5 most naturally gifted footballers of all time
Over the years, the beautiful game has featured some of the finest players across various positions.
The likes of Lev Yashin, Paolo Maldini, Franz Beckenbauer, Zinedine Zidane, Pele and Diego Maradona, and more recently Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi, have enthralled and entertained in equal measure.
More often than not, though, it's the ones operating in the middle and attacking third of the field who are in the limelight. That's because these players are more often involved in plays than their defensive colleagues, which means they get more opportunities to showcase their prowess.
Many such players have racked up jaw-dropping numbers over the years. However, only a few have done so while helping their teams win big titles or redefining the way the game is played.
So without further ado, here's a look at five of the most gifted players to have graced football:
#5 Cristiano Ronaldo
Cristiano Ronaldo is widely regarded as one of the finest players to have played the game. That's because over a near two-decade-long career, the 36-year-old has scored goals and won titles galore for club and country.
Ronaldo, who won the Euros with Portugal in 2016, is the all-time top scorer for Real Madrid and in Champions League history. The five-time Ballon d'Or winner is the only player to score in five different European Championships and is the joint-most prolific male scorer in international football.
The Juventus striker is a set-piece specialist and is strong in the air. He can score off either foot and operate anywhere in the attacking third, to name a few of his multitude of attributes. However, his sustained excellence and longevity for close to two decades is perhaps the biggest of them all.
Manchester United manager Sir Alex Ferguson once said about Ronaldo:
"Ronaldo could play for Millwall, Queens Park Rangers, Doncaster Rovers... anyone, and score a hat-trick in a game. Ronaldo's got two feet, he's quick, great in the air."
#4 Johan Cruyff
Johan Cruyff is one of the best players and managers to have graced the game. A proponent of the revolutionary Total Football philosophy, Cruyff transformed the way the game can be played, laying a blueprint for future successful teams like Spain and Barcelona.
The late Dutchman was a versatile and prolific goalscorer. However, he was equally adept in donning the playmaker role, which helped him to outsmart opposition defenders. There was no position he couldn't play in and very little he couldn't conjure on the field.
It was Cruyff's brilliant work that set up the opening goal for the Netherlands in the 1974 FIFA World Cup final. However, when West Germany scored twice, the Dutch couldn't muster a response, and Cruyff never came close to winning the competition again.
Cruyff lifted Ajax from obscurity to European powerhouse by helping them win three consecutive European Champions Clubs' Cup titles. He then endeared himself to the Barcelona faithful by helping the Blaugrana secure the La Liga title in his first season at the club.
Years later, the three-time Ballon d'Or winner would assemble a 'dream team' at Barcelona and achieve more success, winning four successive league titles and the Champions League too.
Johan Neeskens, scorer for the Oranje in that 1974 final, said of his late compatriot:
"If you look at the greatest players in history, most of them couldn't coach. If you look at the greatest coaches in history, most of them were not great players. Johan Cruyff did both – and in such an exhilarating style."