In brief
According to Ronaldo Nazario, Pele is the best player of all time, with Messi and Maradona tied for second place.
In his list of the best players, he mentions Neymar, Van Basten, and Zidane, complimenting them on their distinct skills.
Ronaldo highlights the subjective nature of player rankings while pointing out the variety of skill sets that contribute to football’s appeal as a sport.
Who is the all-time great player? People have been asking this question for a very long time. Given that the two superstars have won 13 Ballons d’Or between them, the response is usually either Lionel Messi or Cristiano Ronaldo. For a whole generation, their duopoly has controlled football. However, Pele and Diego Maradona came before them. Despite Messi and Ronaldo’s rise, the two South Americans, who dominated the sport in their time, are still discussed as the greatest of all time.
Everyone has an opinion about the world’s best football players, but the views of those who made it to the top are slightly more significant. In an interview with ESPN in the beginning of 2025, Brazilian Ronaldo Nazario listed his top 12 players, which is why it’s so fascinating to hear from him.
In a self-centred interview earlier this year, Cristiano Ronaldo asserted that he was the world’s number one player. But according to his namesake, he is not among the top three, even if he is among the greatest. He stated:
“The career of Cristiano Ronaldo is amazing; he has won everything and scored goals in every manner imaginable. He is unquestionably one of the greatest in history. I disagree with him being the best, though. However, I respect his viewpoint. He is definitely among the top ten, in my opinion.
Pele
Ronaldo believes his fellow countryman is “number one, without a doubt”
Football and Brazil have a romantic relationship that is enveloped in luxury. Jogo Benito, or “the beautiful game,” has always had a lyrical quality, from the films of kids playing football tennis on Rio de Janeiro’s beaches to the country’s dominance of the World Cup over the past century.
When Ronaldo listed his top three all-time favourite football players, it’s scarcely surprising that he said his countryman is “number one, without a doubt” because Pele was the precursor to this love affair. When Pele was a lively 16 years old in 1957, he made his debut for Brazil. He is rightfully regarded as the best international football player to have ever set foot on the earth after 92 caps and 77 goals. He is still the only player to have won three World Cups and been instrumental in each of them.
🇧🇷Pelé Career Stats pic.twitter.com/re6qqbXRAY
— … (@Trachta10) January 6, 2024
Lionel Messi & Diego Maradona
O Fenômeno couldn’t split the Argentine duo
Ronaldo was unable to decide which of the three South American icons was closest to Pele’s ethereal status, so he included Lionel Messi and Diego Maradona in his top three without making a distinction between second and third place. Both players wore the revered number 10 shirt, won the World Cup, and are considered to be among the greatest dribblers in the history of the sport; before Messi, there was Maradona, and after Maradona, there was Messi. Regardless of how fans of all generations decide to rank them, the two diminutive playmakers are revered in Argentina and treated more like gods than athletes.
The Rest of Ronaldo’s Picks
Neymar, Marco van Basten & Zinedine Zidane earn a mention
As he wrapped up his interview, Ronaldo rattled off a list of other players that should have been included in the discussion of the top ten players of all time. He went on to say:
[Next] Ronaldinho Gaucho, Zico, Romario, Van Basten, Zidane, Figo, Rivaldo, and Cristiano Ronaldo. a number of participants. This list has a lot of stars, and I’m sure I’ll be overlooking several. I create a new list each time someone enquires about this ranking. Only the first three—Messi, Maradona, and Pele—are conclusive.
He went on to specifically name Neymar, who was the modern-day equivalent of the Brazilian legends of the past. “Neymar is an excellent athlete. Despite missing the World Cup, he has won nearly everything, including the Olympics. However, he is unquestionably among the top 10 as well,” he stated following the talented winger’s recent return to his boyhood club, Santos.
The Career Statistics of Neymar
Games
597
Objectives
362
Helps
223
Honours
Brazilian Footballer of the Year (2011), Ligue 1 (2018, 2019, 2020, 2022, 2023), La Liga (2015, 2016, 2017), the Champions League (2015), and the Olympic Gold Medal (2016)
He’s in ninth or tenth grade, somewhere around that. I’m not sure how many I specified. Those guys are all really close. Football is amazing since everyone of the players I listed has unique qualities.
Transfermarkt provided all statistics, which are accurate as of February 26, 2025.
