- Sport
- American Football
- Career
- 1940–1950
- Country
- 🇺🇸 United States
- Peak
- 92.0
- Dominance
- 84.0
- Statistics
- 90.0
- Honours
- 88.0
- Longevity
- 74.0
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
- Ice Hockey
- Career
- 1942–1957
- Country
- 🇨🇦 Canada
- Peak
- 92.0
- Dominance
- 82.0
- Statistics
- 84.0
- Honours
- 90.0
- Longevity
- 78.0
- Sport
- Ice Hockey
- Career
- 1949–1974
- Country
- 🇨🇦 Canada
- Peak
- 88.0
- Dominance
- 78.0
- Statistics
- 84.0
- Honours
- 84.0
- Longevity
- 92.0
- Sport
- Basketball
- Career
- 1948–1955
- Country
- 🇺🇸 United States
- Peak
- 86.0
- Dominance
- 70.0
- Statistics
- 84.0
- Honours
- 80.0
- Longevity
- 64.0
- Sport
- Baseball
- Career
- 1942–1959
- Country
- 🇺🇸 United States
- Peak
- 92.0
- Dominance
- 84.0
- Statistics
- 92.0
- Honours
- 86.0
- Longevity
- 82.0
- Sport
- American Football
- Career
- 1948–1955
- Country
- 🇺🇸 United States
- Peak
- 92.0
- Dominance
- 84.0
- Statistics
- 86.0
- Honours
- 84.0
- Longevity
- 74.0
- Sport
- Ice Hockey
- Career
- 1947–1965
- Country
- 🇨🇦 Canada
- Peak
- 88.0
- Dominance
- 78.0
- Statistics
- 82.0
- Honours
- 90.0
- Longevity
- 82.0
- Sport
- Ice Hockey
- Career
- 1943–1950
- Country
- 🇨🇦 Canada
- Peak
- 94.0
- Dominance
- 88.0
- Statistics
- 88.0
- Honours
- 90.0
- Longevity
- 58.0
- Sport
- Cricket
- Career
- 1948–1959
- Country
- 🇦🇺 Australia
- Peak
- 84.0
- Dominance
- 74.0
- Statistics
- 84.0
- Honours
- 74.0
- Longevity
- 78.0
- Sport
- American Football
- Career
- 1944–1951
- Country
- 🇺🇸 United States
- Peak
- 92.0
- Dominance
- 86.0
- Statistics
- 88.0
- Honours
- 86.0
- Longevity
- 66.0
- Sport
- Baseball
- Career
- 1945–1956
- Country
- 🇺🇸 United States
- Peak
- 90.0
- Dominance
- 86.0
- Statistics
- 86.0
- Honours
- 88.0
- Longevity
- 76.0
- Sport
- Ice Hockey
- Career
- 1940–1954
- Country
- 🇨🇦 Canada
- Peak
- 92.0
- Dominance
- 80.0
- Statistics
- 86.0
- Honours
- 84.0
- Longevity
- 74.0
- Sport
- Ice Hockey
- Career
- 1941–1951
- Country
- 🇨🇦 Canada
- Peak
- 90.0
- Dominance
- 80.0
- Statistics
- 84.0
- Honours
- 86.0
- Longevity
- 74.0
- Sport
- Tennis
- Career
- 1949–1958
- Country
- 🇺🇸 United States
- Peak
- 88.0
- Dominance
- 80.0
- Statistics
- 80.0
- Honours
- 80.0
- Longevity
- 62.0
- Sport
- Baseball
- Career
- 1948–1962
- Country
- 🇺🇸 United States
- Peak
- 90.0
- Dominance
- 80.0
- Statistics
- 92.0
- Honours
- 78.0
- Longevity
- 84.0
- Sport
- Ice Hockey
- Career
- 1945–1955
- Country
- 🇨🇦 Canada
- Peak
- 88.0
- Dominance
