The World‘s best Player of the Century
Welt-Fussballer des Jahrhunderts
El Mejor Jugador Mundial del Siglo
Meilleur Joueur Mondial du Siècle
by IFFHS
1. Edson Arantes do Nascimento Pelé (Brasil)
2. Hendrik Johannes Cruijff (Nederland)
3. Franz Beckenbauer (Deutschland)
4. Alfredo Di Stéfano (Argentina/España)
5. Diego Armando Maradona (Argentina)
6. Ferenc Puskás (Magyarország/ España)
7. Michel Platini (France)
8. Manoel dos Santos Garrincha (Brasil)
9. Eusébio Ferreira da Silva (Portugal)
10. Sir Robert Charlton (England)
11. Sir Stanley Matthews (England)
12. Marcel van Basten (Nederland)
13. Gerhard Müller (Deutschland)
14. Arthur Antunes Coimbra Zico (Brasil)
15. Lothar Matthäus (Deutschland)
16. George Best (Northern Ireland)
17. Juan Alberto Schiaffino (Uruguay)
18. Ruud Gullit Dil (Nederland)
19. Giovanni Rivera (Italia)
Valdir Pereira Didi (Brasil)
21. Giuseppe Meazza (Italia)
22. Matthias Sindelar (Österreich)
23. Fritz Walter (Deutschland)
24. Robert Moore (England)
25. José Manuel Moreno (Argentina)
26. Hugo Sánchez (México)
27. George Weah (Liberia)
28. Roger Milla (Cameroun)
29. José Leandro Andrade (Uruguay)
30. Francisco Gento (España)
Just Fontaine (France)
32. Ladislao Kubala (Magyarország/Československo/España)
33. Franco Baresi (Italia)
34. Josef Bican (Österreich/Československo)
35. Karl-Heinz Rummenigge (Deutschland)
36. Enrique Omar Sivori (Argentina/Italia)
37. Elías Ricardo Figueroa (Chile)
38. Kevin Keegan (England)
39. Sándor Kocsis (Magyarország)
40. Héctor Scarone (Uruguay)
41. Josef Masopust (Československo)
42. Giacinto Facchetti (Italia)
43. Alessandro Mazzola (Italia)
Raymond Kopa (France)
45. Uwe Seeler (Deutschland)
46. Gunnar Nordahl (Sverige)
47. Thomas Soãres Zizinho (Brasil)
48. Teófilo Cubillas (Perú)
49. Arsenio Pastor Erico (Paraguay)
50. Denis Law (Scotland)
51. Silvio Piola (Italia)
52. Adolfo Pedernera (Argentina)
[more details - see chapter VII]
World Football Gala 2000 - 4. January 2000 in the MEIROTELS-Halle in Rotenburg a.d. Fulda (Germany)

Monika Fasnacht (Presenter/Switzerland), Franz Beckenbauer (Germany).
Foto: IFFHS

Monika Fasnacht, Franz Beckenbauer.
Foto: IFFHS

Monika Fasnacht, Franz Beckenbauer.
Foto: IFFHS

Monika Fasnacht, Ángel Maria Villar Llona (FIFA Vice-President/España), Franz Beckenbauer.
Foto: IFFHS

Monika Fasnacht, Ángel Maria Villar Llona, Franz Beckenbauer .
Foto: IFFHS

Monika Fasnacht, Ángel Maria Villar Llona, Franz Beckenbauer .
Foto: IFFHS

Franz Beckenbauer
Foto: IFFHS

Monika Fasnacht, Franz Beckenbauer.
Foto: IFFHS

Monika Fasnacht, Franz Beckenbauer, Dr. Alfredo Pöge (IFFHS President)
Foto: IFFHS

Hendrik Johannes "Johan" Cruijff (Netherland)
Foto: IFFHS

Monika Fasnacht, Hendrik Johannes "Johan" Cruijff, Franz Beckenbauer.
Foto: IFFHS

Monika Fasnacht, Jack A. Warner (FIFA Vice-President/CONCACAF President)
Foto: IFFHS

