Is it Maradona or Messi? Ronaldo or Pelé? While debates will rage forever, here is a curated list of the best players from each footballing nation, based on achievements at both international and club level.
Argentina – Lionel Messi
Now a World Cup winner, Messi has put the final stamp on the greatest career in football history. He won the 2022 World Cup, leading Argentina with seven goals and earning the Golden Ball for best player.
Messi has 180+ caps and over 100 goals for La Albiceleste, also lifting the 2021 Copa América, his first major senior title before the World Cup triumph.
At club level, he scored 672 goals in 778 games for Barcelona, winning 10 La Liga titles, 7 Copa del Reys, and 4 Champions League trophies. After a brief stint at PSG, he joined Inter Miami in 2023, where he’s helped elevate MLS’s global profile.
A record 8-time Ballon d’Or winner, Messi is the benchmark.
Portugal – Cristiano Ronaldo
Still active in 2025 at age 40, Ronaldo is the all-time top scorer in men’s international football with over 125 goals in 200+ caps. He lifted Portugal’s first major trophy at Euro 2016 and followed it with Nations League glory in 2019.
At club level, Ronaldo has over 850 career goals, with record-setting spells at Manchester United, Real Madrid, Juventus, and now Al-Nassr in Saudi Arabia. With 5 Ballon d’Ors, 5 Champions League titles, and league trophies in England, Spain, and Italy, his legacy is global.
Brazil – Pelé
Pelé remains Brazil’s eternal icon. With three World Cup titles (1958, 1962, 1970) and over 1,000 goals scored, his influence transcended generations.
At Santos FC, Pelé won 6 Brazilian league titles and 2 Copa Libertadores, bringing the flair of “Joga bonito” to the world. Though comparisons with modern players persist, no one combined brilliance, impact, and success like Pelé.
France – Zinedine Zidane
Zidane lit up football with elegance and control. He won the 1998 World Cup and Euro 2000 with France, earning the Ballon d’Or in 1998. His club legacy includes two La Liga titles and a Champions League with Real Madrid.
After retiring, Zidane coached Real Madrid to a historic three-peat of Champions League titles (2016–2018), adding another chapter to an already legendary résumé.
Germany – Franz Beckenbauer
Der Kaiser revolutionized the sweeper role and captained West Germany to a 1974 World Cup and 1972 Euro title. He later coached the team to the 1990 World Cup, becoming one of only three men to win it as both player and manager.
With three European Cups and a Ballon d’Or, Beckenbauer remains the archetype of leadership and class in defense.
England – Bobby Charlton
The heart of England’s 1966 World Cup triumph, Charlton scored 49 goals in 106 caps. He played in four World Cups and was known for his long-range shots and quiet authority.
At Manchester United, he won three league titles and the 1968 European Cup, helping rebuild the club after the Munich air disaster. A true gentleman of the game.
Croatia – Luka Modrić
The midfield maestro led Croatia to the 2018 World Cup final and a third-place finish in 2022, becoming the nation’s most-capped player with over 170 appearances.
He won the Ballon d’Or in 2018, breaking the Messi-Ronaldo duopoly and cementing himself as one of the most elegant playmakers in football history. During his time at Real Madrid, Modrić collected five Champions League titles, three La Liga titles, and more than 20 major trophies.
In May 2025, Modrić announced he would leave Real Madrid after the Club World Cup, ending a 13-year spell at the club. One of the most graceful midfielders of his generation, he exits the Bernabéu as a legend.
Denmark – Peter Schmeichel
Commanding, fearless, and impossible to ignore, Schmeichel led Denmark to their shock Euro 1992 title, pulling off heroic saves.
At Manchester United, he won five Premier League titles, three FA Cups, and the 1999 Champions League, completing a historic treble. One of the greatest keepers of all time.
Colombia – Carlos Valderrama
With his blonde afro and magnetic touch, Valderrama was the face of Colombian football in the 1990s. He earned 111 caps, played in three World Cups, and was revered for his composure and vision.
He starred in domestic leagues and MLS, where he helped popularize the sport in the U.S. His flair made him unforgettable.
Spain – Andrés Iniesta
The man who scored the winning goal in the 2010 World Cup final, Iniesta was a generational talent. He won Euro 2008 and 2012, becoming part of a Spanish side that dominated world football.
At Barcelona, he lifted 9 La Liga titles, 4 Champions Leagues, and earned 35+ trophies in total. Now retired from professional football after stints in Japan and the UAE, his place among football’s greats is secure.
Italy – Paolo Maldini
A one-club icon, Maldini spent 25 seasons at AC Milan, winning 7 Serie A titles and 5 Champions League trophies. His consistency, elegance, and leadership at left-back and center-back set the gold standard for defenders.
Though he never lifted a World Cup, he played in four editions and was a runner-up in 1994. Few players better represent loyalty and excellence.
Netherlands – Johan Cruyff
The visionary behind “Total Football,” Cruyff was both an elite player and revolutionary thinker. He led the Dutch to the 1974 World Cup final and won three Ballon d’Ors.
At Ajax, he won eight Eredivisie titles and three European Cups, before joining Barcelona, where he won La Liga and laid the foundations for the club’s future philosophy. Cruyff reshaped the game on and off the pitch.
Sweden – Zlatan Ibrahimović
Charismatic and dominant, Zlatan scored over 500 career goals, winning league titles in the Netherlands, Italy, Spain, and France. His honors include 13 domestic titles, plus unforgettable strikes across multiple continents.
With 62 goals in 121 caps, he is Sweden’s all-time top scorer. Ibra retired in 2023, leaving behind an unmatched mix of skill, arrogance, and impact.
Uruguay – Diego Forlán
Forlán won the Golden Ball at the 2010 World Cup, where he carried Uruguay to the semifinals. He followed that up with a Copa América title in 2011.
He scored 36 goals in 112 caps, and starred for Atlético Madrid, Villarreal, and Inter Milan. His two goals in the 2010 Europa League final helped deliver Atlético its first major European trophy in decades.
United States – Landon Donovan
Donovan remains the USA’s joint all-time top scorer with 57 goals and second-most capped player with 157 appearances. He starred in three World Cups, and his 2010 stoppage-time goal vs. Algeria is a defining U.S. football moment.
At club level, he won six MLS Cups with the LA Galaxy, and had loan spells with Everton. His vision, speed, and longevity made him the face of American soccer for more than a decade.