- 78.0
- Statistics
- 88.0
- Honours
- 82.0
- Longevity
- 78.0
- Sport
- Ice Hockey
- Career
- 1944–1961
- Country
- 🇨🇦 Canada
- Peak
- 86.0
- Dominance
- 76.0
- Statistics
- 82.0
- Honours
- 82.0
- Longevity
- 86.0
- Sport
- Ice Hockey
- Career
- 1944–1954
- Country
- 🇨🇦 Canada
- Peak
- 88.0
- Dominance
- 78.0
- Statistics
- 84.0
- Honours
- 82.0
- Longevity
- 76.0
- Sport
- Ice Hockey
- Career
- 1946–1966
- Country
- 🇨🇦 Canada
- Peak
- 86.0
- Dominance
- 74.0
- Statistics
- 84.0
- Honours
- 74.0
- Longevity
- 90.0
- Sport
- Golf
- Career
- 1949–2001
- Country
- 🇺🇸 United States
- Peak
- 92.0
- Dominance
- 80.0
- Statistics
- 88.0
- Honours
- 84.0
- Longevity
- 92.0
- Sport
- Baseball
- Career
- 1947–1965
- Country
- 🇺🇸 United States
- Peak
- 88.0
- Dominance
- 76.0
- Statistics
- 86.0
- Honours
- 80.0
- Longevity
- 84.0
- Sport
- Tennis
- Career
- 1949–1962
- Country
- 🇸🇪 Sweden
- Peak
- 86.0
- Dominance
- 70.0
- Statistics
- 74.0
- Honours
- 74.0
- Longevity
- 74.0
- Sport
- Golf
- Career
- 1949–1975
- Country
- 🇺🇸 United States
- Peak
- 90.0
- Dominance
- 80.0
- Statistics
- 84.0
- Honours
- 84.0
- Longevity
- 90.0
- Sport
- Golf
- Career
- 1947–1961
- Country
- 🇺🇸 United States
- Peak
- 92.0
- Dominance
- 84.0
- Statistics
- 90.0
- Honours
- 86.0
- Longevity
- 76.0
- Sport
- Golf
- Career
- 1949–1988
- Country
- 🇦🇺 Australia
- Peak
- 88.0
- Dominance
- 82.0
- Statistics
- 82.0
- Honours
- 84.0
- Longevity
- 86.0
- Sport
- Golf
- Career
- 1946–1969
- Country
- 🇺🇸 United States
- Peak
- 86.0
- Dominance
- 82.0
- Statistics
- 84.0
- Honours
- 86.0
- Longevity
- 80.0
- Sport
- Golf
- Career
- 1949–1973
- Country
- 🇺🇸 United States
- Peak
- 88.0
- Dominance
- 78.0
- Statistics
- 86.0
- Honours
- 82.0
- Longevity
- 84.0
- Sport
- Formula 1
- Career
- 1947–1955
- Country
- 🇮🇹 Italy
- Peak
- 94.0
- Dominance
- 88.0
- Statistics
- 88.0
- Honours
- 84.0
- Longevity
- 70.0
- Sport
- Golf
- Career
- 1946–1965
- Country
- 🇺🇸 United States
- Peak
- 90.0
- Dominance
- 74.0
- Statistics
- 88.0
- Honours
- 78.0
- Longevity
- 84.0
- Sport
- Golf
- Career
- 1946–1980
- Country
- 🇦🇺 Australia
- Peak
- 86.0
- Dominance
- 74.0
- Statistics
- 82.0
- Honours
- 76.0
- Longevity
- 88.0
- Sport
- Table Tennis
- Career
- 1946–1957
- Country
- 🇭🇷 Croatia
- Peak
- 90.0
- Dominance
- 80.0
- Statistics
- 84.0
- Honours
- 84.0
- Longevity
- 80.0
- Sport
- Golf
- Career
- 1946–1980
- Country
- 🇬🇧 United Kingdom
- Peak
- 90.0
- Dominance
- 68.0
- Statistics
- 80.0
- Honours
- 72.0
