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Lionel Messi, Pele and the Greatest 10 World Cup Legends in Football History - Ranked

There is no sporting spectacle greater than the FIFA World Cup. It represents the summit of professional football, where global icons are forged, dreams are shattered, and legends are immortalised. Often, a single defining moment — a goal, pass, tackle, block, or save — can transform an unknown player into a national hero, forever etched in their country’s collective memory.

But who are the true standouts — the elite among elites — who have illuminated the grandest stage of all like no others? We’re talking about the players whose brilliance has transcended individual tournaments and defined multiple World Cup eras.

Below, GOAL takes on the monumental challenge of ranking the top 10 players in World Cup history — a task so demanding that we still question our sanity for leaving out icons like Garrincha, Vava, Jairzinho, Romario, Paolo Rossi, Paolo Maldini, Lothar Matthaus, Uwe Seeler, Michel Platini, Bobby Moore, Johan Cruyff, and Mario Kempes!

10. Miroslav Klose (Germany)

Miroslav Klose may not be considered one of the all-time greats at club level — though he was a consistent performer, particularly during his time with Lazio — but for Germany, he was extraordinary. The selfless striker netted 71 times in 137 international appearances, including a record 16 World Cup goals, surpassing Ronaldo’s tally during Brazil 2014.

Appropriately, Klose set that record during Germany’s unforgettable 7-1 demolition of Brazil in Belo Horizonte — a match that also marked his fourth consecutive World Cup semi-final appearance, a first in tournament history.

Klose’s hallmark was consistency. He ended his international career in perfect fashion, helping Germany defeat Argentina in the 2014 final. Though Lionel Messi has now equalled his record, Klose remains gracious, calling himself a “big fan” of the Argentine genius.

Gary Lineker once highlighted Klose’s aerial prowess — he scored five headers in the 2002 World Cup alone — and his remarkable poaching instincts. Fittingly, Germany never lost a World Cup match in which Klose found the net.

9. Zinedine Zidane (France)

Zinedine Zidane remains one of football’s most captivating figures — graceful yet volatile, the archetype of a flawed genius. His World Cup career perfectly encapsulated this duality.

In 1998, Zidane’s campaign nearly ended early after a reckless red card for stamping on Saudi Arabia’s Fuad Anwar, but France progressed without him, and he returned to score twice in the final against Brazil, effectively delivering the title to the hosts.

France’s title defence in 2002 was disastrous, and Zidane briefly retired from international duty before being persuaded to return for the 2006 tournament. Thierry Henry famously proclaimed, “What I’m going to say may sound over the top, but it’s true: God exists, and he has returned to the France team.”

Zidane’s play in Germany was divine, guiding France to another final through a series of majestic performances. Yet, his story ended in infamy — a red card for an iconic headbutt on Marco Materazzi after an insult towards his sister. Zidane later said, “My passion, temper, and blood made me react.” Despite the controversy, his brilliance earned him the Golden Ball as the tournament’s best player.

8. Kylian Mbappe (France)

Kylian Mbappe may not yet have lifted the Champions League or a Ballon d’Or, but his World Cup legacy is already secure. At just 19, he helped France win the 2018 title in Russia, scoring four goals and becoming the first teenager to score in a final since Pele in 1958. Pele himself welcomed him with, “Welcome to the club. It’s great to have company.”

Four years later, in Qatar 2022, Mbappe joined Geoff Hurst in an exclusive club by scoring only the second ever hat-trick in a World Cup final. Though France fell short, he claimed the Golden Boot and became the top scorer in World Cup finals with four goals.

Now, with 14 goals in just 15 World Cup appearances, Mbappe sits joint-fourth on the all-time list — and at only 27, he appears destined to break yet another record soon.

7. Gerd Muller (Germany)

Gerd Muller was the ultimate goal poacher — a forward with unmatched instincts inside the penalty area. Despite his compact frame, the Bayern Munich legend possessed explosive acceleration and incredible aerial ability.

With 69 goals in 62 international appearances, Muller’s strike rate remains extraordinary. In just 13 World Cup games across two tournaments, he scored 14 goals, including the decisive strike in the 1974 final against the Netherlands, securing Germany’s triumph on home soil.

