Greatest Footballer Quiz: Pelé, Maradona, Messi and More

This greatest footballer quiz looks at the players most often named the best ever, including Pelé, Diego Maradona, Lionel Messi, Cristiano Ronaldo, Johan Cruyff, Franz Beckenbauer, Zinedine Zidane, Alfredo Di Stéfano and goalkeeper Lev Yashin. Ten questions, 90 seconds.

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🎯 Daily Trivia Challenge • 🧠 10 Questions • ⏱️ 90 Seconds

Question 1 / 10 Time: 90s

Pelé
How many World Cups did Pelé win with Brazil?
Maradona
Diego Maradona's famous Hand of God goal came against which team in 1986?
Ballon d'Or
How many Ballon d'Or awards has Lionel Messi won, a record?
Ronaldo
For which national team does Cristiano Ronaldo play?
Cruyff
Which Dutch legend gave his name to a famous turn and led the Total Football style?
Goalkeepers
Who is the only goalkeeper ever to win the Ballon d'Or?
Zidane
Zinedine Zidane scored two headers in which World Cup final?
Beckenbauer
Franz Beckenbauer won the World Cup as a player in 1974 and as a coach in which year?
Di Stéfano
Alfredo Di Stéfano won five straight European Cups with which club?
Brazil
Which Brazilian striker, often called R9, won the World Cup in 2002 and the Ballon d'Or twice?

Explanations: answer key for all 10 questions

Q1: How many World Cups did Pelé win with Brazil?
Answer: Three
Pelé won in 1958, 1962 and 1970, and is the only player with three World Cup winner's medals. He was 17 at his first final.
Q2: Diego Maradona's famous Hand of God goal came against which team in 1986?
Answer: England
Minutes later in the same quarterfinal, Maradona scored a dribbling goal later voted the Goal of the Century. Argentina went on to win the tournament.
Q3: How many Ballon d'Or awards has Lionel Messi won, a record?
Answer: Eight
Messi won his eighth in 2023 after leading Argentina to the 2022 World Cup title. Cristiano Ronaldo has five.
Q4: For which national team does Cristiano Ronaldo play?
Answer: Portugal
Ronaldo led Portugal to victory at Euro 2016 and holds the record for the most goals in men's international football.
Q5: Which Dutch legend gave his name to a famous turn and led the Total Football style?
Answer: Johan Cruyff
Cruyff first showed the Cruyff turn at the 1974 World Cup. He later shaped Barcelona's playing style as a coach.
Q6: Who is the only goalkeeper ever to win the Ballon d'Or?
Answer: Lev Yashin
The Soviet keeper Lev Yashin, nicknamed the Black Spider, won it in 1963. An award for the best goalkeeper now carries his name.
Q7: Zinedine Zidane scored two headers in which World Cup final?
Answer: 1998 vs Brazil
France beat Brazil 3–0 in Paris in 1998. Zidane's career ended in the 2006 final, when he was sent off for a headbutt.
Q8: Franz Beckenbauer won the World Cup as a player in 1974 and as a coach in which year?
Answer: 1990
Beckenbauer, known as Der Kaiser, captained West Germany in 1974 and coached them to the title in Italy in 1990.
Q9: Alfredo Di Stéfano won five straight European Cups with which club?
Answer: Real Madrid
Real Madrid won the first five European Cups from 1956 to 1960. Di Stéfano scored in all five finals.
Q10: Which Brazilian striker, often called R9, won the World Cup in 2002 and the Ballon d'Or twice?
Answer: Ronaldo Nazário
Ronaldo Nazário scored both goals in the 2002 final against Germany. He finished that tournament as top scorer with eight goals.

Greatest Footballer Quiz – Who Is the Best Ever?

Few debates in sport are as passionate as the argument over the greatest footballer of all time. Fans compare trophies, goals, skill and influence, and every generation has its own favorite. Some names appear on almost every list, from Brazilian and Argentine icons to European legends who changed the way the game was played.

Pelé is often seen as the first global football superstar. He won three World Cups with Brazil and scored more than 1,000 goals in his career, by his own count. Diego Maradona, his great rival in these debates, almost single-handedly led Argentina to the 1986 World Cup, scoring both the Hand of God goal and the Goal of the Century against England.

European football has its own giants. Alfredo Di Stéfano drove Real Madrid's early European Cup wins, Johan Cruyff embodied Total Football with Ajax and the Netherlands, and Franz Beckenbauer redefined the role of the defender. Later, Zinedine Zidane became famous for his elegance and his two headers in the 1998 World Cup final.

In the 21st century, Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo dominated football for more than 15 years. Messi won a record eight Ballon d'Or awards and the 2022 World Cup, while Ronaldo became the top scorer in men's international football and in the Champions League. Many fans now consider one of them the greatest ever.

This quiz covers the careers, records and famous moments of football's greatest players.

What This Quiz Teaches

This quiz is ideal for football fans who love a good debate about the best player ever.

What Pelé and Maradona achieved
How many Ballon d'Or awards Messi won
Which European legends shaped the game
Who the only goalkeeper to win the Ballon d'Or is
Famous World Cup moments
Why Messi and Ronaldo dominate modern debates

Quick Facts About Football Legends

Pelé's real name was Edson Arantes do Nascimento.
Maradona once scored a goal for Napoli straight from a tight free kick inside the penalty area.
Ronaldinho won the Ballon d'Or in 2005.
George Best won the European Cup with Manchester United in 1968.
Eusébio was top scorer at the 1966 World Cup with nine goals.
Ousmane Dembélé won the Ballon d'Or in 2025.