Over the past 20 years, Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo have fought it out for supremacy, but how do they stack up against the legends that came before them?
No pundit can settle the football debate, but technology has now given it a fair shot.
The top 10 attacking players in history have been ranked by Chat GPT, and the list is impressive. But no one can ever accuse artificial intelligence of lacking thoroughness, since the list includes celebrities from the 1940s all the way up to the present.
However, despite what the general public believes, Lionel Messi is not regarded as the best forward in the history of the sport. Furthermore, Cristiano Ronaldo, who has five Ballon d’Or victories to his great rival’s eight, is not even among the top three.
Mirror Football evaluates the top 10 and renders a decision regarding the AI selections.
10. Eusebio
The legend of Portugal was “one of the top goal-scorers in the history of the sport,” and few can contest that.
That is certainly reflected in his 473 goals for Benfica, 528 goals in total during his club career, and 41 more goals for his nation. At the age of 71, the 1962 European Cup and Ballon d’Or winner passed away in 2014, solidifying his place among the game’s greatest players.
9. Alfredo Di Stefano
When talking about Real Madrid’s greatest goal scorers, the “blond arrow” is right up there with you know who, having won five European Cups with the team, scored 480 goals for the club, and scored 37 more goals for Spain and Argentina respectively.
He scored goals from his River Plate debut in 1945 until his final club assignment with Espanyol in 1966, so that’s not the only club that holds him in high regard.
8. George Best
Another option for nostalgic retailers, but one that might spark more pedantic debate.
Notwithstanding his personal issues, the Manchester United legend endures, eternally linked to the team’s 1968 European triumph and the “dribbling and goal-scoring prowess” AI attributes to him. Undoubtedly, his primary skills were demonstrated going forward; however, since he was primarily used out wide or in midfield, it is debatable exactly what constitutes a “forward.”
7. Ronaldo Nazario
First on the list, whose career highlights aren’t seen in black and white, is the player who won two FIFA World Cups with Brazil thanks to “his incredible speed and goal-scoring ability.”
Although ‘R9’ was an unutilized 17-year-old in the 1994 tournament, his goals to win the 2002 championship constituted one of the sport’s most touching comebacks. That statement is factually true. If he hadn’t been injured, he would have scored 352 goals for his club and 62 for the Selecao, not to mention that he would rank higher on this list.
6. Gerd Muller
The fact that lists are frequently deceptive is demonstrated by the fact that Miroslav Klose surpassed Gerd Muller as Germany’s highest scorer in World Cup matches.
Muller’s “ability to find the back of the net was exceptional,” as AI correctly points out, and he played a key role in his nation winning the Jules Rimet in 1974. With 68 goals in 62 cups and 654 goals in 716 games (mostly for Bayern Munich), these are incredible ratios that might make sixth place unfair.
5. Thierry Henry
It’s unlikely that you needed technology to inform supporters with insight that, for example, “a French striker known for his pace, skill, and prolific goal-scoring during his time at Arsenal.”
However, it was no accident that Henry finished in the top five after winning the World Cup, the European Championship, the Champions League, and championships in England and Spain. If Pavel Nedved hadn’t beaten him to the post in 2003, a Ballon d’Or would have served as a boost to his career.
4. Cristiano Ronaldo
The fourth best player in history? Even though AI credits the “modern great” with his incredible goal-scoring record and impressive trophy cabinet, the mere thought would have ‘CR7’ fuming.
The man who has long regarded himself as the greatest ever would become enraged at the sight of this list, given his record-breaking 127 goals for his country and his current club total of 737 goals with many more to come in Saudi Arabia. Although there will always be disagreements on that point, leaving him out of a “podium” setting is actually a judgment call.
3. Lionel Messi
“A prolific and versatile forward, Messi has consistently been among the top goal-scorers and playmakers in the world.” It goes without saying that fans everywhere will be happy that technology has taught them that one!
Despite scoring 178 goals for his country and 726 goals for his club, the general consensus that the little wizard was the best player to ever don boots was reinforced by his role in Argentina’s 2022 World Cup victory. Messi thinks it’s not that great, even though many would be overjoyed to be called the third best ever.
2. Diego Maradona
Similar to George Best, Maradona’s brilliance is undeniable. Similar to George Best, some might take issue with him being called a “forward.”
Yet as Chat GPT pointed out, it was his “goal-scoring ability and impact in front of the goal” that really defined him. Despite all the controversy surrounding his career, the way he led Argentina to the World Cup in 1986 will live on in sports history.
1. Pele
One existed as well. We are aware that he scored 77 goals in 92 matches for Brazil, but even the most precise technological advancements will never be able to fully capture his career total.