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Football legends ranking (2026)

According to GolVote fans, Pelé is number one with a rating of 1605, ahead of Diego Maradona and Zinedine Zidane. The order is decided by head-to-head fan votes and changes live with every vote.

Football legends ranking: a live ranking decided by football fans' head-to-head votes. Updated with every vote. Updated: 9 October 2026.

Who is better?

Pelé: Unknown author, Public domain · Diego Maradona: Unknown author, Public domain

1Pelé🇧🇷 Brazil · Forward1605
2Diego Maradona🇦🇷 Argentina · Forward1605
3Zinedine Zidane🇫🇷 France · Midfielder1590
4Ronaldo Nazário🇧🇷 Brazil · Forward1590
5David Beckham🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿 England · Midfielder1587
6Ronaldinho🇧🇷 Brazil · Midfielder1584
7Francesco Totti🇮🇹 Italy · Forward1578
8Zlatan Ibrahimović🇸🇪 Sweden · Forward1575
9Johan Cruyff🇳🇱 Netherlands · Forward1572
10MPMichel Platini🇫🇷 France · Midfielder1566
11Frank Lampard🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿 England · Midfielder1566
12Wayne Rooney🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿 England · Midfielder1563
13Kaká🇧🇷 Brazil · Midfielder1563
14Miroslav Klose🇩🇪 Germany · Forward1563
15Andrés Iniesta🇪🇸 Spain · Midfielder1560
16Robin van Persie🇳🇱 Netherlands · Forward1560
17Steven Gerrard🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿 England · Midfielder1560
18Gerard Piqué🇪🇸 Spain · Defender1557
19Arjen Robben🇳🇱 Netherlands · Forward1557
20Didier Drogba🇨🇮 Ivory Coast · Forward1557
21Eusébio🇵🇹 Portugal · Forward1557
22George Weah🇱🇷 Liberia · Forward1557
23Eden Hazard🇧🇪 Belgium · Forward1557
24Ferenc Puskás🇪🇸 Spain · Forward1557
25Franz Beckenbauer🇩🇪 Germany · Defender1554
26Thierry Henry🇫🇷 France · Forward1554
27Roberto Baggio🇮🇹 Italy · Forward1554
28Sergio Agüero🇦🇷 Argentina · Forward1554
29Marco van Basten🇳🇱 Netherlands · Forward1554
30Samuel Eto'o🇨🇲 Cameroon · Forward1554
31Fernando Torres🇪🇸 Spain · Forward1554
32Gerd Müller🇩🇪 Germany · Forward1554
33Andriy Shevchenko🇺🇦 Ukraine · Forward1551
34Andrea Pirlo🇮🇹 Italy · Midfielder1551
35Lev Yashin☭ Soviet Union · Goalkeeper1551
36George Best🇬🇧 Northern Ireland · Forward1551
37Paolo Maldini🇮🇹 Italy · Defender1548
38Xavi Hernández🇪🇸 Spain · Midfielder1548
39Gianluigi Buffon🇮🇹 Italy · Goalkeeper1548
40Bobby Charlton🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿 England · Forward1548
41Fabio Cannavaro🇮🇹 Italy · Defender1548
42Raúl🇪🇸 Spain · Forward1548
43Roberto Carlos🇧🇷 Brazil · Defender1548
44Carles Puyol🇪🇸 Spain · Defender1545
45Garrincha🇧🇷 Brazil · Forward1545
46Luís Figo🇵🇹 Portugal · Forward1545
47Romário🇧🇷 Brazil · Forward1545
48Rivaldo🇧🇷 Brazil · Forward1545
49Alfredo Di Stéfano🇦🇷 Argentina · Forward1542
50Iker Casillas🇪🇸 Spain · Goalkeeper1542
51Zico🇧🇷 Brazil · Midfielder1542
52Ruud Gullit🇳🇱 Netherlands · Midfielder1539
53Hristo Stoichkov🇧🇬 Bulgaria · Forward1536
54Michael Laudrup🇩🇰 Denmark · Midfielder1536
55Gabriel Batistuta🇦🇷 Argentina · Forward1533
56Pavel Nedvěd🏳️ Czechoslovakia · Midfielder1530
57Cafu🇧🇷 Brazil · Defender1530
58Sócrates🇧🇷 Brazil · Forward1527
59Kenny Dalglish🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿 Scotland · Forward1524
60Juan Román Riquelme🇦🇷 Argentina · Midfielder1524
61Bobby Moore🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿 England · Defender1521

