Top 10 Greatest FIFA World Cup Players of All Time (Ranked)

The FIFA World Cup has served as the ultimate stage of world football, where players participate to prove themselves as world-class players. It may be a 6-7 game tournament, but the weight it carries is huge. A World Cup winner earns respect and recognition in any part of the globe, due to his heroics in the ultimate competition of the game. Many players have come and left their mark on the FIFA World Cup, the stories of which are still fresh.

The Brazilian legend Pele won three World Cups in 1958, 1962, and 1970, respectively, which speaks volumes about the potential he possessed. At the mere age of 17, he scored a hat-trick in the final of the 1958 World Cup. The feat was matched by Kylian Mbappe later in 2022 when he netted three goals against an inspiring Argentina side. These are the moments that go on to define a player's career in the future, which can not be erased from the history books of the beautiful game.

From Maradona's ‘Hand of God’ to Franz Beckenbauer's defensive resilience in 1974, the World Cup has produced numerous talented players who have forever changed the game's future. In this article, we will take you on a tour of the greatest FIFA World Cup players who have etched their names in the tournament's folklore.

List of the Greatest FIFA World Cup Players Ever

There have been many players who have performed at their best in the world's biggest footballing event. Out of those, we have done extensive research and jotted down the ten greatest FIFA World Cup players who stand out among the rest. Here is a table for the greatest FIFA World Cup players ever, who have made a name for themselves on the biggest stage and have brought immense respect and fame towards their nation.

How did we rank the Greatest FIFA World Cup Players?

To rank the best FIFA World Cup players of all time, we chose a few factors that we found to be key in determining who should be placed at which position. Here are the factors below that we need to keep in mind before ranking the respective players for the greatest FIFA World Cup player of all time.

• Impact at the World Cups: The impact of a particular footballer on the footballing world's greatest stage is a crucial metric in determining who makes the list of the greatest FIFA World Cup players. Apart from goals and assists, one needs to look into the overall influence the player had over his team throughout the campaign.
• World Cup Titles Won: The number of World Cups won is a testament to how the player performed for his team in crunch moments to seal the victory, which ultimately led to his nation lifting the trophy.
• Longevity: The duration for which a player has featured in the world's biggest footballing event needs to be taken into consideration, which proves how long the player went at his highest levels to play the ultimate tournament in world football.

Note: All the players' statistics and individual performance metrics are taken from Sportsdunia, fbref and Transfermrkt.

Who is the Greatest Player of FIFA World Cup?

While many players have illuminated the FIFA World Cup in different eras, one name that truly stands out is Pelé. The Brazilian won the World Cup three times, once as a 17-year-old. That very 17-year-old even scored a hat-trick in the final, a feat that still hasn't been matched by a player of the same age.

Players like Franz Beckenbauer won the World Cup purely on defensive instincts, which stands as a remarkable achievement too. Kylian Mbappe has twelve goals to his name in FIFA World Cups at such a young age, which already places him in the list of the all-time greats. Lionel Messi's recent triumph after performing in almost every match of the tournament has made him immortal in the history of football's biggest globe-gathering event.

If you are among those who are wondering, ‘Who is the greatest player of FIFA World Cup?’, don't worry. Below is the list of the greatest FIFA World Cup players who have made it to our top 10 rankings.

10. Eusebio

Before Cristiano Ronaldo or Luis Figo, there was a certain Eusebio who taught a small European nation like Portugal to dream big back then. A Ballon d'Or winner in 1965, the centre forward helped Portugal reach the semifinals of the 1966 World Cup, before eventually losing to England.

It was the only World Cup in which the Portuguese featured, where he scored nine goals in six games, four of which came in the 5-3 win over North Korea in the quarterfinals. Although he failed to bring ultimate glory to his nation, he did win the Golden Boot that year.

9. Garrincha

Garrincha won the World Cup twice with Brazil, being the joint highest scorer in the 1962 edition. The right-winger provided two assists in the 1958 final, which Brazil won, defeating Sweden 5-2. Although Pelé gets highlighted for the World Cup triumphs, Garrincha also played an equally important part behind the Selecao's success in those tournaments.

