What makes a Football Icon?

So what exactly makes a Football ICON?

A typical football icon is someone who has made a significant impact on the sport of football and has achieved great success and recognition through their skills, accomplishments, and contributions.

Some qualities that make a football icon include:

1. Skill and talent: Football icons are often characterized by their exceptional skills, talent, and abilities on the field.
2. Accomplishments: Football icons have achieved great success and recognition through their performances, accomplishments, and awards, such as winning major tournaments or being recognized as the best player in the world.
3. Impact on the sport: Football icons have made a significant impact on the sport of football through their contributions, such as changing the way the game is played, introducing new techniques or tactics, or inspiring future generations of players.
4. Character and personality: Football icons often have a distinct personality or character that makes them stand out and endears them to fans, such as their passion, humility, leadership, or resilience.
5. Legacy: Football icons leave a lasting legacy in the sport through their influence and impact on future generations of players, coaches, and fans.

There are many football icons throughout history, and it is difficult to determine a definitive list of the top all-time icons as it often comes down to personal opinion. However, here are some names that are commonly considered as some of the greatest football icons of all time:

Some of the best Football Icons of all time

Pelé – Brazilian striker widely regarded as one of the greatest players in the history of football, known for his skill, athleticism, and goal-scoring ability.

Diego Maradona – Argentinian attacking midfielder and forward, known for his skill and creativity on the ball, as well as his controversial and often turbulent personal life.

Lionel Messi – Argentinian forward who is considered one of the greatest players of all time, known for his incredible skill and vision on the ball, as well as his consistent goal-scoring ability.

Cristiano Ronaldo – Portuguese forward who is widely regarded as one of the greatest players of all time, known for his athleticism, goal-scoring ability, and work ethic.

Johan Cruyff – Dutch attacking midfielder and forward, known for his skill, vision, and tactical innovation both as a player and later as a coach.

Zinedine Zidane – French midfielder and forward, known for his skill and creativity on the ball, as well as his elegance and grace on the pitch.

Franz Beckenbauer – German defender and midfielder, known for his skill, leadership, and tactical intelligence both as a player and later as a coach.

George Best – Northern Irish forward, known for his skill, speed, and flamboyant style of play, as well as his charismatic personality off the pitch.

Ferenc Puskás – Hungarian forward, known for his skill and goal-scoring ability, and widely regarded as one of the greatest players of all time.

Michel Platini – French attacking midfielder, known for his skill, vision, and goal-scoring ability, and widely regarded as one of the greatest midfielders in the history of football. Platini would have been a great midfielder to place a bet with the William Hill Plus card, especially the first goalscorer wagers.

The Top Goalkeeper Icons of all time

We have put together a list of the Top Goalkeepers of all time. Examples such as Lev Yashin, Dino Zoff, Gordon Banks, Peter Schmeichel, Gianluigi Buffon, and Manuel Neuer are some of the Contenders. Each of these goalkeepers had their unique strengths and accomplishments that set them apart from others and earned them a place in football history.

It is difficult to determine the goalkeeper with the most all-time saves as the recording of saves statistics is not standardized across different leagues and competitions. Additionally, the definition of what constitutes a save can vary between different organizations and even different matches. We have published a list of the Best goalkeepers in the world, if you would like to see some more examples.

However, some goalkeepers who are widely recognized as having made a significant number of saves throughout their careers include:

• Peter Shilton: made over 1,600 saves during his professional career, which spanned over 30 years and included stints at clubs such as Leicester City, Nottingham Forest, and Southampton, as well as the England national team.
• Gianluigi Buffon: made over 1,000 saves during his long and successful career, which has included spells at clubs such as Parma, Juventus, and Paris Saint-Germain, as well as the Italian national team.

• Dino Zoff: made over 1,100 saves during his career, which included stints at clubs such as Udinese, Juventus, and Napoli, as well as the Italian national team.
• Oliver Kahn: made over 1,000 saves during his career, which included spells at clubs such as Karlsruher SC and Bayern Munich, as well as the German national team.

Again, it’s worth noting that the exact number of saves made by each goalkeeper may vary depending on the source, and other goalkeepers may also be in the conversation for most saves of all time. Why not read about the Champions League winners of all time, these teams have all had great goalkeepers!

