- Sport
- Football
- Career
- 1974–1991
- Country
- 🇮🇹 Italy
- Peak
- 90.0
- Dominance
- 88.0
- Statistics
- 85.0
- Honours
- 94.0
- Longevity
- 88.0
GOAT Rank · 4154
Greatest male of all time
This ranking is led by Lionel Messi, Cristiano Ronaldo and Michael Phelps. GOAT Rank currently ranks 4154 eligible athletes using verified career records across dominance, peak, longevity, honours and statistics.
Quick answer
According to GOAT Rank's current model, Lionel Messi ranks #1 on this list with a GOAT Score of 97.0.
How the GOAT Score is calculated →#AthleteGOAT Score
- Sport
- Football
- Career
- 2005–active
- Country
- 🇧🇷 Brazil
- Peak
- 87.0
- Dominance
- 88.0
- Statistics
- 85.0
- Honours
- 95.0
- Longevity
- 90.0
- Sport
- Football
- Career
- 1980–1997
- Country
- 🇺🇾 Uruguay
- Peak
- 92.0
- Dominance
- 90.0
- Statistics
- 88.0
- Honours
- 90.0
- Longevity
- 85.0
- Sport
- Football
- Career
- 2009–active
- Country
- 🇧🇪 Belgium
- Peak
- 92.0
- Dominance
- 90.0
- Statistics
- 88.0
- Honours
- 90.0
- Longevity
- 85.0
- Sport
- Football
- Career
- 1995–2023
- Country
- 🇮🇹 Italy
- Peak
- 89.0
- Dominance
- 86.0
- Statistics
- 86.0
- Honours
- 88.0
- Longevity
- 96.0
- Sport
- Football
- Career
- 1994–2012
- Country
- 🇺🇦 Ukraine
- Peak
- 94.0
- Dominance
- 86.0
- Statistics
- 92.0
- Honours
- 90.0
- Longevity
- 84.0
- Sport
- Football
- Career
- 2010–2024
- Country
- 🇫🇷 France
- Peak
- 93.0
- Dominance
- 88.0
- Statistics
- 86.0
- Honours
- 93.0
- Longevity
- 84.0
- 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
- 1984–2009
- Country
- 🇮🇹 Italy
- Peak
- 87.0
- Dominance
- 87.0
- Statistics
- 84.0
- Honours
- 89.0
- Longevity
- 96.0
- Sport
- Football
- Career
- 2002–2024
- Country
- 🇪🇸 Spain
- Peak
- 91.0
- Dominance
- 88.0
- Statistics
- 85.0
- Honours
- 91.0
- Longevity
- 88.0
- Sport
- Football
- Career
- 2006–active
- Country
- 🇵🇱 Poland
- Peak
- 92.0
- Dominance
- 86.0
- Statistics
- 94.0
- Honours
- 86.0
- Longevity
- 88.0
- Sport
- Football
- Career
- 1981–2003
- Country
- 🇩🇰 Denmark
- Peak
- 92.0
- Dominance
- 90.0
- Statistics
- 82.0
- Honours
- 92.0
- Longevity
- 86.0
- Sport
- Football
- Career
- 1932–1965
- Country
- 🏴 England
- Peak
- 92.0
- Dominance
- 84.0
- Statistics
- 84.0
- Honours
- 86.0
- Longevity
- 98.0
- Sport
- Basketball
- Career
- 1995–2018
- Country
- 🇦🇷 Argentina
- Peak
- 94.0
- Dominance
- 86.0
- Statistics
- 90.0
- Honours
- 94.0
- Longevity
- 90.0
- Sport
- Basketball
- Career
- 1965–1980
- Country
- 🇺🇸 United States
- Peak
- 96.0
- Dominance
- 90.0
- Statistics
- 94.0
- Honours
- 90.0
- Longevity
- 84.0
- Sport
- Football
- Career
- 1971–1986
- Country
- 🇦🇷 Argentina
- Peak
- 92.0
- Dominance
- 88.0
- Statistics
- 96.0
- Honours
- 82.0
- Longevity
- 88.0
- Sport
- Football
- Career
- 1986–2004
- Country
- 🇩🇪 Germany
- Peak
- 90.0
- Dominance
- 88.0
- Statistics
- 89.0
- Honours
- 92.0
- Longevity
- 85.0
- Sport
- Basketball
- Career
- 1996–2016
- Country
- 🇺🇸 USA
- Peak
- 94.0
- Dominance
- 90.0
- Statistics
