Greatest European footballers In football history

Discussion in 'The Beautiful Game' started by carlito86, Oct 24, 2018.

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Who are your favourite European legends

Poll closed Jul 20, 2021.
  1. Zinedine Zidane

    11 vote(s)
    21.2%
  2. Marco Van Basten

    5 vote(s)
    9.6%
  3. Roberto Baggio

    8 vote(s)
    15.4%
  4. Johan Cruyff

    27 vote(s)
    51.9%
  5. Cristiano Ronaldo

    11 vote(s)
    21.2%
  6. Micheal laudrup

    5 vote(s)
    9.6%
  7. Michel Platini

    10 vote(s)
    19.2%
  8. der Kaiser

    6 vote(s)
    11.5%
  9. Gerd Muller

    6 vote(s)
    11.5%
  10. George best

    4 vote(s)
    7.7%
  11. Dejan savicevic

    0 vote(s)
    0.0%
  12. Xavi Hernandez

    7 vote(s)
    13.5%
  13. Thierry Henry

    5 vote(s)
    9.6%
Multiple votes are allowed.
  1. Frank73

    Frank73 Member

    Inter Milan
    Brazil
    Mar 22, 2025
    Italy
    44 years later...still kicking arrogant european windbags' a***s!!!


    hqdefault.jpg images.jpeg
     
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  2. Wiliam Felipe Gracek

    Santos FC
    France
    Feb 3, 2024

    yes, these Bigger European Clubs ..

    they got used to playing against

    the weaker teams Benfica, Porto, Borussia Dortmund, Ajax, Feyenoord and Sporting

    on this new Era ...

    teams training promising younger players

    I wanted to see

    playing with the foreigners limit

    like 80's and 90's before Bosman's Law ......
     
  3. carlito86

    carlito86 Member+

    Jan 11, 2016
    Club:
    Real Madrid
    #2003 carlito86, Jun 21, 2025
    Last edited: Jun 21, 2025
     
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  4. Wiliam Felipe Gracek

    Santos FC
    France
    Feb 3, 2024


    The command of the midfield and the game

    was absolutely

    from another planet


    Mental Attributes

    incredibly insane



    examples of this

    English players of his time and His generation

    were very afraid of playing against Brazilian players

    in general .

    was completely visible

    The Fear Of play

    against brazilian players

    players like

    David Beckham, Gary Neville , Rio Ferdinand, Wes Brown, N.Butt, Paul Scholes , Steven Gerrard, Frank Lampard, Terry, A. Cole , Joe Cole , David Seaman ..etc.etc.etc..

    you could feel their fear...

    from their faces during the matches against the Brazilians




    But Patrick Vieira ...

    always put Brazilians in his pocket easily

    with strong personality, long Legs , and presence



    with all the physical attributes or physical tools

    commands a lot on the field .


    Patrick Vieira

    was the only one player who put

    Ronaldinho Gaucho

    in his pocket

    in Joan Gamper tournament

    Juventus Turin

    beat Barcelona


    France 1 vs 1 Brazil .... 1997 ......
    FRance 3 vs 0 Brazil ....1998....... 1 Assist ..(Opta ) to Petit
    FRance 2 vs 1 Brazil ....2001 ..... 1 Assist... (Opta ) to Robert Pires ...Heading Accuracy %
    FRance ..0 vs .0..Brazil .......2004 .....
    France ......1 vs ...0 Brazil ......2006 ...
    JUventus ....1 ..vs ..0 ..Barcelona ....2005-2006 ...












    He and the miraculous Thuram were always one of the few defenders who could beat Ronaldo Nazario de Lima at his peak.



    Patrick Vieira

    is very underrated in football !
     
  5. Wiliam Felipe Gracek

    Santos FC
    France
    Feb 3, 2024

    Vieira was
    much more phenomenal than

    Ronaldo Nazario !
     
  6. Wiliam Felipe Gracek

    Santos FC
    France
    Feb 3, 2024
  7. Wiliam Felipe Gracek

    Santos FC
    France
    Feb 3, 2024
  8. Wiliam Felipe Gracek

    Santos FC
    France
    Feb 3, 2024
  9. Wiliam Felipe Gracek

    Santos FC
    France
    Feb 3, 2024
  10. Isaías Silva Serafim

    Real Madrid
    Brazil
    Dec 2, 2021
    Nat'l Team:
    Brazil
    This award was given in 1989 and recognized the best player of the last 3 decades. In other words, the period is 1960-1989. I imagine that just like the traditional Ballon d'Or, only Europeans were eligible. That said, Di Stefano did not deserve this award in this timeframe. He had his peak until 1960. Since then he lost prominence at Real Madrid to Puskás and had the last years of his career until 1966. I believe Beckenbauer should have won this award since the period is 1960-1989. During this period, Beckenbauer won 2 ballon d'Ors, 3 CLs, 1 World Cup and 1 Euro, as well as reaching another World Cup final. Always as the main player or one of the main players on his team.

