Best Footballer from Each Decade

Can you name the best footballers from each decade throughout history. Based on the Ballon D'or, stats, trophies etc.
source- Wikipedia
from 1950s onwards
As the 2020s have not finished yet, they are not included in this quiz
Quiz by
DeanPelton
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Last updated: January 4, 2026
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First submittedJanuary 4, 2026
Times taken26
Average score85.7%
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Decade
Club History (specified decade only)
International History (See previous column)
Team Honours
Individual Honours
Player
1950s
1950- 1953- Millonarios 1953- 1959- Real Madrid
1947- Argentina 1951- Colombia 1957-1961- Spain
Campeonato Profesional: 1951, 1952 Copa Colombia: 1953 La Liga: 1953-54, 1954-55, 1956-57, 1957-58 European cup: 1955-56, 1956-57, 1957-58, 1958-59 Latin Cup: 1955, 1957
Campeonato Profesional top scorer: 1951, 1952 Pichichi Trophy: 1953–54, 1955–56, 1956–57, 1957–58 (joint), 1958–59 Ballon D'or: 1957, 1959 European Cup top scorer: 1957–58 Spanish Player (Athlete) of the Year: 1957, 1959
Alfredo Di Stefano
1960s
1960- 1969- Santos
1960-1969- Brazil
Campeonato Brasileiro Série A: 1961, 1962, 1963, 1964, 1965, 1968 Copa Libertadores: 1962, 1963 Intercontinental Supercup: 1968 Campeonato Paulista: 1960, 1961, 1962, 1964, 1965, 1967, 1968, 1969, Torneio Rio-São Paulo: 1963, 1964, 1966 FIFA World Cup: 1962
Campeonato Paulista Top Scorer: 1960, 1961, 1962, 1963, 1964, 1965, 1969, Gol de Placa: 1961 Campeonato Brasileiro Série A Top Scorer: 1961, 1963, 1964 Intercontinental Cup Top Scorer: 1962, 1963 Torneio Rio-São Paulo Top Scorer: 1963 Copa Libertadores Top Scorer: 1965
Pele
1970s
1970- 1973- Ajax 1973-1978- Barcelona 1979- Los Angeles Aztecs
1970-1977- Netherlands
Eredivisie: 1969–70, 1971–72, 1972–73, KNVB Cup: 1969–70, 1970–71, 1971–72, European Cup: 1970–71, 1971–72, 1972–73 European Super Cup: 1972 Intercontinental Cup: 1972 La Liga: 1973–74 Copa del Rey: 1977–78
Ballon d'Or: 1971, 1973, 1974 Eredivisie top scorer: 1971–72 KNVB Cup top scorer: 1969–70, 1970–71, 1971–72 European Cup top scorer: 1971–72 Dutch Footballer of the Year: 1972 Dutch Sportsman of the Year: 1973, 1974 FIFA World Cup Golden Ball: 1974 FIFA World Cup All-Star Team: 1974 Sport Ideal European XI: 1971, 1972, 1973,1974, 1975,1976, 1977 FUWO European Team of the Season: 1972 World XI: 1972, 1977 Onze de Onze: 1977 Don Balón Award for Best LaLiga Foreign Player: 1977, 1978 North American Soccer League MVP: 1979
Johan Cruyff
1980s
1980-1981 Argentinos Juniors 1981-1982- Boca Juniors 1982-1984- Barcelona 1984-1989- Napoli
1980-1989- Argentina
Argentine Primera División: 1981 Metropolitano Copa del Rey: 1982–83 Copa de la Liga: 1983 Serie A: 1986–87 Coppa Italia: 1986–87 UEFA Cup: 1988–89 FIFA World Cup: 1986
Olimpia de Oro: 1986 Guerin Sportivo World Player of the Year: 1986, 1987 Argentine Football Writers' Footballer of the Year: 1980, 1981, 1986 El Mundo South American Footballer of the Year: 1980, 1986, 1989 El Gráfico Footballer of the Americas:[v] 1980, 1981 Guerin Sportivo World All-star Team: 1980, 1981, 1982, 1983, 1985 Eric Batty's World XI: 1984, 1987 Serie A Team of The Year: 1985, 1986, 1987, 1988 Guerin d'Oro (Serie A Footballer of the Year): 1985 Onze de Onze: 1985, 1986, 1987, 1988, 1989 FIFA World Cup Golden Ball: 1986 FIFA World Cup Silver Shoe: 1986 FIFA World Cup Most Assists: 1986 L'Équipe Champion of Champions: 1986 La Gazzetta dello Sport Athlete of the Year: 1986 Agence France-Presse Athlete of the Year: 1986 Associated Press Athlete of the Year: 1986 United Press International Athlete of the Year: 1986 Corriere dello Sport Athlete of the Year: 1986 Onze d'Or: 1986, 1987 La Gazzetta dello Sport Footballer of the Year: 1987, 1988 Capocannoniere (Serie A top scorer): 1987–88 Coppa Italia top scorer: 1987–88
