The 22 Greatest Football Players of All Time

Oh no, not again! That is what I think whenever I see another so-called ultimate list of the Greatest Football Players Of All Time. I know that, again, I won’t agree with the results. If and when any evidence is given to support these rankings, we are usually talking ‘apples and oranges’. Someone like German Keiser Franz Beckenbauer may be admired for his ‘leadership on the pitch’ while Lionel Messi is praised for his ‘elegant play’. Both observations are 100% correct but it is impossible to measure these feats in an objective manner. In rankings, a player’s club achievements can also weigh just as much as their World Cup results. But as a true lover of the football game, you can’t seriously claim that winning the Champions League, for example, is just as impressive as winning the world championship! A World Cup victory is the one and only top result: it is a player’s Masterpiece. Perhaps that is why the Germans call it Weltmeister: master of the world.

In 2022, the 22nd edition of the FIFA World Cup will take place. What better way to mark this milestone than to identify the 22 Greatest Footballer Players Of All Time? An election of the very best in football, based on a new objective, quantitative method. To this end, I add, divide, multiply and subtract points, because perhaps Dutch football icon Johan Cruyff was right after all: in the end, football may be quite logical. For me, it goes without saying that a player’s World Cup results will weigh the heaviest by far. Which other achievement must be included to render a fair verdict? Who are truly the 22 Greatest Of All Time? And which other amazing players deserve an honourable mention? You will read it in this book.