Top 50 Greatest Footballers by Position

[PLF]

Probably. And Maldini as right back?

 

[gerd]

Great work Glavisted.
Of course i have comments.
No way Jean-Marie Pfaff was a beter GK than Preudhomme and the best Belgian GK ever was Piot (i've seen all 3). Neville Southall should be top 5.

But fantastic work...congratulations. What a football knowledge!

 

[Kanouté]

Probably. And Maldini as right back?

Yep, quite suspicious.

 

[ThomasGOAL]

Probably. And Maldini as right back?

Just because Maldini (number 1) is right footed and Nílton Santos (number 2) left footed (I think), and i don't want put the number 3 or 4 of this category in the dream team.

 

[Glavisted]

And seeing Pagliuca after so long, it reminded me of how he resembles Sylvester Stallone lol.

Hehehe, it's true.

In regards to defenders, I don't know if I'd put Lucio in top 50 to be honest let alone ahead of John Terry, Puyol and definitely not ahead of Ayala who I think should be in top 20!

Personally, I believe Lúcio is commonly underrated, maybe because the idea of a great Brazilian centre-back isn't so reliable. He has been a top performer by many years in his position since his days in Internacional, had many years of world class in Germany with Bayer Leverkusen and Bayern Münich and is still one of the best defenders in the world in Inter Milan. He has been also very consistent and had many memorable episodes with the Brazilian national team in big stages.

Also although I prefer Nesta slightly to Cannavaro, I don't know if he should be #9 (Which I'm fine with as the man is incredible) but Fabio #24!

Nesta is there in the 12th position.

All in all, really like the lists though. It's good to see you after a long time Glavisted! Keep up the good work!

Thanks mate

 

[Glavisted]

Glavisted - Dream Team of all time

--------------------------Yashin------------------------
Maldini--------Beckenbauer------Baresi------------Santos
------------------------Matthäus------------------------
Best--------------------Maradona---------------Garrincha
----------------?-----------------------?---------------


Sub :
Zoff
Moore
Passarella
Facchetti
Carlos Alberto
Rijkaard
Jairzinho
Matthews
Platini

Or maybe Glavisted you want two Def Midfield and one striker ?

Actually, to build a dream team's lineup I'd prefer to create one balanced over the criteria of the best individualities, that's the reason because I wouldn't choose only the first places of each ranking but the best players for each role thinking in the form how they work complemented by the rest.

Despite Paolo Maldini was a right-footed, I don't have enough evidence to determine he could be the best right-back ever because he was mainly a left-back. As my top 3 side-backs ever were all mainly left-backs (Maldini, Nílton Santos and Facchetti) I'd choose as right-back to Djalma Santos or Carlos Alberto (4th and 5th) because for the role they were the best proved in my criteria.

It's the same for the centre-backs, despite I believe Beckenbauer and Baresi were the best ever both of them were mainly sweepers, not exactly so complementary. I think both of them could form a great defensive line but maybe not the best, I'd choose one of them alongside a pure centre-back as Moore.

Beckenbauer was really an impressive sweeper playing more as an organizer than an interceptor, he also played many times as a type of defensive midfielder as he was in the 1966 and 1974 World Cups, so I'd put him in the midfield over Matthäus despite in my rankings he's in the cathegory of centre-backs.

Probably, my best lineup ever would be:

-------------------- Yashin --------------------
D. Santos --- Moore --- Baresi --- Maldini -
----------------- Beckenbauer ----------------
-------- Di Stéfano ------ Maradona ---------
- Garrincha ------- Pelé ---------- Cruyff ---

Substitutes: Zoff, Passarella (or Scirea), Figueroa (or Krol), C. Alberto, N. Santos (or Facchetti), Rijkaard, Matthäus (or Didí), Platini, Zico (or Zidane), Best, Puskás and Ronaldo (or Müller or Eusébio).

 

[Glavisted]

No way Jean-Marie Pfaff was a beter GK than Preudhomme and the best Belgian GK ever was Piot (i've seen all 3). Neville Southall should be top 5.

I feel Pfaff is by some Belgian people lower-ranked because his eccentric style of play and his image of clown. I believe Preud'homme (28th) and him (22th) had a similar level as well.

I could also watch to Piot playing for Standard Liege during the 70's and playing for Belgium in the 1970 World Cup and the 1972 European Championship, I'd say he was a step behind Pfaff and Preud'homme but so good enough to be in my substitution list alongside the older Jean De Bie from the 20's.

