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#TFHB100 Players of All-Time: 30-21

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.


30. Michael LAUDRUP


D.O.B: 15.06.64

Place in #TFHB250: 30

Nation: Denmark

Club(s): Kjøbenhavns Boldklub, Brøndby, Lazio, Juventus, Barcelona, Real Madrid, Vissel Kobe, Ajax

League Apps (Goals): 479 (121)

International: 104 (37)

Honours: Intercontinental Cup; Serie A; Copa del Rey; La Liga x5; UEFA European Cup; UEFA Super Cup; Eredivisie; KNVB Cup; FIFA Confederations Cup

Individual: Danish Player of the Year x2; Don Balon Award; FIFA World Cup All-Star Team 1998; FIFA 100; Denmark's Best Player Ever: 2006; Scandinavia's Best Player Ever: 2015; Danish Football Hall of Fame

Inside Spanish Football: "Admired for having dazzling technique, his excellence in reading the game and his creativity, made Laudrup menacing on the pitch.  He even had his own trademark move – looking in one direction while swiftly passing in the other, deceiving countless opponents, and outplaying them with ease. As a play-maker he created a symphony in midfield, and in stringing all his team-mates’ efforts together, a magnetism was created between them."


29. JAIRZINHO

D.O.B: 25.12.44

Place in #TFHB250: 17

Nation: Brazil

Club(s): Botafogo, Marseille, Kaizer Chiefs, Cruzeiro. Portuguesa, Noroeste, Fast Club, Jorge Wilstermann, 9 de Octubre

League Apps (Goals): 465 (221) (Some un-recorded)

International: 81 (33)

Honours: Torneio de Caracas x3; Taca Brasil de Futebol, Rio-Sao Paulo Tournament x2; Campeonato Carioca x2; Copa Libertadores; Taca Independencia; FIFA World Cup 1970

Individual: FIFA World Cup All-Star Team 1970; Brazilian Football Museum Hall of Fame

Tostao, former Brazilian teammate: “Jairzinho was a bit like Neymar, playing from the side to the centre and striking with precision. He had speed, strength and a lot of skill. When we played him a long ball, he was spectacular. He bumped, gained his space with his body, and still managed to shoot with skill."
28. Ryan GIGGS

D.O.B: 29.11.73

Place in #TFHB250: 35

Nation: Wales

Club: Manchester United

League Apps (Goals): 672 (114)

International: 64 (12)

Honours: Premier League x13; FA Cup x4; Football League Cup x4; FA Community Shield x9; UEFA Champions League x2; UEFA Super Cup; Intercontinental Cup; FIFA Club World Cup

Individual: PFA Young Player of the Year x2; PFA Players' Player of the Year; PFA Merit Award; BBC Sports Personality of the Year 2009; English Football Hall of Fame

Manchester United Executive Vice-Chairman: "Ryan Giggs has been one of the greatest players ever to wear the red shirt of Manchester United. What he has achieved will never be equalled in the English game. In the way he played, he was the embodiment of a Manchester United player - fast, skilful, entertaining and determined to win by playing exciting football. His progress from the ranks of the famous 'Class of '92' to the most decorated player in this or any club's history is down to his hard work, ability and attitude."

27. XAVI Hernandez

D.O.B: 25.01.80

Place in #TFHB250: 23

Nation: Spain

Club(s): Barcelona B, Barcelona, Al Sadd

League Apps (Goals): 600 (70) (As it stands)

International: 133 (13)

Honours: La Liga x8; Copa del Rey x3; Supercopa de España x6; UEFA Champions League x4; UEFA Super Cup x2; FIFA Club World Cup x2; FIFA World Cup 2010; UEFA European Championship x2; Olympic Silver Medal 2000

Individual: UEFA Euro 2008 Player of the Tournament; La Liga Spanish Player of the Year 2005; La Liga Midfielder of the Year x3; Spanish Sportsman of the Year 2009; Gold Medal of the Royal Order of Sporting Merit

