The Association of Football Statisticians' (AFS) compendium of 'Greatest Ever Footballers'
1.Pele (Brazil)
2.Ronaldo (Brazil)
3.Romario (Brazil)
4.Luis Figo (Portugal)
5.Zinedine Zidane (France)
6.Diego Maradona (Argentina)
7.Lothar Matthaus (Germany)
8.Gerd Muller (Germany)
9.Franz Beckenbauer (Germany)
10.Cafu (Brazil)
11.Roberto Carlos (Brazil)
12.Marco van Basten (Holland)
13.Michel Platini (France)
14.Rivaldo (Brazil)
15.Paolo Maldini (Italy)
16.Zico (Brazil)
17.Raul (Spain)
18.Ruud Gullit (Holland)
19.Eusebio (Portugal)
20.Ferenc Puskas (Hungary)
21.Johan Cruyff (Holland)
22.Alfredo di Stefano(Argentina)
23.Bobby Charlton (England)
24.Jurgen Klinsmann (Ger)
25.Kenny Dalglish (Scotland)
26.Ali Daei (Iran)
27.Karl-Heinz Rummenigge (Ger)
28.Gabriel Batistuta (Argentina)
29.Michael Laudrup (Denmark)
30.Hristo Stoichkov (Bulgaria)
31.Dennis Bergkamp (Holland)
32.Frank Rijkaard (Holland)
33.Thierry Henry (France)
34.Pavel Nedved (Czech Rep)
35.Gheorghe Hagi (Romania)
36.Peter Schmeichel(Denmark)
37.Andrei Shevchenko (Ukraine)
38.Sepp Maier (Germany)
39.Didier Deschamps (France)
40.Lilian Thuram (France)
41.Enzo Francescoli (Uruguay)
42.Hakan Sukur (Turkey)
43.Paolo Rossi (Italy)
44.David Beckham (England)
45.Jean-Pierre Papin (France)
46.Kevin Keegan (England)
47.Marcel Desailly (France)
48.Oliver Kahn (Germany)
49.Alessandro Costacurta (Ita)
50.Clarence Seedorf (Holland)
51.Dino Zoff (Italy)
52.Patrick Kluivert (Holland)
53.Jari Litmanen (Finland)
54.Daniel Passarella (Arg)
55.Bixente Lizarazu (France)
56.Gary Lineker (England)
57.Ronaldhino (Brazil)
58.Sylvain Wiltord (France)
59.Bebeto (Brazil)
60.Alessandro Del Piero (Italy)
61.Davor Suker (Croatia)
62.Ryan Giggs (Wales)
63.David Trezeguet (France)
64.Demetrio Albertini (Italy)
65.Patrick Vieira (France)
66.Jurgen Kohler (Germany)
67.Laurent Blanc (France)
68.Michael Owen (England)
69.Youri Djorkaeff (France)
70.Frank De Boer (Holland)
71.Emilio Butragueno (Spain)
72.Hugo Sanchez (Mexico)
73.Rudi Voller (Germany)
74.Djalma Santos (Brazil)
75.Giacinto Facchetti (Italy)
76.Kanu (Nigeria)
77.Franco Baresi (Italy)
78.Gianni Rivera (Italy)
79.Roberto Baggio (Italy)
80.Oscar Ruggeri (Argentina)
81.Gheorghe Popescu(Romania)
82.Jon D. Tomasson (Denmark)
83.Raymond Kopa (France)
84.Carlos Valderrama (Colombia)
85.Rui Costa (Portugal)
86.Gary Neville (England)
87.Edgar Davids (Holland)
88.Claudio Taffarel (Brazil)
89.Paul Scholes (England)
90.Diego Simeone (Argentina)
91.Bryan Robson (England)
92.Roy Keane (Rep of Ireland)
93.Brian Laudrup (Denmark)
94.Henrik Larsson (Sweden)
95.Fabien Barthez (France)
96.Michael Ballack (Germany)
97.Jan Koller (Czech Republic)
98.Edwin van der Sar (Holland)
99.Robert Pires (France)
100.Johan Neeskens (Holland)

Source : soccernet

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Added on November 8, 2007, 6:24 pmYet another list of the 100 greatest players of all time has hit the headlines but on this occasion it is not based on mere opinion but fact, at least that is what the creators claim.

The Association of Football Statisticians' (AFS) compendium of 'Greatest Ever Footballers', due to hit the shelves in time for Christmas, used a points based 'all time player ranking system' to reveal that Pele is in fact, and you won't believe this, the best football player the world has ever seen.

Soccernet will let the shock of that revelation settle in before informing you that the Brazilian's normal opponent for that title Diego Maradona is actually only the sixth best player in the history of the game.

