The big two aren’t considered the greatest players in World Cup history.
Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo are widely regarded as the two greatest footballers of all time. They’ve won countless titles, scored an absurd amount of goals and dominated headlines for the past two decades.
When the curtain falls on their illustrious careers, few will argue against either being considered the greatest player of all time, such has been their impact on the sport. But when it comes to the World Cup, it’s a completely different story.
Up until 2022, neither had got their hands on the famous trophy. That all changed for Messi when he inspired Argentina to their third World Cup and first since 1986.
Messi was undoubtedly excellent in the 2022 triumph, but before the tournament in Qatar, his relationship with the World Cup had been a sketchy one. He had never scored in the knockout stages at a World Cup in each of his four prior appearances – and Ronaldo’s knockout drought continues to this day.
As such, when the conversation shifts to the greatest World Cup players of all time, it’s perhaps no surprise that the duo aren’t considered such runaway winners. In fact, in a list of the 50 greatest players to grace the World Cup stage compiled by The Independent, neither Messi nor Ronaldo takes the top spot.
Messi comes closest, finishing in third. But as for Ronaldo, there’s no place in the list whatsoever.
Instead, the No.1 pick for the greatest World Cup player ever is Pele – the Brazilian icon who won the tournament three times. And, to be honest, there can be little to no debate surrounding the pick.
Brazilian football was in a state of shock after the 1950 edition when they lost the World Cup on home soil to Uruguay. It sent shudders throughout Brazilian society, but fast forward four years and a 17-year-old Pele helped deliver the country’s first-ever world crown.
He’d make up part of the team that won in 1962, but injuries limited his impact. However, in 1970, this time at the opposite end of his career, Pele produced arguably the greatest World Cup campaign by any individual to win a third World Cup crown.
The tournament in Mexico came at a time when football was starting to be broadcast into people’s living rooms, and the mesmeric Pele inspired a generation of players around the world with his antics. Never before had people seen such skill, finesse and talent, meaning he’s a worthy pick for the greatest World Cup player of all time.