Former teammate Andres Iniesta: "I have run out of compliments for him. There is no one who can compare to what he represents as a person and a player. His statistics, longevity, the feelings he conjures, his way of doing things are beyond words. He is a unique player, a one-off and he has been fundamental to this club and to Spain. It is a true pleasure and privilege to have played alongside him my entire career."
26. Roberto CARLOS

D.O.B: 10.04.73

Place in #TFHB250: 47

Nation: Brazil

Club: Uniao Sao Joao, Atletico Mineiro, Palmerias, Internazionale, Real Madrid, Fenerbahçe, Corinthians, Anzhi Makhachkala, Delhi Dynamos

League Apps (Goals): 575 (65)

International: 125 (11)

Honours: Campeonato Brasileiro Serie A x2; Campeonato Paulista x2; Torneio Rio-Sao Paulo; La Liga x4; Supercopa de España x3; UEFA Champions League x3; Intercontinental Cup x2; UEFA Super Cup; Turkish Super Cup x2; FIFA World Cup 2002; Copa America x2; FIFA Confederations Cup

Individual: FIFA World Cup All-Star Team x2; FIFA 100; Brazilian Football Museum Hall of Fame
25. Marco VAN BASTEN

D.O.B: 31.10.64

Place in #TFHB250: 14

Nation: Netherlands

Club(s): Ajax, Milan

League Apps (Goals): 280 (218)

International: 58 (24)

Honours: Eredivisie x3; KNVB Cup x3; UEFA Cup Winners' Cup; Serie A x4; Supercoppa Italiana x4; UEFA European Cup x2; UEFA Super Cup x2; Intercontinental Cup x2

Individual: Eredivisie Top Goalscorer x4; Dutch Footballer of the Year; European Golden Boot; Bravo Award; Onze d'Argent x2; Onze d'Or x2; World Soccer Player of the Year x2; UEFA European Championship Player of the Tournament 1988; UEFA European Championship Team of the Tournament x2; Ballon d'Or x3; UEFA Player of the Year x3; Serie A Golden Boot x2; FIFA World Player of the Year; FIFA 100; Italian Football Hall of Fame; AC Milan Hall of Fame; UEFA Euro All-Time XI

These Football Times: "Imagine a striker tall in stature but with lightning quick feet, a velvety deft first touch, the explosiveness of a coiled spring, the flexibility and acrobatic ability of a gymnast, and the footballing IQ in the category of the game’s cerebral geniuses. As the game continues to evolve one feature remains as relevant as ever: Total Football... One player blessed with the mercurial ability to score and one who was baptised in the waters of totaalvoetbal was Marco van Basten. Known affectionately by fans of Ajax as one of Johan Cruyff’s protégés and by fans of i Rossoneri as ‘San Marco’, van Basten was a complete striker."


24. Kenny DALGLISH

D.O.B: 04.03.51

 

Place in #TFHB250: 26

Nation: Scotland

Club(s): Celtic, Liverpool

League Apps (Goals): 559 (230)

International: 102 (30)

Honours: Scottish First Division x4; Scottish Cup x4; Scottish League Cup; English First Division x6; FA Cup; Football League Cup x4; FA Charity Shield x7; UEFA European Cup x3; UEFA Super Cup

Individual: PFA Players' Player of the Year; FWA Football of the Year x2; FWA Tribute Award; English Football Hall of Fame; Scottish Football Hall of Fame; European Hall of Fame; MBE

 The Liverpool Echo: "It's a debate held often, usually in the back room of a dimly-lit pub with volume levels steadily rising. Just how much would Kenny Dalglish be worth in the modern game? An incredible touch was coupled with superb vision; a touch of class mixed with his talismanic nature. To those who watched him, he was priceless... Whenever it was, what Dalglish did with the ball seemed priceless. He could score and create out of nothing, possessing an intelligence that elevated him above most of his contemporaries. In the modern game, he would be considered as the perfect no.10, the trequartista, the focal point of the entire team."


