Ranking the 10 best World Cup players of all time, from Messi to Maradona and everyone in between

With the 2026 FIFA World Cup in full swing, we are seeing some of the best players on the planet duke it out for the most coveted trophy in soccer. Plenty of all-timers are trying to stake their claim at immortality during this tournament , but few, if any, will ever catch the legends that came before them. With that in mind, let's take a look at 10 of the greatest World Cup players in soccer history. A note before we move forward: this list takes only their World Cup performances into account.