Lionel Messi, captain of MLS club Inter Miami, forward of the Argentine national team, 2022 World Cup champion, and 2008 Olympic champion, has been recognized as the best football player in history by the IFFHS.
In second place in the ranking by the International Federation of Football History and Statistics (IFFHS) is Pele, the “king of football” and three-time World Cup champion (1958, 1962, 1970) with Brazil, who was also named the best footballer of the 20th century by FIFA. Diego Maradona, the 1986 world champion with Argentina and former player of Argentinos Juniors, Boca Juniors, Barcelona, Napoli, Sevilla, and Newell's Old Boys, secured the third spot.
The 37-year-old Messi has been playing for Miami since July 2023. In the 2025 MLS season, the Argentine forward played nine matches in the regular season, scoring five goals and providing two assists. His contract with Inter Miami runs until the end of December 2025, with his market value estimated at 20 million euros by Transfermarkt.
On May 16, in an interview with Mundo Deportivo, Barcelona and Spain winger Lamine Yamal, who was the 2024 European champion, named Messi the best footballer in history, expressing a desire to create his own legacy. On the same day, Messi congratulated his team, along with former Uruguayan national team center-forward Luis Suarez, on their La Liga championship title.