 

[brunnoce]

just a FYI Jairzinho wasnt a winger.. he was mainly a striker.

Also, i dont understand how Tostão is not in any list.

One of the best players the brazilian football produced, he was one of the main figures in the epic 1970 team.. his most famous play is this against England, in maybe the toughest match of that WC:
(Tostao makes the genial play in the left wing)
YouTube - Jairzinho - Brazil England 1970

 

[Glavisted]

just a FYI Jairzinho wasnt a winger.. he was mainly a striker.

Jairzinho wasn't mainly a striker, he was mainly a wing-forward who could play only sometimes as a centre-forward.

He made his professional debut as a striker with Botafogo but quickly he became a right-winger, by far his strongest position, replacing to the legendary Garrincha.

Also, i dont understand how Tostão is not in any list.

It's because he was mainly a forward and I don't have made the forwards ranking.

 

[Glavisted]

Top 50 Greatest Side-Backs of All-Time (50-41)

50 Orvar Bergmark (Sweden)

49 Luis Eyzaguirre (Chile)

48 Vladimir Bessonov (Soviet Union)

47 Phil Neal (England)

46 Horst-Dieter Höttges (Germany)

45 Marinho Chagas (Francisco das Chagas Marinho) (Brazil)

44 Carlos Sosa (Argentina)

43 Joan Segarra (Spain)

42 Branko Stankovic (Yugoslavia)

41 Fahrudin Jusufi (Yugoslavia)

 

[Glavisted]

Top 50 Greatest Side-Backs of All-Time (40-31)

40 Gianluca Zambrotta (Italy)

39 Sergio Cervato (Italy)

38 Ashley Cole (England)

37 Schubert Gambetta (Uruguay)

36 Rafael Gordillo (Spain)

35 Jorginho (Jorge de Amorim Campos) (Brazil)

34 Anatoliy Demyanenko (Soviet Union)

33 Dani Alves (Daniel Alves da Silva) (Brazil)

32 Maicon (Maicon Douglas Sisenando) (Brazil)

31 Ray Wilson (England)

 

[Glavisted]

Top 50 Greatest Side-Backs of All-Time (30-21)

30 Nelinho (Manoel Rezende de Mattos Cabral) (Brazil)

29 Bixente Lizarazu (France)

28 Tarcisio Burgnich (Italy)

27 Hans-Peter Briegel (Germany)

26 Manfred Kaltz (Germany)

25 Manuel Amoros (France)

24 Leandro (José Leandro de Souza Ferreira) (Brazil)

23 Víctor Rodríguez Andrade (Uruguay)

22 Danny McGrain (Scotland)

21 Jimmy Armfield (England)

 

[Glavisted]

Top 50 Greatest Side-Backs of All-Time (20-11)

20 José Antonio Camacho (Spain)

19 Eddie Hapgood (England)

18 Eric Gerets (Belgium)

17 Paul Janes (Germany)

16 Antonio Cabrini (Italy)

15 Branko Zebec (Yugoslavia)

14 Júnior (Leovegildo Lins da Gama Júnior) (Brazil)

13 Silvio Marzolini (Argentina)

12 Andreas Brehme (Germany)

11 Berti Vogts (Germany)

 

[Glavisted]

Top 50 Greatest Side-Backs of All-Time (10-1)

10 Lilian Thuram (France)

9 Javier Zanetti (Argentina)

8 Cafú (Marcos Evangelista de Moraes) (Brazil)

7 Karl-Heinz Schnellinger (Germany)

6 Roberto Carlos (Roberto Carlos da Silva Rocha) (Brazil)

5 Carlos Alberto (Carlos Alberto Torres) (Brazil)

4 Djalma Santos (Djalma Pereira Dias dos Santos) (Brazil)

3 Giacinto Facchetti (Italy)

2 Nílton Santos (Nílton Reis dos Santos) (Brazil)

1 Paolo Maldini (Italy)

 

[Glavisted]

