#TFHB100 Players of All-Time: 50-41





To mark our 4th birthday, we have decided once more develop a list of the greatest players of all-time. In our infancy, we attempted to countdown the top 250 players through a public vote. However, over the past year a new poll was created gaining a far greater number of votes from almost 50 countries around the world! Alongside the public vote is a judging panel made up of:



Football has been pivotal to the last 100 years of history and players from all areas of the globe have become heroes, villains and even symbols of national identity in the process. Without further ado - here is The Football History Boys - Top 100.


50. Steven GERRARD


D.O.B: 30.05.80

Place in #TFHB250: 55

Nation: England

Club(s): Liverpool, LA Galaxy

League Apps (Goals): 538 (125)

International: 114 (21)

Honours:
FA Cup x2; UEFA Champions League; Football League Cup x3; UEFA Super Cup; UEFA Cup; FA Community Shield

Individual: UEFA Club Footballer of the Year 2005; PFA Players' Player of the Year 2006; PFA Fans' Player of the Year x2; England Player of the Year x2; UEFA Euro 2012 Team of the Tournament; MLS All-Star 2015

Liverpool FC Website: "The story of Steven Gerrard is one that will be passed on for generations to come. It is one that will be etched into folklore. One that is unlikely to be repeated again in our lifetimes... The stats will only tell half the story. The hero worship from Liverpool supporters from every inch of the earth tells the rest. Steven Gerrard isn’t just another player to have donned the red jersey – more than any other he’s epitomised the values and character of Liverpool Football Club.
He’s dedicated every piece of his fibre to the club’s cause over the last quarter of a century and leaves Anfield as a bonafide legend... Many dream the dream. Steven Gerrard has lived it."

49. Ruud GULLIT

D.O.B: 01.09.62

Place in #TFHB250:
 40

Nation: Netherlands

Club(s):
HFC Haarlem, Feyenoord, PSV, Milan, Sampdoria, Chelsea

League Apps (Goals):
465 (175)

International: 
66 (17)

Honours:
Eerste Divisie; Eredivisie x3; KNVB Cup; Serie A x3; Supercoppa Italiana x3; Coppa Italia; UEFA European Cup x2; UEFA Super Cup x2; Intercontinental Cup x2; FA Cup; UEFA European Championships 1988

Individual: Dutch Footballer of the Year x2; Dutch Sportsman of the Year 1987; Ballon d'Or 1987; Onze d'Or x2; UEFA European Championship Team of the Tournament x2; FIFA 100; AC Milan Hall of Fame

George Best: "He is a great player by any standards, he's not afraid to do things with the ball. And he looks as if he's enjoying every second of it. By my reckoning that's what makes him an even better player than Maradona."


48. Hristo STOICHKOV


D.O.B: 08.02.66

Place in #TFHB250: 77

Nation:
 Bulgaria

Club(s): 
Hebros Harmanli, CSKA Sofia, Barcelona, Parma, Al-Nassr, Kashiwa Reysol, Chicago Fire, DC United

League Apps (Goals): 454 (220)

International: 
83 (37)

Honours:
Bulgarian League x3; Bulgarian Cup x4; Bulgarian Supercup; La Liga x5; Supercopa de Espana x3; UEFA European Cup; UEFA European Super Cup x2; Copa del Rey; UEFA Cup Winners' Cup; Intercontinental Cup; Asian Cup Winners' Cup; US Open Cup

Individual: 
Ballon d'Or 1994; Bulgarian Footballer of the Year x5; Onze d'Or; FIFA World Cup All-Star Team 1994; FIFA 100; UEFA Euro Team of the Tournament 1996

FC Barcelona Website: "Hristo was one of the stars of the Dream Team and one of the fans’ most popular players of the 1990s, both for his football and his extraordinary fighting spirit. He was versatile, and could play either on the left or in the middle, making him a highly efficient forward player, with great speed and a goalscoring instinct. He was considered one of the best players in the world for his time, and is one of the few Barça players to have won the European Cup, the Golden Boot and the Ballon d’Or."


