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

1419

Ken McGregor

79.8

Sport: Tennis
Career: 1946–1956
Country: 🇦🇺 Australia

Peak: 92.0
Dominance: 84.0
Statistics: 88.0
Honours: 90.0
Longevity: 76.0

Athlete: Ken McGregor

1444

Jacques Plante

79.6

Sport: Ice Hockey
Career: 1947–1975
Country: 🇨🇦 Canada

Peak: 92.0
Dominance: 90.0
Statistics: 90.0
Honours: 92.0
Longevity: 88.0

Athlete: Jacques Plante

1459

Gunder Hägg

79.6

Sport: Athletics
Career: 1940–1945
Country: 🇸🇪 Sweden

Peak: 96.0
Dominance: 90.0
Statistics: 92.0
Honours: 80.0
Longevity: 66.0

Athlete: Gunder Hägg

1474

Bob Davies

79.5

Sport: Basketball
Career: 1945–1955
Country: 🇺🇸 United States

Peak: 90.0
Dominance: 82.0
Statistics: 84.0
Honours: 84.0
Longevity: 66.0

Athlete: Bob Davies

1483

Rocky Graziano

79.5

Sport: Boxing
Career: 1942–1952
Country: 🇺🇸 United States

Peak: 92.0
Dominance: 80.0
Statistics: 88.0
Honours: 82.0
Longevity: 74.0

Athlete: Rocky Graziano

1518

Mervyn Rose

79.3

Sport: Tennis
Career: 1949–1959
Country: 🇦🇺 Australia

Peak: 90.0
Dominance: 82.0
Statistics: 88.0
Honours: 88.0
Longevity: 80.0

Athlete: Mervyn Rose

1637

Terry Sawchuk

78.7

Sport: Ice Hockey
Career: 1947–1970
Country: 🇨🇦 Canada

Peak: 90.0
Dominance: 88.0
Statistics: 92.0
Honours: 88.0
Longevity: 90.0

Athlete: Terry Sawchuk

1638

Dick McGuire

78.7

Sport: Basketball
Career: 1949–1960
Country: 🇺🇸 United States

Peak: 86.0
Dominance: 74.0
Statistics: 84.0
Honours: 78.0
Longevity: 82.0

Athlete: Dick McGuire

1646

Ed Macauley

78.7

Sport: Basketball
Career: 1949–1959
Country: 🇺🇸 United States

Peak: 88.0
Dominance: 76.0
Statistics: 86.0
Honours: 82.0
Longevity: 72.0

Athlete: Ed Macauley

1649

Tony DeMarco

78.7

Sport: Boxing
Career: 1948–1962
Country: 🇺🇸 United States

Peak: 90.0
Dominance: 78.0
Statistics: 86.0
Honours: 78.0
Longevity: 80.0

Athlete: Tony DeMarco

1674

Frank Sedgman

78.6

Sport: Tennis
Career: 1946–1962
Country: 🇦🇺 Australia

Peak: 92.0
Dominance: 84.0
Statistics: 82.0
Honours: 86.0
Longevity: 78.0

Athlete: Frank Sedgman

1708

George Blanda

78.4

Sport: American Football
Career: 1949–1975
Country: 🇺🇸 United States

Peak: 90.0
Dominance: 80.0
Statistics: 94.0
Honours: 86.0
Longevity: 99.0

Athlete: George Blanda

1712

George Armstrong

78.4

Sport: Ice Hockey
Career: 1949–1971
Country: 🇨🇦 Canada

Peak: 88.0
Dominance: 82.0
Statistics: 92.0
Honours: 92.0
Longevity: 94.0

Athlete: George Armstrong

1734

Stan Musial

78.2

Sport: Baseball
Career: 1941–1963
Country: 🇺🇸 United States

Peak: 90.0
Dominance: 89.0
Statistics: 94.0
Honours: 89.0
Longevity: 94.0

Athlete: Stan Musial

1742

Chuck Bednarik

78.2

Sport: American Football
Career: 1949–1962
Country: 🇺🇸 United States

Peak: 94.0
Dominance: 88.0
Statistics: 86.0
Honours: 88.0
Longevity: 88.0

Athlete: Chuck Bednarik

1801

Nat Clifton

77.9

Sport: Basketball
Career: 1942–1958
Country: 🇺🇸 United States

Peak: 84.0
Dominance: 72.0
Statistics: 82.0
Honours: 80.0
Longevity: 82.0

Athlete: Nat Clifton

1841

Harry Gallatin

77.8

Sport: Basketball
Career: 1948–1958
Country: 🇺🇸 United States

Peak: 86.0
Dominance: 74.0
Statistics: 86.0
