Iconic Players

A deck by Gaia Kim · 9 cards

The stars who lifted — or were robbed of — the trophy.

Cristiano Ronaldo

Cristiano Ronaldo dos Santos Aveiro, also known as simply Ronaldo and nicknamed CR7, is a Portuguese professional footballer who plays as a forward for and captains both Saudi Pro League club Al-Nassr and the Portugal national team. Widely regarded as one of the greatest players in history and the greatest Portuguese player ever, he has won numerous individual accolades throughout his career, including five Ballons D'or, a record three UEFA Men's Player of the Year Awards, and four European Golden Shoes. He was also named the world's best player five times by FIFA.

Pelé

Edson Arantes do Nascimento, better known by his nickname Pelé, was a Brazilian professional footballer who played as a forward. Widely regarded as one of the greatest players in history, he was among the most successful and popular sports figures of the 20th century. His 1,279 goals in 1,363 games, which includes friendlies, is recognised as a Guinness World Record. In 1999, he was named Athlete of the Century by the International Olympic Committee and was included in the Time list of the 100 most important people of the 20th century. In 2000, Pelé was voted World Player of the Century by the International Federation of Football History & Statistics (IFFHS) and was one of the two joint winners of the FIFA Player of the Century, alongside Diego Maradona.

Johan Cruyff

Hendrik Johannes Cruijff, commonly known as Johan Cruyff, was a Dutch professional football player and manager. Regarded as one of the greatest players in history and as the greatest Dutch footballer ever, he won the Ballon d'Or three times, in 1971, 1973, and 1974. Cruyff was a proponent of the football philosophy known as Total Football developed by Rinus Michels, which Cruyff also employed as a manager. Because of the far-reaching impact of his playing style and his coaching ideas, he is widely regarded as one of the most influential figures in modern football, and he is also regarded as one of the greatest managers of all time.

Zinedine Zidane

Zinedine Yazid Zidane, popularly known as Zizou, is a French professional football manager and former player who played as an attacking midfielder. Widely regarded as one of the greatest players of all time, Zidane was a playmaker renowned for his elegance, vision, passing, and ball control. He received many individual accolades as a player, including being named FIFA World Player of the Year in 1998, 2000 and 2003, and winning the 1998 Ballon d'Or. He coached his former La Liga club Real Madrid in two separate stints between 2016 and 2021, winning multiple domestic and international club trophies.

Kylian Mbappé

Kylian Mbappé Lottin is a French professional footballer who plays as a forward for La Liga club Real Madrid and captains the France national team. Widely regarded as one of the best players in the world, he is known for his pace, dribbling, and clinical finishing.

Ronaldinho

Ronaldo de Assis Moreira, commonly known as Ronaldinho Gaúcho or simply Ronaldinho, is a Brazilian professional footballer who plays as an attacking midfielder or left winger for Serie C side Ravenna. Widely regarded as one of the greatest players of all time, he won two FIFA World Player of the Year awards and a Ballon d'Or. He is the only player ever to have won all of the following: a World Cup, a Copa América, a Confederations Cup, a Champions League, a Copa Libertadores and a Ballon d'Or. A global icon of the sport, Ronaldinho was renowned for his dribbling abilities, free-kick accuracy, his use of tricks, feints, no-look passes, and overhead kicks, as well as his ability to score and create goals. Also known by the nickname "O Bruxo", during his career, he was one of the most valuable sportsmen in the world.

Lionel Messi

Lionel Andrés "Leo" Messi is an Argentine professional footballer who plays as a forward for and captains both Major League Soccer club Inter Miami and the Argentina national team. Widely regarded as one of the greatest players in history, Messi has set numerous records for individual accolades won throughout his professional footballing career, including eight Ballons d'Or, six European Golden Shoes, and eight times being named the world's best player by FIFA. In 2025, he was named the All Time Men's World Best Player by the IFFHS.

Miroslav Klose

Miroslav Josef Klose is a German professional football manager and former player who is head coach of 2. Bundesliga club 1. FC Nürnberg. He is the all-time top scorer for Germany and was the record-holder for most goals scored in the FIFA World Cup (16), a record he held independently for 12 years, until it was surpassed by Lionel Messi in 2026. Starting his career at FC 08 Homburg, Klose played in the Bundesliga for Kaiserslautern before becoming one of the most prolific scorers in the league with Werder Bremen, where he was awarded the German Footballer of the Year in 2006 and also named in the kicker Bundesliga Team of the Season in 2004–05 and 2005–06. His performances saw him move to Bayern Munich in 2007. During his time at Bayern, Klose won the 2007–08 and 2009–10 league titles. In 2011, Klose moved to Serie A club Lazio, where he won the 2012–13 Coppa Italia and eventually finished his playing career in 2016 after five years at the club.

Diego Maradona

Diego Armando Maradona was an Argentine professional football player and manager. Widely regarded as one of the greatest players in the history of the sport, he was one of the two joint winners of the FIFA Player of the Century award, alongside Pelé.