    In theory, the next super ballon d'Or should have an evaluation period of 1990-2019 and in that period, I believe Cristiano Ronaldo would win. But of course they will pull strings for Messi and consider at least until 2024 and reward him because of the two Copa América and the World Cup.
     
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  11. Wiliam Felipe Gracek

    Santos FC
    France
    Feb 3, 2024
    well,

    " I understand what you are trying to say to me, this wrong information is circulating or running on the internet like a virus .



    by the French magazine France Football for the best football player of the previous three decades


    3 Decades ...are ... 1956 until 1986 " Maradona and Igor Belanov " .



    You are simply forgetting Marco Van Basten and Ruud Gullit Ac Milan dominance years .." twice 42 matches unbeatable times " in a row . " ! 1987 until 1994

    did not participate in the Super Ballon d'Or of the first Edition . !




    1987 until 2027 !

    in this edition
    will be until 2027..

    the last 4 decades



    C. ronaldo

    winning the World Cup 2026

    will beat Messi









    names ....
    participating :



    Lionel Messi

    C. Ronaldo

    Marco van Basten

    Ronaldo Nazario de Lima

    Zinedine Zidane


    Lothar Matthaus



    +



    Diego Armando Maradona .;; Ballon d'Or ... in 1986 ..1990..... 1995 ....( by whole career)







    waiting participants :


    7...Ruud Gullit
    8.....Roberto Baggio
    9....H.StoichKov
    10.........A. Schevchenko ..
     
  12. Wiliam Felipe Gracek

    Santos FC
    France
    Feb 3, 2024


    The front-runners for the next Super Ballon d'Or 2029
    It is unknown whether the Super Ballon d'Or trophy will ever be handed out again. However, there is a chance that it could be presented for the second time in 2029, 30 years after the first was given out.

    So, who will be in contention to win it? Two-time winner Ronaldo Nazario and three-time winner Marco van Basten will likely both be among the nominees and Real Madrid great Zinedine Zidane could even be in with an outside chance. But, realistically, it will be a two-horse race between two players: Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo.

    Messi will be the favourite, having won the Ballon d'Or trophy eight times - more than any other player in history by some margin. Despite Messi's record-breaking total, many believe Cristiano Ronaldo is the greatest footballer ever and there will surely be many people that think he deserves to be the second winner of the prestigious trophy. We hope the award is handed out once more in 2029 as it will be fascinating to see who emerges victorious.

    With that being said, has decided to take a look at the front-runners for the Super Ballon d'Or that could potentially be handed out in 2029.

    Lionel Messi
    The player to have scooped the most prestigious prize in the world of football more than anyone else has surely got to be the firm favourite should the Super Ballon d'Or be dished out for a second time in history. Messi not only scored some iconic goals and created some mesmeric assists for his teammates along the way, but the little magician also won all the major trophies available to him, including league titles in Spain and France, as well as the World Cup in late 2022 with Argentina. This was the biggest trophy that had eluded Messi until the age of 35, but it cemented his legacy as the GOAT of the game.

    The former Barcelona hero broke many records through his long and storied career, with the most notable being his 91-goal haul in a single calendar year in 2012. His tally of eight Ballon d'Or awards is highly unlikely to be broken for generations, proving just how unfathomable this feat really is. It would be truly astonishing to see any other player given the honour of going down in the history books alongside Di Stefano as the second man to win the Super Ballon d'Or.

    Lionel Messi's career statistics

    1107 Matches
    866 goals
    463 Assists

    0, 79 % goals ....................... 0, 89 % goals ...
    0, 42 % assists ......................... 0, 46 % ...assists

    Cristiano Ronaldo

    Despite his long-term rival being the undoubted and overwhelming favourite to scoop the prize, Ronaldo cannot be brushed past and forgotten about completely. The Portuguese superstar is the top goalscorer of all time for both club and country, amassing more than 800 goals across his two-decade-long career. Having played at an elite level for Manchester United, Juventus and Real Madrid for the majority of his time in the game, Ronaldo has a trophy cabinet brimming at the seams. He has lifted the biggest team prize in European football - the Champions League - five times, which is a joint record with several other Real Madrid players.