Honours: 78.0
Longevity: 76.0

Athlete: Harry Gallatin

1845

Joe Perry

77.8

Sport: American Football
Career: 1948–1963
Country: 🇺🇸 United States

Peak: 92.0
Dominance: 86.0
Statistics: 94.0
Honours: 84.0
Longevity: 88.0

Athlete: Joe Perry

1846

Frank Gatski

77.8

Sport: American Football
Career: 1946–1957
Country: 🇺🇸 United States

Peak: 90.0
Dominance: 86.0
Statistics: 86.0
Honours: 96.0
Longevity: 84.0

Athlete: Frank Gatski

1913

Bobby Layne

77.5

Sport: American Football
Career: 1948–1962
Country: 🇺🇸 United States

Peak: 92.0
Dominance: 84.0
Statistics: 90.0
Honours: 90.0
Longevity: 86.0

Athlete: Bobby Layne

1943

Arne Andersson

77.4

Sport: Athletics
Career: 1941–1947
Country: 🇸🇪 Sweden

Peak: 92.0
Dominance: 86.0
Statistics: 88.0
Honours: 78.0
Longevity: 68.0

Athlete: Arne Andersson

1950

Bert Olmstead

77.4

Sport: Ice Hockey
Career: 1948–1962
Country: 🇨🇦 Canada

Peak: 90.0
Dominance: 82.0
Statistics: 90.0
Honours: 94.0
Longevity: 86.0

Athlete: Bert Olmstead

1972

Ted Lindsay

77.3

Sport: Ice Hockey
Career: 1944–1965
Country: 🇨🇦 Canada

Peak: 92.0
Dominance: 84.0
Statistics: 88.0
Honours: 90.0
Longevity: 86.0

Athlete: Ted Lindsay

1986

Maurice Richard

77.2

Sport: Ice Hockey
Career: 1942–1960
Country: 🇨🇦 Canada

Peak: 92.0
Dominance: 88.0
Statistics: 86.0
Honours: 90.0
Longevity: 82.0

Athlete: Maurice Richard

2034

Jack Kramer

77.1

Sport: Tennis
Career: 1940–1954
Country: 🇺🇸 United States

Peak: 92.0
Dominance: 84.0
Statistics: 82.0
Honours: 84.0
Longevity: 72.0

Athlete: Jack Kramer

2041

Art Larsen

77.1

Sport: Tennis
Career: 1947–1956
Country: 🇺🇸 United States

Peak: 90.0
Dominance: 80.0
Statistics: 86.0
Honours: 82.0
Longevity: 78.0

Athlete: Art Larsen

2048

Jake LaMotta

77.0

Sport: Boxing
Career: 1941–1954
Country: 🇺🇸 United States

Peak: 86.0
Dominance: 78.0
Statistics: 82.0
Honours: 74.0
Longevity: 82.0

Athlete: Jake LaMotta

2081

Donald Carr

76.9

Sport: Cricket
Career: 1945–1963
Country: 🇬🇧 United Kingdom

Peak: 86.0
Dominance: 74.0
Statistics: 86.0
Honours: 78.0
Longevity: 88.0

Athlete: Donald Carr

2094

Bill Dudley

76.8

Sport: American Football
Career: 1942–1953
Country: 🇺🇸 United States

Peak: 96.0
Dominance: 86.0
Statistics: 92.0
Honours: 86.0
Longevity: 78.0

Athlete: Bill Dudley

2121

Maureen Connolly

76.6

Sport: Tennis
Career: 1949–1954
Country: 🇺🇸 United States

Peak: 94.0
Dominance: 86.0
Statistics: 86.0
Honours: 86.0
Longevity: 60.0

Athlete: Maureen Connolly

2125

Warren Spahn

76.6

Sport: Baseball
Career: 1942–1965
Country: 🇺🇸 United States

Peak: 90.0
Dominance: 84.0
Statistics: 94.0
Honours: 86.0
Longevity: 94.0

Athlete: Warren Spahn

2128

Budge Patty

76.6

Sport: Tennis
Career: 1946–1961
Country: 🇺🇸 United States

Peak: 92.0
Dominance: 76.0
Statistics: 84.0
Honours: 80.0
Longevity: 82.0

Athlete: Budge Patty

2136

Marion Motley

76.6

Sport: American Football
Career: 1946–1955
Country: 🇺🇸 United States

Peak: 94.0
Dominance: 88.0
Statistics: 90.0
Honours: 90.0
Longevity: 74.0

Athlete: Marion Motley

2138

Elmer Lach

76.6

Sport: Ice Hockey
Career: 1940–1954
Country: 🇨🇦 Canada

Peak: 94.0
Dominance: 84.0
