The players who wore this number are known for their awe-inspiring skills, magic, and playmaking abilities and here we learn about the best number 10 football players of all time.
We’re not talking about folks who just wore the number, but inventors and magicians who do seemingly impossible feats. Detecting the run, the pass, lowering a shoulder, and turning on a dime are all skills chevaliers have. The scenes you would have given good money to see live, the moments you attempted to recreate as a youngster on the playground.
10. Michel Platini
Michel Platini was an offensive midfielder who played 652 games and scored 353 goals. He was a brilliant playmaker and free-kick taker, but he also had a knack for scoring goals. He led France to the 1984 European Championships almost single-handedly, scoring nine goals in the process. With Juventus, he won the European Cup and three league titles throughout his club career.
9. Zico
Zico‘s football skills were never in doubt. He was not just a prolific striker with 527 goals in 769 appearances, but also a fantastic goal creator with a delicate touch and the ability to craft unusual shots and skills. He coupled his strengths as an attacking midfielder with heading ability and free-kick expertise to become one of the most complete offensive players ever.
In the 1981 Intercontinental Cup, he made the legendary Liverpool team of the 1980s look like amateurs. He also won the Copa Libertadores, South America’s equivalent of the European Cup, as well as four league victories.
8. George Best
Despite the fact that George Best‘s career was marred by alcoholism, his brilliance was practically unrivalled. He won the 1968 European Cup and two league titles with Manchester United, and was known for his dribbling.
He won the Ballon d’Or in 1968 after scoring 205 goals in 579 appearances as an attacking midfielder. At the age of 28, his career was ruined by drunkenness, and he never delivered on his promise of skill.
7. Zinedine Zidane
Zinedine Zidane won the Ballon d’Or in 1998 and had a stellar career at both Juventus and Real Madrid. On our list, he is one of the best five soccer players of all time. However, it was with his performance against Brazil in the 1998 World Cup final that Zidane fully established himself as a truly world-class player.
Zinedine Zidane was one of the top footballers in the world until his retirement in 2006. Aside from his horrific header in the 2006 World Cup final, the French icon is a true star on the grandest stage.
6. Ronaldinho
Despite the pressures of being Barcelona’s No.10, Ronaldinho always played with a lyrical charm. The Brazilian was probably the game’s last great performer, mesmerising spectators and enthralling defenders with his amazing samba abilities and incredible end product – which was sometimes missed in favour of his acrobatics and flips. Ronnie finally wore the number 10 for Brazil, and he fitted it perfectly.
5. Alfredo Di Stéfano
Alfredo Di Stéfano was a prolific striker with Real Madrid, scoring 511 goals in 702 appearances. He wasn’t your typical attacker, though; he was everywhere on the field, tackling, passing, and directing play. He was the most complete player the game had ever seen.
He won five European Cups with Real Madrid, scoring in each of the five finals. From 1945 until 1966, he won 13 league titles. He had a dismal international record owing to his lack of participation in a World Cup, yet he did win the Copa America with Argentina.
4. Johan Cruyff
Cruyff was the finest soccer player of all time in 1971, 1973, and 1974. He won the Ballon d’Or three times during this period. Johan Cruyff is the most well-known representative of Rinus Michels’ Total Football ideology.
Cruyff’s style of play and football philosophy have impacted managers and players alike, making him one of the most important characters in football history. Ajax and Barcelona are two teams that have created young academies based on the coaching principles of Johan Cruyff.
3. Pelé
Pelé was a goal-scoring machine in his home Brazil, and he is sometimes regarded as the greatest player in the sport’s history. In 1,366 games, he scored an astounding 1,282 goals. His sheer strength, speed, and dribbling skill allowed him to score a wide range of goals for enjoyment.
He carried his goal-scoring skills to the 1958, 1962, and 1970 World Cups, helping Brazil win the championship three times. He also won five league titles and two Copa Libertadores. In these triumphs, he was part of squads that included players like Garrincha and Carlos Alberto. He became a symbol for these teams, and he is frequently attributed with all of the credit.
2. Diego Maradona
Diego Maradona’s skill is without a doubt the finest in football history. His dribbling is dazzling, his scoring ability is unique and clinical, and he makes perfect passes and crosses – all of which have resulted in him receiving several assists during his career. He scored 345 goals in 680 appearances as an attacking midfielder.
Despite having a considerably more challenging career than Pelé, he won the 1986 World Cup with Argentina, three national titles, and a UEFA Cup with Napoli. Diego Maradona scored one of the greatest goals in soccer history against England.
1. Lionel Messi
No one will bat an eyelid if Lionel Messi is named the best creative attacking player of all time in 20 to 30 years. Messi has rewritten Barcelona’s record books, which is incredible considering all the players who have come before him, becoming the club’s all-time leading scorer at the age of 24.
Even more astounding, he owns the La Liga record for most assists. He will always find a way to score, but not at the request of his teammates. Even as a ‘False 9’, he would drop back, pick up the ball, and start the vast majority of Barcelona’s assaults.
He’s only 32 years old and already has eleven league titles, four Champions League trophies, seven Ballon d’Ors, and more records than Madonna. This tiny magician has more tricks up his sleeve.
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