- Sport
- Football
- Career
- 1945–1966
- Country
- 🇦🇷 Argentina
- Peak
- 94.0
- Dominance
- 94.0
- Statistics
- 93.0
- Honours
- 93.0
- Longevity
- 90.0
GOAT Rank · 143
Greatest Athletes who debuted in the 1940s
This ranking is led by Alfredo Di Stéfano, Ferenc Puskás and Juan Alberto Schiaffino. GOAT Rank currently ranks 143 eligible athletes who debuted in the 1940s using verified career records across dominance, peak, longevity, honours and statistics.
Quick answer
According to GOAT Rank's current model, Alfredo Di Stéfano ranks #1 on this list with a GOAT Score of 92.9.
How the GOAT Score is calculated →#AthleteGOAT Score
- Sport
- Football
- Career
- 1943–1966
- Country
- 🇭🇺 Hungary
- Peak
- 94.0
- Dominance
- 92.0
- Statistics
- 96.0
- Honours
- 90.0
- Longevity
- 88.0
- Sport
- Football
- Career
- 1946–1962
- Country
- 🇺🇾 Uruguay
- Peak
- 94.0
- Dominance
- 92.0
- Statistics
- 92.0
- Honours
- 90.0
- Longevity
- 88.0
- Sport
- Boxing
- Career
- 1940–1965
- Country
- 🇺🇸 United States
- Peak
- 96.0
- Dominance
- 95.0
- Statistics
- 94.0
- Honours
- 94.0
- Longevity
- 92.0
- Sport
- Football
- Career
- 1941–1958
- Country
- 🇦🇷 Argentina
- Peak
- 95.0
- Dominance
- 88.0
- Statistics
- 90.0
- Honours
- 92.0
- Longevity
- 80.0
- Sport
- Football
- Career
- 1940–1958
- Country
- 🇧🇷 Brazil
- Peak
- 90.0
- Dominance
- 92.0
- Statistics
- 88.0
- Honours
- 80.0
- Longevity
- 85.0
- Sport
- Football
- Career
- 1940–1958
- Country
- 🇸🇪 Sweden
- Peak
- 92.0
- Dominance
- 88.0
- Statistics
- 92.0
- Honours
- 84.0
- Longevity
- 78.0
- Sport
- Tennis
- Career
- 1947–1974
- Country
- 🇺🇸 United States
- Peak
- 96.0
- Dominance
- 94.0
- Statistics
- 92.0
- Honours
- 90.0
- Longevity
- 92.0
- Sport
- Football
- Career
- 1949–1967
- Country
- 🇫🇷 France
- Peak
- 92.0
- Dominance
- 84.0
- Statistics
- 84.0
- Honours
- 90.0
- Longevity
- 82.0
- Sport
- Basketball
- Career
- 1946–1956
- Country
- 🇺🇸 United States
- Peak
- 96.0
- Dominance
- 92.0
- Statistics
- 90.0
- Honours
- 92.0
- Longevity
- 70.0
- Sport
- Boxing
- Career
- 1940–1966
- Country
- 🇺🇸 United States
- Peak
- 90.0
- Dominance
- 88.0
- Statistics
- 92.0
- Honours
- 86.0
- Longevity
- 94.0
- Sport
- Boxing
- Career
- 1940–1959
- Country
- 🇺🇸 United States
- Peak
- 94.0
- Dominance
- 88.0
- Statistics
- 92.0
- Honours
- 88.0
- Longevity
- 88.0
- Sport
- Football
- Career
- 1946–1961
- Country
- 🇸🇪 Sweden
- Peak
- 92.0
- Dominance
- 82.0
- Statistics
- 84.0
- Honours
- 88.0
- Longevity
- 84.0
- Sport
- Football
- Career
- 1946–1961
- Country
- 🇮🇹 Italy
- Peak
- 88.0
- Dominance
- 82.0
- Statistics
- 90.0
- Honours
- 84.0
- Longevity
- 86.0
- Sport
- Football
- Career
- 1949–1974
- Country
- 🏴 Wales
- Peak
- 92.0
- Dominance
- 88.0
- Statistics
- 86.0
- Honours
- 78.0
- Longevity
- 80.0
- Sport
- Boxing
- Career
- 1946–1971
- Country
- 🇺🇸 United States
- Peak
- 92.0
- Dominance
- 84.0
- Statistics
- 92.0
- Honours
- 84.0
- Longevity
- 92.0
- Sport
- Cricket
- Career
- 1949–1969
- Country
- 🇬🇧 United Kingdom
- Peak
- 94.0
- Dominance
- 88.0
- Statistics
- 94.0
- Honours
- 86.0
- Longevity
- 90.0
- Sport
- Tennis
- Career
- 1940–1957
