Who do you consider to be the greatest football player of all time? Starting from one of the Hall of Famers, Ronaldinho, now the field has moved on to these two names, Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi. Anyhow, these two extraordinary talents are almost nearing the end of their careers. In their place, players like Neymar are making an impact, while underappreciated game icons continue to put forth outstanding performances, and this includes Sunil Chhetri. Soccer news has covered a lot about these players and has provided us with numerous data. But, they forgot to mention the best among them.
Cristiano Ronaldo
Cristiano Ronaldo is a chameleon in the game of football. Undoubtedly, he remains one of the most dangerous strikers on the planet. His achievements include,
● Five-time FIFA Player of the Year.
● The most goals in the history of the UEFA Champions League and also the second-most Champions League wins in history, with five titles.
● A total of 790 goals in 1080 games (0.73 goals per game) covering all formats.
Lionel Messi
Messi is one of the best – objectively and subjectively – now and forever. He carried Barcelona on his shoulders for years, right up until the end, in terms of sheer numbers.
● In 35 La Liga appearances, he scored 30 goals last season despite playing with a poor supporting cast. It was still fantastic, even though it was his fifth-worst season in 13 years with 30+ league appearances.
● In 778 appearances for Barcelona in various competitions, Messi scored 672 goals and supplied slightly more than 300 assists.
Neymar
Since he was a teenager, Neymar has been a sensation. The Brazilian wonder is currently one of the top footballers in the world, and many football experts believe he will win the Ballon d’Or in the future. Speaking about some of his stats,
● In 2013, SportsPro magazine declared Neymar the most marketable athlete in the world, knocking out Cristiano Ronaldo, Lionel Messi, Usain Bolt, and Rory McIlroy.
● Neymar became the 1st player to score in each of the five games in tournament history, from the first leg of the quarterfinal to the UCL final, during the 2014/2015 UCL season.
Ronaldinho
Individually, Ronaldinho was possibly more skilled and talented than the rest of them, but he lacked consistency. He took part in the game because he enjoyed it. He played it the way he wanted it to be played: with a smile on his face, great skills, and the odd dancing maneuvers that soccer news loves to highlight.
● “Ronaldinho is the best player for me.” Diego Maradona was quoted as saying.
● He is a 1x ballon d’or and 1x FIFA World Cup winner.
Sunil Chhetri
Sunil Chhetri is widely recognized as one of India’s greatest footballers. He had effectively guided India to unprecedented heights in international football. He took over Bhaichung Bhutia’s mantle and continued the job that propelled India forward.
● Chhetri is the Indian national team’s all-time leading goalscorer and, behind Cristiano Ronaldo, has the second-highest number of international goals among active male players.
● He also owns the Indian player’s record for most caps.
The following table represents these five players’ international goals:
| Name of the Player | Country | International Appearances | Goals |
| Cristiano Ronaldo | Portugal | 182 | 115 |
| Sunil Chhetri | India | 125 | 80 |
| Lionel Messi | Argentina | 159 | 80 |
| Neymar | Brazil | 116 | 70 |
| Ronaldinho | Brazil | 97 | 33 |
Conclusion
Thus, according to stats and figures, Cristiano Ronaldo may win the overall battle. Yet, all these players are at their best in different aspects. Therefore, to decide who is the best footballer among them is for the audience to decide. Visit SportsCafe website for more latest sports news.
