The 100 best football players who have ever lived: from Messi to Maradona, Cristiano to Cruyff and everyone in between
80. Just Fontaine
Just Fontaine is is held in triumph by his team mates at the 1958 World Cup (Image credit: Keystone-France/Gamma-Keystone via Getty Images)
In tandem with Raymond Kopa at Stade de Reims, the diminutive Fontaine - two footed and smooth - plundered goals for fun. He carried on scoring even after Kopa departed to Real Madrid in 1958, eventually netting 121 goals in six years for Reims. Fontaine, who scored a hat-trick on his international debut against Luxembourg, is best known for his remarkable 13-goal haul at the 1958 World Cup. He remains the overall fourth-highest scorer in World Cup history, despite having scored in one tournament.
Career highlight: Fontaine's four goals in the third-place play-off match against reigning world champions West Germany meant he passed Sandor Kocsis's 11-goal record in 1954 – a moment to treasure.
79. Rivellino
Rivellino of Brazil in action during the International Friendly match against West Germany (Image credit: Don Morley/Allsport/Getty Images)
The most famous moustache in Brazilian football had an unpredictable left foot and became known for his atomic kick. He was the best Seleção player in the fantastic side that devastated opponents at Mexico 1970, and debuted the elastico dribble (or flip-flap) which involved nudging the ball to one side and then flicking it back in the other direction.
Former Italy defender Mario Bertini couldn’t see what was coming and wasn’t able to stop it in Brazil’s 4-1 1970 World Cup Final win.
Career highlight: His bomba (in English, cannonball) free-kick breaking through the wall in Brazil's first 1970 World Cup match against Czechoslovakia.
78. Florian Albert
Florian Albert (left) and Lajos Tichy (right) (Image credit: Universal/Corbis/VCG via Getty Images)
Nicknamed ‘The Emperor’, Albert was a remarkably elegant striker, who always played with confidence and was bold enough to invent unorthodox solutions on the pitch. He represented Ferencvaros, his only club, for 16 years, but was especially brilliant for his national team.
Albert was voted the best young player at the 1962 World Cup and was chosen for the team of the tournament at both Euro 1964 and the 1966 World Cup. He received a Ballon d'Or in 1967, finishing ahead of Bobby Charlton.
Get FourFourTwo Newsletter
The best features, fun and footballing quizzes, straight to your inbox every week.
Career highlight: Albert led Hungary to the quarter-finals at two World Cups, in 1962 and 1966, but the earlier of these tournaments was his breakthrough as he scored four goals at the age of 20.
77. Frank Rijkaard
Frank Rijkaard with the Euro 88 trophy (Image credit: Getty)
Few players are good enough or lucky enough to play for a single great club side in the course of their career. Rijkaard played for three. The Ajax team of the early '80s, where he cut his teeth under the stewardship of Johan Cruyff and alongside Marco van Basten, Jan Molby and Ronald Koeman. Then Arrigo Sacchi’s seminal Milan team, where he won successive European Cups in 1989 and 1990. After that he finally returned to join Ajax's now-legendary European Cup-winning side of 1995, by then an old head among a team of fresh-faced stars-in-waiting.
Aggressive, quick-witted and with a marathon runner’s endurance levels, Rijkaard was a precursor to the great box-to-box midfielders that emerged in the '90s – Keane, Vieira and Gerrard – but with abundant added silk.
Career highlight: Sauntering through the Benfica defence to slot home the only goal of the 1990 European Cup Final.
76. Cafu
Cafu at the 1998 World Cup (Image credit: PA)
If there is one man who has made sacrifices and lent himself to the cause of the Brazil team, this man is Cafu.
Roberto Carlos
No other footballer has ever played in three World Cup finals. Cafu did – and won two of them, in 1994 and 2002. His compatriots always liked to say that the right-back had a pulmao invejavel (in English, an enviable lung capacity) as he showed such staggering pace and stamina. The Brazilian also became known as Pendolino during his time in Italy, after the country’s high-speed train. Cafu spent six successful years at Roma and was later a member of the Milan side which beat Liverpool to win the Champions League in 2007.
Career highlight: His celebration after the 2002 World Cup final is popular in Brazil. He stood on the victory podium and, as he raised the trophy, shouted to his wife, "Regina, eu te amo" (“Regina, I love you").