- Country
- 🇺🇸 United States
- Peak
- 94.0
- Dominance
- 90.0
- Statistics
- 92.0
- Honours
- 92.0
- Longevity
- 86.0
- Sport
- Boxing
- Career
- 1943–1970
- Country
- 🇺🇸 United States
- Peak
- 92.0
- Dominance
- 84.0
- Statistics
- 88.0
- Honours
- 84.0
- Longevity
- 92.0
- Sport
- Cricket
- Career
- 1946–1965
- Country
- 🇬🇧 United Kingdom
- Peak
- 100.0
- Dominance
- 88.0
- Statistics
- 96.0
- Honours
- 84.0
- Longevity
- 82.0
- Sport
- Athletics
- Career
- 1944–1958
- Country
- 🇨🇿 Czechia
- Peak
- 95.0
- Dominance
- 90.0
- Statistics
- 90.0
- Honours
- 90.0
- Longevity
- 82.0
- Sport
- Cricket
- Career
- 1947–1958
- Country
- 🇦🇺 Australia
- Peak
- 98.0
- Dominance
- 92.0
- Statistics
- 96.0
- Honours
- 86.0
- Longevity
- 76.0
- Sport
- Basketball
- Career
- 1946–1992
- Country
- 🇺🇸 United States
- Peak
- 90.0
- Dominance
- 84.0
- Statistics
- 82.0
- Honours
- 78.0
- Longevity
- 94.0
- Sport
- Boxing
- Career
- 1948–1967
- Country
- 🇺🇸 United States
- Peak
- 90.0
- Dominance
- 82.0
- Statistics
- 92.0
- Honours
- 82.0
- Longevity
- 92.0
- Sport
- Basketball
- Career
- 1942–1952
- Country
- 🇺🇸 United States
- Peak
- 94.0
- Dominance
- 86.0
- Statistics
- 88.0
- Honours
- 86.0
- Longevity
- 72.0
- Sport
- Boxing
- Career
- 1946–1960
- Country
- 🇺🇸 United States
- Peak
- 92.0
- Dominance
- 84.0
- Statistics
- 90.0
- Honours
- 86.0
- Longevity
- 84.0
- Sport
- Boxing
- Career
- 1940–1955
- Country
- 🇺🇸 United States
- Peak
- 92.0
- Dominance
- 84.0
- Statistics
- 92.0
- Honours
- 84.0
- Longevity
- 84.0
- Sport
- Boxing
- Career
- 1943–1958
- Country
- 🇨🇺 Cuba
- Peak
- 92.0
- Dominance
- 84.0
- Statistics
- 90.0
- Honours
- 82.0
- Longevity
- 86.0
- Sport
- Ice Hockey
- Career
- 1946–1980
- Country
- 🇨🇦 Canada
- Peak
- 92.0
- Dominance
- 93.0
- Statistics
- 94.0
- Honours
- 93.0
- Longevity
- 99.0
- Sport
- Football
- Career
- 1946–1967
- Country
- 🇭🇺 Hungary
- Peak
- 88.0
- Dominance
- 80.0
- Statistics
- 86.0
- Honours
- 80.0
- Longevity
- 82.0
- Sport
- Boxing
- Career
- 1947–1956
- Country
- 🇺🇸 United States
- Peak
- 92.0
- Dominance
- 88.0
- Statistics
- 90.0
- Honours
- 88.0
- Longevity
- 74.0
- Sport
- Boxing
- Career
- 1941–1955
- Country
- 🇺🇸 United States
- Peak
- 90.0
- Dominance
- 84.0
- Statistics
- 94.0
- Honours
- 78.0
- Longevity
- 88.0
- Sport
- Tennis
- Career
- 1942–1955
- Country
- 🇺🇸 United States
- Peak
- 92.0
- Dominance
- 88.0
- Statistics
- 88.0
- Honours
- 94.0
- Longevity
- 80.0
- Sport
- Football
- Career
- 1943–1960
- Country
- 🏴 England
- Peak
- 86.0
- Dominance
- 84.0
- Statistics
- 84.0
- Honours
- 80.0
- Longevity
- 76.0
- Sport
- Ice Hockey
- Career
- 1947–1969
- Country
- 🇨🇦 Canada
- Peak
- 96.0
- Dominance
- 94.0
- Statistics
- 90.0
- Honours
- 96.0
- Longevity
- 88.0
- Sport
- Boxing
- Career
- 1940–1955
- Country
- 🇺🇸 United States
- Peak
- 90.0
- Dominance
- 82.0
- Statistics
- 92.0
- Honours
- 78.0
- Longevity
- 86.0
- Sport
- Boxing
- Career
- 1944–1956
- Country
- 🇺🇸 United States
- Peak
- 90.0
- Dominance
- 84.0
- Statistics
- 90.0
- Honours
- 80.0
- Longevity
- 82.0
- Sport
- American Football
- Career
- 1946–1967
- Country
