40. Luis Suarez
No, not him. This Luis Suarez never bit anyone, although he did play for Barcelona. Nicknamed ‘the Architect’, he was a midfielder of rare vision and remains the only Spaniard to have won the Ballon d’Or. Then he joined Inter for a world record fee in 1961 and won back-to-back European Cups.
Career highlight: The summer of 1964, when Suarez followed the European Cup by winning the Euros with Spain.
39. Romario
The king of the toe poke, the Brazilian had dazzling close control and nerveless finishing abilities - when he was through on goal, the keeper was basically doomed. Prolific for Vasco da Gama, PSV and Flamengo, he was the first player to net 100 goals for three different clubs.
Career highlight: Player of the tournament at the 1994 World Cup, as Romario led Brazil to glory.
38. Mattias Sindelar
Nicknamed the Mozart of Football, Sindelar was one of the world’s greatest stars in the 1930s, leading the magnificent Austrian national Wunderteam. The forward made his political views known too, wildly celebrating a goal against Germany in 1938, right after Austria had been annexed. He died mysteriously a year later.
Career highlight: Sindelar captained Austria as they reached the 1934 World Cup semi-finals, where they were controversially beaten by the hosts Italy.
37. Valentino Mazzola
The 1949 Superga air crash wiped out the legendary Grande Torino side, of which Mazzola was the finest. In seven years, he helped them win five championships and set a record for the most goals scored in a Serie A season, which still stands today.
Career highlight: Using his prodigious heading ability, he netted 29 goals from central midfield in 1946-47, eight more than the league’s next highest scorer.
36. Stanley Matthews
‘The Wizard of the Dribble’ is arguably the most entertaining player England has ever produced. At Blackpool, he won the inaugural Ballon d’Or in 1956 - at Stoke, he played in the top flight at 50, still a record.
Career highlight: So incredible was his display in the 1953 FA Cup final, that it became known as The Matthews Final - even though team-mate Stan Mortensen scored a hat-trick.
35. Rivaldo
Possessing one of the deadliest left feet in football history, the Brazilian won the Ballon d’Or after guiding Barcelona to a second successive title, then helped his country to glory in 2002. “Ronaldo was our most talented player, but Rivaldo was even better at that World Cup,” Edmilson said.
Career highlight: The overhead kick against Valencia that completed a hat-trick and rescued Barcelona’s Champions League qualification in 2001.
34. Raymond Kopa
Born as Raymond Kopaszewski, the son of Polish immigrants became a French hero at Reims, but lost the European Cup final to Real Madrid. If you can’t beat them, join them - the playmaker headed to the Bernabeu and won the trophy three times, one of them against Reims.
Career highlight: The first Frenchman to win the European Cup, Little Napoleon then won the Ballon d’Or in 1958.
33. Lothar Matthaus
An all-action midfielder who combined ferocity and finesse without compromising on either, Matthaus was a rampaging engine-room presence who was described by Diego Maradona as his toughest opponent.
His heyday was as the poster-boy of the Germanic domination of European football in the late 1980s and early '90s, during which time he helped himself to 13 major club trophies, World Cup and European Championship medals, plus – to cap it all off – the Ballon d’Or in 1990.
Career Highlight: Captaining an impossibly suave West Germany side to victory in the 1990 World Cup, getting the ball rolling himself with two sumptuous individual goals against Yugoslavia in the opening game.
32. Socrates
Perhaps the ultimate bohemian icon in football history, a deep thinker in all areas of life and a formidable midfielder of one of the greatest sides Brazil has ever produced. He made the no-look backheel pass his own signature - surely the finest footballer ever to play for Garforth Town.
Career highlight: Dazzling the world with his performances at the 1982 World Cup.
31. Manuel Neuer
The modern, ball-playing goalkeeper who convinced Pep Guardiola to abandon building with midfielders and leave it all to the gloves-man and his backline. His shot-stopping isn’t bad either, helping Bayern Munich win 10 Bundesliga titles and two Champions Leagues. His skiing isn’t quite so good.
Career highlight: An extraordinary sweeper-keeper performance against Algeria, en route to lifting the 2014 World Cup with Germany.