Monika Fasnacht, Franz Beckenbauer, Jack A. Warner, "Johan" Cruijff.
Foto: IFFHS

Monika Fasnacht, Franz Beckenbauer, Jack A. Warner, "Johan" Cruijff.
Foto: IFFHS

Jack A. Warner (Trinidad and Tobago)
Foto: IFFHS

Monika Fasnacht, Franz Beckenbauer, Jack A. Warner, "Johan" Cruijff.
Foto: IFFHS

Monika Fasnacht, Franz Beckenbauer, Jack A. Warner, "Johan" Cruijff.
Foto: IFFHS

Monika Fasnacht, Franz Beckenbauer, "Johan" Cruijff.
Foto: IFFHS

Franz Beckenbauer, "Johan" Cruijff.
Foto: IFFHS

"König Johan" Cruijff, "Kaiser" Beckenbauer.
Foto: IFFHS

Franz Beckenbauer, Hendrik Johannes "Johan" Cruijff.
Foto: IFFHS

Franz Beckenbauer, Hendrik Johannes Cruijff, Dr. Alfredo Pöge.
Foto: IFFHS

Monika Fasnacht, Franz Beckenbauer, Hendrik Johannes Cruijff. Pelé could not take part on the Gala because of a longterm obligation in the foreign countries - he sent a telegram to all participants.
Foto: IFFHS

Monika Fasnacht, Franz Beckenbauer, Hendrik Johannes Cruijff, Dr. Alfredo Pöge.
Foto: IFFHS

Franz Beckenbauer, Hendrik Johannes Cruijff.
Foto: IFFHS

Edson Arantes do Nascimento Pelé
Foto: Horst Müller

Pelé in the World Cup final 1958 against Sweden.
Foto: Horst Müller

Edson Arantes do Nascimento Pelé
Foto: Horst Müller

Edson Arantes do Nascimento Pelé
Foto: IFFHS

Hendrik Johannes "Johan" Cruijff
Foto: Piet Bouts

"Johan" Cruijff
Foto: Piet Bouts

"Johan" Cruijff
Foto: EFE

"Johan" Cruijff
Foto: IFFHS

Franz Beckenbauer
Foto: Horst Müller

Franz Beckenbauer
Foto: Horst Müller

Franz Beckenbauer
Foto: Horst Müller

Franz Beckenbauer, right Troche (Uruguay).
Foto: Horst Müller

Alfredo "La Saeta Rubia" Di Stéfano (Argentina)
Foto: IFFHS

Alfredo Di Stéfano (in the middle).
Foto: IFFHS

Alfredo Di Stéfano (Spain).
Foto: Presse Sports

Alfredo Di Stéfano (Real Madrid CF) received as captain the the champion trophy
Foto: EFE