75. Jose Andrade
Jose Andrade on the far left of the Uruguay team photo (Image credit: ullstein bild/ullstein bild via Getty Images)
Although skinny and slight, the defensive midfielder dominated with his athleticism as Uruguay impressed in the late 1920s at the Olympics and at the 1930 World Cup.
As football wasn't yet professional in his native country, Andrade also worked as a street musician and shoe-shiner while turning out for Nacional and Penarol. The ‘Black Pearl’ gained notoriety at the 1924 Olympics for daring to throw rocks back at hostile Argentina fans, who'd pelted the visitors with them before the match. Uruguay's victory in the 1930 World Cup Final over their South American rivals gave him a huge sense of pleasure.
Career highlight: In the process of winning the 1924 Olympic football gold medal, Andrade also became the first black footballer to play at the Games.
74. Eric Cantona
Sir Alex Ferguson gives instructions to Eric Cantona (Image credit: Mark Leech/Offside via Getty Images)
"I am not a man," Eric Cantona claimed in the movie, Looking For Eric, in which he played a version of himself appearing in front of a Manchester United fan to offer advice. "I am Cantona."
One word that meant so much: and meant far more than simply being a mortal. The very image of that collar-popped Frenchman, of his fire and flamboyance, conjures memories of grandeur. He played football like he was the main character – and King Eric's legacy is almost unmatched. He made the Premier League what it is today and he did so with undisputed genius.
Career highlight: Making the very first Premier League season his stage, to snatch Manchester United a title from former club Leeds.
73. Dani Alves
Dani Alves (right) celebrates with Lionel Messi (Image credit: Getty)
Having Dani Alves as a right-back was a cheat code. He was an extra midfielder when needed; a world-class attacker, too.
Having him in Barcelona's side alongside Xavi, Iniesta and Messi just wasn't fair. Alves the strength and tenacity of a champion and won just about everything in his career with a fantastic engine and a truly elite final product. Some say he's still the greatest right-back in the history of the game.
Career highlight: After lifting European trophies, league titles in four nations and two Copa America triumphs, winning the Olympic Games as a 38-year-old leader with Brazil was almost unique for a player of his stature.
72. Teofilo Cubillas
Peruvian forward Teofilo Cubillas runs between Polish defenders during the World Cup second round. (Image credit: STAFF/AFP via Getty Images)
The greatest Peruvian player in history, Cubillas is remarkably the only non-German to have scored at least five goals at two different World Cup tournaments, in 1970 and 1978 (he scored five in both).
Blessed with outstanding vision and a powerful shot, he was a phenomenal set-piece specialist, usually striking the ball with the inside of his foot. Having scored at will for his beloved Allianza Lima, he was also successful at Porto and later played at Fort Lauderdale Strikers alongside George Best.
Career highlight: Cubillas led Peru to their second (and the last so far) Copa America triumph in 1975, where they beat the mighty Brazil in the semi-finals.
71. Omar Sivori
Omar Sivori of Italy leaping over Elsener of Switzerland during a World Cup match (Image credit: Keystone/Getty Images)
Lightning quick and with an ability to ghost into space, El Cabezon (or Bighead) won the Argentine league twice with River Plate in the mid 1950s, before heading to Juventus for a then world-record £91,000 fee.
Alongside John Charles and Giampiero Boniperti (the ‘Magical Trio'), Sivori scored shedloads of goals which helped secure three Scuddeti between 1957 and 1961. He also netted the decisive winner for the Old Lady as Juve became the first Italian team to win at the Bernebeu. In 1961, he was awarded the European Footballer of the Year honour. Richly deserved.
Career highlight: In June 1961, Sivori scored a record-breaking six goals in a 9-1 victory over Inter, as Juventus won another Scudetto.
Thank you for reading 5 articles this month* Join now for unlimited access
Mark White has been at on FourFourTwo since joining in January 2020, first as a staff writer before becoming content editor in 2023. An encyclopedia of football shirts and boots knowledge – both past and present – Mark has also represented FFT at both FA Cup and League Cup finals (though didn't receive a winners' medal on either occasion) and has written pieces for the mag ranging on subjects from Bobby Robson's season at Barcelona to Robinho's career. He has written cover features for the mag on Mikel Arteta and Martin Odegaard, and is assisted by his cat, Rosie, who has interned for the brand since lockdown.
