FIFA 100

Pelé

The 'FIFA 100' is a list of the world-renowned Brazilian striker Pelé's choice of the "greatest living footballers". Unveiled on March 4, 2004 at a gala ceremony in London, the FIFA 100 marked part of the celebrations of the 100th anniversary of the foundation of the Fédération Internationale de Football Association (FIFA), the international governing body of football.
The figure 100 refers to the 100th anniversary of FIFA and not the number of players listed, which is actually 125; Pelé had been asked to select 50 active players and 50 retired players, for a total of 100 players, but found it too difficult to limit the number of former players to just 50.[1] The list contains 123 professional men and 2 women players. At the time the FIFA 100 was selected, 50 of the players were still active, with the remaining 75 retired from the game.
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Contents
Criticism
List
See also
References
External link

Criticism


Some football observers have questioned the selection methodology of the list. David Mellor, former politician turned football pundit, wrote in his column in the ''Evening Standard'', that he felt the selections were politically motivated rather than made on purely footballing grounds.[2] He suggested that the selections looked as if they came from the pen of Sepp Blatter rather than Pelé. As evidence for this, Mellor noted the wide geographical spread of the selected players, noting in particular Abédi Pelé of Ghana, Hong Myung-Bo of South Korea and El-Hadji Diouf of Senegal: a true selection would be more heavily biased to South America and Europe, he claimed. Such assertions were also forwarded by BBC columnist Tim Vickery.[3]
One of Pelé's old team-mates, the former Brazil midfielder Gérson, reacted to his omission from the FIFA 100 by tearing up a copy of the list on a Brazilian television programme.[4]
Marco van Basten and Uwe Seeler refused to take part in the project on a point of principle.[5]