23. Bobby MOORE

D.O.B: 12.04.41

Place in #TFHB250: 19

Nation: England

Club(s): West Ham United, Fulham, San Antonio Thunder, Seattle Sounders, Herning Fremad, Carolina Lightnin'

League Apps (Goals): 716 (26)

International: 108 (2)

Honours: FA Cup; UEFA Cup Winners' Cup; International Soccer League; FIFA World Cup 1966

Individual: FWA Footballer of the Year; West Ham Player of the Year x4; FIFA World Cup All-Star Team 1966; BBC Sports Personality of the Year 1966; UEFA Euro 1968 Team of the Tournament; English Football Hall of Fame; FIFA World Cup All-Time Team; World Team of the 20th Century; PFA Player of the Century; PFA Team of the Century; World Soccer Greatest XI of All-Time; Number 6 Retired by West Ham; OBE

Planet World Cup: "One of the best defenders in the game ever... His ability to tackle and read the game compensated for his lack of pace. His positioning and passing ability made him an asset also in the offensive part of the game. He was a gentleman on and off the field and a true leader which made him win the England captaincy at an early age. He kept it for 90 of his 108 matches equalling Billy Wright’s record. Bobby’s contribution to England’s 1966 World Cup victory was immense. England didn’t concede a goal until the semifinal when Eusebio scored on a penalty. As a proud captain, he could receive the World Cup trophy from the Queen after a dramatic final against West Germany."


22. Gianluigi BUFFON

 D.O.B: 28.01.78

Place in #TFHB250: 78

Nation: Italy

Club(s): Parma, Juventus

League Apps (Goals): 647 (0) (As it currently stands)

International: 167 (0) (As it currently stands)

Honours: Serie A x7; Coppa Italia x3; Supercoppa Italiana x6; UEFA Cup; Serie B; FIFA World Cup 2006; UEFA Under-21 European Championship

Individual: Bravo Award; UEFA Goalkeeper of the Year; UEFA Footballer of the Year; FIFA 100; FIFA World Cup Yashin Award 2006; FIFA World Cup All-Star Team 2006; Serie A Goalkeeper of the Year x11; Serie A Fan Award x2; UEFA Team of the Year x4; FIFPro World XI x2; UEFA Euro Team of the Tournament x2; Pallone Azzurro x2; Gianni Brera; UEFA Euro All-Time XI; Golden Foot

Marcello Lippi, former Juventus manager: "We are talking about the No1 in the world. He has been the best throughout his career. I have been telling him the same thing for 20 years now: when a normal goalkeeper makes a mistake, nobody says anything, but when Buffon makes a mistake, it's news. But you cannot argue about Buffon. Buffon is Buffon, the No1."


21. Andres INIESTA

D.O.B: 11.05.84

Place in #TFHB250: 22

Nation: Spain

Club(s): Barcelona B, Barcelona

League Apps (Goals): 453 (39) (As it currently stands)

International: 115 (12) (As it currently stands)

Honours: La Liga x8; Copa del Rey x4; Supercopa de Espana x6; UEFA Champions League x4; UEFA Super Cup x3; FIFA Club World Cup x2; FIFA World Cup 2010; UEFA European Championship x2

 Individual: FIFA World Cup All-Star Team 2010; UEFA Best Player in Europe Award; UEFA Euro 2012 Player of the Tournament; UEFA Euro Team of the Tournament x2; UEFA Euro All-Time XI; La Liga Spanish Player of the Year; La Liga Best Attacking Midfielder Award x5; FIFPro Team of the Year x8; UEFA Team of the Year x6; Marca Legend Award; Golden Foot; Onze d'Or; Onze d'Argent

FC Barcelona Website: "The first team captain, Andrés Iniesta is one of the players who has appeared most for the Club in its history. Elegant and modest, he is recognised as one of the best players in the world... Intuitive, vertical, fast and intelligent, Andrés Iniesta is a man of many virtues. The midfielder started out in defence for Barça B and before that the club's youth teams. But as he gained in first team experience, he was moved into a more attacking role."



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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