Pelé, Maradona or Messi on top? English paper's 50 World Cup greats | OneFootball

The Independent has put together a list of the 50 greatest names in World Cup history, based exclusively on their performances in the most prestigious tournament on the planet.

With little time left until the 2026 World Cup, the ranking evaluates players from the first edition in Uruguay (1930) to the tournament in Qatar (2022).

Since the criterion is strictly World Cup performances, Cristiano Ronaldo did not make the pantheon of this list.

But that is not the only choice likely to spark some controversy.

Klose ahead of Romário, for instance — and so on!

At the top, however, Pelé appears as the greatest in World Cup history!

Check out the full ranking, according to The Independent.

From 50th to 11th

50. Fritz Walter (West Germany): The architect of the "Miracle of Bern," he lifted the trophy in 1954 when no one expected it.

49. Vavá (Brazil): A two-time champion (1958/1962), his finest moment was scoring two crucial goals in the final against Sweden.

48. Leônidas da Silva (Brazil): The "Black Diamond" was the top scorer and best player of 1938, netting two goals in extra time against Poland.

47. Didier Deschamps (France): One tournament, one title. He lifted the trophy as captain in 1998, leading a team that conceded only one goal in the matches he played.

46. Daniel Passarella (Argentina): Captain of the 1978 title-winning side at 25. He is the only Argentine to be part of both the 1978 and 1986 championship squads.

45. Rudi Völler (Germany): Champion in 1990 and runner-up in 1986. His big moment came in 1994, when he came off the bench to score two decisive goals against Belgium.

44. Antoine Griezmann (France): A central figure in France’s second golden era. He was the best player on the pitch in the 2018 final against Croatia.

43. Martin Peters (England): A player ahead of his time, he scored England’s second goal in the victorious 1966 final.

42. Ronaldinho (Brazil): Immortalized by his legendary dipping free-kick over England goalkeeper David Seaman in 2002.

41. Didi (Brazil): The maestro and orchestrator of the Seleção. His control of midfield in the 1958 semifinal against France was absolute.

40. Roberto Carlos (Brazil): He redefined the full-back position. He scored an unforgettable free-kick goal (an absolute rocket) against China in 2002.

39. Roger Milla (Cameroon): The first African global star. At 38, he came off the bench to score twice against Romania in 1990 and celebrated with his iconic dance.

38. Jürgen Klinsmann (West Germany/Germany): He scored 11 World Cup goals, culminating in the 1990 title in his tournament debut.

37. Gordon Banks (England): A champion in 1966, but immortalized by the "save of the century" from Pelé’s header at the 1970 World Cup.

36. Philipp Lahm (Germany): A technical and tireless full-back, he crowned his brilliant international career by lifting the trophy as captain in 2014.

35. Ferenc Puskás (Hungary/Spain): The star of the "Mighty Magyars." He scored in the 1954 final while playing injured in Hungary’s tragic defeat.

34. Sándor Kocsis (Hungary): A lethal scorer, he netted an incredible four goals in the 8-3 win over West Germany in the 1954 group stage.

33. Rivaldo (Brazil): Fundamental to the fifth title in 2002, he scored in almost every match and produced a brilliant dummy in the final against Germany.

32. Lev Yashin (USSR): The "Black Spider," the greatest goalkeeper in history, stopped Brazil as much as he could in 1958 and took the Soviets to the semifinals in 1966.

31. Thomas Müller (Germany): Winner of the Golden Boot in 2010. He scored a hat-trick against Portugal in 2014 and shone in the historic 7-1.

30. Luka Modric (Croatia): The Croatian maestro. He won the tournament’s Golden Ball in 2018 after leading his country to an unlikely final.

29. Paolo Maldini (Italy): He played in four World Cups with unmatched class in defense. He managed five straight clean sheets in 1990.

28. Michel Platini (France): A classic No. 10, he scored the historic equalizer against Brazil in the 1986 quarterfinals.

27. Mario Kempes (Argentina): In the 1978 title run, he was the top scorer, the best player, and scored two goals in the final. A perfect tournament.

26. Xavi (Spain): The heart of "tiki-taka." He dictated the tempo of the entire 2010 World Cup and provided the assist for the winning goal in the semifinal against Germany.

25. Giuseppe Meazza (Italy): A two-time champion (1934/1938). Famous for scoring a decisive penalty in 1938 while holding up his torn shorts with one hand.

24. Roberto Baggio (Italy): Despite the missed penalty in the 1994 final, he carried Italy on his back throughout that tournament with game-saving goals.