- 🇺🇸 United States
- Peak
- 92.0
- Dominance
- 86.0
- Statistics
- 94.0
- Honours
- 94.0
- Longevity
- 98.0
- Sport
- Boxing
- Career
- 1948–1961
- Country
- 🇺🇸 United States
- Peak
- 92.0
- Dominance
- 82.0
- Statistics
- 86.0
- Honours
- 84.0
- Longevity
- 80.0
- Sport
- Basketball
- Career
- 1949–1960
- Country
- 🇺🇸 United States
- Peak
- 86.0
- Dominance
- 80.0
- Statistics
- 80.0
- Honours
- 88.0
- Longevity
- 80.0
- Sport
- American Football
- Career
- 1946–1955
- Country
- 🇺🇸 United States
- Peak
- 98.0
- Dominance
- 94.0
- Statistics
- 94.0
- Honours
- 96.0
- Longevity
- 78.0
- Sport
- Cricket
- Career
- 1946–1960
- Country
- 🏴 England
- Peak
- 94.0
- Dominance
- 86.0
- Statistics
- 90.0
- Honours
- 82.0
- Longevity
- 78.0
- Sport
- Ice Hockey
- Career
- 1947–1967
- Country
- 🇨🇦 Canada
- Peak
- 92.0
- Dominance
- 88.0
- Statistics
- 90.0
- Honours
- 96.0
- Longevity
- 92.0
- Sport
- Tennis
- Career
- 1940–1969
- Country
- 🇺🇸 United States
- Peak
- 90.0
- Dominance
- 80.0
- Statistics
- 86.0
- Honours
- 88.0
- Longevity
- 90.0
- Sport
- Basketball
- Career
- 1949–1959
- Country
- 🇺🇸 United States
- Peak
- 86.0
- Dominance
- 80.0
- Statistics
- 82.0
- Honours
- 86.0
- Longevity
- 76.0
- Sport
- Cricket
- Career
- 1949–1986
- Country
- 🇬🇧 England
- Peak
- 86.0
- Dominance
- 78.0
- Statistics
- 90.0
- Honours
- 80.0
- Longevity
- 96.0
- Sport
- Cricket
- Career
- 1945–1967
- Country
- 🇬🇧 England
- Peak
- 88.0
- Dominance
- 78.0
- Statistics
- 92.0
- Honours
- 84.0
- Longevity
- 88.0
- Sport
- Cricket
- Career
- 1945–1968
- Country
- 🇦🇺 Australia
- Peak
- 92.0
- Dominance
- 80.0
- Statistics
- 94.0
- Honours
- 74.0
- Longevity
- 90.0
- Sport
- Basketball
- Career
- 1946–1954
- Country
- 🇺🇸 United States
- Peak
- 92.0
- Dominance
- 86.0
- Statistics
- 88.0
- Honours
- 80.0
- Longevity
- 62.0
- Sport
- Basketball
- Career
- 1947–1962
- Country
- 🇺🇸 United States
- Peak
- 88.0
- Dominance
- 74.0
- Statistics
- 86.0
- Honours
- 76.0
- Longevity
- 86.0
| # | Athlete | Sport | Country | Career | GOAT Score |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 15 | Alfredo Di Stéfano | Football | 🇦🇷 Argentina | 1945–1966 | 92.9 |
| 24 | Ferenc Puskás | Football | 🇭🇺 Hungary | 1943–1966 | 91.8 |
| 30 | Juan Alberto Schiaffino | Football | 🇺🇾 Uruguay | 1946–1962 | 91.2 |
| 41 | Sugar Ray Robinson | Boxing | 🇺🇸 United States | 1940–1965 | 90.5 |
| 86 | Norberto Méndez | Football | 🇦🇷 Argentina | 1941–1958 | 88.9 |
| 202 | Thomaz Soares da Silva | Football | 🇧🇷 Brazil | 1940–1958 | 87.2 |
| 254 | Gunnar Nordahl | Football | 🇸🇪 Sweden | 1940–1958 | 86.6 |
| 269 | Pancho Gonzales | Tennis | 🇺🇸 United States | 1947–1974 | 86.4 |
| 270 | Raymond Kopa | Football | 🇫🇷 France | 1949–1967 | 86.4 |
| 283 | George Mikan | Basketball | 🇺🇸 United States | 1946–1956 | 86.3 |
| 292 | Willie Pep | Boxing | 🇺🇸 United States | 1940–1966 | 86.2 |
| 299 | Ezzard Charles | Boxing | 🇺🇸 United States | 1940–1959 | 86.2 |
| 321 | Nils Liedholm | Football | 🇸🇪 Sweden | 1946–1961 | 85.9 |
| 348 | Giampiero Boniperti | Football | 🇮🇹 Italy | 1946–1961 | 85.6 |
| 470 | John Charles | Football | 🏴 Wales | 1949–1974 | 84.9 |