Top 50 Greatest Side-Backs of All-Time

Substitution List

- ALLEMANDI, Luigi (Italy)
- ANGLOMA, Jocelyn (France)
- ARCE, Francisco (Paraguay)
- ARTUR (Artur Manuel Soares Correia) (Portugal)
- BRANCO (Cláudio Ibrahim Vaz Leal) (Brazil)
- BYRNE, Roger (England)
- CAETANO, Omar (Uruguay)
- CARRASCOSA, Jorge (Argentina)
- CHENDO (Miguel Porlán Noguera) (Spain)
- COHEN, George (England)
- COOPER, Terry (England)
- DE SORDI, Nílton (Brazil)
- DOBIAS, Karol (Czechoslovakia)
- EVERALDO (Everaldo Marques da Silva) (Brazil)
- ÉVRA, Patrice (France)
- FERRER, Albert (Spain)
- HILÁRIO (Hilário da Conceiçao) (Portugal)
- JOAO PINTO (Joao Domingos da Silva Pinto) (Portugal)
- JOSIMAR (Josimar Higino Pereira) (Brazil)
- JUSKOWIAK, Erich (Germany)
- LAHM, Philipp (Germany)
- LOVCHEV, Evgeny (Soviet Union)
- MARCHE, Roger (France)
- MÜNZENBERG, Reinhold (Germany)
- NEVILLE, Gary (England)
- NILSSON, Erik (Sweden)
- NOVÁK, Ladislav (Czechoslovakia)
- OLGUÍN, Jorge (Argentina)
- PANUCCI, Christian (Italy)
- PAVONI, Ricardo (Uruguay)
- PEARCE, Stuart (England)
- PESCIA, Natalio (Argentina)
- PETRESCU, Dan (Romania)
- RAMOS, Sergio (Spain)
- RATS, Vasyl (Soviet Union)
- REUTER, Stefan (Germany)
- RILDO (Rildo da Costa Menezes) (Brazil)
- SANSOM, Kenny (England)
- SERGI (Sergi Barjuán) (Spain)
- SORÍN, Juan Pablo (Argentina)
- SUURBIER, Wim (Netherlands)
- SWARTENBROEKS, Armand (Belgium)
- SZYMANOWSKI, Antoni (Poland)
- TARANTINI, Alberto (Argentina)
- TASSOTTI, Mauro (Italy)
- UBIÑA, Luis (Uruguay)
- URBANCZYK, Klaus (East Germany)
- WOLFF, Enrique (Argentina)
- YÁCONO, Norberto (Argentina)
- ZÁRRAGA, José María (Spain)

This is the complete article in Spanish: http://glavisted.blogspot.com/2010/11/top-50-de-defensas-laterales.html

 

[gerd]

Marinho was one of my favourite player when i was a litle kid. He played in the 1974 WC in Germany. You are a walking football database Glavisted.

I should have put Suurbier in the 50 best (and rather high even) and i miss Ruud Krol (but i guess you consider him a CB).

 

[Glavisted]

I should have put Suurbier in the 50 best (and rather high even) and i miss Ruud Krol (but i guess you consider him a CB).

Suurbier was part of the golden years of Ajax and Netherlands but I found him particularly not at the same so high level as his partners. However, he's still so good to be in my substitution list.

And, yes mate, Krol is in my previous ranking of centre-backs, he could be in both categories as well as sweeper / left-back.

 

[Glavisted]

Top 50 Greatest Defensive Midfielders of All-Time (50-41)

50 Ernesto Lazzatti (Argentina)

49 Néstor Gonçalves (Uruguay)

48 John Greig (Scotland)

47 Franky Van der Elst (Belgium)

46 José María Belauste (Spain)

45 Michael Essien (Ghana)

44 Zlatko Cajkovski (Yugoslavia)

43 Alex Raisbeck (Scotland)

42 Gennaro Gattuso (Italy)

41 Romeo Benetti (Italy)

 

[Glavisted]

Top 50 Greatest Defensive Midfielders of All-Time (40-31)

40 Andreas Kupfer (Germany)

39 Luis Fernández (France)

38 Morten Olsen (Denmark)

37 José Velásquez (Peru)

36 Ernest Needham (England)

35 Arie Haan (Netherlands)

34 Rainer Bonhof (Germany)

33 Emlyn Hughes (England)

32 Nils Middelboe (Denmark)

31 Dunga (Carlos Caetano Bledorn Verri) (Brazil)

 

[Glavisted]

Top 50 Greatest Defensive Midfielders of All-Time (30-21)

30 Walter Nausch (Austria)

29 Mauro Silva (Mauro da Silva Gomes) (Brazil)

28 Michele Andreolo (Italy)

27 Valery Voronin (Soviet Union)

26 Claude Makélélé (France)

25 Svatopluk Pluskal (Czechoslovakia)

24 Antonio Rattín (Argentina)

23 Didier Deschamps (France)

22 Clodoaldo (Clodoaldo Tavares de Santana) (Brazil)

21 Uli Stielike (Germany)

 

[PLF]

Nice list!!

