Power Rankings & The Pantheon
The paper's ranked verdicts — the best in the world now, the greatest ever, and the specialists. For live current-season charts, see the scoring charts.
Power Rankings
LeaguePaper's ranking of the finest footballers on the planet this season — form, influence and ceiling all weighed.
The LeaguePaper Desk · 20 June 2026
The Pantheon
The Pantheon — the players who changed how the game is played and remembered. The hardest list to write, and the most argued.
Lionel Messi leads · 10 ranked
Set-Piece Special
The dead-ball artists — the players you would hand the ball to with the wall set and the wins on the line.
Juninho Pernambucano leads · 10 ranked
The Pantheon
The last line — shot-stoppers, sweeper-keepers and the unbreakable presences who won finals on their own.
Lev Yashin leads · 10 ranked
The Pantheon
The men in the technical area who built dynasties, invented systems and won the matches that mattered most.
Sir Alex Ferguson leads · 10 ranked
The Pantheon
The pure goalscorers — the centre-forwards whose only job was to put the ball in the net, and who did it better than anyone.
Ronaldo Nazário leads · 10 ranked
The Pantheon
The art of stopping — the centre-backs and full-backs who made defending look like the noblest job on the pitch.
Franz Beckenbauer leads · 10 ranked
Joga Bonito
The ball-carriers — the players who made defenders look foolish and reminded everyone why they fell in love with the game.
Lionel Messi leads · 10 ranked
Big Money
The record-breakers — the deals that reset the market and tell the story of football’s spiralling money.
Neymar leads · 10 ranked
The Next Generation
The Next Generation — the young players already lighting up the elite game, and the ones the giants are fighting over.
Lamine Yamal leads · 10 ranked
La Liga
From Cruyff’s Dream Team to Guardiola’s tiki-taka machine, the greatest La Liga teams ever assembled.
Barcelona leads · 10 ranked
La Liga
The ten greatest La Liga players of all time, from Alfredo Di Stéfano to Lionel Messi.
Lionel Messi leads · 10 ranked
La Liga · The 90s
The La Liga players of the 1990s who defined an era of spectacular, free-scoring Iberian football.
Romário leads · 10 ranked
La Liga · The 2000s
The La Liga players of the 2000s who lit up a decade of Galácticos, tiki-taka and a teenage Messi.
Ronaldinho leads · 10 ranked
Galácticos
The greatest players of Real Madrid’s Galáctico era, the most glamorous squad ever assembled in football.
Zinedine Zidane leads · 10 ranked
Barcelona
The greatest Barcelona players of all time, from Johan Cruyff to Lionel Messi.
Lionel Messi leads · 10 ranked
The Dugout
The La Liga managers who changed football forever, from Helenio Herrera to Pep Guardiola.
Pep Guardiola leads · 10 ranked
Premier League
From Invincibles to centurions, the best Premier League teams ever assembled are ranked here.
Manchester City leads · 10 ranked
Premier League
We rank the finest Premier League players of all time, from Shearer and Henry to De Bruyne and Salah.
Thierry Henry leads · 10 ranked
Premier League · The 90s
The Premier League’s formative decade produced extraordinary talent, from Cantona’s genius to Shearer’s ruthless goals.
Eric Cantona leads · 10 ranked
Goalscorers
The Premier League has produced more elite strikers than any other league — here are the ten greatest goalscorers in its history.
Alan Shearer leads · 10 ranked
The Dugout
The managers who have most shaped and defined the Premier League, ranked by sustained excellence, innovation and legacy.
Sir Alex Ferguson leads · 10 ranked
The Market
The transfers that changed clubs and shaped the Premier League — ranked by their transformative impact on English football.
Eric Cantona leads · 10 ranked
UEFA
From Madrid to Milan, these are the clubs that defined the UEFA Champions League and European Cup across the decades.
Real Madrid leads · 10 ranked
UEFA
The UEFA Champions League has been graced by players of extraordinary talent; these are the finest of them all.
Cristiano Ronaldo leads · 10 ranked
European Nights
Breathtaking drama, stunning comebacks, and moments of genius: the UEFA Champions League final has produced unforgettable theatre.
Liverpool 3–3 AC Milan (Liverpool win 3–2 on penalties) leads · 10 ranked
European Nights
The UEFA Champions League has witnessed goals of breathtaking beauty and audacity; these are the finest ever scored in the competition.
Zinedine Zidane vs Bayer Leverkusen leads · 10 ranked
UEFA
Sustained dominance in UEFA European competition is the rarest achievement in football; these clubs achieved it most emphatically.
Real Madrid leads · 10 ranked
International
The UEFA European Championship has showcased some of football’s most enduring talents; these are the finest players the tournament has produced.
Michel Platini leads · 10 ranked
Serie A
From Baggio to Baresi, the greatest Serie A players to have graced Italian football.
Roberto Baggio leads · 10 ranked
Serie A
The greatest Serie A teams of all time, ranked by their dominance, style, and lasting legacy on Italian football.
AC Milan leads · 10 ranked
Serie A · The 90s
The best Serie A players of the 1990s, when Italian football attracted the finest talents on the planet.
