For some time now, I’ve been working on some lists of the greatest ever players in each position. Some of you might have seen my own thread on the greatest players in English league history www.bigsoccer.com/forum/showthread.php?t=620289 or the thread that inspired it by Gregoriak of their German equivalents https://www.bigsoccer.com/forum/showthread.php?t=420539 Basically over the coming months I will reveal the 100 best players (in my opinion) in each position, who have ever graced the game. These will be the finest footballers to kick a ball since the codification of the game in 1863. Let me start by outlining some of the criteria that I have applied: 1. Peak performance. How good were they at their very best. 2. Longevity and consistency. How long did they perform well for. 3. Achievements. Where did they get to in the game, how much did they win and what style did they do it in. Furthermore I have excluded all players aged below 28 today, as I do not feel they have a sufficient "body of work" on which to be judged. All eligible current players have probably been judged slightly more harshy than they might be as it is difficult to fully evaluate a career until it is over. These criteria naturally favour some of the players from the bigger nations and bigger clubs. I’m afraid that is largely unavoidable. But if you disagree with any of my selections then please let me know. That is what these threads are for. This is just a bit of fun and I've tried to include players across all eras. I'm not pretending it is in any way definitive, but it's there for some debate and hopefully a few people (including myself) can learn a bit more about some forgotten greats. I’d like to thank some of the members of the BigSoccer history group for their input on this as well. Please do not post your thoughts in this thread. I will set up a designated discussion thread for these threads. I will delete any posts in this thread. Please though do contribute. I am really going to try to get this forum back on track, but I will need the input of many members of this board. If you have any feedback or questions about this then please put them in the discussion thread. https://www.bigsoccer.com/forum/showthread.php?t=1245347 To help people understand the positions of the players I have created this thread on the history of tactics as well as providing definitions of each position to make it easier. https://www.bigsoccer.com/forum/showthread.php?t=1269077 Enjoy!
100. Tim Inside-forward Brazil 20/2/1915 ? caps Clubs: Botafogo, Portuguesa, Fluminense, Nacional, Botafogo, Olaria, Atletico Junior http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Elba_de_Pádua_Lima
99. Roberto Mancini Support striker, playmaker Italy 27/11/1964 36 caps (4 goals) Clubs: Bologna, Sampdoria, Lazio, Leicester http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Roberto_Mancini
98. Jozef Adamec Forward Czechoslovakia 26/2/1942 44 caps (14 goals) Clubs: TJ Iskra Vrbové, Spartak Trnava, Dukla Prague, Slovan Bratislava, Spartak Trnava http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jozef_Adamec
97. Ruben Ayala Forward Argentina 8/1/1950 25 caps (11 goals) Clubs: San Lorenzo, Atlético Madrid, Atlante F.C. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rubén_Ayala
96. Ruben Sosa Forward Uruguay 25/4/1966 46 caps (19 goals) Clubs: Danubio, Zaragoza, Lazio, Internazionale, Borussia Dortmund, Logroñés, Nacional, Shenhua, Nacional, Racing Club http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rubén_Sosa
95. Henning Jensen Support striker Denmark 17/8/1949 21 caps (9 goals) Clubs: Nørresundby BK, Borussia Moenchengladbach, Real Madrid, Ajax, AGF Aarhus, Nørresundby BK http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Henning_Jensen
94. Carlos Caszely Forward Chile 5/7/1950 49 caps (29 goals) Clubs: Colo-Colo, Levante UD, RCD Espanyol, Colo-Colo, Barcelona Sporting Club http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Carlos_Caszely
93. Claudio Caniggia Forward Argentina 9/1/1967 50 caps (16 goals) Clubs: River Plate, Hellas Verona, Atalanta, Roma, Benfica, Boca Juniors, Atalanta, Dundee, Rangers, Qatar SC http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Claudio_Caniggia
92. Renato Cesarini Inside-forward Argentina and Italy 11/4/1906 2 caps (1 goal) for Argentina, 11 caps (2 goals) for Italy Clubs: Borgata Palermo, Chacarita Juniors, Alvear, Club Ferrocarril Midland, Chacarita Juniors, Juventus, Chacarita Juniors, River Plate http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Renato_Cesarini
91. Jorge Alberto González Forward El Salvador 13/3/1958 48 caps (41 goals) (unofficial) Clubs: Independiente Nacional, FAS, Cádiz, Valladolid, Cádiz, FAS, San Salvador http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mágico_González
90. Ezio Loik Inside-forward Italy 26/9/1919 9 caps (4 goals) Clubs: Fiumana, AC Milan, Venezia, Torino http://it.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ezio_Loik
89. Chinesinho Forward, playmaker Brazil 1/1/1935 17 caps (7 goals) Clubs: Renner, Internacional, Palmeiras, Modena, Catania, Juventus, Lanerossi Vicenza http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chinesinho
88. Nikita Simonyan Forward USSR 12/10/1926 20 caps (10 goals) Clubs: Spartak Moscow http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nikita_Simonyan
87. Ernst Kuzorra Inside-forward Germany 16/10/1905 12 caps (7 goals) Clubs: Schalke 04 http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ernst_Kuzorra
86. Alberto Terry Playmaker, forward Peru 16/5/1929 25 caps (11 goals) Clubs: Universitario de Deportes, Sporting Cristal http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alberto_Terry
85. Zlatan Ibrahimovic Support striker, target man Sweden 3/10/1981 66 caps (25 goals) so far Clubs: Malmo, Ajax, Juventus, Internazionale, Barcelona, AC Milan http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Zlatan_Ibrahimović
84. Ernesto Grillo Inside-forward Argentina 1/10/1929 21 caps (8 goals) Clubs: Independiente, AC Milan, Boca Juniors http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ernesto_Grillo
83. Angelo Domenghini Forward Italy 25/8/1941 33 caps (7 goals) Clubs: Atalanta, Internazionale, Cagliari, Roma, Hellas Verona, Foggia, Olbia, Trento http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Angelo_Domenghini
81. Gianfranco Zola Support-striker Italy 5/7/1966 35 caps (10 goals) Clubs: Nuorese, Torres Napoli, Parma, Chelsea, Cagliari http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gianfranco_Zola
80. František Svoboda Inside-forward Czechoslovakia 5/8/1906 43 caps (22 goals) Clubs: Rapid Vinohrady, Slavia Prague http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/František_Svoboda
79. Ivor Allchurch Inside-forward Wales 16/10/1929 68 caps (23 goals) Clubs: Swansea Town, Newcastle United, Cardiff City, Swansea Town http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ivor_Allchurch
78. Beppe Signori Support-striker, striker Italy 17/2/1968 28 caps (7 goals) Clubs: Leffe, Piacenza 46, Trento, Foggia, Lazio, Sampdoria Bologna, Iraklis, Sopron http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Beppe_Signori
77. John Goodall Inside-forward England 19/6/1863 14 caps (12 goals) Clubs: Preston North End, Derby County, New Brighton Tower, Glossop North End, Watford, RC Roubaix http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Goodall