47. Alan SHEARER

D.O.B: 13.08.70

Place in #TFHB250: 52

Nation:
 England

Club(s):
 Southampton, Blackburn Rovers, Newcastle United

League Apps (Goals): 559 (283)

International: 
63 (30)

Honours: Premier League

Individual: FIFA 100; UEFA Euro 1996 Team of the Tournament; PFA Players' Player of the Year x2; Football Writers' Player of the Year 1994; Premier League Player of the Season 94/95; Premier League All-Time Leading Goalscorer; English Football Hall of Fame 2004



Pundit Arena: "Alan Shearer who spent his career in the Premier League playing for Southampton, Blackburn Rovers before going back to the North East to become a Newcastle United legend. Shearer is a great example of the classic English striker who lacked pace but made up for it in strength and physical stature. The Geordie had a lethal right foot, was great in the air while his eye for goal made him one of the greatest strikers the Premier League has ever seen with a record 260 goals in 434 Premier League appearances."

46. Lev YASHIN


D.O.B: 22.10.29

Place in #TFHB250: 
27

Nation:
 Soviet Union

Club: Dynamo Moscow

League Apps (Goals): 
326 (0)

International: 
74 (0)

Honours: Soviet Top League x5; Soviet Cup x3; Soviet Cup Ice Hockey Champion (Yes really!!); UEFA European Championship 1960; Olympic Gold Medal 1956

Individual: 
USSR Goalkeeper of the Year x3; Ballon d'Or 1963; UEFA European Championship Team of the Tournament x2; Order of Lenin; FIFA Order of Merit; FIFA World Cup All-Time Team; World Team of the 20th Century; FIFA Goalkeeper of the Century; FIFA World Cup Dream Team

RusArtNet.com: "The Soviet Union has produced some world-class footballers over the years. However, none rival the legendary Lev Yashin in stature. The goalkeeper was the bedrock of the Soviet national team for sixteen years and earned admirers in East and West alike. To this day, his legacy looms large, both for Russian football and the game as a whole."




45. RIVALDO

D.O.B: 19.04.72


Place in #TFHB250: 33

Nation:
 Brazil

Club(s): Santa Cruz, Mogi Mirim, Corinthians, Palmeiras, Deportivo La Coruna, Barcelona, Milan, Cruzeiro, Olympiacos, AEK Athens, Bunyodkor, Sao Paulo, Kabuscorp, Sao Caetano

League Apps (Goals): 573 (256)

International: 
74 (35)

Honours: Brazilian Serie A; Campeonato Paulista; UEFA Super Cup x2; La Liga x2; Copa del Rey; UEFA Champions League; Coppa Italia; Campeonato Miniero; Greek Super League x3; Greek Cup x2; Uzbek League x3; Uzbekistani Cup x2; Confederations Cup; Copa America; FIFA World Cup 2002; Olympic Bronze Medal 1996

Individual: 
Brazilian Football Museum Hall of Fame; FIFA World Cup All-Star Team x2; Ballon d'Or 1999; Onze d'Or; FIFA World Player of the Year 1999; FIFA 100

Gareth TFHB - "Rivaldo's story is little known but there aren't many football fans out there who don't know who he is. A key figure in Brazil's successes in the late 90s/early 00s. Rivaldo grew up in a favela, poor health care meant he would lose his teeth whilst sadly, his dad died when Rivaldo was just 15. He was rejected by many clubs but eventually broke through onto the Brazilian league scene. After making an impact in Brazil, Rivaldo got his break in Europe, going on to win plenty of honours during his career, scoring over 250 league goals. The forward earned the Ballon d'Or in 1999 and his showing in World Cup 2002 is a significant early football memory for me."


44. Dino ZOFF


D.O.B: 28.02.42

Place in #TFHB250: 
28

Nation: Italy

Club(s): Udinese, Mantove, Napoli, Juventus

League Apps (Goals): 
642 (0)

International: 
112 (0)

Honours:
Serie A x6; Coppa Italia x2; UEFA Cup; UEFA European Championships 1968; FIFA World Cup 1982

Individual: FIFA 100; FIFA World Cup Best Goalkeeper 1982; FIFA World Cup All-Star Team 1982; FIFA Order of Merit; Italian Football Hall of Fame 2012

Forza Italian Football: "Zoff’s defining characteristic was his belief that he was only as good as his last performance and that he could always better himself.  This mentality served him well and kept him focused and sharp, never letting complacency set in. He was a perfectionist and openly admitted that he demanded the best of himselfEvery game was a new test for Zoff and his high standards pushed him to the top of his game, even in his latter years."


