Argentina international Lionel Messi is the highest ranked of only two current players in the top ten of the 40 greatest footballers of all times according to a poll commissioned by TV channel, HISTORY, to mark its History of Football season, which runs from May 28 to June 10.
Messi, who is getting ready for his 4th World Cup finals, is ranked second behind Brazilian legend Pele – the three-time World Cup winner who scored an incredible 727 goals during his glittering 21 year career.
Pele is hoisted by his teammates after winning 1970 World Cup
Widely regarded as football’s first superstar, he is still the youngest player ever to appear in a World Cup final featuring in the culmination of the 1958 tournament aged just 17.
Five time Ballon d’Or winner Cristiano Ronaldo of Portugal is ranked third with former Northern Ireland and Manchester United legend George Best, the highest ranked British player, fourth and ahead of Argentine great Diego Maradona.
The top ten is completed by Bobby Moore, Johan Cryuff, Sir Bobby Charlton, David Beckam and Zinedine Zidane.
Carried out through OnePoll, the research also identified the greatest manager of all-time as Sir Alex Ferguson CBE, who finished ahead of Brian Clough OBE and Bill Shankly OBE.
Top 40 greatest footballers of all time
- Pelé
- Lionel Messi
- Cristiano Ronaldo
- George Best
- Diego Maradona
- Bobby Moore OB
- Johan Cruyff
- Sir Bobby Charlton CBE
- David Beckham OBE
- Zinedine Zidan
- Thierry Henry
- Franz Beckenbauer
- Eusébio
- Kenny Dalglish MBE
- Ronaldinho
- Ryan Giggs OBE
- Gary Lineker OBE
- Paul Gascoigne
- Ronaldo
- Steven Gerrard MBE
- Denis Law CBE
- Dennis Bergkamp
- Alfredo Di Stéfano
- Ferenc Puskás
- Wayne Rooney
- Sir Tom Finney CBE
- Michael Owen
- Michel Platini
- Jürgen Klinsman
- Lothar Matthäus
- Marco van Basten
- Mohamed Salah
- Bryan Robson OBE
- Lev Yashin
- Gareth Bale
- Zlatan Ibrahimović
- Franco Baresi
- Xavi
- Kevin De Bruyne
- Gianluigi Buffon