans of Barcelona reproach Ronaldo with just the habit of lying on the field, when the opportunity arises, making grimaces of pain. It is impossible to find fault with the style of his game.
Outstanding goalkeeper
However, no matter how skillful the forward, a talented goalkeeper is able to nullify all his efforts. And one of these players, without a doubt, is Iker Casillas.
For five years he was named the best goalkeeper in the world. Iker also holds the record for the most dry matches held for the national team.
And with these names the list of gifted players is by no means exhausted. Time will tell if they can hold onto their positions. But one thing is certain: beautiful football is provided to us.