43. ROMARIO

D.O.B: 29.01.66

Place in #TFHB250:
 74

Nation:
 Brazil

Club(s):
Vasco da Gama; PSV; BarcelonaFlamengo; Valenica; Fluminense; Al Sadd; Miami FC; Adelaide United; America (Rio)

League Apps (Goals): 448 (309)

International: 70 (55)

Honours: 
Campeonato Carioca x4; Brazilian Serie A; Taca Guanabara x4; Taca Rio; Torneio Rio - Sao Paulo; Copa Mercosur x2; Eredivisie x3; KNVB Cup x2; Johan Cruyff Shield; La Liga; Copa de Oro; Qatar Stars League; Qatar Crown Prince Cup; Emir of Qatar Cup; Campeonato Carioca Second Division; Olympic Silver Medal 1988; Copa America x2; FIFA World Cup 1994; FIFA Confederations Cup

 Recopa Sul-Americana; FIFA World Cup 1970; NASL SoccerBowl x4

Individual:
Dutch Footballer of the Year; Onze d'Or; FIFA World Cup Golden Ball 1994; FIFA World Cup All-Star Team 1994; FIFA World Player of the Year 1994; FIFA 100; Brazil Football Hall of Fame

Johan Cruyff: "The best player I ever coached? It was Romario. He was an extraordinary player, with extraordinary technique.”



42. Andrea PIRLO

 D.O.B: 19.05.79

Place in #TFHB250: 
67

Nation: Italy

Club(s): 
Brescia; Internazionale; Reggina; Milan; Juventus; New York City FC

League Apps (Goals): 
555 (61) (As it stands)

International: 
116 (13)

Honours: 
Serie B; Serie A x6; Coppa Italia x2; Supercoppa Italiana x3; UEFA Champions League x2; UEFA Super Cup x2; FIFA World Club Cup; FIFA World Cup 2006; UEFA Euro U-21 Championships; Olympic Bronze Medal 2004

Individual:
 FIFA World Cup All-Star Team 2006; Guerin d'Or; Pallone d'Argento; Pallone Azzurro; UEFA Euro 2012 Team of the Tournament; AC Milan Hall of Fame; UEFA Euro All-Time XI; MLS All-Star

Gigi Buffon: "When Andrea told me that he was joining us (Juventus), the first thing I thought was: "God exists". A player of his level and ability, not to mention that he was free, I think it was the signing of the century!"


41. KAKA

D.O.B: 22.04.82

Place in #TFHB250: 
53

Nation:
 Brazil

Club(s): 
Sao Paulo; Milan; Real Madrid; Orlando City

League Apps (Goals): 438 (143) (As it stands)

International: 92 (29)

Honours: Torneiro Rio-Sao Paulo; Serie A; Supercoppa Italiana; UEFA Champions League; UEFA Super Cup; FIFA World Club Cup; La Liga; Copa del Rey; Supercopa de Espana; FIFA World Cup 2002; FIFA Confederations Cup x2

Individual: Serie A Foreign Footballer of the Year x3; Serie A Footballer of the Year x2; Pallone d'Argento; Ballon d'Or 2007; FIFPro World Player of the Year 2007; Onze d'Or; Maracana Hall of Fame; AC Milan Hall of Fame; MLS All-Star 2015; MLS MVP 2015

Milan CEO Adriano Galliani"Kaka is a true Milan legend. Everybody at the club loves him. He has entered the hearts of all the Milan fans in his own special way. At Milan, we have had legends like Maldini and Baresi. It is probably fair to say that the fans' affection for Kaka is equally big."



Keep track of the list so far:




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Keep tuned in to find out the next 10 in the #TFHB100 shortlist! Check out our judges' websites!!



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