Maradona, Pele, Messi or Ronaldo – just who is football’s greatest player?
Maradona’s death at the age of 60 has reignited the debate.
Among the grief and adulation expressed after Diego Maradona’s death, an age-old debate of who was the game’s greatest player has been reignited.
The discussion has been held many times before, and will no doubt be raised on many more occasions in the future, but the loss of the masterful Argentina forward aged just 60 has only intensified his claim to the throne.
In truth it is an impossible task to judge footballers from different eras, playing in different times, with different rules, but the PA news agency’s Carl Markham gives his assessment on those who purport to be ‘the greatest’.
Diego Maradona (Argentina, Boca Juniors, Barcelona, Napoli)
Skill factor: 10
Goal factor: 8
Charisma factor: 9
Legend factor: 10
Final score: 37
Pele (Brazil, Santos, New York Cosmos)
Before Maradona, Pele was the undisputed greatest in most people’s eyes. A winner of three World Cups – the first in 1958 when he scored six goals in four games aged just 17 – his individual skill and eye for goal was unrivalled but he also benefited from playing in some of the best international sides in history. He won six league titles and two Copa Libertadores with Santos.
Skill factor: 9
Goal factor: 10
Charisma factor: 7
Legend factor: 10
Final score: 36
Lionel Messi (Argentina, Barcelona)
Skill factor: 10
Goal factor: 10
Charisma factor: 6
Legend factor: 9
Final score: 35
Cristiano Ronaldo (Portugal, Sporting Lisbon, Manchester United, Real Madrid, Juventus)
Skill factor: 9
Goal factor: 10
Charisma factor: 7
Legend factor: 9
Final score: 35
Alberto di Stefano (Spain, River Plate, Millonarios, Real Madrid, Espanyol)
Probably the first football superstar, the Argentina-born forward was skilful, hugely prolific, creative and tactically versatile. After 12 years playing in his homeland and Colombia, his move to Real transformed them into a European super power. He scored in each of their five successive European Cup victories and single-handedly drove them to their first league triumph in 20 years in his first season at the club, one of eight he would win at the Bernabeu in addition to his two Ballons d’Or.
Skill factor: 9
Goal factor: 10
Charisma factor: 6
Legend factor: 9
Final score: 34
Johan Cruyff (Holland, Ajax, Barcelona, Feyenoord)
Skill factor: 8
Goal factor: 8
Charisma factor: 8
Legend factor: 9
Final score: 33
Ronaldo (Brazil, Cruzeiro, PSV, Barcelona, Inter Milan, Real Madrid, AC Milan, Corinthians)
Skill factor: 8
Goal factor: 9
Charisma factor: 7
Legend factor: 7
Final score: 31