Manchester United legend George Best, the man Pele once described as 'the best player ever' does not even make it into the controversial list, whilst United defender Gary Neville is ranked 86th. And not the 86th best defender but the 86th best player of all time, in the entire universe...ever! Now we're not saying the Red Devils' skipper is not a decent player, but come on!

Some other baffling rankings has Johan Cruyff - three times European Footballer of the Year and key exponent of Rinus Michels' Total Football - listed 21st, just five places above little-known Iranian striker Ali Daei.

Daei ranks 26th due to his 109 goals in 149 international matches for Iran.... against the mighty teams of Asia. Socceroos' striker Archie Thompson's has already been on the phone to ask why he isn't on the list after his 13 goal haul against American Samoa (Population 57,291) in a World Cup qualifier.

Former France striker Sylvain Wiltord waltzes in at 58 and even overlooking the fact that he should not be in the list in the first place, it is difficult to comprehend why he is allegedly better than AC Milan legend Franco Baresi, Roberto Baggio, Bryan Robson and Edgar Davids.

The AFS' system of awarding points for goals scored by forwards, clean sheets from defenders and honours won - including cups and caps - seems like a reasonable idea at first glance; but there are so many variables in football that their method appears more flawed than FIFA's notoriously dubious co-efficient World Rankings for national teams.

A spokesman for the book's publishers defended the rankings by insisting it was a 'comprehensive list of who really were, statistically, the best players of all time'.

That much used saying regarding lies, damn lies and statistics has never seemed more appropriate.

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Added on November 8, 2007, 6:24 pmThe best team in the world according to the Association of Football Statisticians*

. GK - Peter Schmeichel

. LB - Roberto Carlos
. CB - Lothar Matthaus
. CB - Franz Beckenbauer
. RB - Cafu

. LM - Johan Cruyff
. CM - Zinedine Zidane
. CM - Michel Platini
. RM - Luis Figo

. ST - Ronaldo
. ST - Pele

*Compiled by taking the highest ranked player relevant to the available positions in standard 4-4-2.

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Added on November 8, 2007, 6:24 pmsource : soccernet

This post has been edited by myhotgary2: Nov 8 2007, 06:24 PM

I'm the 101

lol i was just about to post this up

btw not pele and maradona ??
hmmm

ronaldo.....wtf ?



This post has been edited by kueks: Nov 8 2007, 06:31 PM

haha...gary neville...got to be kidding me

how much he pay them to put him in the list

This post has been edited by PhibeRoptiC: Nov 8 2007, 06:32 PM

No Alan Shearer? Is Claudio Taffarel (Brazil) is that great?

WTF ?!?!

No cantona but there's jari litmanen ?

no Mokhtar Dahari???

very subjective kind of list.......

no George Best? This is crazy

comon, thierry henry > ronaldo

Georgie Best..??

some i dont think so...but i cant find someone better than those i think they are not qualify

Crap list. Why?? Because the list is compiled by a statistician and is based on statistic like trophies won, international caps and so on. Not the players impact on the game.

What a crap list which everybody will not agreed upon.

The fat ronaldo? He's world-class during his young ages. I don't see what's wrong there.

Every now and then people's opinions differ, but this list is bullshit.

And I don't really agree that statistics and trophies are used.
Souness won 5 League titles and 3 European Cups and he's not even in the list.

There. How else do you explain Ali Daei being there?? It's because the number of goals scored in his career. How else you explain Di Stefano being so low in the list. It's a statistic based list. Not player impact.

This post has been edited by air_mood: Nov 8 2007, 07:25 PM

I get your point, but does Kanu have better honours than Ian Rush?

But I do agree that player impact should be taken into consideration.
Then again, that would make a good list very very difficult to compile.

This post has been edited by Zephyr_Mage: Nov 8 2007, 07:27 PM

Hence why I say it's a crap list because it's based on statistic. you knwo there's something wrong when you see Jari Litmanen and Kanu are ahead the likes of Robbo, Keano and Baggio even. And a list of 100 Greatest Footballers than doesn't have George Best in it certainly is no greatest footballer list.

kaka nt there..... dun agree..... thierry is better than ronaldo... so, i dun agree with the list!!!

Diego Armando Maradona...

some of them deserve into that top 100
Zidane, Maradona, Pele etc

...... MICHAEL OWEN??? LOL?? and he is in the list.. gerrard is not? .. this muz be kidding

ronaldo was godlike when he was playing at his peak. i definitely agree with him being ranked so high up in the list. i agree with 2/3 of the list.. though i think clarence seedorf should be ranked in the top 10. he is a "great" player IMO.. where's A.Pirlo? G.Zola? and neville is there but javier zanetti isn't?