- 92.0
- Honours
- 87.0
- Longevity
- 90.0
- Sport
- Cricket
- Career
- 1989–2013
- Country
- 🇮🇳 India
- Peak
- 92.0
- Dominance
- 93.0
- Statistics
- 98.0
- Honours
- 90.0
- Longevity
- 100.0
- Sport
- Football
- Career
- 1998–2019
- Country
- 🇪🇸 Spain
- Peak
- 90.0
- Dominance
- 88.0
- Statistics
- 86.0
- Honours
- 91.0
- Longevity
- 88.0
- Sport
- Basketball
- Career
- 1997–2016
- Country
- 🇻🇮 United States
- Peak
- 89.0
- Dominance
- 90.0
- Statistics
- 88.0
- Honours
- 91.0
- Longevity
- 94.0
- Sport
- Basketball
- Career
- 1962–1978
- Country
- 🇺🇸 United States
- Peak
- 92.0
- Dominance
- 86.0
- Statistics
- 92.0
- Honours
- 94.0
- Longevity
- 90.0
- Sport
- Football
- Career
- 1962–1980
- Country
- 🇩🇪 Germany
- Peak
- 90.0
- Dominance
- 90.0
- Statistics
- 78.0
- Honours
- 96.0
- Longevity
- 86.0
- Sport
- Basketball
- Career
- 1964–1980
- Country
- 🇷🇺 Russia
- Peak
- 94.0
- Dominance
- 90.0
- Statistics
- 90.0
- Honours
- 92.0
- Longevity
- 86.0
- Sport
- Athletics
- Career
- 1988–2001
- Country
- 🇺🇸 United States
- Peak
- 93.0
- Dominance
- 88.0
- Statistics
- 90.0
- Honours
- 90.0
- Longevity
- 82.0
- Sport
- Football
- Career
- 2012–active
- Country
- 🇫🇷 France
- Peak
- 94.0
- Dominance
- 88.0
- Statistics
- 86.0
- Honours
- 90.0
- Longevity
- 84.0
- Sport
- Football
- Career
- 1979–2000
- Country
- 🇩🇪 Germany
- Peak
- 90.0
- Dominance
- 86.0
- Statistics
- 86.0
- Honours
- 88.0
- Longevity
- 92.0
- Sport
- Football
- Career
- 1966–1997
- Country
- 🏴 England
- Peak
- 90.0
- Dominance
- 88.0
- Statistics
- 80.0
- Honours
- 86.0
- Longevity
- 96.0
- Sport
- Football
- Career
- 2000–2020
- Country
- 🇪🇸 Spain
- Peak
- 90.0
- Dominance
- 88.0
- Statistics
- 88.0
- Honours
- 94.0
- Longevity
- 82.0
- Sport
- Football
- Career
- 1986–2006
- Country
- 🇫🇷 France
- Peak
- 92.0
- Dominance
- 84.0
- Statistics
- 84.0
- Honours
- 94.0
- Longevity
- 88.0
- Sport
- Basketball
- Career
- 1979–1994
- Country
- 🇬🇷 Greece
- Peak
- 96.0
- Dominance
- 92.0
- Statistics
- 96.0
- Honours
- 86.0
- Longevity
- 82.0
- Sport
- Basketball
- Career
- 1971–1991
- Country
- 🇷🇸 Serbia
- Peak
- 94.0
- Dominance
- 88.0
- Statistics
- 92.0
- Honours
- 90.0
- Longevity
- 88.0
- Sport
- Football
- Career
- 2005–2024
- Country
- 🇮🇹 Italy
- Peak
- 92.0
- Dominance
- 86.0
- Statistics
- 86.0
- Honours
- 90.0
- Longevity
- 88.0
- Sport
- Football
- Career
- 1997–2019
- Country
- 🇺🇾 Uruguay
- Peak
- 93.0
- Dominance
- 86.0
- Statistics
- 90.0
- Honours
- 88.0
- Longevity
- 86.0
- Sport
- Boxing
- Career
- 1989–2018
- Country
- 🇺🇸 United States
- Peak
- 98.0
- Dominance
- 92.0
- Statistics
- 92.0
- Honours
- 92.0
- Longevity
- 86.0
- Sport
- Football
- Career
- 1960–1979
- Country
- 🇵🇹 Portugal
- Peak
- 91.0
- Dominance
- 88.0
- Statistics
- 93.0
- Honours
- 86.0
- Longevity
- 84.0
- Sport
- Basketball
- Career
- 2009–active
- Country
- 🇺🇸 United States
- Peak
- 93.0
- Dominance
- 90.0
- Statistics
- 91.0
- Honours
- 90.0
- Longevity
- 86.0
- Sport
- Football
- Career
- 2001–2023