Statistics: 88.0
Honours: 90.0
Longevity: 80.0

Athlete: Elmer Lach

2143

Dante Lavelli

76.6

Sport: American Football
Career: 1946–1956
Country: 🇺🇸 United States

Peak: 90.0
Dominance: 84.0
Statistics: 88.0
Honours: 94.0
Longevity: 80.0

Athlete: Dante Lavelli

2149

Émile Bouchard

76.6

Sport: Ice Hockey
Career: 1941–1956
Country: 🇨🇦 Canada

Peak: 88.0
Dominance: 82.0
Statistics: 86.0
Honours: 92.0
Longevity: 88.0

Athlete: Émile Bouchard

2167

Elroy Hirsch

76.5

Sport: American Football
Career: 1946–1957
Country: 🇺🇸 United States

Peak: 94.0
Dominance: 84.0
Statistics: 90.0
Honours: 88.0
Longevity: 80.0

Athlete: Elroy Hirsch

2198

Bob Falkenburg

76.4

Sport: Tennis
Career: 1944–1955
Country: 🇺🇸 United States

Peak: 92.0
Dominance: 78.0
Statistics: 84.0
Honours: 82.0
Longevity: 76.0

Athlete: Bob Falkenburg

2238

Pete Pihos

76.2

Sport: American Football
Career: 1947–1955
Country: 🇺🇸 United States

Peak: 92.0
Dominance: 86.0
Statistics: 90.0
Honours: 90.0
Longevity: 76.0

Athlete: Pete Pihos

2292

Len Ford

76.0

Sport: American Football
Career: 1948–1958
Country: 🇺🇸 United States

Peak: 92.0
Dominance: 86.0
Statistics: 86.0
Honours: 90.0
Longevity: 78.0

Athlete: Len Ford

2341

Bill Mosienko

75.9

Sport: Ice Hockey
Career: 1941–1955
Country: 🇨🇦 Canada

Peak: 94.0
Dominance: 82.0
Statistics: 92.0
Honours: 82.0
Longevity: 84.0

Athlete: Bill Mosienko

2363

Bruce Dooland

75.8

Sport: Cricket
Career: 1945–1957
Country: 🇦🇺 Australia

Peak: 88.0
Dominance: 78.0
Statistics: 90.0
Honours: 74.0
Longevity: 76.0

Athlete: Bruce Dooland

2369

Harry Lumley

75.8

Sport: Ice Hockey
Career: 1943–1960
Country: 🇨🇦 Canada

Peak: 90.0
Dominance: 82.0
Statistics: 88.0
Honours: 86.0
Longevity: 86.0

Athlete: Harry Lumley

2374

Sven Tumba

75.7

Sport: Ice Hockey
Career: 1949–1966
Country: 🇸🇪 Sweden

Peak: 90.0
Dominance: 86.0
Statistics: 86.0
Honours: 86.0
Longevity: 82.0

Athlete: Sven Tumba

2383

Yogi Berra

75.6

Sport: Baseball
Career: 1946–1965
Country: 🇺🇸 United States

Peak: 88.0
Dominance: 84.0
Statistics: 86.0
Honours: 94.0
Longevity: 88.0

Athlete: Yogi Berra

2391

Minnie Miñoso

75.6

Sport: Baseball
Career: 1946–1980
Country: 🇨🇺 Cuba

Peak: 92.0
Dominance: 84.0
Statistics: 94.0
Honours: 84.0
Longevity: 88.0

Athlete: Minnie Miñoso

2393

Gil Hodges

75.6

Sport: Baseball
Career: 1943–1963
Country: 🇺🇸 United States

Peak: 92.0
Dominance: 82.0
Statistics: 92.0
Honours: 88.0
Longevity: 88.0

Athlete: Gil Hodges

2440

Dick Savitt

75.4

Sport: Tennis
Career: 1949–1959
Country: 🇺🇸 United States

Peak: 94.0
Dominance: 80.0
Statistics: 82.0
Honours: 80.0
Longevity: 70.0

Athlete: Dick Savitt

2473

Tony Canadeo

75.3

Sport: American Football
Career: 1941–1952
Country: 🇺🇸 United States

Peak: 90.0
Dominance: 82.0
Statistics: 90.0
Honours: 86.0
Longevity: 82.0

Athlete: Tony Canadeo

2528

Tom Fears

75.1

Sport: American Football
Career: 1948–1956
Country: 🇺🇸 United States

Peak: 92.0
Dominance: 84.0
Statistics: 90.0
Honours: 88.0
Longevity: 74.0

Athlete: Tom Fears

#	Athlete	Sport	Country	Career	GOAT Score
1419	Ken McGregor	Tennis	🇦🇺 Australia	1946–1956	79.8