- Longevity
- 88.0
- Sport
- Table Tennis
- Career
- 1946–1958
- Country
- 🇸🇪 Sweden
- Peak
- 88.0
- Dominance
- 78.0
- Statistics
- 84.0
- Honours
- 82.0
- Longevity
- 82.0
- Sport
- Formula 1
- Career
- 1948–1962
- Country
- 🇬🇧 United Kingdom
- Peak
- 88.0
- Dominance
- 80.0
- Statistics
- 82.0
- Honours
- 74.0
- Longevity
- 78.0
- Sport
- Golf
- Career
- 1940–1970
- Country
- 🇺🇸 United States
- Peak
- 90.0
- Dominance
- 66.0
- Statistics
- 80.0
- Honours
- 72.0
- Longevity
- 84.0
- Sport
- Golf
- Career
- 1946–1970
- Country
- 🇺🇸 United States
- Peak
- 86.0
- Dominance
- 72.0
- Statistics
- 78.0
- Honours
- 74.0
- Longevity
- 78.0
- Sport
- Formula 1
- Career
- 1949–1963
- Country
- 🇺🇸 United States
- Peak
- 92.0
- Dominance
- 72.0
- Statistics
- 82.0
- Honours
- 72.0
- Longevity
- 80.0
- Sport
- Table Tennis
- Career
- 1946–1957
- Country
- 🇬🇧 United Kingdom
- Peak
- 90.0
- Dominance
- 76.0
- Statistics
- 84.0
- Honours
- 80.0
- Longevity
- 78.0
- Sport
- Golf
- Career
- 1948–1980
- Country
- 🇺🇸 United States
- Peak
- 90.0
- Dominance
- 64.0
- Statistics
- 78.0
- Honours
- 68.0
- Longevity
- 88.0
- Sport
- Golf
- Career
- 1940–1970
- Country
- 🇺🇸 United States
- Peak
- 92.0
- Dominance
- 64.0
- Statistics
- 78.0
- Honours
- 68.0
- Longevity
- 80.0
- Sport
- Golf
- Career
- 1949–1970
- Country
- 🇺🇸 United States
- Peak
- 90.0
- Dominance
- 64.0
- Statistics
- 78.0
- Honours
- 68.0
- Longevity
- 80.0
- Sport
- Golf
- Career
- 1945–1970
- Country
- 🇺🇸 United States
- Peak
- 90.0
- Dominance
- 62.0
- Statistics
- 78.0
- Honours
- 66.0
- Longevity
- 82.0
- Sport
- Table Tennis
- Career
- 1948–1962
- Country
- 🇬🇧 United Kingdom
- Peak
- 86.0
- Dominance
- 70.0
- Statistics
- 82.0
- Honours
- 74.0
- Longevity
- 80.0
| # | Athlete | Sport | Country | Career | GOAT Score |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2530 | George McAfee | American Football | 🇺🇸 United States | 1940–1950 | 75.1 |
| 2560 | Ted Kennedy | Ice Hockey | 🇨🇦 Canada | 1942–1957 | 74.9 |
| 2600 | Tim Horton | Ice Hockey | 🇨🇦 Canada | 1949–1974 | 74.7 |
| 2613 | Don Barksdale | Basketball | 🇺🇸 United States | 1948–1955 | 74.6 |
| 2618 | Larry Doby | Baseball | 🇺🇸 United States | 1942–1959 | 74.6 |
| 2772 | George Connor | American Football | 🇺🇸 United States | 1948–1955 | 73.8 |
| 2790 | Tom Johnson | Ice Hockey | 🇨🇦 Canada | 1947–1965 | 73.7 |
| 2807 | Bill Durnan | Ice Hockey | 🇨🇦 Canada | 1943–1950 | 73.6 |
| 2811 | Jim Burke | Cricket | 🇦🇺 Australia | 1948–1959 | 73.6 |