- Country
- 🇧🇷 Brazil
- Peak
- 86.0
- Dominance
- 86.0
- Statistics
- 82.0
- Honours
- 94.0
- Longevity
- 92.0
- Sport
- Football
- Career
- 1999–2019
- Country
- 🇨🇿 Czech Republic
- Peak
- 90.0
- Dominance
- 88.0
- Statistics
- 84.0
- Honours
- 90.0
- Longevity
- 88.0
- Sport
- Football
- Career
- 1979–1997
- Country
- 🇩🇪 Germany
- Peak
- 92.0
- Dominance
- 88.0
- Statistics
- 85.0
- Honours
- 90.0
- Longevity
- 85.0
- Sport
- Football
- Career
- 2005–2023
- Country
- 🇪🇸 Spain
- Peak
- 88.0
- Dominance
- 85.0
- Statistics
- 86.0
- Honours
- 90.0
- Longevity
- 92.0
- Sport
- Football
- Career
- 2006–active
- Country
- 🇭🇷 Croatia
- Peak
- 90.0
- Dominance
- 85.0
- Statistics
- 86.0
- Honours
- 92.0
- Longevity
- 88.0
- Sport
- Football
- Career
- 1972–1987
- Country
- 🇫🇷 France
- Peak
- 93.0
- Dominance
- 88.0
- Statistics
- 89.0
- Honours
- 89.0
- Longevity
- 82.0
- Sport
- Football
- Career
- 1969–1990
- Country
- 🇺🇦 Ukraine
- Peak
- 92.0
- Dominance
- 84.0
- Statistics
- 90.0
- Honours
- 88.0
- Longevity
- 88.0
- Sport
- Cricket
- Career
- 1928–1948
- Country
- 🇦🇺 Australia
- Peak
- 100.0
- Dominance
- 100.0
- Statistics
- 100.0
- Honours
- 92.0
- Longevity
- 76.0
- Sport
- Basketball
- Career
- 1960–1974
- Country
- 🇺🇸 United States
- Peak
- 94.0
- Dominance
- 90.0
- Statistics
- 94.0
- Honours
- 88.0
- Longevity
- 84.0
- Sport
- Football
- Career
- 1992–2015
- Country
- 🇧🇷 Brazil
- Peak
- 92.0
- Dominance
- 86.0
- Statistics
- 86.0
- Honours
- 90.0
- Longevity
- 86.0
- Sport
- Basketball
- Career
- 1992–2011
- Country
- 🇺🇸 United States
- Peak
- 94.0
- Dominance
- 90.0
- Statistics
- 92.0
- Honours
- 89.0
- Longevity
- 84.0
- Sport
- Football
- Career
- 1989–2009
- Country
- 🇵🇹 Portugal
- Peak
- 92.0
- Dominance
- 84.0
- Statistics
- 86.0
- Honours
- 90.0
- Longevity
- 88.0
- Sport
- Football
- Career
- 1964–1982
- Country
- 🇪🇸 Spain
- Peak
- 88.0
- Dominance
- 85.0
- Statistics
- 84.0
- Honours
- 92.0
- Longevity
- 90.0
| # | Athlete | Sport | Country | Career | GOAT Score |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 75 | Antonio Cabrini | Football | 🇮🇹 Italy | 1974–1991 | 89.2 |
| 76 | Marcelo Vieira | Football | 🇧🇷 Brazil | 2005–active | 89.2 |
| 77 | Enzo Francescoli | Football | 🇺🇾 Uruguay | 1980–1997 | 89.1 |
| 78 | Thibaut Nicolas Marc Courtois | Football | 🇧🇪 Belgium | 2009–active | 89.1 |
| 79 | Gianluigi Buffon | Football | 🇮🇹 Italy | 1995–2023 | 89.0 |
| 83 | Andriy Shevchenko | Football | 🇺🇦 Ukraine | 1994–2012 | 88.9 |
| 85 | Raphaël Varane | Football | 🇫🇷 France | 2010–2024 | 88.9 |
| 86 | Norberto Méndez | Football | 🇦🇷 Argentina | 1941–1958 | 88.9 |
| 87 | Paolo Maldini | Football | 🇮🇹 Italy | 1984–2009 | 88.8 |
| 88 | Andrés Iniesta | Football | 🇪🇸 Spain | 2002–2024 | 88.8 |
| 89 | Robert Lewandowski | Football | 🇵🇱 Poland | 2006–active | 88.8 |
| 90 | Peter Schmeichel | Football | 🇩🇰 Denmark | 1981–2003 | 88.8 |
| 91 | Stanley Matthews | Football | 🏴 England | 1932–1965 | 88.8 |
| 92 | Manu Ginóbili | Basketball | 🇦🇷 Argentina | 1995–2018 | 88.8 |
