Pele: 120 best living players

Pele has ruffled a few feathers in his home country with his list of the Top 120 footballers still alive. There are plenty of deserved candidates but many baffling inclusions and ommissions not restricted to his compatriots.

It is nice to see that the island of Ireland supplies two, the Republic's Roy Keane and Northern Ireland's George Best (still alive, just). I probably would have added Paul McGrath and Liam Brady but you can't have everything.

Few would argue with his roll call of Argentinia's greats, though I think Seba Veron and, in particular, Javier Saviola are out of their league, being bracketed with Diego Maradona and the incomparable Alfredo di Stefano. As for Di Stefano's Real Madrid clubmate, Ferenc Puskas: Can he really be Hungary's solitary representative in this list? Surely there remain living, one or two more "Magic Magyars"?

There are many countries which are represented by a single fine footballer each. Liberia has George Weah, Ukraine has Andriy Shevchenko, Romania has the "Maradona of the Carpathians" himself: Gheorghe Hagi, but Japan, South Korea and Senegal are surely flattered by the elevation of the mediocre triumvirate of, respectively, Hidetoshi Nakata, Hong Myung-Bo and El Hadji Diouf to this sporting pantheon.

Comments

[John]

What? No Sylvester Stallone! That's an outrage!!
http://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/Victory-1022576/about.php

[Abiola Lapite]

Pele is a guy with a keen eye on where financial opportunities lie, and I'm sure he can see clearly that flattering the Far Eastern market will pay off big in the long run - if only in terms of personal endorsements that get thrown his way - explaining the inclusion of guys like Nakata.

[Frank McGahon]

That's probably true but I don't think it's the whole picture. This is actually a good example of "World Cup myopia".

Often, the only time a player gets noticed internationally is during the World Cup. This explains the elevation of El Hadj Diouf who had performed very well for Senegal during World Cup 2002 but is pretty mediocre for his club Liverpool.

It might also explain the omission of Ryan Giggs, an outstanding footballer for Manchester United and Wales, who has never played top level international football.

[Ciarán]

why, then the inclusion of Best (never in a World Cup) and Cantona.

I dont quite think that Giggs has been consistent enough often enough to warrant the list but neither have many others included.

E-H-Diuof is a fcuking joke, as are wuite a few others I cant be bothered typing out right now.

But the omission of McGrath and Jimmy Johnstone alone make the list poorer. I also think Larsson should have been there.

David Beckham should never be in the list, nor I believe should MIcheal Owen.

However this a weakly thought out list from a man whose predictions are only rather less reliable than his erections.

[Brian]

Thbe reason this roiled so many feathers is because media shorthand caused people to misunderstand the list.

It was not the 125 best players of all time. It was the 75 best of all time and the 50 best of today. It was really two lists.

But people saw Ballack, Nakata and Diouf together with Pele, Maradona and Cruyff and flipped out.

[stephen gilliland]

if jimmy johnstone played for manchester utd or any english team for that matter he would have been known as one of the greatest as he should be
kenny dalgleish is always thought of as one of the best well he played in england didnt he ? jinky was 10Xbetter than kenny.

[Ayodeji Tayo]

In fear saying, Pele had a good list.if the numbers were to be more than that,most players that were not mentioned could have made the list.some countries are even represented by each player ...like Jay Jay Okocha(Nigeria),El Hadji Diouf(senegal),Hristo Stoichko(Bulgaria)....This is to show the level of unbaised in his selection.Kudos to the soccer Legend!!!

[arian p]

i want list of 120 men of world please send it for my id thank