The names run in a line: Pele, Cruyff, Maradona, Ronaldo Nazario, Zidane, Ronaldinho, Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo, plus the stories still being written. This page walks through the list, the GOAT question, the moments that made them, what happened after, today’s stars, and the wider topics of World Cup finals, the transfers, and the Ballon d’Or. You can watch every Fizbal film.
The debate over who stands above the rest follows next.
Who is the GOAT of soccer?
The short answer
Fizbal’s who is the GOAT of soccer page judges every era by three questions: the peak, the wins, the change. The who is better, Messi or Ronaldo film runs seven rounds and gives no verdict.
The moments that made them
A defining moment is the single scene that fixes a player in memory.
- Zinedine Zidane, 2006: He headbutted Marco Materazzi in the 110th minute of the World Cup final: why Zidane headbutted Materazzi.
- Diego Maradona, 1986: Two goals four minutes apart: the Hand of God and the Goal of the Century.
- Johan Cruyff, 1974: A 0-0 draw with Sweden in Dortmund produced a turn that changed how the game was played: the story of Johan Cruyff.
- Pele, 1958 to 1970: Three World Cups across twelve years: Pele’s three World Cups.
After the moment comes the question of what the player did next.
What happened to them after the peak
A peak is the stretch that defines a player; the years after are the story.
- Ronaldinho: What came after the Ballon d’Or years is the open question, and Ronaldinho’s story takes it on.
- Neymar: His 222-million-euro move from Barcelona to Paris Saint-Germain in 2017 remains the world-record transfer fee as of 2026: what happened to Neymar.
- Messi and 2026: He scored eight goals at the 2026 World Cup and won the Silver Ball; Messi’s 2026 run tells the rest.
- Cristiano Ronaldo and 2026: He confirmed after Portugal’s round-of-16 loss to Spain that it was his last World Cup: Ronaldo’s farewell.
The famous soccer players of today, and the stories still being written
Today’s stars are the players Fizbal is following now. You will see how good Lamine Yamal is in Spain’s 2026 World Cup win. Erling Haaland (Manchester City, Norway), Kylian Mbappe (Real Madrid, France), Jude Bellingham (Real Madrid, England), Harry Kane (England, the 2026 Ballon d’Or winner), Pedri (Barcelona, Spain) and Cole Palmer (Chelsea, England) complete the set.
World Cup history and the finals that made legends
The full list of winners lives on the story behind every World Cup final. To start, who won the 2026 World Cup covers Spain’s 1-0 win over Argentina, and the biggest World Cup upsets collects the shocks.
The transfers that changed the game
The full explanation lives in how football transfers work. Neymar’s move holds the record fee, and the most expensive transfers ever ranks the rest.
Ballon d’Or winners, year by year
The Ballon d’Or winners list begins in 1956, when France Football created the award. The names on it track the players above: Zidane in 1998, Ronaldinho in 2005, and Messi’s record eight. Harry Kane won the 2026 Ballon d’Or, announced on October 26, 2026.