Methodology. (Last update: 8/12/2024)
| Rank | Player | Position | Years | Country |
| 1 | Lionel Messi | F | 2003-active | Argentina |
| 2 | Cristiano Ronaldo | F | 2002-active | Portugal |
| 3 | Pelé | F | 1956-1977 | Brazil |
| 4 | Robert Lewandowski | F | 2005-active | Poland |
| 5 | Gerd Müller | F | 1963-1981 | Germany |
| 6 | Diego Maradona | F | 1976-1997 | Argentina |
| 7 | Zinedine Zidane | M | 1989-2006 | France |
| 8 | Andrés Iniesta | M | 2000-active | Spain |
| 9 | Johan Cruyff | M | 1964-1984 | Netherlands |
| 10 | Kylian Mbappé | F | 2015-active | France |
| 11 | Paolo Maldini | D | 1984-2009 | Italy |
| 12 | Luka Modrić | M | 2003-active | Croatia |
| 13 | Franz Beckenbauer | D | 1964-1983 | Germany |
| 14 | Ronaldo | F | 1993-2011 | Brazil |
| 15 | Manuel Neuer | G | 2004-active | Germany |
| 16 | Xavi | M | 1997-2019 | Spain |
| 17 | Luis Suárez | F | 2005-active | Uruguay |
| 18 | Karim Benzema | F | 2004-active | France |
| 19 | Michel Platini | M | 1972-1987 | France |
| 20 | Marco van Basten | F | 1981-1995 | Netherlands |
| 21 | Sergio Ramos | D | 2003-2024 | Spain |
| 22 | Gianluigi Buffon | G | 1995-2023 | Italy |
| 23 | Alfredo Di Stéfano | F | 1945-1966 | Argentina |
| 24 | Ferenc Puskás | F | 1943-1966 | Hungary |
| 25 | Harry Kane | F | 2009-active | England |
| 26 | Thierry Henry | F | 1994-2012 | France |
| 27 | Bobby Charlton | M | 1956-1980 | England |
| 28 | Eusébio | F | 1957-1960 | Portugal |
| 29 | Lothar Matthäus | M | 1978-2000 | Germany |
| 30 | Ronaldinho | M | 1998-2015 | Brazil |
| 31 | Iker Casillas | G | 1998-2018 | Spain |
| 32 | Zlatan Ibrahimović | F | 1999-2023 | Sweden |
| 33 | Karl-Heinz Rummenigge | F | 1974-1989 | Germany |
| 34 | Toni Kroos | M | 2007-2024 | Germany |
| 35 | Roberto Carlos | D | 1991-2016 | Brazil |
| 36 | Mohamed Salah | F | 2010-active | Egypt |
| 37 | Kevin DeBruyne | M | 2008-active | Belgium |
| 38 | Garrincha | M | 1951-1972 | Brazil |
| 39 | Neymar | F | 2009-active | Brazil |
| 40 | Roberto Baggio | F/M | 1982-2004 | Italy |
| 41 | Romário | F | 1985-2007 | Brazil |
| 42 | Franco Baresi | D | 1977-1987 | Italy |
| 43 | Francesco Totti | F | 1993-2017 | Italy |
| 44 | Raúl | F | 1994-2015 | Spain |
| 45 | Philipp Lahm | D | 2001-2017 | Germany |
| 46 | Dani Alves | D | 2001-2023 | Brazil |
| 47 | Carles Puyol | D | 1996-2014 | Spain |
| 48 | Luís Figo | F/M | 1989-2009 | Portugal |
| 49 | Lev Yashin | G | 1950-1970 | Soviet Union |
| 50 | Rivaldo | M | 1990-2015 | Brazil |
| 51 | Thomas Müller | F | 2007-active | Germany |
| 52 | Ruud Gullit | F/M/D | 1979-1998 | Netherlands |
| 53 | Paolo Rossi | F | 1973-1987 | Italy |
| 54 | Mario Kempes | F | 1970-1996 | Argentina |
| 55 | Giuseppe Meazza | F | 1927-1947 | Italy |
| 56 | Marcelo | D | 2005-active | Brazil |
| 57 | Hugo Sánchez | F | 1976-1997 | Mexico |
| 58 | Alan Shearer | F | 1988-2006 | England |
| 59 | Andriy Schevchenko | F | 1993-2012 | Ukraine |
| 60 | Kaká | M | 2000-2017 | Brazil |
| 61 | Andrea Pirlo | M | 1995-2017 | Italy |
| 62 | Bobby Moore | D | 1958-1977 | England |
| 63 | Erling Haaland | F | 2015-active | Norway |
| 64 | Steven Gerrard | M | 1998-2016 | England |
| 65 | Franck Ribéry | M | 2000-2022 | France |
| 66 | Ángel Di María | M | 2005-active | Argentina |