All rankings

Photo credits

Pelé: Unknown author, Public domain
Diego Maradona: Unknown author, Public domain
Zinedine Zidane: Hadi Abyar, CC BY 4.0
Ronaldo Nazário: Web Summit, CC BY 2.0
David Beckham: The Democratic Alliance, CC BY-SA 2.0
Ronaldinho: Marcos Corrêa/PR, CC BY 2.0
Francesco Totti: Photojournalist Roberto Vicario derivative work: Clarus The Dogcow (talk), CC BY-SA 3.0
Zlatan Ibrahimović: Colleen Sturtevant, CC BY-SA 4.0
Johan Cruyff: Rob Mieremet / Anefo, CC0
Frank Lampard: Mehdi Bolourian, CC BY 4.0
Wayne Rooney: Дмитрий Голубович, CC BY-SA 3.0
Kaká: José Cruz/ABr (cropped by tales.ebner), CC BY 3.0 br
Miroslav Klose: Sven Mandel, CC BY-SA 4.0
Andrés Iniesta: Bryan Berlin, CC BY-SA 4.0
Robin van Persie: Елена Рыбакова, CC BY-SA 3.0
Steven Gerrard: Эдгар Брещанов, CC BY-SA 3.0
Gerard Piqué: Vinod Divakaran, CC BY 2.0
Arjen Robben: Дмитрий Садовников, CC BY-SA 3.0
Eusébio: Panini, Public domain
George Weah: File:George Weah in 2019 (cropped).jpg: U.S. Embassy in Monrovia, Liberia derivative work: Boros.i, Public domain
Eden Hazard: Amir Hosseini, CC BY 4.0
Ferenc Puskás: Unknown, Public domain
Franz Beckenbauer: Panini Group, Public domain
Thierry Henry: Web Summit, CC BY 2.0
Roberto Baggio: AbolfaZl0990, CC BY-SA 4.0
Sergio Agüero: Кирилл Венедиктов, CC BY-SA 3.0
Marco van Basten: Paul Blank - Postproduktie.nl, CC BY 2.5
Samuel Eto'o: BACHELOR45, CC BY-SA 4.0
Fernando Torres: cristina cifuentes, CC BY 2.0
Gerd Müller: Unknown author, Public domain
Andriy Shevchenko: Міністерство молоді та спорту України, CC BY 4.0
Andrea Pirlo: Clément Bucco-Lechat, CC BY-SA 3.0
Lev Yashin: Unknown author, Public domain
George Best: Hans Peters for Anefo, CC0
Paolo Maldini: Foad Ashtari, CC BY 4.0
Xavi Hernández: Mehdi Zare, CC BY 4.0
Gianluigi Buffon: Original: Doha Stadium Plus Qatar from Doha, Qatar Derivative work: Alza08 Author:, CC BY 2.0
Bobby Charlton: Panini, Public domain
Fabio Cannavaro: Original: Mech867 / Derivative work: Danyele, CC BY 4.0
Raúl: Doha Stadium Plus Qatar, CC BY 2.0
Roberto Carlos: Web Summit, CC BY 2.0
Carles Puyol: Darz Mol, CC BY-SA 2.5 es
Garrincha: El Gráfico, n° 2233, Public domain
Luís Figo: Biser Todorov, CC BY 4.0
Romário: Agência Senado from Brasilia, Brazil, CC BY 2.0
Rivaldo: w:User:Nursultan12, CC BY-SA 4.0
Alfredo Di Stéfano: Unknown author, Public domain
Iker Casillas: Зайцев Антон, CC BY-SA 3.0
Zico: Doha Stadium Plus, CC BY 2.0
Ruud Gullit: Barcex, CC BY-SA 4.0
Hristo Stoichkov: Biso, CC BY 3.0
Michael Laudrup: Paul Blank, CC BY 2.5
Gabriel Batistuta: Unknown, Public domain
Pavel Nedvěd: Pavel Lebeda, CC BY-SA 2.0
Cafu: Lula Oficial, CC BY-SA 4.0
Sócrates: Foto U. Dettmar/ABr., CC BY 3.0 br
Kenny Dalglish: Saw from Singapore, CC BY-SA 2.0
Juan Román Riquelme: Todo Noticias, CC BY 3.0
Bobby Moore: Unknown author, Public domain

Biographical data: Wikidata (CC0). Photos: Wikimedia Commons under the licenses shown.