Top 5: Best footballers of all time

1. Pele | Santos, New York Cosmos and Brazil

Many say he wasn't tested in a tougher league but even if he were to be in a tougher league he'd have excelled as much as he did in Brazil.Sometimes an attacking midfielder and other times a forward, Pele was the greatest goalscorer ever and I doubt anyone will score as many goals as he did.He led Brazil to three World Cup triumphs and is also their all-time top scorer. With 1229 career goals, will there ever be a player who could score as many goals as Pele? Very doubtful.He won trophies, he scored important goals and he never caused any major controversy. It's safe to say that Pele was the greatest ever player to grace the game.

2. Diego Maradona | Argentinos Juniors, Boca Juniors, Barcelona, Napoli, Argentina etc.

Maradona is hailed by many as the greatest ever but finishes as runners up in this list. His personal life had its flaws but on the pitch he could do things one can only dream of.As an  attacking midfielder, Maradona scored quite a few, also leading Argentina to World Cup glory in 1986. The number 10 was retired by Napoli for Maradona's incredible contribution to their development.Maradona also scored arguably the greatest goal of all time, when he dribbled past almost all the England players before scoring a sublime goal in the 1986 World Cup finals.

3. Johan Cruyff | Ajax, Barcelona, Netherlands etc.

Cruyff was one of the greatest and smartest players to grace the game. His tactical mindset made him a step above his opponents and he was very versatile, too. The creator of Total Football, Cruyff was a fairly prolific goalscorer and scored many high-quality goals.He transformed Barcelona helping them become the team they are today and he also won 24 trophies as a player. A three-time winner of the Ballon d'Or, and with 401 goals to his name from midfield, Cruyff was better than most footballers.

4. Zinedine Zidane | Cannes, Bordeaux, Juventus, Real Madrid and France

Hailed as one of the greatest midfielders ever, Zidane's dribbling and passing were better than any other footballer of his time. He may not have been the most prolific goalscorer but he was innovative in his style of play and he had a magical presence on the pitch.He led France, Real Madrid and Juventus to many trophies and his goal in the 2002 Champions League final against Bayer Leverkusen was one of the best ever. A three-time winner of the Ballon d'Or and a three-time runner-up for the award, Zidane is one of the greatest players of all time.

5. Franz Beckenbauer | Bayern Munich, New York Cosmos and West Germany

Beckenbauer was one of the most inspirational footballers ever. He led by example and could manage and play at the same time. He had a good goalscoring record for a defender and secured 22 trophies in his career. He won the Ballon d'Or twice in his great career.