Top Defender Icons of all time

There are some defenders who are widely considered to be among the best in history, including Franz Beckenbauer, Paolo Maldini, Franco Baresi, Bobby Moore, Franco Causio, Cafu, and Carlos Alberto Torres, among others. Each of these defenders had their unique strengths and accomplishments that set them apart from others and earned them a place in football history.

The defender with the most clean sheets ever is also a difficult statistic to determine definitively, as the recording of clean sheets statistics is not standardized across different leagues and competitions. Additionally, clean sheets depend not only on the individual performances of defenders but also on the team’s overall defensive strategy and tactics. Check out the latest football betting websites with our free guide.

However, some defenders who are widely recognized as having kept a significant number of clean sheets throughout their careers include:

• Paolo Maldini: a legendary Italian defender who played for AC Milan for over 25 years and is widely regarded as one of the greatest defenders of all time. He kept over 300 clean sheets during his career.
• Fabio Cannavaro: another Italian defender who played for clubs such as Parma, Inter Milan, and Juventus, as well as the Italian national team. He kept over 200 clean sheets during his career.
• Nemanja Vidic: a Serbian defender who played for Manchester United for over 8 years and was known for his toughness and leadership. He kept over 180 clean sheets during his career.
• John Terry: an English defender who played for Chelsea for over 19 years and was known for his defensive skills and leadership. He kept over 200 clean sheets during his career.

Again, it’s worth noting that the exact number of clean sheets kept by each defender may vary depending on the source, and other defenders may also be in the conversation for most clean sheets of all time.

All time best midfielder Icons

Some midfielders are widely considered to be among the best in history, including Pelé, Diego Maradona, Johan Cruyff, Zinedine Zidane, Michel Platini, Franz Beckenbauer, Xavi Hernandez, Andres Iniesta, and Lothar Matthäus, among others. Each of these midfielders had their unique strengths and accomplishments that set them apart from others and earned them a place in football history.

The top scoring midfielder of all time is a difficult statistic to determine definitively, as there are various ways to classify midfielders and different competitions with different scoring systems. However, some midfielders who are widely recognized as having scored a significant number of goals throughout their careers include:

• Frank Lampard: scored over 300 goals for his club and country, with a large portion of those coming from his time as a midfielder for Chelsea.
• Paul Scholes: scored over 150 goals for Manchester United during his career as a midfielder.
• Steven Gerrard: scored over 200 goals for his club and country, with many of those coming from his time as a central midfielder for Liverpool.

• Andres Iniesta: scored over 70 goals for Barcelona and Spain during his career as an attacking midfielder.
• Michel Platini: scored over 220 goals during his career as a midfielder for Nancy, Saint-Étienne, Juventus, and France.

It’s worth noting that the exact number of goals scored by each player may vary depending on the source, and other midfielders may also be in the conversation for top scoring midfielder of all time.

Top Icon Strikers of all time

However, there are some strikers who are widely considered to be among the best in history, including Pelé, Diego Maradona, Lionel Messi, Cristiano Ronaldo, Ferenc Puskás, Gerd Muller, Marco van Basten, Ronaldo Nazário, and Thierry Henry, among others. Each of these strikers had their unique strengths and accomplishments that set them apart from others and earned them a place in football history.

The top goalscorer in the world is Lionel Messi, who has scored more than 806 goals for his club and country. However, this number is constantly changing as Messi and other players continue to score goals in their respective leagues and competitions. It’s also worth noting that there are different criteria and methods for calculating the top goalscorer, depending on the competition, era, and other factors. These figures are correct as of 6th June 2024. The latest statistics for the EFL Championship top scorers are now available to view. Check out the 2022 – 2024 Premier League top scorers list of strikers!

Football Manager Icons of all time

Some football managers are widely considered to be among the best in history, including Sir Alex Ferguson, José Mourinho, Pep Guardiola, Arrigo Sacchi, Carlo Ancelotti, Rinus Michels, Bill Shankly, Bob Paisley, and Johan Cruyff, among others. Each of these managers had their unique coaching styles and accomplishments that set them apart from others and earned them a place in football history.

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