Lionel Messi: the greatest player ever?

5. Alfredo Di  Stefano

Widely considered as the best player to pull on the white Jersey of Los Blancos, Alfredo Di Stefano made his name as one of the world’s best players, scoring 216 goals in 282 appearances, as Real Madrid dominated European football in the 1950s, winning 5 consecutive Champions league titles. Voted by the Royal Spanish Football Federation as Spain’s outstanding player over the past 50 years in 2003, Di Stefano remains Real Madrid’s second leading goal-scorer in history. Possessing great power, stamina, technical – and tactical – versatility, vision and speed, “Saeta Rubia” (Blond Arrow) is hailed as one of the most complete strikers to ever grace a football pitch.

He was voted fourth by ‘France Football’ magazine, in the list of the greatest player of the century, with only Pele, Diego Maradona and Johan Cruyff higher placed than the Argentinian. His accolades speak volumes about his ability, but what more significantly defines the true brilliance of Di Stefano is the way he defined and revolutionised an era. He was the talisman, the pioneer, of Real Madrid’s unerring success in the early years of Champions League football, and many consider him to be a significant figure in changing the way strikers began to be perceived; reverting away from the typical, old-school number 9, who would typically bully his way through defenders. Di Stefano added more guile to his game, using a combination of skill, pace and power to beat opposing players, when previous strikers would have relied solely on strength and dogged, almost brutish, determination. Di Stefano remains one of the greatest players of all time, and I consider him to be the greatest Real Madrid player of all time, but question whether he can rightfully be regarded as the greatest of all time. Nonetheless, a truly sensational player, with an incredible career.