| 93 | Rick Barry | Basketball | 🇺🇸 United States | 1965–1980 | 88.8 |
| 94 | Delio Onnis | Football | 🇦🇷 Argentina | 1971–1986 | 88.8 |
| 98 | Andreas Möller | Football | 🇩🇪 Germany | 1986–2004 | 88.8 |
| 99 | Kobe Bryant | Basketball | 🇺🇸 USA | 1996–2016 | 88.7 |
| 100 | Sachin Tendulkar | Cricket | 🇮🇳 India | 1989–2013 | 88.7 |
| 101 | Xavi Hernández | Football | 🇪🇸 Spain | 1998–2019 | 88.7 |
| 102 | Tim Duncan | Basketball | 🇻🇮 United States | 1997–2016 | 88.7 |
| 104 | John Havlicek | Basketball | 🇺🇸 United States | 1962–1978 | 88.7 |
| 106 | Sepp Maier | Football | 🇩🇪 Germany | 1962–1980 | 88.6 |
| 107 | Sergei Belov | Basketball | 🇷🇺 Russia | 1964–1980 | 88.6 |
| 109 | Michael Johnson | Athletics | 🇺🇸 United States | 1988–2001 | 88.5 |
| 111 | N'Golo Kanté | Football | 🇫🇷 France | 2012–active | 88.5 |
| 113 | Lothar Matthäus | Football | 🇩🇪 Germany | 1979–2000 | 88.4 |
| 115 | Peter Shilton | Football | 🏴 England | 1966–1997 | 88.4 |
| 116 | David Villa | Football | 🇪🇸 Spain | 2000–2020 | 88.4 |
| 117 | Marcel Desailly | Football | 🇫🇷 France | 1986–2006 | 88.4 |
| 118 | Nikos Galis | Basketball | 🇬🇷 Greece | 1979–1994 | 88.4 |
| 119 | Dražen Dalipagić | Basketball | 🇷🇸 Serbia | 1971–1991 | 88.4 |
| 120 | Leonardo Bonucci | Football | 🇮🇹 Italy | 2005–2024 | 88.4 |
| 121 | Diego Forlán | Football | 🇺🇾 Uruguay | 1997–2019 | 88.4 |
| 124 | Roy Jones Jr. | Boxing | 🇺🇸 United States | 1989–2018 | 88.3 |
| 125 | Eusébio | Football | 🇵🇹 Portugal | 1960–1979 | 88.2 |
| 126 | Stephen Curry | Basketball | 🇺🇸 United States | 2009–active | 88.2 |
| 127 | Dani Alves | Football | 🇧🇷 Brazil | 2001–2023 | 88.2 |
| 128 | Petr Čech | Football | 🇨🇿 Czech Republic | 1999–2019 | 88.2 |
| 131 | Bernd Schuster | Football | 🇩🇪 Germany | 1979–1997 | 88.2 |
| 132 | David Josué Jiménez Silva | Football | 🇪🇸 Spain | 2005–2023 | 88.2 |
| 133 | Ivan Rakitić | Football | 🇭🇷 Croatia | 2006–active | 88.2 |
| 134 | Michel Platini | Football | 🇫🇷 France | 1972–1987 | 88.1 |
| 135 | Oleg Blokhin | Football | 🇺🇦 Ukraine | 1969–1990 | 88.1 |
| 137 | Donald Bradman | Cricket | 🇦🇺 Australia | 1928–1948 | 88.0 |
| 138 | Oscar Robertson | Basketball | 🇺🇸 United States | 1960–1974 | 88.0 |
| 139 | Dida | Football | 🇧🇷 Brazil | 1992–2015 | 88.0 |
| 141 | Shaquille O'Neal | Basketball | 🇺🇸 United States | 1992–2011 | 87.9 |
| 142 | Luís Figo | Football | 🇵🇹 Portugal | 1989–2009 | 87.9 |
| 143 | José Martínez Sánchez | Football | 🇪🇸 Spain | 1964–1982 | 87.9 |
Compare the leaders
Lionel Messi vs Cristiano RonaldoRead 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.
Related rankings
Greatest athletes of all timeGreatest female of all timeGreatest active AthletesGreatest retired AthletesGreatest Boxers of all timeGreatest Swimmers of all timeGreatest Football Players of all timeGreatest Tennis Players of all timeGreatest Golfers of all timeGreatest Formula 1 Drivers of all timeGreatest Esports Players of all timeGreatest Basketball Players of all time