The top 100 greatest footballers have been unveiled, with Cristiano Ronaldo third, Pele fourth and Neymar not on the list at all

THE debate surrounding the greatest footballer of all time is dividing fans around the world.

Lionel Messi, Cristiano Ronaldo, Pele and Diego Maradona are often the names touted as the best to ever lace a pair of shoes.

12

But there are plenty of other names in the conversation too, including Zinedine Zidane, Brazilian Ronaldo, Gerd Muller, Johan Cruyff and George Best.

And what about other current players who are still active?

Will Neymar make the top 100? What about Real Madrid legend Luka Modric?

Here SunSport goes into detail, reflecting on FourFourTwo’s top 10 – with the larger 100 names listed below.

10) Ronaldo

12

Brazilian Ronaldo is one of the deadliest and most devastating forwards to ever play this game.

He scored 352 goals in 518 club appearances for clubs such as Barcelona, ​​Inter Milan, Real Madrid and AC Milan.

But he also scored a staggering 62 goals in 98 games for his country, 15 of them at the World Cup.

9) Ferenc Puskas

12

Hungary’s best player of all time – Ferenc Puskas was so good that he was subsequently named Fifa’s ‘best goal of the year’.

The legendary attacking midfielder has scored 242 goals in 262 games for Real Madrid.

And he also scored a rather paltry 84 goals in 85 games for the Hungarian national team – including twice in the famous 6-3 win over England in 1953.

8) Franz Beckenbauer

12

German icon Franz Beckenbauer revolutionized the role of a defender in the 1970s when his ability to carry the ball from behind changed the way people viewed the game.

In 1972 he won the European Championship with the Federal Republic of Germany, followed in 1974 by the World Cup.

And with FC Bayern Munich he won four Bundesliga titles in five years.

7) George Best

12

Admired by many as the most talented player ever produced in Britain.

George Best scored 179 goals in 470 games for Manchester United, winning the league twice and the 1968 European Cup.

His skill and ability with the ball was something football fans had very rarely seen – and we haven’t seen it much since.

6) Johan Cruyff

12

Dutch legend Johan Cruyff was a visionary in his style of play and then rose to fame.

But the forward was focused on him as a player, winning eight league titles with Ajax and helping them win three consecutive European Cups between 1971 and 1973.

He also won a league title with Barcelona but narrowly missed winning the Netherlands’ first World Cup in 1974 when West Germany beat them in the final.

HOW TO GET FREE BETS ON SOCCER

5) Zinedine Zidane

12

Zinedine Zidane has left his legacy as a Juventus, Real Madrid and France player.

Many will remember the genius for his volley in the 2001 Champions League final.

But for French fans, he will go down in history as the man who propelled them to glory at the 1998 World Cup and Euro 2000.

4) Pele

12

To date, Pele is the only player to have won the World Cup three times – in 1958, 1962 and 1970.

He spent most of his 18-year club career at Brazilian club Santos, where he scored an impressive 643 goals in 659 games.

But his 77 goals in 92 games for Brazil is perhaps his most impressive statistic – given his unparalleled international career.

3) Cristiano Ronaldo

12

Cristiano Ronaldo scored the 700th club goal of his career on Sunday night and continues to claim he is the best player of all time.

The Portuguese superstar has won five Champions Leagues, seven national league titles and five Ballon d’Ors.

He also triumphed with his country at Euro 2016 and holds the record for most international goals with 117 in 191 appearances.

2) Diego Maradona

12

Diego Maradona is second in this list, and yet he’s not even considered the greatest Argentine player of all time – amazing, really.

The South American magician almost single-handedly won the 1986 World Cup with some of the most remarkable performances you will ever see.

He also won two Serie A titles with Napoli in 1987 and 1990 – scoring 115 goals in 259 games for the Italian club – and is considered their all-time greatest player.

1) Lionel Messi

12

It’s no surprise that Barcelona and Argentina legend Lionel Messi tops the list.

He has scored a paltry 691 club goals in 834 games, won 10 LaLiga titles, Ligue 1 and four Champions League titles – as well as a host of other accolades.

Messi also has a record-breaking seven Ballon d’Ors and won the Copa del Rey with Argentina last year.

12