| 2816 | Steve Van Buren | American Football | 🇺🇸 United States | 1944–1951 | 73.5 |
| 2840 | Jackie Robinson | Baseball | 🇺🇸 United States | 1945–1956 | 73.3 |
| 2904 | Max Bentley | Ice Hockey | 🇨🇦 Canada | 1940–1954 | 73.0 |
| 2953 | Buddy O'Connor | Ice Hockey | 🇨🇦 Canada | 1941–1951 | 72.7 |
| 2972 | Althea Gibson | Tennis | 🇺🇸 United States | 1949–1958 | 72.5 |
| 2988 | Richie Ashburn | Baseball | 🇺🇸 United States | 1948–1962 | 72.4 |
| 2993 | Edgar Laprade | Ice Hockey | 🇨🇦 Canada | 1945–1955 | 72.4 |
| 3010 | Fernie Flaman | Ice Hockey | 🇨🇦 Canada | 1944–1961 | 72.2 |
| 3091 | Herb Carnegie | Ice Hockey | 🇨🇦 Canada | 1944–1954 | 71.5 |
| 3101 | Bill Gadsby | Ice Hockey | 🇨🇦 Canada | 1946–1966 | 71.4 |
| 3115 | Doug Ford | Golf | 🇺🇸 United States | 1949–2001 | 71.2 |
| 3150 | Nellie Fox | Baseball | 🇺🇸 United States | 1947–1965 | 70.8 |
| 3214 | Sven Davidson | Tennis | 🇸🇪 Sweden | 1949–1962 | 70.1 |
| 3222 | Julius Boros | Golf | 🇺🇸 United States | 1949–1975 | 70.0 |
| 3231 | Cary Middlecoff | Golf | 🇺🇸 United States | 1947–1961 | 69.9 |
| 3291 | Peter Thomson | Golf | 🇦🇺 Australia | 1949–1988 | 69.2 |
| 3348 | Louise Suggs | Golf | 🇺🇸 United States | 1946–1969 | 68.5 |
| 3371 | Jay Hebert | Golf | 🇺🇸 United States | 1949–1973 | 68.2 |
| 3406 | Alberto Ascari | Formula 1 | 🇮🇹 Italy | 1947–1955 | 67.8 |
| 3443 | Walter Burkemo | Golf | 🇺🇸 United States | 1946–1965 | 67.3 |
| 3545 | Kel Nagle | Golf | 🇦🇺 Australia | 1946–1980 | 66.3 |
| 3654 | Žarko Dolinar | Table Tennis | 🇭🇷 Croatia | 1946–1957 | 65.1 |
| 3680 | Max Faulkner | Golf | 🇬🇧 United Kingdom | 1946–1980 | 64.8 |
| 3735 | Tage Flisberg | Table Tennis | 🇸🇪 Sweden | 1946–1958 | 64.4 |
| 3751 | Stirling Moss | Formula 1 | 🇬🇧 United Kingdom | 1948–1962 | 64.2 |
| 3798 | Chick Harbert | Golf | 🇺🇸 United States | 1940–1970 | 63.7 |
| 3826 | Tommy Bolt | Golf | 🇺🇸 United States | 1946–1970 | 63.4 |
| 3832 | Jim Rathmann | Formula 1 | 🇺🇸 United States | 1949–1963 | 63.3 |
| 3835 | Helen Elliot | Table Tennis | 🇬🇧 United Kingdom | 1946–1957 | 63.3 |
| 3852 | Jerry Barber | Golf | 🇺🇸 United States | 1948–1980 | 63.1 |
| 3936 | Claude Harmon | Golf | 🇺🇸 United States | 1940–1970 | 62.1 |
| 3966 | Dick Mayer | Golf | 🇺🇸 United States | 1949–1970 | 61.7 |
| 3997 | Ed Furgol | Golf | 🇺🇸 United States | 1945–1970 | 61.3 |
| 4042 | Dora Beregi | Table Tennis | 🇬🇧 United Kingdom | 1948–1962 | 60.7 |
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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