#4 Pele

 

#4 Pele (Brazil) - three-time FIFA World Cup winner

For many years, Pele was considered to be the greatest player of all time.

 It would not be a stretch to label Pele the most important player of all time. Time magazine named him on their list of the 100 most important people of the 20th century. For an entire generation, the Brazilian legend remains the face of the sport.

Pele is also the greatest player to have graced the FIFA World Cup, and by some distance. He led Brazil to three World Cup triumphs, in 1958, 1962 and 1970. The first win made him the youngest player ever to win football's biggest trophy; he was also named the Best Young Player at the tournament. He ended with the Golden Ball at the 1970 edition. Pele still holds the record for the most assists in FIFA World Cup history, with ten.

Of all the supremely talented players Brazil has produced, Pele remains unmatched. With 77 strikes, he is the Selecao's all-time top scorer, ahead of Neymar and Ronaldo Nazario.

It is Pele's club career, despite all its glorious heights, that sees him placed fourth on our list. The Brazilian legend is the only player in the top ten who did not ply his trade in any of Europe's top leagues at any point in his career.

The striker's scoring record has come under the scanner in recent times. In years gone by, Pele's goal tally stood at 1281 (according to FIFA), but a significant number of those goals came in unofficial games and tour fixtures. His count in official fixtures stands at 757 goals in 812 games. It is still a stunning number for a player who is acknowledged as Santos' all-time record goalscorer.

Pele won two Copa Libertadores titles, six Campeonato Brasilerio Serie A titles and two Intercontinental Cups in his time with Santos, scoring 643 goals. The Brazilian was named the joint-winner of FIFA's Player of the Century award, along with Argentina legend Diego Maradona.

The legendary Johan Cryuff elegantly summed up Pele's unique genius, saying:

"Pele was the only footballer who surpassed the boundaries of logic."