Roberto Baggio leads · 10 ranked
Bundesliga
The greatest Bundesliga players of all time, from Beckenbauer and Gerd Müller to Lewandowski and Thomas Müller.
Franz Beckenbauer leads · 10 ranked
Bundesliga
The greatest Bayern Munich players of all time, spanning six decades of dominance in German and European football.
Franz Beckenbauer leads · 10 ranked
Ligue 1
The greatest Ligue 1 players of all time, from Papin and Weah to Mbappé and the modern era of French football.
Kylian Mbappé leads · 10 ranked
International
From Brazil's samba masters to Spain's tiki-taka titans, we rank the greatest national teams of all time.
Brazil leads · 10 ranked
International
The tournament squads that defined eras and left their mark on football history as the greatest World Cup teams ever assembled.
Brazil 1970 leads · 10 ranked
Seleção
Brazil has produced more world-class footballers than any other nation; here are the greatest Brazilian players of all time.
Pelé leads · 10 ranked
Albiceleste
Argentina has produced two of the greatest footballers in history; here are the greatest Argentine players of all time.
Diego Maradona leads · 10 ranked
The Dugout
From Guardiola's possession revolutions to Mourinho's tactical masterclasses, these are the best coaches of the 21st century.
Pep Guardiola leads · 10 ranked
International
From Weah's Ballon d'Or trailblazing to Drogba's Chelsea heroics, these are the greatest African players of all time.
George Weah leads · 10 ranked
The Pantheon
The engine room — the passers, runners and controllers who set the tempo for the greatest teams in history.
Zinedine Zidane leads · 10 ranked
Joga Bonito
The touchline magicians — the dribblers and crossers who terrified full-backs and lit up the flanks.
Garrincha leads · 10 ranked
The Armband
The leaders — the players who lifted the great trophies and carried teams on the strength of their will.
Franz Beckenbauer leads · 10 ranked
European Cup
The European nights that defined the competition — comebacks, finals and miracles under the floodlights.
Liverpool 3–3 AC Milan leads · 10 ranked
Against the Odds
The matches that were lost and then won — the recoveries that rewired what supporters believe is possible.
Liverpool 3–3 AC Milan leads · 10 ranked
The Highlight Reel
The strikes that defied physics and stuck in the memory — the goals replayed forever.
Diego Maradona vs England leads · 10 ranked
The Faithful
The loyalists — the players who gave their entire careers to a single shirt and became synonymous with it.
Paolo Maldini leads · 10 ranked
The Derby
The derbies and grudge matches that stop cities — the fixtures where form goes out the window.
El Clásico leads · 10 ranked
The Finishers
Scoring is the hardest art in football, and these are the players who turned it into a life’s work.
Cristiano Ronaldo leads · 10 ranked
The Golden Ball
The Golden Ball has crowned the game’s best player almost every year since 1956. These are its finest recipients.
Lionel Messi leads · 10 ranked
The Playmaker
The classic playmakers — the shirt that carried a team’s imagination, from the trequartista to the enganche.
Diego Maradona leads · 10 ranked
The Three Lions
England gave the game its laws and, over the decades, some of its most iconic players.
Bobby Moore leads · 10 ranked
Oranje
For a small country, the Netherlands has produced an outsized share of the game’s thinkers and artists.
Johan Cruyff leads · 10 ranked
The Overlap
The modern game’s engines up and down the flank — defenders who attack, and attackers who defend.
Paolo Maldini leads · 10 ranked
Old Trafford
From the Busby Babes to the Ferguson dynasty — the finest players ever to wear the red of Manchester United.
George Best leads · 10 ranked
Anfield
The kings of the Kop — the players who built Liverpool’s European empire and its modern revival.
Kenny Dalglish leads · 10 ranked
The Gunners
From the marble halls to the Invincibles — the finest players in Arsenal’s history.
Thierry Henry leads · 10 ranked
The Blues
The stars of Stamford Bridge — from cult heroes to the trophy-winning modern era.
Frank Lampard leads · 10 ranked
The Citizens
From Colin Bell to the record-breaking modern era at the Etihad.
Sergio Agüero leads · 10 ranked
The Lilywhites
The finest of the lilywhites — from the Double side of 1961 to the modern goal machines.
Harry Kane leads · 10 ranked
La Vecchia Signora
The Old Lady’s finest — from Boniperti to Del Piero and the modern champions.
Alessandro Del Piero leads · 10 ranked
Rossoneri
The Rossoneri’s pantheon — from the Grande Milan to the Ballon d’Or years.
Paolo Maldini leads · 10 ranked
Nerazzurri
The Nerazzurri’s icons — from Meazza and the Grande Inter to the treble winners.
Javier Zanetti leads · 10 ranked
Partenopei
From Maradona’s miracle to the Scudetto heroes of the modern age.
Diego Maradona leads · 10 ranked
Les Parisiens
The stars of the Parc des Princes — from the 1990s to the modern galácticos.
Kylian Mbappé leads · 10 ranked
Rojiblancos
The heart and defiance of the Rojiblancos, from Aragonés to the Simeone era.
