Popular Spanish publication MARCA have ranked the six greatest footballers in the history of the sport and, in return, Inter Miami star Lionel Messi has been presented with the inaugural MARCA America award as a show of appreciation for his never-ending career.
The old age debate between two of the modern sport’s greatest, Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo, will forever live in conversations across the globe – but MARCA’s latest trophy-giving exercise perhaps closes a chapter in the debate.
1. Lionel Messi
Who else? The World Cup-winning Argentine has been at the top of the game since emerging through Barcelona’s ranks as a fresh-faced teenager. A plethora of honours later, now 37 years of age, and he’s still pulling up trees in the MLS – a true testament to his longevity and sheer talent. Fundamentally, the genius thoroughly deserves his plaudits and his status as the most decorated footballer of all time will prevail the test of time.
2. Cristiano Ronaldo
Messi’s long-term rival, Ronaldo, is forced to settle for second spot. Despite switching to become a striker in the latter stage of his career, the Portuguese talisman is still considered to be one of the best wingers in football history.
A goalscoring phenomenon, as evidenced by his outrageous rate at almost every club, there have not many more feared footballers in world football over the years.
3. Pele
Picking up MARCA’s bronze medal is Pele, who – for the older generation – may be the best of all time. Heralded as ‘the King of Football’, the three-time World Cup winner was one of the beautiful game’s early superstars and, supposedly, scored goals like they were going out of fashion.
4. Alfredo Di Stefano
A perhaps underrated name in the world of football, with him typically shunned out of these sorts of conversations, Alfredo Di Stefano remains the only winner of the Super Ballon d’Or for his exploits in the 50s and 60s. A true Los Blancos legend, Buenos Aires-born Di Stefano was a one-of-a-kind footballer.
5. Diego Maradona
A much-beloved figure in the city of Naples, Diego Maradona encapsulated everything joyous about football: deft, touch-tight dribbling which left defenders in the dust. A scorer of some brilliant goals, too, Maradona’s small stature was used to his advantage at the peak of his powers and he was so fun, thanks to his unpredictability, to watch.
6. Johan Cruyff
A footballing genius – on both sides of the white line, that is – Johan Cruyff was wonderfully talented. Having played for both Barcelona and Ajax and being the spearhead of them both, there are not many players that have left such an imprint on the game. Cruyff was the embodiment of a fluid footballer and was a revolutionary figure throughout his time on the turf.