8. Kylian Mbappe

Kylian Mbappe has already etched his name as one of the greatest FIFA World Cup players, after winning the tournament in 2018 at the tender age of 19. He became the second teenager, after Pelé, to score in a World Cup final. He scored the final goal of the game from the edge of the box to finish the game 4-2 against Croatia in the final.

The Frenchman showed his potential once again as he scored a hat-trick against Argentina and almost turned the tide towards his team single-handedly. Even though Argentina won on penalties, Mbappe's humongous didn't go unnoticed.

7. Miroslav Klose

The all-time top scorer in FIFA World Cups, Miroslav Klose, has been one of the most clinical strikers in the biggest stage of world football. The German has scored 16 times in 24 appearances, including a hat-trick on his debut against Saudi Arabia in 2002.

Klose won the Golden Boot in 2006 and finally lifted the trophy in 2014, after bowing out once in the final and twice in the semifinals previously. He was 36 at the time of the 2014 World Cup and even scored in the 7-1 massacre of the Brazil national football team.

6. Zinedine Zidane

One of the most gifted footballers in the history of the beautiful game, Zinedine Zidane won the World Cup in 1998 and went on to win the Ballon d'Or later that year. The midfielder scored two headers in the final against the Brazil super team in 1998 to win the game 3-0, which helped France lift their first-ever World Cup.

Zidane also captained the side in 2006, where they lost to Italy on penalties. The Frenchman had to go off after headbutting Marco Materazzi in the middle of the match, which remains the only dark spot in his otherwise illustrious career.

5. Lionel Messi

The Argentine superstar finally tasted success in 2022 as they defeated France on penalties to win the World Cup after a wait of 36 years. Lionel Messi scored seven goals and bagged three assists in the tournament, finding the net twice in the final too.

The eight-time Ballon d'Or winner Messi is the only player to have won two Golden Ball awards, once before in 2014, when his team faced a heartbreaking 1-0 defeat against Germany in the final. He is also the joint fourth-highest goalscorer in World Cups and undoubtedly one of the best players to ever play in the world's biggest footballing event.

4. Franz Beckenbauer

Franz Beckenbauer happens to be the only person who has won the World Cup both as a player and a manager. The former West Germany skipper won the World Cup in 1974, displaying excellent defensive attributes and was awarded his second Ballon d'Or two years later. Beckenbauer featured in three World Cups, scoring 5 goals in 18 appearances, which is quite an impressive feat from a midfielder.

3. Ronaldo

Although Ronaldo won the World Cup twice, it was in 2002 that he played a pivotal role. He was called up in the 1994 edition but was an unused substitute for the entirety of the tournament. Four years later, he showed the world what he was capable of, although the Selecao were knocked out in the semifinals at the hands of France. In 2002, Ronaldo topped the scoring charts with 8 goals in the tournament, with a brace against Germany in the final.

2. Diego Maradona

Diego Maradona is widely regarded as one of the best players in the world, who performed exceptionally well at the biggest stage for his nation when it mattered the most. The Argentine used his left foot to weave magic now and then for his team, and finally won the ultimate trophy in 1986 for his nation, the second in Argentina's history. Maradona won the Golden Ball in that edition after scoring and assisting five apiece.

Against England in the quarterfinals, the great Maradona made an exceptional solo run to dribble past multiple players starting from his own half, before rounding off Peter Shilton to find the back of the net. He also featured in the 1982 and 1984 editions, where he scored twice in the first one and bagged one in the latter.

1. Pele

Pele has to be the greatest FIFA World Cup player of all time, as he has won a total of three World Cups, more than any player in the game's history. The Brazilian won his maiden World Cup in 1958 at the age of 17. He became the youngest goalscorer in the illuminating tournament as he bagged the winner against Wales in the quarter-finals.

Pele even scored a hat-trick against France in the semifinals and also scored a brace against Sweden in the final to help the Selecao lift their first-ever World Cup title. He went on to win the tournament again in 1962 and 1970, respectively scoring four and assisting six in the latter edition, which helped him bag the Golden Ball.