Football GOAT Ranking

Live Updates: 1 Users

Who is the GOAT of football? This is a live fan-vote ranking. As of April 20, 2026, Lionel Messi is #1 with 9,970 votes (50,569 total fan votes).

Top contenders: Lionel Messi • Luka Modric • Victor Osimhen

How Rankings Work

Leaderboards rank athletes by net GOAT score (upvotes minus downvotes). Weekly archives capture fixed snapshots, while live pages update in real time as votes are submitted.

Global Player Search

Search the full Football list by player name, achievements, or birthplace.

124 total players
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Rank #1
Lionel Messi

Lionel
Messi

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What are you looking at, fool? Go away, fool.

Total Votes9,970
Rank #2
Luka Modric

Luka
Modric

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Talent without hard work is nothing.

Total Votes5,275
Rank #3
Victor Osimhen

Victor
Osimhen

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First Nigerian to win Serie A Golden Boot; top scorer in Napoli's Scudetto-winning season

Total Votes4,607
Rank #4
Neymar Jr.

Neymar
Jr.

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1% chance, 99% faith.

Total Votes2,264
Rank #5
Wayne Rooney

Wayne
Rooney

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Pulling on your country's shirt is the greatest honour a footballer can have.

Total Votes2,207
Rank #6
Zinedine Zidane

Zinedine
Zidane

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I once cried because I had no shoes to play soccer, but one day, I met a man who had no feet.

Total Votes2,096
Rank #7
Ronaldo il Fenomeno

Ronaldo
il Fenomeno

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I lost to my body.

Total Votes1,764
Rank #8
Cristiano Ronaldo

Cristiano
Ronaldo

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Your love makes me strong, your hate makes me unstoppable.

Total Votes1,439
Rank #9
Ronaldinho

Ronaldinho

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I learned all about life with a ball at my feet.

Total Votes1,429
Rank #10
Gianluigi Buffon

Gianluigi
Buffon

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I could have died on the pitch.

Total Votes1,373
Rank #11
Antony

Antony

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I was born in hell. That’s not a joke. For my European friends who don’t know, the favela where I grew up in São Paulo is actually called In...

Total Votes1,256
Rank #12
Franck Ribéry

Franck
Ribéry

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Most assists in a single Bundesliga season

Total Votes1,137
Rank #13
Arjen Robben

Arjen
Robben

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Most goals by a Dutch player in Bundesliga history

Total Votes1,127
Rank #14
Diego Maradona

Diego
Maradona

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If I die, I want to be born again and I want to be a footballer. And I want to be Diego Armando Maradona again.

Total Votes832
Rank #15
Zlatan Ibrahimović

Zlatan
Ibrahimović

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I came like a king, left like a legend.

Total Votes831
Rank #16
Robert Lewandowski

Robert
Lewandowski

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You can always improve, even after a great season.

Total Votes736
Rank #17
Kylian Mbappe

Kylian
Mbappe

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Football has changed.

Total Votes717
Rank #18
Eusébio

Eusébio

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All-time top scorer for Benfica

Total Votes713
Rank #19
Lamine Yamal

Lamine
Yamal

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Youngest goalscorer in La Liga history

Total Votes700
Rank #20
Thierry Henry

Thierry
Henry

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I always think about what I missed, and I think that was my driving force - never be satisfied with what I've done.

Total Votes697
Rank #21
Francesco Totti

Francesco
Totti

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I cheated on all my girlfriends, but I never cheated on Roma.

Total Votes605
Rank #22
Thomas Müller

Thomas
Müller

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Goals aren't my fuel. They're more like the paint. The special paint for the car that looks good on the outside.

Total Votes600
Rank #23
Virgil van Dijk

Virgil
van Dijk

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UEFA Men's Player of the Year 2019

Total Votes555
Rank #24
Luis Suárez

Luis
Suárez

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I was born to score goals.

Total Votes546
Rank #25
Pelé

Pelé

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Success is no accident. It is hard work, perseverance, learning, studying, sacrifice and most of all, love of what you are doing or learning...

Total Votes500
Rank #26
Lev Yashin

Lev
Yashin

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Only goalkeeper to win the Ballon d'Or

Total Votes449
Rank #27
Marko Arnautović

Marko
Arnautović

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I don't care what people say. I am who I am.

Total Votes434
Rank #28
Harry Kane

Harry
Kane

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When times are down, keep believing, keep working hard, and things will pick up.

Total Votes410
Rank #29
Paolo Maldini

Paolo
Maldini

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If I have to make a tackle then I have already made a mistake.

