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Happy birthday, Diego Maradona!
The Argentine legend, still considered by many as the best footballer of all time, turned 60 this Friday.
And what an extraordinary life El Diego has lived.
On the field, Maradona is best known for inspiring Argentina to glory in the 1986 World Cup final.
There has never been a better series of performances by a player than Maradona in Mexico 34 years ago.
Maradona, whose natural talent was evident from a young age, scored five goals and recorded five assists at the 1986 World Cup.
And this two-minute video of his tournament highlights shows just how insanely good he was …
But where does Maradona rank on the list of the all-time greats?
Four four two He tried to rank the 50 greatest players of all time. In their eyes, Maradona does not achieve the status of GOAT.
Let’s take a closer look at the list …
50. Xavi
A wonderfully talented midfielder who helped Barcelona and Spain dominate from 2008-2012.
49. Nilton Santos
The Brazilian, who won the World Cup in 1958 and 1962, pioneered the path to the modern winger.
48. Michael Laudrup
The best player in history, according to Andrés Iniesta. The Dane was a top attacking midfielder.
47. Rivellino
Rivellino, who was part of the Brazilian team that won the 1970 World Cup, scored 26 goals in 92 games for his country.
46. Juan Alberto Schiaffino
A star with AC Milan between 1954-1960, Schiaffino represented both Uruguay and Italy internationally.
45. Oleg Blokhin
Winner of the Ballon d’Or in 1975 thanks to his performances with Dynamo Kyiv and the Soviet Union.
44. Didi
Another Brazilian soccer icon, Didi lifted the World Cup in 1958 and 1962.
43. Fritz Walter
Fritz Walter, a goal scoring machine, spent his entire career with Kaiserslautern between 1937-1959 and scored 357 goals in 364 games.
42. Matthias Sindelar
Born in 1903, Sindelar was prolific for Austria Vienna and the Austrian national team during the 1920s and 1930s.
41. Gianluigi Buffon
Buffon, one of the greatest goalkeepers of all time, is still going strong at 42.
40. Kenny Dalglish
Possibly the best player in Liverpool history, Kenny Dalglish won six league titles and three European Cups with the Reds.
39. Nandor Hidegkuti
Scorer of a hat-trick in Hungary’s famous 6-3 victory over England at Wembley in November 1952.
38. Gianni Rivera
Rivera spent most of his career with AC Milan and won the Ballon d’Or in 1969.
37. Ruud Gullit
The talented Dutch midfielder, who enjoyed the best years of his career with Milan, was the winner of the 1987 Ballon d’Or.
36. Paco Gento
He is part of the legendary Real Madrid that dominated Spanish and European soccer during the 1950s and 1960s.
35. Luis Suarez
No, not that. Although this Luis Suárez was also a star of Barcelona, even if it was in the 1950s.
34. Stanley Matthews
A historical icon of English football, Sir Stanley Matthews produced a masterclass in the 1953 FA Cup final when Blackpool beat Bolton 4-3 at Wembley.
33. Gunter Netzer
The attacking midfielder played for West Germany in the 1972 European Championship.
32. Paolo Rossi
Rossi inspired Italy to glory at the 1982 World Cup, scoring six goals and winning the Golden Shoe in the process.
31. Juan Manuel Moreno
Moreno led Argentina to two Copa América titles in the 1940s and was the first player to win a league title in four different countries.
30. Lothar Matthaus
Action midfielder who won the Ballon d’Or in 1990 and lifted the World Cup with Germany.
29. Raymond Kopa
A 1958 Ballon d’Or winner, Kopa won titles with both Reims and Real Madrid in the 1950s.
28. Socrates
Elegant midfielder and captain of the much-loved 1982 Brazilian team.
27. Bobby Moore
Another classy operator, the defender captained the England team that won the 1966 World Cup.
26. Valentino Mazzola
Captain of the Grande Torino team tragically wiped out during the 1949 Superga air disaster, Mazzola scored more than 100 goals for the Italian team before his untimely death at age 30.
25. Carlos Alberto
Winner of the World Cup in 1970, Carlos Alberto finished off possibly the best team goal ever scored in that tournament.
24. Ronaldinho
Ronaldinho, one of the most naturally talented footballers of all time, delighted millions of soccer fans with his extraordinary skill while playing for Barcelona in the mid-2000s.
23. Eusebio
Legendary forward who won the Ballon d’Or in 1965.
22. Lev Yashin
Considered by many football fans to be the greatest goalkeeper of all time, Yashin spent his entire career with Dynamo Moscow between 1950-1970.
21. Romario
In terms of sheer shooting ability, Romario is without a doubt one of the best center forwards we’ve seen in the game.
20. Paolo Maldini
Considered by many to be one of the greatest defenders of all time.
19. Bobby Charlton
One from England and From Manchester United The best players in history, Charlton won the Ballon d’Or in 1966.
18. Giuseppe Meazza
A star of both Inter and AC Milan, the official name of the San Siro is ‘Stadio Giuseppe Meazza’, which tells you all about how good the forward was.
17. Gerd Muller
‘Der Bomber’ scored goals for fun with Bayern Munich and West Germany. Only four players have more official goals than Muller in history.
16. Zico
Another prolific shooter, Zico is ranked 12th on the list of soccer players with the most official goals in soccer history.
15. Franco Baresi
A phenomenal defender, perhaps the best of all time, who spent his entire career with AC Milan between 1977-1997.
14. George Best
‘Maradona Good, Pele Better, George Best’. One of the best wingers of all time.
13. Marco van Basten
Scorer of some of the most scandalous goals, Marco van Basten was a master with Ajax, Milan and the Dutch national team.
12. Michel Platini
Platini may have ruined his reputation in recent years, but the Frenchman was an extraordinary footballer. He won the Ballon d’Or in 1983, 1984 and 1985.
11. Garrincha
The winger certainly lived a colorful life, but on the field it was of another kind. Garrincha helped Brazil win the 1958 and 1962 World Cups.
10. Ronaldo
‘O Fenômeno’ – ‘El Fenómeno’ – Ronaldo was terribly good during his early years. Who knows, he may have become the GOAT if he hadn’t suffered a couple of career-threatening injuries.
9. Ferenc Puskas
Puskas, who has a FIFA award named after him for the most beautiful goal scored each year, was prolific for Budapest Honved, Real Madrid and the Hungarian national team in the 1940s, ’50s and’ 60s.
8. Zinedine Zidane
Winner of the 1998 Ballon d’Or, Zidane turned soccer into an art form when he played. A magician.
7. Franz Beckenbauer
Legendary defender who won the 1974 World Cup with West Germany, as well as the Ballon d’Or in 1972 and 1976.
6. Alfredo Di Stefano
One of the most important players in soccer history, Alfredo Di Stefano was the key player during Real Madrid’s era of dominance in the 1950s.
5. Cristiano Ronaldo
In terms of work ethic, there has probably never been a better footballer than Cristiano Ronaldo. The Portuguese legend has won the Ballon d’Or five times during his illustrious career… so far.
4. Johan Cruyff
A genius, both with the ball at his feet and in his mind, Cruyff won the Ballon d’Or in 1971, 1973 and 1974.
3. Skin
The most famous name in soccer history, the iconic Pelé won the World Cup with Brazil in 1958, 1962 and 1970.
2. Diego Maradona
Diego will always be part of the conversation when it comes to the discussion about the real GOAT of soccer.
1. Lionel Messi
But in the first place, is Messi. A six-time Ballon d’Or winner, the Argentine has done everything except win the World Cup during his extraordinary career.
News Now – Sports News
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