"The Best of The Best"

Since 1999 (with the 20th century coming to an end), several lists or elections were made with the intention of define "the best players of all-time", "the best players of the century" or "the best players of all world cups", which are nearly the same concept:

• IFFHS' Players and Keepers of the Twentieth Century
• 100 Magnifici (Venerdě Magazine 1997)
• World Soccer's Selection of the 100 Greatest Footballers of All Time
• France Football's Football Player of the Century
• Guerin' Sportivo's I 50 Grandi del Secolo by Adalberto Bortolotti
• Placar's 100 Craques do Século
• Plančte Foot's 50 Meilleurs Joueurs du Monde
• Voetbal International's Wereldsterren by Raf Willems
• France Football World Cup Top-100 1930-1990
• Pelé's Choice of 125 Living Players
• Placar's 100 Craques das Copas
• AFS' Top-100 Players of All-Time

Some of these lists are listed and linked above and with such collection, one natural question would be: who were, in fact, "the best of the best" among all mentioned players? 283 players (including two women) were mentioned and this file presents a "overall counting", with the most mentioned (at least in 6 lists i.e. more than 50% of all) players ordered according the number of lists he was mentioned.

Players mentioned in ALL 12 lists:

 1 - Franz BECKENBAUER (Germany)
 2 - Robert "BOBBY" CHARLTON (England)
 3 - Johan CRUYFF (Netherlands)
 4 - Gerhardt "GERD" MÜLLER (Germany)
 5 - Diego Armando MARADONA (Argentina)
 6 - Édson Arantes do Nascimento - "PELÉ" (Brazil)

Players mentioned in 11 lists:

 7 - EUSÉBIO Ferreira da Silva (Portugal)
 8 - Michel PLATINI (France)
 9 - Ferenc PUSKAS (Hungary)
10 - Arthur Antunes Coimbra - "ZICO" (Brazil)
11 - Dino ZOFF (Italy)

Players mentioned in 10 lists:

12 - Franco BARESI (Italy)
13 - Alfredo DI STEFANO (Argentina)
14 - Manoel dos Santos - "GARRINCHA" (Brazil)
15 - Raymond KOPA (France)
16 - Lothar MATTHÄUS (Germany)
17 - Karl-Heinz RUMMENIGGE (Germany)
18 - Marco VAN BASTEN (Netherlands)

Players mentioned in 9 lists:

19 - Just FONTAINE (France)
20 - Daniel Alberto PASSARELLA (Argentina)
21 - Roberto RIVELLINO (Brazil)
22 - ROBERTO BAGGIO (Italy)

Players mentioned in 8 lists:

23 - Gordon BANKS (England)
24 - Robert "BOBBY" MOORE (England)
25 - GIANNI RIVERA (Italy)
26 - Ruud GULLIT (Netherlands)
27 - Josef MASOPUST (Czechoslovakia)
28 - Roger MILLA (Cameroon)
29 - PAOLO MALDINI (Italy)
30 - PAOLO ROSSI (Italy)
31 - Uwe SEELER (Germany)
32 - Lev YASHIN (Russia)

Players mentioned in 7 lists:

33 - Valdir Pereira - "DIDI" (Brazil)
34 - DJALMA SANTOS (Brazil)
35 - Enzo FRANCESCOLI (Uruguay)
36 - FRITZ WALTER (Germany)
37 - GEORGE BEST (Northern Ireland)
38 - Jair Ventura Filho - "JAIRZINHO" (Brazil)
39 - Mario Alberto KEMPES (Argentina)
40 - Giuseppe MEAZZA (Italy)
41 - Johan NEESKENS (Netherlands)
42 - ROMÁRIO de Souza Farias (Brazil)
43 - Juan Alberto SCHIAFFINO (Uruguay)
44 - STANLEY MATTHEWS (England)

Players mentioned in 6 lists:

45 - CARLOS ALBERTO TORRES (Brazil)
46 - Teófilo CUBILLAS (Peru)
47 - Giacinto FACCHETTI (Italy)
48 - HUGO SÁNCHEZ (Mexico)
49 - Sandor KOCSIS (Hungary)
50 - NÍLTON SANTOS (Brazil)
51 - RONALDO Luiz Nazário de Lima (Brazil)
52 - Omar Enrique SÍVORI (Argentina)
53 - Hristo STOICHKOV (Bulgaria)

Also, there are 21 players mentioned in 5 lists, 16 players mentioned in 4 lists,
21 players mentioned in 3 lists, 63 players mentioned in 2 lists and 133 players
mentioned in only one list.

Prepared and maintained by Marcelo Leme de Arruda for the Rec.Sport.Soccer Statistics Foundation

Author: Marcelo Leme de Arruda (mlarruda@terra.com.br)
Last updated: 19 Jun 2009

(C) Copyright Marcelo Leme de Arruda and RSSSF 2004/09
You are free to copy this document in whole or part provided that proper acknowledgement is given to the author. All rights reserved.