Eight of the Greatest European Football Players of All Time

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While there are multiple great European football players out there, there will always be only a few of them that truly stands out from the crowd. We’ve covered some of the unforgettable Irish footy players previously, and we now move our gaze to Europe.

In this post, we take a look at some of the very best football players that came from the European continent.

1. Johan Cruyff – The Netherlands

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Johan Cruyff sadly lost the battle against cancer in 2016. He is considered to be one of the world’s best football players and managers of all time. He held multiple impressive accomplishments, including 10 League Titles and 3 UEFA Champions Leagues.

2. Franz Beckenbauer – Germany

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This German defender was undoubtedly one of the best defenders to date. He holds 7 League Titles, one World Cup, and 3 UEFA Champions League cups to name but a few. His talent ensured that any team he played with was geared to win.

3. Marco van Basten – The Netherlands

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This Dutchman had an unfortunate injury and caused his resignation from football altogether when he was only 28 years old. He remains one of the best football players from Europe, and holds a very impressive 7 League Titles.

4. Eusebio – Portugal

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Eusebio is considered to be one of the greatest footballers of all time. With 12 League Titles and an impressive football career, no one can argue to that reasoning. He scored a total of 749 goals during 745 club matches, and an impressive 41 goals in 46 appearances during international matches.

5. Zinedine Zidane – France

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Probably better known for his agility and magic when it comes to attacking, Zinedine Zidane certainly gets a spot on this list. Even though he is now retired and manager of Real Madrid, his talent was apparent during his career that lasted from 1989-2006.

6. Cristiano Ronaldo – Portugal

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This young player has already made his mark in the history of football and lands the number six spot on our list of the very best. With a total of 4 League titles and an impressive 2 UEFA Champions League cups, there is no stopping the Real Madrid star.

7. Ferenc Puskas – Hungary

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This Hungarian super baller holds an impressive ten league titles. During his career he scored a total of 84 goals in his 85 appearances playing for Hungary. To top that off, he also scored a total of 514 goals in 521 matches in league competition.

8. Sir Bobby Charlton – England

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With three league titles and multiple cups, Sir Bobby Charlton is one of the most memorable and talented players from English soil. Thanks to Charlton’s masterful sportsmanship, England won the World Cup in 1966.

If you get the chance to watch some of these legends’ games, you’d better grab it with both hands! Moving on from the great to the not-so great, have a look at what is considered to be the worst players ever to be signed by Chelsea.