Who is the greatest football (soccer) player of all time?

PELE top scorer 1281 goals, top WORLD CUP WINNER 3 times.
Many. many, many championships with santos, Copa Libertadores (several) and Intercontinental Cups (several).

2
Maradona WORLD CUP WINNER, UEFA Champions WINNER.
Extremly famous for his jumping, dribbling and 1 on 1 ability against the keepers. He was so talented for using la rabona, (not the cocaine, la rabona is a way to hit the ball while you cross the hitting leg behind the support leg and then hit the ball at the same time). Too bad he was a DRUG ADDICT and that is the reason why I do not believe he was the greatest!!!. Drugs like cocaine that DIEGO ARMANDO MARADONA used, gave him the ability to see everybody else in slow motion, that is the reason why he was so fast and almost never was tackled down because he could resist constant kicks from the defenders, his balance was unbelieveable, totally out of this world for a man his height, only 5 feet 5 inches 1 meter 65 centimeters.

3
Roberto Baggio UEFA Champions WINNER HypermegaUltra dribbling ability, fainting, middle and long distance shooting, free kicks and penalty kicks, middle height volleys, too. I never saw him lost on a 1 on 1 against the keeper during this career in the Calcio Italiano. This guy had it all. He was a mini version PELE.
Too bad he never won a WORLD CUP because he played with an injured leg the final match of the WORLD CUP of USA in 1994.

4
Johann Cruyff 2 WORLD CUP SUBCHAMPION
I have nothing much to say about this demigod of soccer. No WORLD CUPs but the best in his position during the 70s. Not even the brazilian Zico was as good as this guy.
With Ajax he was at this top game, and then the injuries never left him alone. Too bad Johann, you were a diabolo.

5
Michelle Platini what to say about this master of the ball.
Intercontinental Cups, Squdettos with La Juve (Squdetto means Local League Championship Winner)

6
Ronaldo WORLD CUP WINNER (1 time) excessively ball controller, so good so effective, he is almost unstoppable. Too bad he got injured in the top of this game. Now he is fat, kind of slow and can not take on defenders as well as he used to.
7
Ronaldinho WORLD CUP WINNER (1 time) haha, splinter the rat from TEENAGE MUTANT NINJA TURTLES is the brother of this BOY. The fastest dribbler nowadays. He can create a scoring play from nowhere. He will win another WORLD CUP, you all will see.

7 Rivaldo WORLD CUP WINNER (1 time) excellent striking ability as well as bicycle kick ability. Dribbling talent, no doubt about it. Curling the ball was his special trick, he would put excessive power as well as curl in his shots, which made them extremelly difficult for the goalkeepers to retain, as a prove of that just watch his shot against OLIVER KAHN (germany's goal keeper in the final match of KOREA JAPAN 2002) it created the first goal for the Brazilians.

8
Romario over 900 goals scored WORLD CUP WINNER (1 time)
extreme accuracy and usage of the outside part of his right boot, he could score goals crossing the ball in the keepers area from side to side at ground level.

9
Hugo Sanchez over 400 goals scored Ultra aerial game !! This guy was a F1 airplane (the soccer ball were his missiles)scissors kicks, bicycle kicks, dive heading, over heading, besides of his great accuracy for free kick shoots, dribbling.

10
Franz Beckenbauer, DAS KAISER, WORLD CUP WINNER (1 time) the best German player ever, over Matthaus, Klinsmann, Bierhoff, Sammer and many other German mann (not bad spelled this is the way Germans use plurar for man in Germany).

11 and on ? I'll let this one at your choice, Puskas, Alfredo Di Stefano, David Beckham, Luis Figo, Ryan Giggs, Manuel Rui Costa, Gabiel Omar Batistuta, Ortega, Luis Hernandez, Cuauhtemoc Blanco. They did not nor will ever win a WORLD CUP. Too bad for them, what a shame.

top 10 bicycle kick goal in the world
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u_gi1MTUrdA

Pele was the best, an amazingly skilfull player, and a great ambassador for the sport (and impotence...lol!)

Maradonna could have been the best, but instead turned to cheating. First with his hands, (Although the ref was more to blame for not spotting it), and then drugs, a sad waste of talent.

Well It all depends on the position, because there are some positions that you see more than others but every position is equally important.

Of Course you have to talk about Pele or Maradona, but also about Garrincha, Beckenbauer, Van Vaasteen, Ronaldinho, Zidane, Cantona, etc...

Also you have to see the times and tecnique each player has or had. I don't think there is just one, I guess It would be more interesting to ask for an ideal team

Pure athletic ability, skills, and the rabbit out of a hat ability it is Maradona. It has to be. Pele has been a better embassador for the game, and was so far ahead of his time when he played. But Maradona's god given talent has been yet to be matched, despite his obvious character flaws.

pele , Maradona

Pele... Maradona was more of a cheat.. so no way he will get my vote!
(Pele's mother would say that he is the best.. Maradona's mother would say that he is the best...!)

Maradona he is the greatest football player of all time

Pele was the greatest ever. Will he be overshadowed soon? That remains to be seen but if he is, it could well be by none other than Ronaldinho. Gaucho Ronaldinho is unarguably one of the best players in the game today followed by Thierry Henry.

Watching these two score goals (sometimes single-handedly!) is pure joy, & just plain beautiful!

Maradona was definitely great in his day, but it's getting irritating to see him in the media every week now (sometimes for all the wrong reasons). It's not all his fault, the media are to blame as well, but he needs to retire from the limelight.

Pele.When Maradona was at his peak, we could see eveything he did because of the wide spread of television.When Pele did all he did, we didn't have the luxury of T.V. Thats why many poeple consider Maradona better than Pele. For number 2, I would say Alberto Di Stefano

Paolo Maldini

Ronaldinho
well this guy is a machine .. doesn't get tired .. has heart made of soccer balls ..
this guy has done anything possible in this sport ..

some guys say PELE .. why would you even choose that ? compare ronaldinho's speed to PELE's speed when he was good .. compare their shots .. and importantly the way they think .. how they pass and stuff .. and you'll see what's the difference ..

and for the people who'll say : PELE had a goal by running from the half of the field to the goal and get it .. then my answer is this : RONALDINHO has one going from the goal to the other goal .. isn't he the man ?

Pele.

pele

Pele...

Pele.... just to agree w/ everyone else

Pele

Pele, because he had like, the most amazing goals i've ever heard of

Pele. Just because.

Pele.