| 475 | Harold Johnson | Boxing | 🇺🇸 United States | 1946–1971 | 84.9 |
| 494 | Fred Trueman | Cricket | 🇬🇧 United Kingdom | 1949–1969 | 84.7 |
| 535 | Louise Brough | Tennis | 🇺🇸 United States | 1940–1957 | 84.4 |
| 554 | Joe Brown | Boxing | 🇺🇸 United States | 1943–1970 | 84.3 |
| 571 | Jim Laker | Cricket | 🇬🇧 United Kingdom | 1946–1965 | 84.2 |
| 606 | Emil Zátopek | Athletics | 🇨🇿 Czechia | 1944–1958 | 84.0 |
| 609 | Betty Wilson | Cricket | 🇦🇺 Australia | 1947–1958 | 84.0 |
| 614 | Marques Haynes | Basketball | 🇺🇸 United States | 1946–1992 | 84.0 |
| 675 | Joey Giardello | Boxing | 🇺🇸 United States | 1948–1967 | 83.6 |
| 711 | Bob Kurland | Basketball | 🇺🇸 United States | 1942–1952 | 83.4 |
| 717 | Jimmy Carter | Boxing | 🇺🇸 United States | 1946–1960 | 83.4 |
| 739 | Beau Jack | Boxing | 🇺🇸 United States | 1940–1955 | 83.3 |
| 790 | Kid Gavilán | Boxing | 🇨🇺 Cuba | 1943–1958 | 83.0 |
| 796 | Gordie Howe | Ice Hockey | 🇨🇦 Canada | 1946–1980 | 82.9 |
| 804 | László Kubala | Football | 🇭🇺 Hungary | 1946–1967 | 82.9 |
| 821 | Rocky Marciano | Boxing | 🇺🇸 United States | 1947–1956 | 82.8 |
| 845 | Billy Graham | Boxing | 🇺🇸 United States | 1941–1955 | 82.8 |
| 949 | Doris Hart | Tennis | 🇺🇸 United States | 1942–1955 | 82.2 |
| 997 | Jackie Milburn | Football | 🏴 England | 1943–1960 | 82.0 |
| 1049 | Doug Harvey | Ice Hockey | 🇨🇦 Canada | 1947–1969 | 81.8 |
| 1067 | Jimmy Bivins | Boxing | 🇺🇸 United States | 1940–1955 | 81.7 |
| 1092 | Sandy Saddler | Boxing | 🇺🇸 United States | 1944–1956 | 81.5 |
| 1135 | Lou Groza | American Football | 🇺🇸 United States | 1946–1967 | 81.3 |
| 1159 | Carmen Basilio | Boxing | 🇺🇸 United States | 1948–1961 | 81.2 |
| 1177 | Slater Martin | Basketball | 🇺🇸 United States | 1949–1960 | 81.1 |
| 1193 | Otto Graham | American Football | 🇺🇸 United States | 1946–1955 | 81.0 |
| 1241 | Alec Bedser | Cricket | 🏴 England | 1946–1960 | 80.7 |
| 1288 | Red Kelly | Ice Hockey | 🇨🇦 Canada | 1947–1967 | 80.5 |
| 1301 | Vic Seixas | Tennis | 🇺🇸 United States | 1940–1969 | 80.4 |
| 1323 | Vern Mikkelsen | Basketball | 🇺🇸 United States | 1949–1959 | 80.3 |
| 1329 | Brian Close | Cricket | 🇬🇧 England | 1949–1986 | 80.3 |
| 1348 | Trevor Bailey | Cricket | 🇬🇧 England | 1945–1967 | 80.2 |
| 1351 | Bill Alley | Cricket | 🇦🇺 Australia | 1945–1968 | 80.2 |
| 1381 | Joe Fulks | Basketball | 🇺🇸 United States | 1946–1954 | 79.9 |
| 1406 | Carl Braun | Basketball | 🇺🇸 United States | 1947–1962 | 79.8 |
Compare the leaders
Alfredo Di Stéfano vs Ferenc PuskásRead the full methodology
Sport lists use the raw In-Sport GOAT Score. Cross-sport lists use the official competition-depth adjustment. No scores are recalculated for this page.
Read the full methodologyFrequently asked questions
How is this ranking calculated?
Five verified components are weighted consistently: dominance, peak, longevity, honours and statistics.
Who is included?
According to GOAT Rank's current data model, only verified athletes with sufficient career history, metrics, honours and independent sources are eligible. Rank and score are read live.
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