Diego Maradona
1990s
1990-1992- Cannes 1992-1996- Bordeaux 1996-1999- Juventus
1994-1999- France
UEFA Intertoto Cup: 1995 UEFA Cup runner-up: 1995–96 Serie A: 1996–97, 1997–98 Supercoppa Italiana: 1997 UEFA Super Cup: 1996 Intercontinental Cup: 1996 UEFA Intertoto Cup: 1999 UEFA Champions League runner-up: 1996–97, 1997–98 FIFA World Cup: 1998
French Division 1 Young Player of the Year: 1993–94 French Division 1 Player of the Year: 1995–96 Serie A Foreign Footballer of the Year: 1996–97, Onze d'Argent: 1997, FIFA XI: 1997, 1998, ESM Team of the Year: 1997–98 UEFA Club Midfielder of the Year: 1998 L'Équipe International Champion of Champions: 1998 L'Équipe France Champion of Champions: 1998 FIFA World Cup All-Star team: 1998 World Soccer Awards Player of the Year: 1998 France Football French Player of the Year: 1998, Onze d'Or: 1998, Ballon d'Or: 1998 FIFA World Player of the Year: 1998, El País European Player of the Year: 1998 Onze de Bronze: 1999 World Soccer's Selection of the 100 Greatest Footballers of the 20th century: 1999
Zinedine Zidane
2000s
2000-2001- Gremio 2001-2003- Paris Saint Germain 2003- 2008- Barcelona 2008-2009- Milan
2000-2009- Brazil
La Liga: 2004–05, 2005–06 Supercopa de España: 2005, 2006 UEFA Champions League: 2005–06 FIFA World Cup: 2002
CONMEBOL Pre-Olympic Tournament top scorer: 2000 Bola de Prata: 2000, FIFA World Cup All-Star Team: 2002 Ligue 1 Goal of The Year: 2003 FIFA 100: 2004 Don Balón Award: 2003–04, 2005–06 Trofeo EFE: 2003–04 FIFA World Player of the Year: 2004, 2005 UEFA Team of the Year: 2004, 2005, 2006 World Soccer Magazine World Player of The Year: 2004, 2005 UEFA Club Forward of the Year: 2004–05 FIFA Confederations Cup Bronze Ball: 2005 Ballon d'Or: 2005 Onze d'Or: 2005 FIFPro World Player of the Year: 2005, 2006 FIFPro World XI: 2005, 2006, 2007 UEFA Club Footballer of the Year: 2005–06 La Liga top assist provider: 2005–06 UEFA Champions League top assist provider: 2005–06 FIFA Club World Cup Bronze Ball: 2006 FIFA World Player of the Year Bronze award: 2006 Golden Foot: 2009 Sports Illustrated Team of the Decade: 2009 World Player of the Decade 2000s: 2009
Ronaldinho
2010s
2010-2019- Barcelona
2010-2019- Argentina
La Liga: 2009–10, 2010–11, 2012–13, 2014–15, 2015–16, 2017–18, 2018–19 Copa del Rey: 2011–12, 2014–15, 2015–16, 2016–17, 2017–18, Supercopa de España 2010, 2011, 2013, 2016, 2018 UEFA Champions League 2010–11, 2014–15 UEFA Super Cup: 2011, 2015 FIFA Club World Cup: 2011, 2015
Ballon d'Or: 2010, 2011, 2012, 2015, 2019, FIFA World Player of the Year/FIFA Ballon d'Or/The Best FIFA Men's Player: 2010, 2011, 2012, 2015, 2019, European Golden Shoe: 2009–10, 2011–12, 2012–13, 2016–17, 2017–18, 2018–19 FIFA World Cup Golden Ball: 2014 FIFA Club World Cup Golden Ball: 2011 UEFA Men's Player of the Year Award: 2010–11, 2014–15 UEFA Champions League top scorer: 2009–10, 2010–11, 2011–12, 2014–15, 2018–19 Copa América Golden Ball: 2015, Copa América Golden Boot: La Liga Best Player: 2009–10, 2010–11, 2011–12, 2012–13, 2014–15, 2016–17, 2017–18, 2018–19 Pichichi Trophy: 2009−10, 2011–12, 2012−13, 2016–17, 2017−18, 2018–19, FIFPRO World 11: 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014, 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019, Argentine Sportsperson of the Year: 2011 Argentine Footballer of the Year: 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2015, 2016, 2017, 2019
Lionel Messi
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