Total Votes400
Rank #30
George Best

George
Best

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I spent a lot of money on booze, birds and fast cars. The rest I just squandered.

Total Votes360
Rank #31
Cole Palmer

Cole
Palmer

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Youngest Chelsea player to score in a European final

Total Votes351
Rank #32
Johan Neeskens

Johan
Neeskens

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Key player in Total Football

Total Votes350
Rank #33
Erling Haaland

Erling
Haaland

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The Champions League anthem is my alarm tone.

Total Votes330
Rank #34
Mohamed Salah

Mohamed
Salah

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I always like to improve myself.

Total Votes326
Rank #35
Kazuyoshi Miura

Kazuyoshi
Miura

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I will play until I die.

Total Votes320
Rank #36
N'Golo Kanté

N'Golo
Kanté

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I am happy to work hard for the team.

Total Votes270
Rank #37
Xavi Hernández

Xavi
Hernández

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In football, the result is an impostor.

Total Votes229
Rank #38
Manuel Neuer

Manuel
Neuer

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Most clean sheets in FIFA World Cup history

Total Votes228
Rank #39
Ferenc Puskás

Ferenc
Puskás

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Highest goal-to-game ratio for any player in La Liga history

Total Votes227
Rank #40
Goaty McGoatface

Goaty
McGoatface

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Most consecutive upvotes on Vote-The-Goat.com

Total Votes224
Rank #41
Michel Platini

Michel
Platini

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Football is made for those who love the ball.

Total Votes221
Rank #42
Luis Figo

Luis
Figo

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What matters is winning and helping the team.

Total Votes170
Rank #43
Iker Casillas

Iker
Casillas

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Respect and humility are non-negotiable.

Total Votes170
Rank #44
Johan Cruyff

Johan
Cruyff

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Playing football is very simple, but playing simple football is the hardest thing there is.

Total Votes154
Rank #45
Andrés Iniesta

Andrés
Iniesta

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If you win without sacrifice, you enjoy it but it's more satisfying when you have struggled.

Total Votes146
Rank #46
Franz Beckenbauer

Franz
Beckenbauer

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Football is not a one-man show.

Total Votes138
Rank #47
Gerd Müller

Gerd
Müller

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Most goals in a single Bundesliga season until 2021

Total Votes132
Rank #48
Peter Crouch

Peter
Crouch

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Had I not become a footballer, I think I would have been a virgin.

Total Votes125
Rank #49
Alessandro Del Piero

Alessandro
Del Piero

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All-time top scorer for Juventus

Total Votes104
Rank #50
Matthias Sindelar

Matthias
Sindelar

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Widely regarded as one of the greatest Austrian players of all time

Total Votes99

Ranking Methodology

Rankings are based on net GOAT score: every upvote adds points and every downvote subtracts points. Profiles also show total ballots (upvotes + downvotes) so support volume is visible.

Weekly archive snapshots store the leaderboard state at a specific date so each week has a fixed, referenceable ranking page.

Boosts increase visibility and activity but the ranking score shown on profile and sport pages follows the same vote model. Automated abuse checks, rate limits, and CAPTCHA controls are used to protect integrity.

FAQ

Who is considered the GOAT of Football right now?

As of April 20, 2026, Lionel Messi is #1 in the live Football fan-vote ranking. Current leaders: 1. Lionel Messi 2. Luka Modric 3. Victor Osimhen.

Does this include Messi, Ronaldo, Pele, and Maradona?

Yes. The football ranking includes those legends and many other all-time greats, all ranked by live fan voting.

Is this an official Football ranking?

No. Vote The Goat is a fan-vote ranking for football. It reflects community voting, not an official federation or league decision.

How are the Football GOAT rankings calculated?

Football rankings are based on live fan votes. Votes update leaderboard positions in real time as they are submitted.

Can I vote for multiple Football players?

Yes. You can vote across multiple football legends, and each vote impacts the live ranking position.

How often are Football rankings updated?

Football rankings update continuously as new votes come in.

Where can I see older Football rankings?

Use the archive pages to browse past weekly snapshots and compare how football rankings changed over time.

forumCommunity Discussion

person
person
Anonymous Goat #866141d ago

CR7 the GOAT

person
Anonymous Goat #699451d ago

The white Pele, remember the name… Wayne Rooney!

KORO mhd
KORO mhdverified108d ago

messi on top

person
Anonymous Goat #3736102d ago

CR7 the goat