Who is the greatest player of all time?
It's a question that has been asked for many, many years.
The answer tends to be either Lionel Messi or Cristiano Ronaldo, with the two superstars winning 12 Ballons d'Or between them. They have dominated football for an entire generation.
Before them, though, there was Pele and Diego Maradona. The two South Americans dominated the sport during their era and are still in the GOAT conversation despite the emergence of Messi and Ronaldo.
Who is the greatest player of all time?
However, Ronaldo Nazario - the Brazilian Ronaldo - named eight players who he thinks are in a 'very special' group among the greatest players of all time. And he didn't name Cristiano in that.
“I think there is a very, very special group where you have Diego, Messi, Cruyff, Beckenbauer, Pelé, Van Basten, Ronaldinho," he told the Guardian in 2022. "I would include myself. Let the fans say, let them debate it in the bars. But you can’t rank them, can’t compare generations."
It really is a 'very special group' with Diego Maradona, Lionel Messi, Johan Cruyff, Franz Beckenbauer, Pele, Marco van Basten, Ronaldinho and Ronaldo Nazario himself.
While there can be no arguments over the players included, there are some notable absentees in Ronaldo's list.
How can he possibly exclude Cristiano Ronaldo?
The likes of Michel Platini, Alfredo Di Stefano, Zinedine Zidane, George Best and Ferenc Puskas will all feel hard done by not to be mentioned.
But who are we to argue with the opinion of someone who has played at the very highest level - and one of the greatest strikers to have lived?
So, let's take a look at the seven players he did include - and why they deserve to be in the GOAT debate
Diego Maradona
Diego Maradona is widely regarded as one of the greatest to have played the game. The Argentine played in four World Cups - and led his nation to victory in 1986. His greatest achievement at club level was at Napoli, where he inspired them to their first ever Serie A title in 1986/87. They won their second a few years later. If you're to walk around Naples, you will see Maradona merchandise and graffiti down almost every street. He's remembered as a god in the city and for every reason.
Lionel Messi
From one Argentine legend to another. While Maradona may be considered one of the best, Messi might just be the best. The Inter Miami man has won seven Ballons d'Or and his 2022 World Cup win may well have secured his GOAT status. There are too many records and accolades to speak about but 672 goals in 778 appearances for Barcelona goes some way to explaining his brilliance. But Messi simply isn't about goals. Yes, he may go down as the greatest goalscorer of all time but he'll also go down as the greatest playmaker, the greatest dribbler and surely the greatest player. of all time.
Johan Cruyff
He may not be considered the very best but Johan Cruyff is surely the most influential and revolutionary footballer ever. The Dutchman won three Ballons D'or in 1971, 1973, and 1974 establishing himself as an Ajax and Barcelona legend. He's also responsible for inventing the 'Cruyff' turn - a skill that is still widely used in modern football as a way to skillfully beat defenders. His managing career wasn't bad either for both of those clubs, becoming one of the best managers of all time too.
Franz Beckenbauer
The greatest defender of all time? Well Ronaldo appears to think so with Beckenbauer being the only defensive-minded player to feature in his list of seven. But the German is fully deserving of his place. Beckenbauer is credited for inventing the 'modern sweeper' role and is one of just nine players to have won the FIFA World Cup, the European Champions Cup and the Ballon d'Or. He played almost 600 times for Bayern Munich, winning everything there was to win.
Pele
As Ronaldo said, you "can’t compare generations." And he's right. How good was Pele? There aren't too many people alive that can say they watched Pele in his prime and remember just how good he was. We don't even know how goals he scored. The figures are often disputed but FIFA state the Brazilian scored 1,281 goals in 1,363 games. What we do know is that he won three World Cups for Brazil and is a Santos legend.
Marco van Basten
Marco van Basten is regarded as one of the best strikers ever. And that's despite playing his final match at the age of 28 following an ankle injury. He won the Ballon d'Or on three occasions - 1988, 1989 and 1992. He also won three Eredivisie titles and the Cup Winners' Cup with Ajax, and four Serie A titles and three European Cups with Milan. For the Netherlands, he scored 24 goals and helped them win Euro 1988 in a tournament where he scored five goals - including that volley against Soviet Union in the final.
Ronaldinho
Ronaldinho is rarely mentioned in the GOAT debate but there can be no denying how uniquely brilliant the Brazilian was. At his peak, he was the best in the world, winning the Ballon d'Or in 2005. It was simply a joy to watch Ronaldinho during those 2005/06 and 2006/07 seasons at Barcelona. Smiling his way through world class performance and match-winning moments. One of the most skillful players in history.
Ronaldo Nazario
Ronaldo picked himself as one of the seven greatest players of all time. And, you know what? We don't blame him. We're going to defend Ronaldo for his ego trip because he was one of the greatest strikers ever. He was the first real superstar in football with those Nike Mercurial Vapors and blistering pace, Ronaldo was almost impossible to stop. That was until those devating knee injuries that threatened to derail his career. At 20, Ronaldo had the world at his feet following a move from PSV to Barcelona for a world record fee. He was named FIFA World Player of the Year. A year later, he broke the transfer record again when Inter signed him and he became the youngest recipient of the Ballon d'Or when he claimed it at 21. Fifty nine goals in 99 appearances for Inter Milan earned him a move to Real Madrid, where a further 104 goals were scored. He finished his career at AC Milan and Corinthians before injuries finally took their toll. But what a player.