23. Just Fontaine (France): He holds the unbreakable record of 13 goals in a single World Cup edition (1958), wearing borrowed boots.

22. Bobby Charlton (England): He won the Golden Ball in 1966 after carrying England with outstanding performances, including two goals in the semifinal against Portugal.

21. Romário (Brazil): The lone hero of the 1994 fourth title. He scored five goals, including the decisive header in the semifinal against Sweden.

20. Carlos Alberto Torres (Brazil): "The Captain." He scored the most iconic goal in World Cup final history in 1970, finishing Brazil’s perfect move after a pass from Pelé.

19. Andrés Iniesta (Spain): Immortalized by one huge moment: the extra-time goal in the 2010 final that gave Spain the world title.

18. Eusébio (Portugal): The Black Panther was brilliant in 1966. His best moment was scoring four straight goals to turn the game around against North Korea.

17. Fabio Cannavaro (Italy): The perfect center-back of 2006. His reading of the game and anticipation secured the title for Italy (and his Ballon d’Or that year).

16. Jairzinho (Brazil): The "World Cup Hurricane." He achieved the rare feat of scoring in absolutely every match of the 1970 title run.

15. Cafu (Brazil): The only player in history to appear in three consecutive World Cup finals, crowning his career as captain of Brazil’s fifth title in 2002.

14. Paolo Rossi (Italy): Brazil’s executioner in 1982 with a painful hat-trick. He scored crucial goals all the way to lifting the trophy and being named the best in the world.

13. Bobby Moore (England): Captain in 1966, remembered for his class in defense, precise tackles, and for leading England to its only title.

12. Lothar Matthäus (Germany): Germany’s engine. He played in five World Cups and was the undisputed captain of the 1990 title-winning team.

11. Johan Cruyff (Netherlands): Although he did not win the title, he revolutionized football with "Total Football" in 1974.

The Top 10

10. Miroslav Klose (Germany)

The all-time top scorer in World Cup history (16 goals). He was not the fastest or the most skillful, but he was lethal. The peak of his consistency came when he broke the all-time record in the traumatic 7-1 against Brazil in 2014, the tournament in which he finally became champion at age 36.

9. Gerd Müller (West Germany)

A true predator in the box, with 14 goals in just 13 World Cup matches. He was the top scorer in 1970 and crowned his genius by scoring the title-winning goal in the 1974 final against Cruyff’s iconic Netherlands.

8. Kylian Mbappé (France)

With only two World Cups played, he is already a legend. He burst onto the scene in 2018 by matching Pelé’s teenage records and, in 2022, delivered one of the greatest performances in history by scoring an astonishing hat-trick in the final against Argentina.

7. Garrincha (Brazil)

The "angel with crooked legs." With Pelé injured in 1962, Garrincha carried the Seleção on his back and dominated the tournament, securing Brazil’s second straight title. He lost only one match wearing the Seleção shirt in his entire life.

6. Zinedine Zidane (France)

The genius of the big occasions. His two headed goals in the 1998 final gave France its first world title. And even with the infamous headbutt in 2006 that earned him a red card, his brilliance throughout that tournament remains untouched.

5. Ronaldo (Brazil)

Football’s greatest redemption story. After the medical trauma of 1998 and serious knee injuries, "The Phenomenon" returned in 2002 at the peak of his powers, securing Brazil’s fifth title with eight goals in the tournament — two of them in the grand final against Germany.

4. Franz Beckenbauer (West Germany)

The greatest sweeper in history. "Der Kaiser" performed with absolute excellence and holds the privilege of having won the World Cup both as captain (1974) and as a coach.

3. Lionel Messi (Argentina)

Messi’s obsessive quest for the World Cup finally ended in 2022. In his fifth attempt, at age 35, he orchestrated Argentina with spectacular performances, seven goals, and the definitive crowning of one of the greatest careers in sports history.

2. Diego Maradona (Argentina)

No player in history dominated a single tournament like Maradona in 1986. He was the team itself. He scored the infamous "Hand of God" goal and, five minutes later, the legendary "Goal of the Century" against England, dragging Argentina to the world title.

1. Pelé (Brazil)

The King. The only player in history to win three World Cups (1958, 1962, and 1970). He emerged at 17 with a hat-trick in the semifinal and two goals in the 1958 final. In 1970, already a veteran, he was the central piece of the greatest team of all time. Pelé lit up the tournaments, expanded the limits of what was possible on the pitch, and left a mark that can never be erased. He is, without question, the greatest legend in World Cup history.

This article was translated into English by Artificial Intelligence. You can read the original version in 🇧🇷 here.

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