80. Andriy Shevchenko
Simply put, Shevchenko was the leading light of the last great AC Milan side.
A top-class goalscorer in a division that makes it notoriously difficult for striker to rack up large goal tallies. The Ukrainian twice took the Serie A golden boot with 24 goals in 2000 and 2004 – the latter of which also earned him the Ballon d’Or.
The striker especially shone in the Champions League, with two golden boots and a winner’s medal that would have been two had it not been for Jerzy Dudek et al in 2005. He ranks seventh in the competition’s all-time scorers list.
79. Zlatan Ibrahimovic
What else is there to say that has not already been said – most of it by the man himself?
A divisive figure, but indisputably supremely talented, even if his exact standing in the pantheon of modern greats is up for debate.
Ibrahimovic will be remembered for having just as exuberant a personality on the pitch as he did off it, and in some ways that’s a shame, because it almost overshadows his hugely impressive numbers. 573 goals in 988 career appearances for some of the biggest clubs in the world and Sweden speaks of both his talent and his longevity.
78. Luis Figo
The 2000 Ballon d’Or winner and the supreme winger of his generation, the Portuguese will forever be synonymous with one of the most infamous incidents in El Classico history.
As he tried to take a corner, Figo was subjected to a barrage of foreign objects from Barcelona fans who felt betrayed by his defection to Real Madrid for a world-record fee – including an actual pig’s head. The best part: he had actually moved more than two years prior.
The depth of Barca’s anger, even after so long, is directly reflective of the scale of Figo’s talent. He was class.
77. Franck Ribery
Hated by many in France largely for his role in an underage sex worker scandal and his country’s disastrous 2010 World Cup campaign, Ribery found a much more welcoming second home in Germany with Bayern Munich.
Playing opposite Arjen Robben on the other flank, Ribery was a key player in helping Bayern claim nine league titles in 12 years on top of the 2013 Champions League.
That year also saw the talented dribbler crowned the Bundesliga’s top assist maker for the third year running and come third in the running for the Ballon d’Or.
76. Ashley Cole
The best English left-back of all time? Probably. The best Premier League left-back of all time? Probably.
Cole is one of just nine men ever to pass the 100-cap mark for his country and amassed an impressive medal collection with Arsenal and Chelsea, the crown jewel of which was as part of the Gunners’ famous Invincibles side of 2003/04.
Most importantly is the role Cole played in revolutionising what we expect from modern full-backs, proving just as capable of making a stunning last-second intervention as he was operating in the final third.
75. Steven Gerrard
That. That’s the operative word when it comes to Steven Gerrard, an unstoppable, tough-tackling, goalscoring midfielder who had it all.
From that goal against Olympiacos, to setting them on their way to that Champions League final comeback, to that FA Cup Final, to that camera kiss at Old Trafford… at his peak, Gerrard had an uncanny knack for single-handedly providing the goods at just the right moment.
That slip in the twilight of his career makes for an unfortunate footnote, but Gerrard won a largely pretty average Liverpool side an awful lot more silverware than he ever cost them.
74. Gheorghe Hagi
Blocked from a move away from Romania until 1990 due to the Communist regime, Hagi's best years came in his native country, though he did manage to impress across spells at Real Madrid, Brescia, Barcelona and Galatasaray. It's at the 1990, 1994 and 1998 World Cups where the Maradona of the Carpathians truly highlighted his quality, though, dribbling through opposition defences with such grace that it seemed almost impossible to stop the diminutive playmaker.
The best Romanian player of all time, Hagi is also considered a hero in Turkey, while his exploits on the world stage saw him earn six Ballon d'Or nominations. Not bad.
73. Clarence Seedorf
The only player to have won the Champions League with three different sides - Ajax in 1995, Real Madrid in 1998 and AC Milan in 2003 and 2007 - Clarence Seedorf is unquestionably one of the greatest midfielders of his generation. His abundant energy, desire to both attack and defend, and his outstanding tactical intelligence ensured that he could operate wherever he was needed in midfield, regardless of the role or opposition.
Plus, he had an unerring accuracy to thunder shots into the top corner of the goal on a regular basis, with his goalkeepers feeling the full wrath of his power when attempting to palm away a stinger. Not many have been as versatile as the Dutchman.
72. Peter Schmeichel
Big, uncompromising, intimidating. The goalkeeper who gave fame to the starfish save, the legend who revolutionised the art of shotstopping in the early 1990s. Peter Schmeichel is rightly a legend of the game, a man who won a trophy for every year bar one between 1987 and 2001, including a phenomenal Euros victory with Denmark and treble triumph at Manchester United.
Known for annoying his defenders by barking instructions at them even when the ball was at the other end of the pitch, the Great Dane often came up clutch with huge saves in vital moments. If you're unsure of his quality, just watch his stop against Rapid Vienna in the 1996/97 Champions League group stages - unfathomable.
71. Giacinto Facchetti
Inter Milan's outstanding left-back for 18 years between 1960 and 1978, Facchetti also formed part of the successful Euro 1968-winning Italy side, as well as finishing as runner-up two years later in the World Cup.
Despite being 6ft3in, Facchetti wasn't necessarily indicative of rock-solid Italian defences: he managed 75 goals in 629 appearances for Inter, attacking at will with such pace and skill that opposition defences simply couldn't handle his runs from deep, nor his long-range shooting and pin-point crossing.