    He must kick himself at times that he had to play at the exact same time as Messi because Ronaldo's collection of five Ballon d'Or awards is two more than any other player in history - other than his Argentine counterpart. While there is still time to go in the careers of both men, it is extremely unlikely that Ronaldo will be able to make up the difference to win the race to the Super Ballon d'Or.

    Cristiano Ronaldo's Career Statistics

    1281 Matches
    938 Goals
    323 Assists

    0, 74 % Goals ........... per 90 minutes played .....0, 81 % goals
    0, 26 % Assists .................per 90 minutes played .....0, 28 % assists









    Marco van Basten

    We are now in the territory of players that may not get the recognition they deserve from modern-day fans. Being spoiled with the greatness of Ronaldo and Messi, it is easy to overlook the fact that Van Basten won three Ballons d'Or. The Dutch talisman was sensational for AC Milan and Ajax as he thundered in more than 100 goals for both teams. All of this was achieved before the age of 31, as the icon was forced into early retirement due to injury. Had that not been the case, could Van Basten have added to his - at the time - joint record of three Ballon d'Or awards?

    Granted, his first time winning the award was in 1988, one year before the only Super Ballon d'Or to date was handed out to Di Stefano, but two of his successes would count towards the 30 years being looked at here. It is almost impossible that the man that helped the Netherlands to their only ever international trophy (Euro 1988) would be selected above Ronaldo and Messi, but he has as strong a case as anyone else to be in the conversation at least.

    Marco van Basten's Career Statistics


    431 Matches
    301 Goals
    127 ..Assists ..

    0, 70 %..........Goals ...per 90 minutes played .....0, 78 % Goals ...
    0, 30 %......... Assists ...per 90 minutes played .....0, 33 % assists ...

    Ronaldo Nazario (R9)

    The only other man to have scooped the Ballon d'Or more than once since 1989. Ronaldo Nazario - affectionately known as R9 - is one of the most technically gifted strikers to have ever graced the hallowed turf. There was every chance that the Brazilian legend could have retired with three Ballons d'Or to his name, but he was narrowly beaten to the honour in 1998 by a man we will discuss shortly. This was due to Brazil's failure to win the World Cup that year, but the most successful international side of all time put that right in 2002, with Ronaldo being at the very centre of the action.

    In one of the best World Cup finals of all time, Ronaldo scored a brace to see his country beat Germany 2-0 and this helped him to a second Ballon d'Or. Fitness issues plagued large parts of his iconic career, but Ronaldo's spell at Barcelona was good enough to see him plunged forward into the debate of best forwards in history. In terms of natural ability, there's an argument to be had that the former Inter Milan ace could be in with a shout of being at the top of the list.

    Ronaldo's Career Statistics


    624 Matches
    420 goals
    143 Assists ...

    0, 75 % Goals ...
    0, 26 % Assists ....

    Zinedine Zidane

    He may only have one Ballon d'Or to his name - after beating R9 to the accolade in 1998 - but Zidane is often looked upon as the greatest central midfielder in the time frame we are looking at. For both Juventus and Real Madrid, the Frenchman was adept at creating chances, providing assists, and scoring goals from the engine room. Despite being an intimidating presence in the middle of the park, Zidane moved across the pitch with an elegance and grace that even the silkiest wingers in the world cannot boast.

    A World Cup success in 1998 was the biggest accomplishment of his career, but Zidane also lifted league trophies for Juventus and Real Madrid and, of course, who could forget that beautiful volley to secure a Champions League trophy for Los Blancos at Hampden Park in 2002? He is some way behind in the battle to win the Super Ballon d'Or but not only because he has won less Ballons d'Or than Messi, Ronaldo, Van Basten and R9, but also because it is hard to imagine a man that retired in shame after .

    Zinedine Zidane's Career Statistics


    798 Matches
    156 Goals
    215 ... Assists


    0, 20 % Goals ...
    0, 29 % Assists ....





    https://onefootball.com/en/news/super-ballon-dor-explained-38853477
     
  13. Wiliam Felipe Gracek

    Santos FC
    France
    Feb 3, 2024
    Categories :


    votes by experts like me
    votes by sick fans on the Internet ...fans of the dribbling skills ... "!
    votes by ex-ballon d'Or ..winners ...... Alive until 2029 ..... !
     
  14. benficafan3

    benficafan3 Member+

    Nov 16, 2005


    Pretty cool. Would have been interesting if Ronaldo stayed at Real Madrid and won the Ballon D'Or he somehow lost out to Modric. He would have taken the lead against Messi IIRC. Still think Messi would have edged it out in the end, which shows the competitive dynamic between the two.
     