 

[Glavisted]

Top 50 Greatest Defensive Midfielders of All-Time (20-11)

20 Karel Pesek (Czechoslovakia)

19 Danilo Alvim (Brazil)

18 Horst Szymaniak (Germany)

17 Pirri (José Martínez Sánchez) (Spain)

16 Néstor Rossi (Argentina)

15 Zito (José Ely de Miranda) (Brazil)

14 Toninho Cerezo (Antonio Carlos Cerezo) (Brazil)

13 Patrick Vieira (France)

12 Edgar Davids (Netherlands)

11 Duncan Edwards (England)

 

[Glavisted]

Top 50 Greatest Defensive Midfielders of All-Time (10-1)

10 Dave Mackay (Scotland)

9 Graeme Souness (Scotland)

8 Roy Keane (Ireland)

7 Marco Tardelli (Italy)

6 Jean Tigana (France)

5 Fernando Redondo (Argentina)

4 Obdulio Varela (Uruguay)

3 Luis Monti (Argentina)

2 José Leandro Andrade (Uruguay)

1 Frank Rijkaard (Netherlands)

 

[Glavisted]

Top 50 Greatest Defensive Midfielders of All-Time

Substitution List

- ALEMAO (Ricardo Rogério de Brito) (Brazil)
- ALMEYDA, Matías (Argentina)
- ÁLVAREZ, Leonel (Colombia)
- ARICO SUÁREZ, Pedro (Pedro Suárez) (Argentina)
- CASTIGLIANO, Eusebio (Italy)
- BAGGIO, Dino (Italy)
- BATISTA, Sergio (Argentina)
- BAUER, José Carlos (Brazil)
- BENÍTEZ, Víctor (Peru)
- BERTOLINI, Luigi (Italy)
- BOSKOV, Vujadin (Yugoslavia)
- CAMBIASSO, Esteban (Argentina)
- COCU, Phillip (Netherlands)
- DE KORVER, Bok (Netherlands)
- DE ROSSI, Daniele (Italy)
- DI BIAGIO, Luigi (Italy)
- DREMMLER, Wolfgang (Germany)
- ECKEL, Horst (Germany)
- ÉMERSON (Émerson Ferreira da Rosa) (Brazil)
- FERNÁNDEZ, Lorenzo (Uruguay)
- FERRARIS, Attilio (Italy)
- FURINO, Giuseppe (Italy)
- GALLEGO, Américo (Argentina)
- GESTIDO, Álvaro (Uruguay)
- GIUSTI, Ricardo (Argentina)
- INCE, Paul (England)
- JANSEN, Wim (Netherlands)
- KITZINGER, Albin (Germany)
- LOCATELLI, Ugo (Italy)
- MARANGONI, Claudio (Argentina)
- MASCHERANO, Javier (Argentina)
- MOURIÑO, Eliseo (Argentina)
- MUÑOZ, Miguel (Spain)
- ORIALI, Gabriele (Italy)
- PAULO SOUSA (Paulo Manuel Carvalho de Sousa) (Portugal)
- PENVERNE, Armand (France)
- PERUSIC, Zeljko (Yugoslavia)
- PETIT, Emmanuel (France)
- PIAZZA (Wilson da Silva Piazza) (Brazil)
- PUCHADES, Antonio (Spain)
- ROJAS, Eladio (Chile)
- SERANTONI, Pietro (Italy)
- STILES, Nobby (England)
- TOURÉ, Yaya (Ivory Coast)
- TRAPATTONI, Giuseppe (Italy)
- VAN HEEL, Puck (Netherlands)
- WOUTERS, Jan (Netherlands)
- ZANETIC, Ante (Yugoslavia)
- ZAKARIÁS, József (Hungary)
- ZOCO, Ignacio (Spain)

This is the complete article in Spanish: http://glavisted.blogspot.com/2010/12/top-50-de-mediocampistas-defensivos.html

 

[PLF]

Great list! Rijkaard - The Greatest!

 

[ThomasGOAL]

I see Edgar Davids play in August 2010 in Nantes, and still never stop running !

 

[PLF]

Yeah this guy was a BEAST! I remember him at his peak around 2000-2002 I think... he was one of my fav players along with Figo. The guy was just a complete footballer!

 

[beachryan]

Davids was so iconic too. Remember the ad ahead of the world cup with him playing in some cage on a boat? Epic...

 

[PLF]

Yeah that was great! He was iconic!