The International Federation of Football History and Statistics (IFFHS) elected Argentine attacking midfielder Lionel Messi as the best in history
(photo: Disclosure / social networks)
The International Federation of Football History and Statistics (IFFHS) published a ranking with the ten best players in the history of world football. Messi leads, while Pelé is in second place and Maradona is in third. The IFFHS did not disclose the criteria for preparing the ranking, however the list draws attention to the fact that Pelé is, for many, the greatest player in the history of football.
Lionel Messi, however, has in his favor the fact that he is still playing and has been one of the protagonists of the sport in a much more globalized era and whose exposure reached another level. Lionel Messi was elected the best player in the world on eight occasions by FIFA. In 2022, he won the last title that was missing from his extensive trophy cabinet: the World Cup with the Argentine national team, a feat he had already come close to achieving in 2014, when he finished runner-up against Germany at the Maracanã. Pelé, in turn, won the World Cup three times: in 1958, when he was only 17 years old, 1962, when he was injured at the beginning of the tournament, and 1970, leading the team in Mexico and being the top scorer in that edition of the World Cup, with seven goals.
Check out the list:
Messi
Pelé
Maradona
Cristiano Ronaldo
Cruyff
Ronaldo
Zidane
Beckenbauer
Di Stéfano
Ronaldinho Gaúcho
Beckenbauer, a German defender, is the only defender mentioned among the ten best players. Cristiano Ronaldo, Johan Cruijff and Alfredo Di Stéfano are the only players in the ranking who have not won the World Cup.
With all his achievements and representation, Messi has inspired fans around the world and built a global brand that goes beyond even the boundaries of historical rivalries such as those between Brazil and Argentina.
An immersive exhibition relives the key moments of the Argentine’s career, from his childhood in Rosario to winning the World Cup. Entitled “The Messi Experience”, the exhibition runs until August at the Eldorado Shopping Mall in São Paulo (SP).
It is an opportunity for visitors to not only learn in depth but also experience the career of the star, through immersive technologies.
