GOAT Rank · 34

Greatest Football athletes of the 1970s

This ranking uses verified career records and GOAT Rank's published model. Every listed athlete clears the data eligibility threshold.

#AthleteGOAT Score

8

92.0

Sport: Football
Career: 1976–1997
Country: 🇦🇷 Argentina

Peak: 98.0
Dominance: 95.0
Statistics: 91.0
Honours: 93.0
Longevity: 82.0

Athlete: Diego Maradona

17

90.9

Sport: Football
Career: 1971–1994
Country: 🇧🇷 Brazil

Peak: 96.0
Dominance: 88.0
Statistics: 94.0
Honours: 90.0
Longevity: 88.0

18

90.9

Sport: Football
Career: 1970–1990
Country: 🇮🇹 Italy

Peak: 94.0
Dominance: 90.0
Statistics: 96.0
Honours: 86.0
Longevity: 90.0

Athlete: Betty Vignotto

49

88.8

Sport: Football
Career: 1971–1986
Country: 🇦🇷 Argentina

Peak: 92.0
Dominance: 88.0
Statistics: 96.0
Honours: 82.0
Longevity: 88.0

Athlete: Delio Onnis

57

Carolina Morace

88.5

Sport: Football
Career: 1978–1998
Country: 🇮🇹 Italy

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

Athlete: Carolina Morace

59

Lothar Matthäus

88.4

Sport: Football
Career: 1979–2000
Country: 🇩🇪 Germany

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

Athlete: Lothar Matthäus

68

88.2

Sport: Football
Career: 1975–1996
Country: 🇸🇪 Sweden

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

Athlete: Pia Sundhage

69

88.1

Sport: Football
Career: 1972–1987
Country: 🇫🇷 France

Peak: 93.0
Dominance: 88.0
Statistics: 89.0
Honours: 89.0
Longevity: 82.0

Athlete: Michel Platini

92

87.3

Sport: Football
Career: 1971–1990
Country: 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿 Scotland

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

Athlete: Kenny Dalglish

138

86.0

Sport: Football
Career: 1970–1996
Country: 🇨🇲 Cameroon

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

Athlete: Roger Milla

149

85.8

Sport: Football
Career: 1979–2000
Country: 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁷󠁬󠁳󠁿 Wales

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

Athlete: Ian Rush

160

85.6

Sport: Football
Career: 1979–1995
Country: 🇺🇦 Ukraine

Peak: 94.0
Dominance: 84.0
Statistics: 84.0
Honours: 88.0
Longevity: 78.0

Athlete: Igor Belanov

171

85.4

Sport: Football
Career: 1977–1997
Country: 🇮🇹 Italy

Peak: 88.0
Dominance: 84.0
Statistics: 80.0
Honours: 86.0
Longevity: 88.0

Athlete: Franco Baresi

195

Dominique Rocheteau

85.1

Sport: Football
Career: 1971–1989
Country: 🇫🇷 France

Peak: 90.0
Dominance: 82.0
Statistics: 84.0
Honours: 86.0
Longevity: 84.0

Athlete: Dominique Rocheteau

198

85.0

Sport: Football
Career: 1973–1987
Country: 🇮🇹 Italy

Peak: 98.0
Dominance: 82.0
Statistics: 86.0
Honours: 90.0
Longevity: 70.0

Athlete: Paolo Rossi

207

84.9

Sport: Football
Career: 1974–1989
Country: 🇧🇷 Brazil

Peak: 92.0
Dominance: 82.0
Statistics: 88.0
Honours: 84.0
Longevity: 80.0

Athlete: Sócrates

218

84.6

Sport: Football
Career: 1979–1996
Country: 🇩🇪 Germany

Peak: 90.0
Dominance: 80.0
Statistics: 84.0
Honours: 86.0
Longevity: 84.0

Athlete: Silvia Neid

236

84.2

Sport: Football
Career: 1979–1998
Country: 🇳🇱 Netherlands

Peak: 89.0
Dominance: 82.0
Statistics: 82.0
Honours: 86.0
Longevity: 82.0

Athlete: Ruud Gullit

257

83.9

Sport: Football
Career: 1978–1994
Country: 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿 England

