In the history of football, there have been some very special players, Messi, Pele and Maradona are recognized as the kings of the ball, what these three players have in common, in addition to their football talent, is that they are all from South America, but what about those from Europe?
The top 10 European stars in the history of football that are comparable to the "king of the ball"!
10. Bobby Charlton (England)
As England's greatest footballer of all time, it's no surprise that Bobby Charlton is in the top 10. The hero of the 1966 World Cup was the best player of that World Cup and won the Ballon d'Or in the same year.
The former England goal-scoring record holder has also achieved great results at club level. In fact, he may well be the best player of all time, scoring 249 goals in 758 appearances for the Reds, setting a team record for goals.
9. Gerd Müller (Germany)
Gerd Müller's record for West Germany is simply incredible. He averaged more than one goal per game (68 in 62 games) and helped West Germany win two major honours in just two years, the World Cup and the European Championship.
The 1970 Ballon d'Or winner also scored 563 goals for Bayern Munich, becoming Bayern Munich's all-time top scorer. In terms of pure goalscoring talent, there is no European player more lethal than Gerd Muller.
8. Michel Platini (France)
Michel Platini has one thing in common with Messi, they are the only two footballers to have won the Ballon d'Or three times in a row. Michel Platini won the Ballon d'Or between 1983 and 1985, while Messi achieved better results between 2009 and 2012, and that alone is enough to show that France's former all-time top scorer deserves to be on this list.
In the 80s, Michel Platini also led the national team to the first major honours. His impact at Euro 94 was enormous, with Platini scoring nine of France's 14 goals in just five games. These included a "perfect" hat-trick against Belgium and an opener in the final against Spain. In addition, Platini has also won major club honors such as the Champions League, Serie A, and Ligue 1 at club level.
7. Eusebio (Portugal)
While Eusebio has never won a major honour for Portugal, he does know how to shine on the biggest stage. After all, he scored nine goals in six games and won Portugal a third-place finish at the 1996 World Cup, making him one of the best players in the World Cup.
He is Benfica's greatest player, having won 11 league titles for the Portuguese giants, scoring 473 goals in 440 appearances. The prolific striker, nicknamed "O Rei" (The King), "has done everything but win the World Cup" in his own words.
6. Paolo Maldini (Italy)
As the first defender on the list, Paolo Maldini has had a stellar career. Although he was not expected to receive international accolades, his success at AC Milan was unparalleled. In fact, the defender won 26 trophies in 25 seasons with AC Milan before retiring in 2009 at the age of 41 with seven Serie A titles, two Champions League titles and countless other awards.
5. Zinedine Zidane (France)
As the greatest French footballer of all time, Zidane was also named in the Real Madrid all-time team, which speaks volumes about his outstanding performances for club and country. The 1998 Ballon d'Or winner scored twice at the 1998 World Cup to help France win their first World Cup title. In addition, his trademark volley in the Champions League final will never be forgotten.
4. Ferenc Puskas (Hungary)
Ferenc Puskas was born in Budapest, Hungary in 1927, and most fans are familiar with his name. However, they may not know much about his specific style of play. Real Madrid's team-mate Paco Gento summed up his left foot best, saying it was "like a hand with which he can do anything".
It was in Spain that Puskas played his best performances at the club, helping Real Madrid to three Champions League titles and five La Liga titles. He also scored more than 350 goals for Honverde in Budapest and led Hungary to defeat the then world football powers England, Uruguay, the Soviet Union, Brazil and Italy in the 50s of the 20th century. The team was later named the greatest team in the history of international football by the BBC and was runners-up in the 1954 World Cup.
3. Beckenbauer (Germany)
Beckenbauer led West Germany to the 1974 World Cup and carved out the libero position. Only three defenders in the history of football have ever won the Ballon d'Or, but Beckenbauer has won the award twice for his outstanding performances. Beckenbauer is arguably the best footballer in Germany and the best footballer on the continent.
2. Cruyff (Netherlands)
If Beckenbauer was a pioneer of defensive players, the Dutch legend was a pioneer of the sport as a whole, both as a player and as a manager, and he achieved immortal results with his principle of "all-attacking and all-defensive football".
A three-time Ballon d'Or winner, Cruyff failed to win any major honours for the Netherlands, most recently in 1974 when he finished runners-up for West Germany. At club level, however, Cruyff has won numerous trophies, winning league titles at Barcelona, Ajax and Feyenoord, as well as three consecutive Champions League titles at Ajax. There are few players and coaches in modern football who are not motivated by his talent.
1. Cristiano Ronaldo (Portugal)
As the greatest goalscorer in the history of football, Cristiano Ronaldo will undoubtedly be remembered as a legend. He could well be the best player of all time without Messi, but the Portuguese icon could at least be the finest football product in Europe.
In the history of world football, he has scored more goals and made more appearances in international matches than anyone else. That longevity saw him lead Portugal to Euro 2016, winning their only major honour in their history. Add to that the numerous awards he has received personally and while playing for teams such as Manchester United, Real Madrid, Juventus and Riyadh Victory, and it's easy to see why he's the best footballer Europe has ever seen.