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  15. Wiliam Felipe Gracek

    Santos FC
    France
    Feb 3, 2024


    Between

    Alfredo Di Stefano , Johan Cruyff, Michel Platini , Franz Beckenbauer, K.Heinz.Rummenigge and Keegan, Kevin.. :





    honestly

    The player who impressed me

    the most +++

    for sure

    was Don Alfredo Di Stefano..

    among these players

    He had an incredible super-stamina, work-Rate and mental focus from a Total Footballer ..

    for example

    Franz Beckenbauer Le Kaiser

    in 1972..

    Netzer.. was elected the best german player and the most complete German player in that year.

    by the German Football Association..
    in 1972..

    I saw about 100++ complete matches on the Internet.

    Could Franz Beckenbauer..

    win the Ballon D'or in 1972??

    yes, for sure ..

    But ..by a very very smaller margin indeed

    The great performances

    of Gerd Muller
    Gunter Netzer
    Paul Breitner
    Hans-Georg Schwarzenbeck
    JOhan Cruyff
    Piet Keizer
    Overath
    Uli Hoeneß
    Jupp Heynckes
    Hulshoff
    Haan
    Krol
    Dino Zoff

    it was very balanced





    in 1957 ...


    di stefano light years ahead of the others.




    The only one who comes close is Ferenc Puskas.
     
  16. Wiliam Felipe Gracek

    Santos FC
    France
    Feb 3, 2024


    But, C. Ronaldo winning a World Cup for Portugal in 2026


    he will beat Messi for his entire Work Of Art , focus and super Legacy

    by experts like me . !
     
  17. carlito86

    carlito86 Member+

    Jan 11, 2016
    Club:
    Real Madrid
    #2017 carlito86, Jun 22, 2025
    Last edited: Jun 22, 2025
    Nobody is forgetting anything

    The reality is nobody cares about these clown records

    Cristiano Ronaldo is unbeaten in 1000+ games in his career
    IMG_1459.jpeg
    https://iffhs.com/posts/3055

    Do you think even one person will bring this up as a reason why he should win the super ballon dor?


    Van Basten and Ruud Gullit have literally a 0% chance of winning this award
    And that is exactly how it should be IMO


    I repeat once more
    42 games unbeaten is a completely meaningless record in the grand scheme of things and it absolutely will not move the needle in a Super Ballon d’Or conversation


    Please stop spamming this thread with mid tier ‘records’
     
  18. Wiliam Felipe Gracek

    Santos FC
    France
    Feb 3, 2024


    hahahaha , Good Point yours !



    But, C. Ronaldo winning a World Cup for Portugal in 2026


    he will beat Messi for his entire Work Of Art , focus and super Legacy

    by experts like me . !




    not ... It is between C. Ronaldo and Lionel Messi in 2029 !

    not ..Ruud Gullit or Van Basten !
     
  19. Wiliam Felipe Gracek

    Santos FC
    France
    Feb 3, 2024

    1000 games unbeatable in a row hahahahaha hahaha ????
     
  20. Wiliam Felipe Gracek

    Santos FC
    France
    Feb 3, 2024

    It is between Don Alfredo Di Stefano vs Edson Arantes Pelé !

    the own Pelé himself says :

    who played with Franz Beckenbauer..

    the only one player

    that Pelé saw being abit better than him

    was Alfredo Di Stefano

    in 1959..

    Real Madrid 5 vs 3 Santos FC..



    Di Stefano ... 4 Assists (Opta )
     
  21. Wiliam Felipe Gracek

    Santos FC
    France
    Feb 3, 2024



    Hahahaha !!!
     
  22. benficafan3

    benficafan3 Member+

    Nov 16, 2005
    Something that doesn’t get discussed enough is how CR7 has the greatest legacy in the Champions League and achieved this while playing against Messi.

    That is an achievement that rivals any, IMO.
     
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  23. benficafan3

    benficafan3 Member+

    Nov 16, 2005
    Will be very tough for Portugal to win. Would be great. And yes, that would catapult CR7 over Maradona in most all-time rankings. If you search online, you’ll see the general consensus is Messi, Pele, Maradona and CR7 Top 4 with CR7 at 4th.
     
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  24. Wiliam Felipe Gracek

    Santos FC
    France
    Feb 3, 2024


    Ronaldo Nazario de Lima and Diego Armando Maradona


    Does have a chance of winning this prize for yourself Carlito 86 ! in 2029 ???
     
  25. Wiliam Felipe Gracek

    Santos FC
    France
    Feb 3, 2024


    well, as in 1989

    the greatest weight was the votes of the experts like me !


    so C. Ronaldo could be winning yet !
     

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