Who is Europe's greatest best,ever footballer?

1

Zinedine Zidane

Zidane won the FIFA World Player of the Year three times and the Ballon d'Or once. At club level, Zidane won the La Liga title and the Champions League with Real Madrid, and two Serie A league championships with Juventus. He also won the World Cup and European Championship with France.

Played for Cannes, Bordeaux, Juventus, Real Madrid and France.

18k Votes

2

Cristiano Ronaldo

With Manchester United and Real Madrid, Ronaldo has won three Premier Leagues, one La Liga, one FA Cup, two League Cups, two Copas del Rey, two Champions Leagues, one UEFA Super Cup and two FIFA Club World Cups. Ronaldo is the first player to win four European Golden Shoe awards, and has also won the Ballon d'Or three times.

Played for Sporting Lisbon, Manchester United, Real Madrid and Portugal.

15k Votes

3

George Best

Won the European Cup with Manchester United, and was named the European Footballer of the Year and FWA Footballer of the Year in 1968. Pele said "George Best was the greatest player in the world".

Played for Manchester United, Stockport County, Cork Celtic, Los Angeles Aztecs, Fort Lauderdale Strikers, Hibernian, San Jose Earthquakes, Sea Bee, Hong Kong Rangers, Bournemouth, Brisbane Lions and Northern Ireland.

12k Votes

4

Johan Cruyff

Dutch legend Cruyff won three Ballon d'Ors, three European Cups, claimed nine league titles in Holland and helped Barcelona end their wait for a La Liga crown. Cruyff was at the centre of the Dutch 'Total Football' system which transformed the way teams played across the continent.

Played for Ajax, Barcelona, Los Angeles Aztecs, Washington Diplomats, Levante, Feyenoord and the Netherlands.

7.4k Votes

5

Kenny Dalglish

Nicknamed 'King Kenny', Dalglish won six league titles, two FA Cups, four League Cups, seven FA Charity Shields, three European Cups and one UEFA Super Cup at Liverpool, in addition to four Scottish First Divisions, four Scottish Cups and one Scottish League Cup with Celtic.

Played for Celtic, Liverpool and Scotland.

6.7k Votes

6

Ryan Giggs

The most decorated footballer of all time. During his time at Manchester United, Giggs won 13 Premier League medals, four FA Cup medals, three League Cup medals, two Champions League medals, a World Club Cup medal, an Intercontinental Cup medal, a UEFA Super Cup medal and nine FA Community Shield medals.

Played for Manchester United and Wales.

5.1k Votes

7

Paolo Maldini

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Played for AC Milan for the entire duration of his 25-year career, winning 26 trophies in that time, including five Champions League titles, seven Serie A titles and the FIFA World Club Cup. With Italy he reached the final of both the 1994 World Cup and Euro 2000 and is the nation's third-highest cap holder. Maldini made more appearances for AC Milan than any other player and holds the records for the most UEFA club competition appearances and most Champions League Finals appearances. He played in every World Cup and European Championship between 1988 and 2002 except for Euro 1992, when Italy failed to qualify.

Played for AC Milan and Italy.

4.9k Votes

8

Bobby Charlton

World Cup winner in 1966, the year that he also won the Ballon d'Or. Charlton also won the First Division three times, and was part of the Manchester United team that won the 1967/68 European Cup.

Played for Manchester United, Preston North End, Waterford United and England.

3.6k Votes

9

Eusebio

Scored 749 goals in 745 club appearances and is considered Benfica's greatest player. While at the club, he won eleven League titles, five Portuguese Cups, and helped them to reach four European Cup finals, winning the title once. He is the eighth-highest scorer in the history of the European Cup, and won the European Golden Boot on two occasions. He also helped Portugal to a third place finish at the 1966 World Cup.

Played for Sporting de Lourenco Marques, Benfica, Boston Minutemen, Monterrey, Toronto Metros, Beira-Mar, Las Vegas Quicksilvers, Uniao de Tomar, New Jersey Americans and Portugal.

3.3k Votes

10

Xavi

Still playing after winning more trophies than any other Spanish player (28), including the World Cup and European Championship with his country and eight La Ligas and four Champions League titles with Barcelona.

Played for Barcelona, Al Sadd and Spain.

2.9k Votes

11

Marco van Basten

Player of the tournament at Euro 1988 as the Netherlands won their first, and so far only, major honour. Won the European Cup twice with AC Milan along with four Serie A titles, and won the Eredivisie with Ajax three times.

Played for Ajax, AC Milan and the Netherlands.

2.9k Votes

12

Ferenc Puskás

One of the greatest strikers ever, Puskás scored 84 goals in 85 international matches for Hungary and 514 goals in 529 matches in the Hungarian and Spanish leagues. European Player of the Year in 1953, Puskás also won the European Cup three times while playing for Real Madrid.

Played for Budapest Honvéd, Real Madrid, Hungary and Spain.

2.8k Votes

13

Franz Beckenbauer

Twice winner of the Ballon d'Or, Beckenbauer appeared 103 times for West Germany and played in three World Cups. He is one of only two men to have won the World Cup as both player and manager. A three-time European Cup winner with Bayern Munich, he also won the Bundesliga five times (including once with Hamburg).

Played for Bayern Munich, New York Cosmos, Hamburg and West Germany.

2.2k Votes

14

Stanley Matthews

The Wizard of Dribble. Described by Pele as "the man who taught us the way football should be played". He was also the oldest player ever to play in England's top football division and the oldest player ever to represent the country. Was the first winner of the Ballon d'Or and lifted the FA Cup with Blackpool in 1953.

Played for Stoke City, Blackpool and England.

2.1k Votes

15

Gerd Muller

Winner of the 1972 World Cup and 1974 European Championship, Der Bomber was also a three-time European Cup winner with Bayern Munich. In 15 years at Bayern he scored a record 365 goals in 427 Bundesliga games and had an international record of 66 goals in 74 European club games. Muller won the 1970 Ballon d'Or.

Played for 1861 Nördlingen, Bayern Munich, Fort Lauderdale Striker and West Germany.

1.3k Votes

16

Michel Platini

Won the Ballon d'Or three times, in 1983, 1984 and 1985. Platini holds the record for most goals scored (9) in European Championship final tournaments despite only appearing in 1984, when France won the title. Platini won the league with Saint-Étienne and Juventus, along with the European Cup with Juventus.

Played for Nancy, Saint-Étienne, and Juventus and France.

1.3k Votes

17

Lev Yashin

Considered by many to be the greatest goalkeeper of all time, the Black Spider is the only 'keeper to win the Ballon d'Or. Won five league titles and three Soviet Cups with Dynamo Moscow and helped Soviet Union to 1960 European Championship win and 1956 Olympic Games gold.

Played for Dynamo Moscow and the Soviet Union.

938 Votes

18

Karl-Heinz Rummenigge

Famous for his time at Bayern Munich where he won the Intercontinental Cup, the European Cup, as well as two league titles. Twice named European Footballer of the Year, Rummenigge also won the 1980 European Championship and was runner up in the World Cup in 1982 and 1986.

Played for Bayern Munich, Internazionale, Servette and West Germany.