This post has been edited by e30: Nov 8 2007, 08:55 PM

this list is nonsense

usually no matter where i see these rankings compiled by wateva body or board...
the top 3 is definite..
1 pele
2 maradona
3 cruijff

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Added on November 8, 2007, 9:22 pmthis time its sooo different


This post has been edited by myhotgary2: Nov 8 2007, 09:22 PM

kanu? litmanen? wat do they won? with arsenal? with liverpool? then i could add in seaman and tony adams

Why is Kanu, Litmanen and Ali Daei on the list?

Big LOL for Barthez being ahead of Buffon and Casillas.

Kanu and Litmanen were in the same Ajax team that won the champion's league.
Kanu won 3 EPL with arsenal, 2 african player of the year.. go wiki it .." He is the mosty highly-decorated African footballer".

I wouldn't be suprised if he is in it

the top 10 - 15 looks ok to me, the rest

maradona should be no 1 or at least no 2 , no way he is no 6

hei..ronaldo deserved to be on the 2nd spot
it's all time greatest..not current

but no way he is better than maradona

Ok, the list is total rubbish, how can you place an Iranian player when George Best not even in the list. As I always say, the best of all time is Johan Cruijff, George Best, Pele and Maradona, all of course in certain rank, very hard to say between them because of the different timeline problem, but I can only say this four are truelly the best.


Anyway, the most outragest thing is why Johan Cruijff are not even in the top ten, come on, he is the best player that Europe ever produce.

This post has been edited by jim18992: Nov 8 2007, 10:52 PM

correct...cruijff surely deserves to be in the top3...
no statistics can prove that wrong

This post has been edited by myhotgary2: Nov 8 2007, 11:00 PM

why so many ppl delcine.. i think most of them are correct cuz the way they play is really good(for some)

there's no zola on the list. of course i won't admit it

The list is a joke.
End of story.

one who shouldn't be in there also included. they don't deserved it. that's why i am upset

figo number 4 ???? huh ...

mayb because of zola din won any major tournament?
figo has won numbers of trophies, just the wat youth world cup + footballer of the year is enuff to bring him to the top 20

well i guess maradona is way better than pele, during the time pele played, defenders are not accustomed to a proper marking system back then. when maradona played, defenders are better compared to the time when pele played a part. he stills get pass those defenders well in a match that maradona. wuu huu

lots of players have won the champions league so i think it's bullshit that litmanen is in the list

The list isn't good enough tho.

no shearer,cantona,zola and best..but got clowns like barthez,g.neville,wiltord,tafarrell..the list goes on..

yeah cantona.....
of the terms zola is forbidden becos he was a chelsea? that is racism

how come figo > zidane ?

and no zola

funny list... jan koller is in the list while kaka' is not? not even george best or santiago bernabeu??

Sorry, but why should Kaka be on any list of greatest footballers? He's been arguably the best footballer for the past two or three seasons, SO WHAT? Does Febregas or C Ronaldo then deserve to be in the list?

hmm.. seems to be you have a problem with kaka' huh? why do you think he should not be in the list?

If this based on vote, the younger generation would simply vote for Kaka, Cristiano Ronaldo & Fabregas...

that's why you dont see the likes of George Best, Duncan Edwards, Mario Kempes, etc... on the list...

thats true.. then what is the best way?? heh...

My point exactly.

sure vote for the young generation

Let's see; no Gordon Banks. Ali Daei? What's he doing on the list? Jan Koller? Gary Neville? If Barthez can be on the list; why's Neville Southall not on it as well?

i dont believe this at all

Santiago Bernabeu?? I think you need to do some reading before plucking out names from thin air. Don't get me wrong...he was a decent player..but his legacy was built when he was acting as president not as a player.
Alfredo di Stefano is one that really doesn't deserve that pathetic 22nd spot in the list. He is easily one of the top 5 players ever.

haha.. i just make a funny la man.. perli saja... why not a player (president maybe) who had his name remembered as a RM ground get into the list. heh

Because the list is "100 Greatest Footballers" not "100 Greatest Presidents"

This list may be a joke but everyone is entitled to his/her opinion and opinions differ from one another. Not happy? Make a list of your own.

what a bunch of bollocks i m sure there r better ways 2 find the 100 greatest player in the planet

Juan Roman Riquelme and Eric Cantona not in the list....

Hahahahaa. Since when is Chelski a race???

I already pointed that out. As much as I don't like Real Madrid, a list with Di Stefano that low is clearly criminal. Below the likes of Raul even?? As is Johan Cruyff is ridiculous when you have the likes of Rivaldo and Cafu above him. And as much as anyone hates Man United, a list of greatest footballers without George Best is clearly one of the biggest crime of all. I'd throw maybe cantona in there as well, not as big as a crime like not including Bestie though.