Antoine Griezmann leads · 10 ranked
Die Schwarzgelben
The heroes of the Yellow Wall, from the 1997 champions to the modern icons.
Marco Reus leads · 10 ranked
Les Olympiens
The icons of the Vélodrome and the only French winners of the European Cup.
Jean-Pierre Papin leads · 10 ranked
Los Che
The finest of Los Che, from Mario Kempes to the Champions League finalists.
Mario Kempes leads · 10 ranked
Giallorossi
The heroes of the Giallorossi, from the kings of Rome to the modern captains.
Francesco Totti leads · 10 ranked
Biancocelesti
The finest of the Biancocelesti, from Silvio Piola to the modern goal machines.
Silvio Piola leads · 10 ranked
Los Nervionenses
The kings of the Europa League and the icons of the Sánchez-Pizjuán.
Jesús Navas leads · 10 ranked
Los Leones
The pride of the Basque Country, from Zarra to the modern one-club heroes.
Telmo Zarra leads · 10 ranked
Die Werkself
From the nearly men of 2002 to the unbeaten champions of 2024.
Michael Ballack leads · 10 ranked
Die Knappen
The miners’ club and its heroes, from the pre-war greats to the modern favourites.
Ernst Kuzorra leads · 10 ranked
De Godenzonen
The academy of Total Football and the talents it gave the world.
Johan Cruyff leads · 10 ranked
Boeren
The Eindhoven club that launched a host of world-beaters.
Willy van der Kuijlen leads · 10 ranked
De Stadionclub
The pride of Rotterdam and the first Dutch winners of the European Cup.
Coen Moulijn leads · 10 ranked
Os Dragões
The Dragons and the stars who conquered Europe from the north of Portugal.
Deco leads · 10 ranked
As Águias
The Eagles and their icons, from the European champions of the 1960s onward.
Eusébio leads · 10 ranked
Os Leões
The Lisbon academy that gave the world Ronaldo and Figo.
Cristiano Ronaldo leads · 10 ranked
The Bhoys
The Bhoys and their legends, from the Lisbon Lions to the King of Kings.
Jimmy Johnstone leads · 10 ranked
The Gers
The Gers and their heroes, from Slim Jim Baxter to the nine-in-a-row era.
John Greig leads · 10 ranked
The Magpies
The Magpies and their idols, from Wor Jackie to the Toon’s modern heroes.
Alan Shearer leads · 10 ranked
The Villans
The claret and blue and its heroes, from the European champions of 1982.
Paul McGrath leads · 10 ranked
The Toffees
The Toffees and their icons, from Dixie Dean’s records to the 1980s greats.
Dixie Dean leads · 10 ranked
Les Gones
The kings of French football’s dominant decade and the talents they produced.
Juninho Pernambucano leads · 10 ranked
Les Monégasques
The principality club that launched Henry, Mbappé and a host of stars.
Thierry Henry leads · 10 ranked
The Hammers
The Academy of Football and its heroes, from the 1966 icons to the modern captains.
Bobby Moore leads · 10 ranked
The Tricky Trees
The heroes of Brian Clough’s back-to-back European champions.
John Robertson leads · 10 ranked
The Whites
The great Don Revie side and the icons of Elland Road.
Billy Bremner leads · 10 ranked
La Real
The Basque champions and the homegrown talents of the Anoeta.
Luis Arconada leads · 10 ranked
El Submarino Amarillo
The Yellow Submarine and the stars who took a small town to Europe’s summit.
Juan Román Riquelme leads · 10 ranked
Los Verdiblancos
The passion of Seville’s green and white, from Gordillo to Joaquín.
Joaquín leads · 10 ranked
La Viola
The Viola and their idols, from Antognoni to Batigol.
Gabriel Batistuta leads · 10 ranked
Il Toro
Il Grande Torino and the enduring soul of the Granata.
Valentino Mazzola leads · 10 ranked
Die Werderaner
The green-and-whites of the Weser and their attacking icons.
Marco Bode leads · 10 ranked
Die Schwaben
The Swabians and their stars, from the Magic Triangle to the champions.
Jürgen Klinsmann leads · 10 ranked
Cimbom
The Lions of Istanbul and the conquerors of the 2000 UEFA Cup.
Gheorghe Hagi leads · 10 ranked
Sarı Kanaryalar
The Yellow Canaries of Istanbul and their enduring idols.
Lefter Küçükandonyadis leads · 10 ranked
Xeneizes
The passion of La Bombonera and the idols of Argentina’s biggest club.
Juan Román Riquelme leads · 10 ranked
Los Millonarios
The elegance of El Monumental, from La Máquina to Gallardo.
Ángel Labruna leads · 10 ranked
O Mengão
Brazil’s most-supported club and its idols, led by the great Zico.
Zico leads · 10 ranked
O Peixe
The home of Pelé and a conveyor belt of Brazilian genius.
Pelé leads · 10 ranked
O Timão
The people’s club of São Paulo and its enduring idols.
Sócrates leads · 10 ranked
Les Mauves
Belgium’s most successful club and its European-winning icons.
Paul Van Himst leads · 10 ranked