“I’ve scored better goals,” Muller later admitted, “but the most important was the one that made us world champions.” That moment sealed his legacy as one of the tournament’s greatest icons.

6. Cafu (Brazil)

Known in Italy as ‘Il Pendolino’ — the high-speed train — Cafu epitomised relentless energy and endurance. Sir Alex Ferguson once joked that the Brazilian must have “two hearts” to maintain such a blistering tempo over 90 minutes.

Cafu’s attacking flair and defensive discipline revolutionised the right-back role. He featured in four World Cups, playing in a record three finals. Though he started as a substitute in 1994, his contribution was vital in Brazil’s eventual penalty shootout victory over Italy.

By 2002, Cafu captained Brazil to another triumph, defeating Germany 2-0 in Yokohama. His image lifting the trophy atop the podium remains one of the World Cup’s most iconic moments — a fitting “Mission accomplished.”

5. Franz Beckenbauer (Germany)

As Glenn Hoddle once observed, “The mark of a great player is the ability to be just as effective across different eras.” Franz Beckenbauer embodied that sentiment. The man nicknamed ‘Der Kaiser’ redefined defensive play, pioneering the sweeper role with unmatched elegance and intelligence.

Beckenbauer starred in three consecutive World Cups, helping West Germany reach the 1966 final and famously playing with a dislocated shoulder in the 1970 semi-final against Italy. His perseverance became legendary.

In 1974, he finally lifted the trophy as captain after defeating Johan Cruyff’s Netherlands 2-1 in Munich. Karl-Heinz Rummenigge described him perfectly: “He was the complete player — skill, strength, and supreme intelligence.”

4. Ronaldo (Brazil)

The mystery surrounding Ronaldo’s convulsive episode before the 1998 final remains unsolved, but his impact on the tournament is undeniable. At his peak, ‘O Fenomeno’ was unstoppable — a rare combination of pace, power, and technical brilliance.

Despite Brazil’s defeat to France in 1998, Ronaldo was named the tournament’s best player. Four years later, after battling serious knee injuries, he returned to lead Brazil to their fifth title, scoring eight goals in seven matches, including two in the final.

“My greatest victory was to play again, to run again, to score again,” he said after the triumph. “This title crowns my recovery and the team’s hard work.”

3. Diego Maradona (Argentina)

Few players have ever dominated a World Cup like Diego Maradona did in Mexico 1986. After a troubled 1982 campaign, he arrived in peak condition and produced a masterclass in leadership and skill. Argentina’s captain was directly involved in 10 of his team’s 14 goals.

His quarter-final heroics against England remain unforgettable — the infamous ‘Hand of God’ followed by a solo goal regarded as the best in World Cup history. Despite later controversy, including a failed drug test in 1994, Maradona’s 1986 campaign remains the gold standard for individual excellence. As team-mate Jorge Valdano once said, “It was him against the world — and he won.”

2. Lionel Messi (Argentina)

For over 15 years, Lionel Messi set the benchmark for consistency and brilliance. Yet, until 2022, the missing piece was a World Cup. After falling short in 2014, Messi’s redemption came in Qatar, where he delivered perhaps the greatest campaign since Maradona’s 1986 heroics.

Messi became the first player ever to score in every round — group stage through to final — and was named Player of the Match in every knockout game. His second Golden Ball was inevitable as Argentina triumphed over France in an epic final.

Now sharing the all-time World Cup scoring record with Miroslav Klose, Messi continues to enhance his legend in what could be his sixth and final tournament.

1. Pele (Brazil)

Who else could top the list but ‘The King’? Pele remains the only player to have won three World Cups. Though injury limited his role in 1962, he dazzled in 1958 and 1970, leading Brazil to glory with unmatched flair and vision.

At just 17, he lit up Sweden 1958, scoring a hat-trick in the semi-final and twice in the final. French striker Just Fontaine, despite winning the Golden Boot, later said, “When I saw Pele, I felt like hanging up my boots.”

Twelve years later in Mexico, Pele orchestrated perhaps the greatest team performance ever seen, scoring in Brazil’s 4-1 final win over Italy. As defender Tarcisio Burgnich later admitted, “I told myself he’s made of skin and bones like everyone else — but I was wrong.”

Pele’s blend of artistry, athleticism, and leadership ensures that, for now at least, he remains the ultimate World Cup legend.