Some say Duncan Edwards. Yes, he was touted as one who could have been the greatest one of all. Blessed with everything power, pace, great shooting but unfortunately we never got to know as he was gone too soon. But of course excellent things were heard of him from people who actually lived to see him so it's very fair not to include him.

And a list with Litmanen, Beckham, Wiltord and Simeone even above of Roy Keane and Robbo is clearly ridiculous. Like I said earlier, it's one compiled by statisticians, hence why the ridiculousness.

lol LAME LIST...

ronaldo at no.2 lol....where Shearer?

C.Ronaldo?

It's a greatest list players. Too early for the likes of C.Ronaldo, Rooney, Kaka or Ronaldinho to be in it.

wheres Zexynova? hes not on the list. i dun agree.

this poll is a great failure

No Eric Cantona......

ol wth Maradone on the sixth ?!

the list is messed up really bad man...

the player in the list should be the one who gave new "phenomenon" to the game.......he who changed the way the game should be played......the one who brought the game to a new era.......and also who brought the thrill and excitement of the game to the crowd.......and last but not least a handful of skills.........

this is indeed a fact. and this is how they should choose.

wheres lev yashin?

After #50, the list seems to lose impact.

the cruyff turn only nets cruyff 21st spot?

The list is not even balance at all. To be exact, not accurate. Why in the world that they don't think Eric Cantona is as good as other players being listed in the top 100.

101. Eric Cantona (France)
102. Kaka (Brazil)
103. Steven Gerrard (England)

the spokemen from publisher said that the book was a 'comprehensive list of who really were, statistically, the best players of all time'.

let me elaborate for each player that has been list here...based on highest honor player received

1)pele-undoubtly the greatest player on earth has been born.undisputed greatest player on all time.first player to score 1000 goals.win 3 world cup.fifa best football player in century
2)ronaldo-fifa 3 times world player of the year.2 times world cup winner.record holder for most score in world cup tournament.
3)romario-1994 world cup winner.second person to score 1000 goals.1994 world player of the year
4)luis figo-2001 world player of the year.1991 fifa world youth championship.2 times la liga champion.96/97uefa ECC.01/02uefa CL.2 times european super cup.2000 Ballon d'Or.
5)zinedene zidane-3 times world player of the year.1998 world cup winner.2006 wc golden ball award.98 Ballon d'Or.2000 EURO winner.2 times seria A champion.
6)diego maradona-1986 world cup winner.fifa best football player in century.1986 wc golden ball award.FIFA Goal of the Century.5 times South American Footballer of the Year.2 times serie A champion.
7)Lothar Matth�us-1991 world player of the year.2 times German footballer of the year.1990 world cup winner.1980 EURO winner.2 times uefa cup winner.7 times bundesliga champion.
8)Gerd Muller-1974 world cup winner.1972 EURO winner.1970 world cup top scorer.3 times ECC champion.4 times bundesliga champion.2 times German footballer of the year.previous record holder for most score in world cup.
10)Franz Beckenbauer-2 times world cup winner(as player and coach).6 times bundesliga champion(as player and coach).1972 EURO winner.3 times ECC champion.


i will continue this after enough info..
also penat seh to type...

kaka for me

Beckham is better than Ronaldinho?!!and 12 players are in between them??!!MY god...(note that i still respect Beckham as a player but to say he's better than Ronaldinho is...)

And Best should be in for Figo..He's good but not tat good..

statistically, his international career

you had joga bonito....

as u can see, all this player has been involved in their
respective country...no wonder why cantona and best
are not in that list..

What a controversial list..

Where's my IDOL?? Alan Shearer?? There is no doubt he is one of the greatest English striker but Gary Neville edged him?? Even David Beckham were inside the list..

Stupido!

voted for no cos no cantona inside

azman adnan is the greatest player ever born in this world...lol

yeah the greatest there is...

Not Indra Putra Mahayuddin?

the list tend to be biased. i agree with pele on top but the ronaldo and romario occupying the 2nd and 3rd place? c'mon'............. gimme a break.

rusdi suparman pl�sss..he is a profilic player

Ali Daei? But no alan shearer?

maybe cause ali daei is now current holder for the most score
in international football match(i think 100 something)..

I see most of them were attackers in the list. No Cannavaro, Gattuso, Makelele? I guess it's easy to judge football players who were good in attacking rather than defending.

Alan Shearer and Stevie G is not in there...

yeah. how come ? defenders shud be taken into account also. After all, what is offense without defense

decline!!!!!
why shukor adan is not in the list!!??
hahaahhahahahaahhahahahhahah
hahahhahahahahahahhahahahhah