Peak: 92.0
Dominance: 80.0
Statistics: 90.0
Honours: 82.0
Longevity: 78.0

Athlete: Gary Lineker

258

83.9

Sport: Football
Career: 1978–1997
Country: 🇧🇷 Brazil

Peak: 90.0
Dominance: 78.0
Statistics: 88.0
Honours: 82.0
Longevity: 84.0

Athlete: Careca

286

83.3

Sport: Football
Career: 1970–1989
Country: 🇩🇰 Denmark

Peak: 90.0
Dominance: 78.0
Statistics: 84.0
Honours: 84.0
Longevity: 82.0

Athlete: Allan Simonsen

288

83.3

Sport: Football
Career: 1970–1983
Country: 🇸🇪 Sweden

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

Athlete: Ralf Edström

303

Karl-Heinz Rummenigge

82.9

Sport: Football
Career: 1974–1989
Country: 🇩🇪 Germany

Peak: 88.0
Dominance: 80.0
Statistics: 86.0
Honours: 82.0
Longevity: 80.0

Athlete: Karl-Heinz Rummenigge

317

82.4

Sport: Football
Career: 1974–1991
Country: 🇧🇦 Bosnia and Herzegovina

Peak: 88.0
Dominance: 78.0
Statistics: 86.0
Honours: 76.0
Longevity: 86.0

Athlete: Safet Sušić

330

82.1

Sport: Football
Career: 1978–2000
Country: 🇬🇭 Ghana

Peak: 88.0
Dominance: 80.0
Statistics: 78.0
Honours: 82.0
Longevity: 82.0

Athlete: Abedi Pelé

331

82.1

Sport: Football
Career: 1970–1988
Country: 🇫🇷 France

Peak: 86.0
Dominance: 76.0
Statistics: 82.0
Honours: 80.0
Longevity: 88.0

Athlete: Alain Giresse

350

81.9

Sport: Football
Career: 1976–1997
Country: 🇲🇽 Mexico

Peak: 88.0
Dominance: 78.0
Statistics: 88.0
Honours: 76.0
Longevity: 82.0

Athlete: Hugo Sánchez

371

Pierre Littbarski

81.2

Sport: Football
Career: 1978–1997
Country: 🇩🇪 Germany

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

Athlete: Pierre Littbarski

373

Mahmoud El Khatib

81.2

Sport: Football
Career: 1972–1988
Country: 🇪🇬 Egypt

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

Athlete: Mahmoud El Khatib

380

Bruce Grobbelaar

80.9

Sport: Football
Career: 1979–1998
Country: 🇿🇼 Zimbabwe

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

Athlete: Bruce Grobbelaar

416

78.9

Sport: Football
Career: 1978–1992
Country: 🇩🇿 Algeria

Peak: 86.0
Dominance: 78.0
Statistics: 76.0
Honours: 80.0
Longevity: 74.0

Athlete: Rabah Madjer

444

29.0

Sport: Football
Career: 1977–1993
Country: 🇸🇪 Sweden

Peak: 30.0
Dominance: 24.0
Statistics: 28.0
Honours: 18.0
Longevity: 46.0

Athlete: Robert Prytz

446

Jan "Janne" Möller

27.4

Sport: Football
Career: 1972–1985
Country: 🇸🇪 Sweden

Peak: 28.0
Dominance: 22.0
Statistics: 26.0
Honours: 18.0
Longevity: 44.0

Athlete: Jan "Janne" Möller

447

27.4

Sport: Football
Career: 1970–1982
Country: 🇸🇪 Sweden

Peak: 28.0
Dominance: 22.0
Statistics: 26.0
Honours: 18.0
Longevity: 44.0

Athlete: Staffan Tapper

#	Athlete	Sport	Country	Career	GOAT Score
8	Diego Maradona	Football	🇦🇷 Argentina	1976–1997	92
17	Zico	Football	🇧🇷 Brazil	1971–1994	90.9
18	Betty Vignotto	Football	🇮🇹 Italy	1970–1990	90.9
49	Delio Onnis	Football	🇦🇷 Argentina	1971–1986	88.8
57	Carolina Morace	Football	🇮🇹 Italy	1978–1998	88.5
59	Lothar Matthäus	Football	🇩🇪 Germany	1979–2000	88.4
68	Pia Sundhage	Football	🇸🇪 Sweden	1975–1996	88.2
69	Michel Platini	Football	🇫🇷 France	1972–1987	88.1
92	Kenny Dalglish	Football	🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿 Scotland	1971–1990	87.3
138	Roger Milla	Football	🇨🇲 Cameroon	1970–1996	86
149	Ian Rush	Football	🏴󠁧󠁢󠁷󠁬󠁳󠁿 Wales	1979–2000	85.8
160	Igor Belanov	Football	🇺🇦 Ukraine	1979–1995	85.6
171	Franco Baresi	Football	🇮🇹 Italy	1977–1997	85.4
195	Dominique Rocheteau	Football	🇫🇷 France	1971–1989	85.1
198	Paolo Rossi	Football	🇮🇹 Italy	1973–1987	85
207	Sócrates	Football	🇧🇷 Brazil	1974–1989	84.9
218	Silvia Neid	Football	🇩🇪 Germany	1979–1996	84.6
236	Ruud Gullit	Football	🇳🇱 Netherlands	1979–1998	84.2
257	Gary Lineker	Football	🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿 England	1978–1994	83.9
258	Careca	Football	🇧🇷 Brazil	1978–1997	83.9
286	Allan Simonsen	Football	🇩🇰 Denmark	1970–1989	83.3
288	Ralf Edström	Football	🇸🇪 Sweden	1970–1983	83.3
303	Karl-Heinz Rummenigge	Football	🇩🇪 Germany	1974–1989	82.9
317	Safet Sušić	Football	🇧🇦 Bosnia and Herzegovina	1974–1991	82.4
330	Abedi Pelé	Football	🇬🇭 Ghana	1978–2000	82.1
331	Alain Giresse	Football	🇫🇷 France	1970–1988	82.1
350	Hugo Sánchez	Football	🇲🇽 Mexico	1976–1997	81.9
371	Pierre Littbarski	Football	🇩🇪 Germany	1978–1997	81.2
373	Mahmoud El Khatib	Football	🇪🇬 Egypt	1972–1988	81.2
380	Bruce Grobbelaar	Football	🇿🇼 Zimbabwe	1979–1998	80.9
416	Rabah Madjer	Football	🇩🇿 Algeria	1978–1992	78.9
444	Robert Prytz	Football	🇸🇪 Sweden	1977–1993	29
446	Jan "Janne" Möller	Football	🇸🇪 Sweden	1972–1985	27.4
447	Staffan Tapper	Football	🇸🇪 Sweden	1970–1982	27.4

Compare the leaders

Diego Maradona vs Zico

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?

Only verified athletes with sufficient career history, metrics, honours and independent sources are eligible.

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