1444	Jacques Plante	Ice Hockey	🇨🇦 Canada	1947–1975	79.6
1459	Gunder Hägg	Athletics	🇸🇪 Sweden	1940–1945	79.6
1474	Bob Davies	Basketball	🇺🇸 United States	1945–1955	79.5
1483	Rocky Graziano	Boxing	🇺🇸 United States	1942–1952	79.5
1518	Mervyn Rose	Tennis	🇦🇺 Australia	1949–1959	79.3
1637	Terry Sawchuk	Ice Hockey	🇨🇦 Canada	1947–1970	78.7
1638	Dick McGuire	Basketball	🇺🇸 United States	1949–1960	78.7
1646	Ed Macauley	Basketball	🇺🇸 United States	1949–1959	78.7
1649	Tony DeMarco	Boxing	🇺🇸 United States	1948–1962	78.7
1674	Frank Sedgman	Tennis	🇦🇺 Australia	1946–1962	78.6
1708	George Blanda	American Football	🇺🇸 United States	1949–1975	78.4
1712	George Armstrong	Ice Hockey	🇨🇦 Canada	1949–1971	78.4
1734	Stan Musial	Baseball	🇺🇸 United States	1941–1963	78.2
1742	Chuck Bednarik	American Football	🇺🇸 United States	1949–1962	78.2
1801	Nat Clifton	Basketball	🇺🇸 United States	1942–1958	77.9
1841	Harry Gallatin	Basketball	🇺🇸 United States	1948–1958	77.8
1845	Joe Perry	American Football	🇺🇸 United States	1948–1963	77.8
1846	Frank Gatski	American Football	🇺🇸 United States	1946–1957	77.8
1913	Bobby Layne	American Football	🇺🇸 United States	1948–1962	77.5
1943	Arne Andersson	Athletics	🇸🇪 Sweden	1941–1947	77.4
1950	Bert Olmstead	Ice Hockey	🇨🇦 Canada	1948–1962	77.4
1972	Ted Lindsay	Ice Hockey	🇨🇦 Canada	1944–1965	77.3
1986	Maurice Richard	Ice Hockey	🇨🇦 Canada	1942–1960	77.2
2034	Jack Kramer	Tennis	🇺🇸 United States	1940–1954	77.1
2041	Art Larsen	Tennis	🇺🇸 United States	1947–1956	77.1
2048	Jake LaMotta	Boxing	🇺🇸 United States	1941–1954	77.0
2081	Donald Carr	Cricket	🇬🇧 United Kingdom	1945–1963	76.9
2094	Bill Dudley	American Football	🇺🇸 United States	1942–1953	76.8
2121	Maureen Connolly	Tennis	🇺🇸 United States	1949–1954	76.6
2125	Warren Spahn	Baseball	🇺🇸 United States	1942–1965	76.6
2128	Budge Patty	Tennis	🇺🇸 United States	1946–1961	76.6
2136	Marion Motley	American Football	🇺🇸 United States	1946–1955	76.6
2138	Elmer Lach	Ice Hockey	🇨🇦 Canada	1940–1954	76.6
2143	Dante Lavelli	American Football	🇺🇸 United States	1946–1956	76.6
2149	Émile Bouchard	Ice Hockey	🇨🇦 Canada	1941–1956	76.6
2167	Elroy Hirsch	American Football	🇺🇸 United States	1946–1957	76.5
2198	Bob Falkenburg	Tennis	🇺🇸 United States	1944–1955	76.4
2238	Pete Pihos	American Football	🇺🇸 United States	1947–1955	76.2
2292	Len Ford	American Football	🇺🇸 United States	1948–1958	76.0
2341	Bill Mosienko	Ice Hockey	🇨🇦 Canada	1941–1955	75.9
2363	Bruce Dooland	Cricket	🇦🇺 Australia	1945–1957	75.8
2369	Harry Lumley	Ice Hockey	🇨🇦 Canada	1943–1960	75.8
2374	Sven Tumba	Ice Hockey	🇸🇪 Sweden	1949–1966	75.7
2383	Yogi Berra	Baseball	🇺🇸 United States	1946–1965	75.6
2391	Minnie Miñoso	Baseball	🇨🇺 Cuba	1946–1980	75.6
2393	Gil Hodges	Baseball	🇺🇸 United States	1943–1963	75.6
2440	Dick Savitt	Tennis	🇺🇸 United States	1949–1959	75.4
2473	Tony Canadeo	American Football	🇺🇸 United States	1941–1952	75.3
2528	Tom Fears	American Football	🇺🇸 United States	1948–1956	75.1

Compare the leaders

Alfredo Di Stéfano vs Ferenc Puskás

Read 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 methodology

Frequently 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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