| 67 | Virgil van Dijk | D | 2011-active | Netherlands |
| 68 | Alessandro Nesta | D | 1993-2013 | Italy |
| 69 | Lilian Thuram | D | 1991-2008 | France |
| 70 | Ruud van Nistelrooy | F | 2000-2012 | Netherlands |
| 71 | Cafu | D | 1989-2008 | Brazil |
| 72 | José Manuel Moreno | F | 1935-1961 | Argentina |
| 73 | Edinson Cavani | F | 2006-2024 | Uruguay |
| 74 | Sergio Agüero | F | 2006-2022 | Argentina |
| 75 | Samuel Eto’o | F | 1998-2018 | Cameroon |
| 76 | Gonzalo Higuaín | F | 2006-2022 | Argentina |
| 77 | Alessandro Del Piero | F | 1993-2014 | Italy |
| 78 | Gerard Piqué | D | 2002-2019 | Spain |
| 79 | George Best | M | 1963-1984 | N. Ireland |
| 80 | Miroslav Klose | F | 1999-2016 | Germany |
| 81 | Pavel Nedvěd | M | 1990-2009 | Czech Republic |
| 82 | Daniel Passarella | D | 1971-1989 | Argentina |
| 83 | Antoine Griezmann | M/F | 2009-active | France |
| 84 | Gareth Bale | F | 2005-active | Wales |
| 85 | Wayne Rooney | F | 2002-2021 | England |
| 86 | Immobile | F | 2008-active | Italy |
| 87 | Peter Schmeichel | G | 1981-2003 | Denmark |
| 88 | Petr Čech | G | 1999-2019 | Czech Republic |
| 89 | Marcel Desailly | D | 1986-2006 | France |
| 90 | Zico | M | 1971-1994 | Brazil |
| 91 | Oliver Kahn | G | 1987-2008 | Germany |
| 92 | Paul Breitner | M/D | 1970-1983 | Germany |
| 93 | Oleg Blokhin | F | 1969-1990 | Ukraine |
| 94 | Gordon Banks | G | 1958-1977 | England |
| 95 | Kevin Keegan | F | 1968-1985 | England |
| 96 | Fabio Cannavaro | D | 1991-2011 | Italy |
| 97 | Jean-Pierre Papin | F | 1981-2004 | France |
| 98 | Raymond Kopa | F | 1949-1967 | France |
| 99 | George Weah | F | 1984-2003 | Liberia |
| 100 | Giacinto Fachetti | D | 1960-1978 | Italy |
| 101 | John Terry | D | 1998-2018 | England |
| 102 | Thiago Silva | D | 2002-active | Brazil |
| 103 | Didier Drogba | F | 1998-2018 | Ivory Coast |
| 104 | Jimmy Greaves | F | 1957-1980 | England |
| 105 | David Villa | F | 2001-2019 | Spain |
| 106 | Gary Lineker | F | 1978-1994 | England |
| 107 | Frank Lampard | M | 1995-2016 | England |
| 108 | David Beckham | F | 1994-2013 | England |
| 109 | Sergio Busquets | D | 2007-active | Spain |
| 110 | Filippo Inzaghi | F | 1995-2012 | Italy |
| 111 | Gianni Rivera | M | 1959-1979 | Italy |
| 112 | Robin van Persie | F | 2001-2019 | Netherlands |
| 113 | Antonio Di Natale | F | 2001-2016 | Italy |
| 114 | Dennis Bergkamp | F | 1986-2006 | Netherlands |
| 115 | Gigi Riva | F | 1962-1976 | Italy |
| 116 | Nemanja Vidić | D | 2000-2016 | Serbia |
| 117 | Hristo Stoichkov | F | 1981-2003 | Bulgaria |
| 118 | Carlos Alberto | D | 1963-1982 | Brazil |
| 119 | Frank Rijkaard | M | 1980-1995 | Netherlands |
| 120 | Giorgio Chiellini | D | 2002-2023 | Italy |
| 121 | Rob Rensenbrink | F | 1965-1982 | Netherlands |
| 122 | Quini | F | 1967-1987 | Spain |
| 123 | Rivellino | M | 1965-1981 | Brazil |
| 124 | Luis Suárez | M | 1953-1973 | Spain |
| 125 | Michael Owen | F | 1996-2013 | England |
* In 2004, Pele–in conjunction with FIFA–released a list of the greatest footballers of all-time. Pele was tasked by FIFA to produce a list of 100 players, but found it too difficult to narrow the list to 100. He landed on 125. This is the only list on the site that has a top-125 as a nod to Pele.