View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Soccer Laduma (@soccer_laduma)

Login

Marco Van Basten Names His 7 Best Players In History, Lionel Messi Snubbed In Top 3

Marco Van Basten Names His 7 Best Players In History, Lionel Messi Snubbed In Top 3

Three-time Ballon d'Or winner Marco van Basten has seemingly named the seven footballers he believes are the greatest of all time, but snubbed Lionel Messi when listing his top three.

Click through the gallery above to see the seven players mentioned by Van Basten in the order in which he listed them.

Considered one of the best goalscorers of all time, the legendary Dutchman was a striker many young forwards aimed to mimic, despite his career ending abruptly due to unfortunate injuries.

At his peak, Van Basten was a lethal forward who found the net consistently for the only two clubs he represented in his career – Ajax Amsterdam and AC Milan – and scored 24 goals in 58 matches for the Netherlands between 1983 and 1992.

Having played his last professional game at just 28 years old, the now-57-year-old is fondly remembered by those who were lucky enough to watch him play, with the ex-Milan man just one of five footballers who have won the Ballon d'Or three times or more.

Van Basten claimed the prestigious individual accolade in 1988, 1989 and in 1992, but who does he believe are among the sport's leading men?

In a recent interview, the former Netherlands assistant manager named Pele, Diego Maradona and Johan Cruyff as the three greatest players in history, and said that while "Messi is also a great player", the Argentine "is not the one who puts himself at the front to go to war".

He continued by mentioning the seven-time Ballon d'Or winner's long-time rival Cristiano Ronaldo, whom he said he was not forgetting, alongside French icons Michel Platini and Zinedine Zidane.

Messi To Return To Barca In 2023?

Of all the players listed by Van Basten, only Pele and Maradona did not win football's most important individual prize, although that could be because the award was once only handed out to European players.

Related tags

Comments

Top 5

‘It Broke Me’ – Mofokeng’s Mom Opens Up

May 08, 2025 11:23 AM in Orlando-Pirates

Sirino Names His Player Of The Season

May 06, 2025 01:39 PM in Player-Of-The-Season

Hunt Intensifies: Pirates In Advanced Talks

May 07, 2025 02:05 PM in Orlando-Pirates

Nedbank Cup Final Starting XI: Chiefs v Pirates

May 10, 2025 02:06 PM in Starting-XI-Previews

Downs Willing To Cut Losses With Midfielder?

May 06, 2025 08:28 AM in Mamelodi-Sundowns

Rele the Real Deal — Bucs Star Eyes SL POTY Accolade

May 08, 2025 03:44 PM in Player-Of-The-Season

Kimvuidi’s Future After Statement Display

May 08, 2025 12:43 PM in Orlando-Pirates

Real Madrid 'Eye' Another Liverpool Raid

May 09, 2025 06:40 AM in Real-Madrid

Al Ahly’s Manager Shortlist ‘Revealed’

May 08, 2025 02:29 PM in African Football