Diego Armando Maradona (Argentina)
Foto: Johannes Kösegi

Diego Armando "Pelusa" Maradona
Foto: Johannes Kösegi

Diego Armando "Pelusa" Maradona
Foto: IFFHS

Ferenc Puskás (Hungary)
Foto: IFFHS

Ferenc Puskás, left Werner Liebrich (World Cup final 1954)
Foto: Votava

Ferenc Puskás (Spain)
Foto: IFFHS

Ferenc Puskás
Foto: EFE

Michel Platini (France)
Foto: Johannes Kösegi

Michel "La Platine" Platini (France)
Foto: Johannes Kösegi

Michel Platini (France)
Foto: Presse Sports

Manoel dos Santos Garrincha (Brazil)
Foto: Colorsport

Garrincha, left in the jersey of Botafogo.
Foto: Placar

Garrincha, in the middle in the jersey of the "Selecão Brasileira".
Foto: Placar

Eusébio Ferreira da Silva (Portugal)
Foto: IFFHS

"Pantera Negra" Eusébio
Foto: IFFHS

Sir Robert Charlton (England)
Foto: Colorsport

Robert "Bobby" Charlton (left)
Foto: Colorsport

Sir Stanley Matthews (England)
Foto: IFFHS

Stanley "Stan" Matthews
Foto: Colorsport

Marcel "Marco" van Basten (Netherlands)
Foto: Johannes Kösegi

Marcel "Marco" van Basten
Foto: Johannes Kösegi

Gerhard "Gerd" Müller (Germany)
Foto: IFFHS

Gerhard "Gerd" Müller in the league match against Hannover 96
Foto: Horst Müller

Arthur Antunes Coimbra Zico (Brazil)
Foto: Johannes Kösegi

Arthur Antunes Coimbra Zico - the "White Pelé".
Foto: Johannes Kösegi

Lothar Matthäus (Germany)
Foto: Johannes Kösegi

Lothar "Loddar" Matthäus
Foto: Johannes Kösegi

George Best (Northern Ireland)
Foto: IFFHS

George "El Beatle" Best
Foto: Colorsport

Juan Alberto Schiaffino (Uruguay)
Foto: Olympia

Juan Alberto "Pepe" Schiaffino
Foto: Olympia

Ruud Gullit Dil (Netherlands)
Foto: Johannes Kösegi

Ruud "Il Tulipano Negro" Gullit
Foto: Johannes Kösegi

Giovanni "Gianni" Rivera (Italy)
Foto: Olympia

Giovanni "Golden boy" Rivera
Foto: IFFHS

Valdir Pereira Didi (Brazil)
Foto: Votava

Evaristo, Indio, Didi (all Brazil / f. l. t. r.)
Foto: Journal dos Sports

Giuseppe Meazza (Italy)
Foto: IFFHS

Giuseppe "Peppe" Meazza
Foto: IFFHS

Matthias "Sindi" Sindelar (Austria)
Foto: Votava

Matthias "Sindi" Sindelar
Foto: Votava

Fritz Walter (Germany)
Foto: Horst Müller

Fritz "Friedrich" Walter
Foto: Horst Müller

Robert Moore (England)
Foto: Kicker-Sportmagazin

Robert "Bobby" Moore
Foto: Kicker-Sportmagazin

José Manuel "Charro" Moreno (Argentina)
Foto: IFFHS

Adolfo Pedernera (left), José Manuel Moreno (both Argentina)
Foto: IFFHS

Hugo Sánchez (Mexico)
Foto: IFFHS

George Weah (Liberia)
Foto: Olympia

Roger Milla (Cameroon) in the World Cup finals 1990, right René Higuita (Colombia).
Foto: IFFHS

José Leandro Andrade (Uruguay)
Foto: IFFHS

Francisco Gento (Spain)
Foto: EFE

Just Fontaine (France)
Foto: Presse Sports

László / Ladislav / Ladislao Kubala (Hungary / Czechoslovakia / Spain)
Foto: IFFHS

Franco Baresi (Italy)
Foto: Johannes Kösegi

Josef "Pepi" Bican (Czechoslovakia)
Foto: Karel Novák

Karl-Heinz "Kalle" Rummenigge (Germany)
Foto: Horst Müller

Enrique Omar Sivori (Argentina/Italy)
Foto: IFFHS

Elías Ricardo Figueroa (Chile)
Foto: Placar

Kevin Keegan (England)
Foto: Colorsport

Sándor Kocsis (Hungary)
Foto:EFE

Héctor "El Mago" Scarone (Uruguay)
Foto: IFFHS

Josef Masopust (Czechoslovakia)
Foto: Karel Novák

Giacinto Facchetti (Italy)
Foto: IFFHS

Alessandro Mazzola (Italy)
Foto: Olympia

Raymond Kopa (France)
Foto: IFFHS

Uwe Seeler (Germany)
Foto: Horst Müller

Gunnar Nordahl (Sweden)
Foto: Olympia

Thomas Soãres da Silva "Zizinho" (Brazil)
Foto: CONMEBOL

Teófilo Cubillas (Peru)
Foto: Presse Sports

Denis Law (Scotland)
Foto: Colorsport

Arsenio Pastor Erico (Paraguay) in the middle, right Domingos Antônio da Guía (Brazil)
Foto: IFFHS

Silvio Piola (Italy)
Foto: IFFHS