List


Following is the list of the "FIFA 100" greatest living footballers as nominated by Pelé. List has total of 125 nominees: players active at the time of announcement are marked by
★ , players still active are in ''italics''.
PlayerPos.DoB
Gabriel Batistuta
CF1969-02-01
''Hernán Crespo
★ ''
CF1975-07-05
Alfredo Di StéfanoCF1926-07-04
Mario KempesCF1954-07-05
Diego MaradonaFW1960-10-30
Daniel PassarellaDF1953-05-25
''Javier Saviola
★ ''
FW1981-12-11
Omar SivoriCF1935-10-02
''Juan Sebastián Verón
★ ''
MF1975-03-09
''Javier Zanetti
★ ''
DF/MF1973-08-10
PlayerPos.DoB
Jan CeulemansMF1957-02-28
Jean-Marie PfaffGK1953-12-04
Franky Van Der ElstMF1961-04-30
PlayerPos.DoB
Carlos AlbertoDF1944-07-17
''Cafu
★ ''
DF1970-06-07
''Roberto Carlos
★ ''
DF1973-04-10
FalcãoMF1953-10-16
JúniorMF1954-06-29
Nílton SantosDF1927-05-16
PeléCF1940-10-23
''Rivaldo
★ ''
FW1972-04-19
RivelinoMF1946-01-01
''Romário
★ ''
CF1966-01-29
''Ronaldinho
★ ''
FW1980-03-21
''Ronaldo
★ ''
CF1976-09-22
Djalma SantosDF1929-02-27
SócratesMF1954-02-19
ZicoFW1953-03-03
PlayerPos.DoB
Hristo StoichkovCF1966-02-08
PlayerPos.DoB
Roger MillaCF1952-05-20
PlayerPos.DoB
Elías FigueroaDF1946-10-25
Iván ZamoranoFW1967-01-18
PlayerPos.DoB
Carlos ValderramaMF1961-09-02
PlayerPos.DoB
Davor ŠukerCF1968-01-01
PlayerPos.DoB
Josef MasopustMF1931-02-09
''Pavel Nedvěd
★ ''
MF1972-08-30
PlayerPos.DoB
Brian LaudrupFW1969-02-22
Michael LaudrupFW1964-06-15
Peter SchmeichelGK1963-11-18
PlayerPos.DoB
Gordon BanksGK1937-12-30
''David Beckham
★ ''
MF1975-05-02
Bobby CharltonMF1937-10-11
Gary LinekerCF1960-11-30
Kevin KeeganMF1951-02-14
''Michael Owen
★ ''
CF1979-12-14
Alan Shearer
CF1970-08-13
PlayerPos.DoB
Eric CantonaFW1966-05-24
Marcel Desailly
DF1968-09-07
Didier DeschampsMF1968-10-15
Just FontaineCF1933-08-18
''Thierry Henry
★ ''
FW1977-08-17
Raymond KopaMF1931-10-13
Jean-Pierre PapinCF1963-11-05
''Robert Pirès
★ ''
MF1973-10-29
Michel PlatiniMF1955-06-21
''Lilian Thuram
★ ''
DF1972-01-01
Marius TrésorDF1950-01-15
''David Trézéguet
★ ''
CF1977-10-15
''Patrick Vieira
★ ''
MF1976-06-23
Zinedine Zidane
MF1972-06-23
PlayerPos.DoB
''Michael Ballack
★ ''
MF1976-09-26
Franz BeckenbauerSW1945-09-11
Paul BreitnerMF1951-09-05
''Oliver Kahn
★ ''
GK1969-06-15
Jürgen KlinsmannCF1964-07-30
Sepp MaierGK1944-02-28
Lothar MatthäusMF1961-03-21
Gerd MüllerCF1945-11-03
Karl-Heinz RummeniggeFW1955-09-25
Uwe SeelerCF1936-11-05
PlayerPos.DoB
Abédi PeléFW1962-11-05
PlayerPos.DoB
Ferenc PuskásFW1927-04-02
PlayerPos.DoB
Roy Keane
MF1971-08-10
PlayerPos.DoB
Roberto Baggio
CF1967-02-18
Franco BaresiDF1960-05-08
Giuseppe BergomiDF1963-12-22
Giampiero BonipertiFW1928-07-04
''Gianluigi Buffon
★ ''
GK1978-01-28
''Alessandro Del Piero
★ ''
FW1974-11-09
Giacinto FacchettiDF1942-07-18
''Paolo Maldini
★ ''
DF1968-06-26
''Alessandro Nesta
★ ''
DF1976-03-19
Gianni RiveraMF1943-08-18
Paolo RossiCF1956-09-23
''Francesco Totti
★ ''
FW1976-09-27
''Christian Vieri
★ ''
CF1973-07-12
Dino ZoffGK1942-02-28
PlayerPos.DoB
Hidetoshi Nakata
MF1977-01-22
PlayerPos.DoB
Hong Myung-Bo
DF1969-02-12
PlayerPos.DoB
George WeahCF1966-10-01
PlayerPos.DoB
Hugo SánchezCF1958-07-11
PlayerPos.DoB
Dennis Bergkamp
FW1969-05-10
Johan CruijffFW1947-04-25
''Edgar Davids
★ ''
MF1973-03-13
Ruud GullitMF1962-09-01
''Patrick Kluivert
★ ''
CF1976-07-01
Johan NeeskensMF1951-09-15
Rob RensenbrinkCF1947-07-03
Frank RijkaardMF1962-09-30
''Clarence Seedorf
★ ''
MF1976-04-01
Marco van BastenCF1964-10-31
René van de KerkhofMF1951-09-16
Willy van de KerkhofMF1951-09-16
''Ruud van Nistelrooy
★ ''
CF1976-07-01
PlayerPos.DoB
''Jay-Jay Okocha
★ ''
MF1973-08-14
PlayerPos.DoB
George BestMF1946-05-22
PlayerPos.DoB
RomeritoFW1960-08-28
PlayerPos.DoB
Teófilo CubillasCF1949-03-08
PlayerPos.DoB
Zbigniew BoniekMF1956-03-03
PlayerPos.DoB
''Rui Costa
★ ''
MF1972-03-29
EusébioCF1942-01-25
''Luís Figo
★ ''
MF1972-11-04
Deco
PlayerPos.DoB
Gheorghe HagiMF1965-02-05
Gheorghe Popescu
PlayerPos.DoB
Rinat DasaevGK1957-06-13
PlayerPos.DoB
Kenny DalglishFW1951-03-04
PlayerPos.DoB
''El Hadji Diouf
★ ''
FW1981-01-15
PlayerPos.DoB
Emilio ButragueñoCF1963-07-22
Luis Enrique
MF1970-05-08
''Raúl
★ ''
CF1977-06-27
PlayerPos.DoB
''Emre Belözoğlu
★ ''
MF1980-09-07
''Rüştü Reçber
★ ''
GK1973-05-10
PlayerPos.DoB
''Andriy Shevchenko
★ ''
CF1976-09-29
PlayerPos.DoB
Enzo FrancescoliFW1961-11-12
PlayerPos.DoB
Michelle AkersFW1966-02-01
Mia Hamm
FW1972-03-17

See also



FIFA World Rankings

World soccer players of the 20th century

FIFA Women's World Rankings

References


1. Fifa names greatest list

2. Sing up for Ken, a true Blues man David Mellor
3. Pele pays price for popularity Tim Vickery

4. Dalglish in as Pele is blasted in Brazil for his top 125 Massimo Marzocchi
5.
Pele open to ridicule over top hundred Christopher Davies

External link



The FIFA 100

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psst.. try this: add to faves